Help Me Organize the Perfect Yankee Swap!
What works? What doesn't? What am I missing?
We're hosting Christmas for the first time this year, and we have decided to do a Yankee Swap. Neither Ben nor I have been involved in one before, and since {ahem} Ben wasn't particularly keen on doing it at all, I did my best to compile the "rules" for our families. But there seems to be one point of discussion (mostly among my siblings, who, let's face it, can be slightly argumentative... present company excluded, of course. LOL.), and I can't decide out what to do about it.
So, here's the big question: Do we open the gifts as we go along (as I originally outlined, see below) OR do we wait until the end to open them?
Here are the rules I complied. Is this how you have played? Please interject (well, comment) with any mistakes, suggestions, or fun variations! What are the benefits/drawbacks to opening them as you go along? Potential pitfalls? Nightmare experiences?
Yankee Swap Rules
1. Every person brings a wrapped present to Christmas (just adults, I'll do something else for the kids).
That means you and whoever you come with bring separate presents (e.g.,
Ben and I contribute different gifts, moms and dads bring different
gifts) & gifts are placed together on a table when you arrive.
2. We draw numbers to determine who picks first (and the person who picks first also gets to pick last).
3. The person with the lowest number goes first. He or she chooses one of the wrapped presents, opens it, and takes it back to their seat with them.
4. Each person in order then gets to pick a present, open it and decide whether to KEEP IT or SWAP IT for any other open present (e.g., person #2 can steal person #1's gift, etc., ect...).
2. We draw numbers to determine who picks first (and the person who picks first also gets to pick last).
3. The person with the lowest number goes first. He or she chooses one of the wrapped presents, opens it, and takes it back to their seat with them.
4. Each person in order then gets to pick a present, open it and decide whether to KEEP IT or SWAP IT for any other open present (e.g., person #2 can steal person #1's gift, etc., ect...).
5. Whoever gets a gift taken from them must pick a new, unopened gift, but does not have the option to swap.
6. Opening/swapping continues until all presents have been opened. BUT, there is a 3-swap maximum; a present cannot be swapped more than 3 times. The third swap on any particular present is the last, and that person keeps it for good.7. Lastly, the person who picked first gets to pick their choice from all of the open presents (unless a present has already met the 3-swap maximum).
So, what do you think? Do we open them as we play OR wait until the end? Is there a cool variation I'm missing? Is the three-swap rule a good one or too restricting?
I'd kinda like to avoid a situation like this one below!
Thanks for your help! I want to publish a finalized rule sheet next week, so any advice you can give me to help make this fun for everyone would be appreciated!
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