Begin playing white elephant online with our virtual white elephant template. Designate one member of the group as a head elf to collect the various “gifts.” In a virtual white elephant game, the gifts will be online images that team members choose for one another.

Each person in the group will send their image to the head elf who will “wrap” the gifts by hiding the images. They’ll then write all the participants’ names on the board to keep track of the order and who has received which gift.

Ready to play? Start a free white elephant online game with our interactive template. Exchange gifts anytime, anywhere with FigJam.

Now that you understand how to set up an online white elephant game, exactly how does white elephant work? A white elephant is a gift exchange game often played in groups during the holiday season. Whether you’re playing a white elephant game online or in person, each member of the group should bring a wrapped gift without a specified recipient. Then, you’ll draw numbers to determine the selection order.

The first player selects a gift and opens it, showing it to the rest of the group. The next player can choose to pick an unwrapped gift or steal the first person’s gift. If your gift is stolen, you then have the same choice to make: open a new gift or steal an open one. You continue down the line until each person has had a turn.

Seems fun and all, but what are white elephant gift ideas? The game is usually silly and lighthearted, so a casual gift idea is best. You’ll want to choose something that almost anyone in the group could enjoy (or at least find amusing). When selecting a digital image for white elephant online, consider choosing a picture that represents you or the culture of your organization—something the group will relate to, resonate with, or laugh at.