A few years ago my mom used this game at a Christmas party with our family.
SO. MUCH. FUN.
I loved it so much I shared it at a few speaking engagements that year and everyone went crazy for it. It’s become quite popular (there are even versions out there on the Internet for bridal and baby showers), but if you haven’t heard of it and you happen to be in charge of a party’s gift exchange, this is the perfect game for you!
Here’s the scoop – Someone reads the story below. Every time the word RIGHT is read, everybody passes his/her gift to the right. Every time the word LEFT is read, everybody passes his/her gift to the left. When the word ACROSS is read, pass the gift to the person across from you. The gift each person is holding when the story ends is the gift he/she keeps.
Even if you aren’t going to a party with a gift exchange, why not wrap up a few candy bars as the gifts and play this game around the dinner table tonight??
Everyone will love it!
Have fun!
Christmas With the Right Family
Christmas was almost here and Mother RIGHT was in the kitchen finishing the Christmas baking as Sue RIGHT was ACROSS the room decorating cookies.
Father RIGHT and Billy RIGHT returned from their last minute Christmas errands ACROSS town at the mall.
“There’s not much LEFT to be done,” said Father RIGHT as he walked ACROSS the kitchen to eat one of Sue’s cookies.
“Did you leave the basket of food at the church ACROSS town with A CROSS on top?” asked Mother RIGHT.
“I LEFT it RIGHT where you told me to,” said Father RIGHT.
Bill RIGHT walked ACROSS the room to get a cookie too, “I’m glad my shopping is done,” he said, “I don’t have any money LEFT.”
“And pretty soon there won’t be any cookies LEFT!” Sue said laughing.
The hall telephone rang and Sue RIGHT LEFT to answer it.
She rushed back and told the family, “Aunt Tillie RIGHT LEFT a package for us RIGHT on Grandma RIGHT‘s porch! I’ll go over there RIGHT now and get it!” she said and LEFT in a rush to go ACROSS the street to Grandma RIGHT‘s house.
Father RIGHT LEFT the kitchen and brought in the Christmas tree and set it up ACROSS from the fireplace.
By the time Sue RIGHT had returned, Mother RIGHT, Father RIGHT and Billy RIGHT were trimming the tree.
The entire RIGHT family sang Christmas carols while they decorated. Then they hung A CROSS on the top branch.
They LEFT all the presents under the tree and went ACROSS the room to admire the twinkling lights.
As they drifted off to sleep that night, the RIGHT family hoped that they had selected all the RIGHT presents for their family.
Now I hope you have the RIGHT present for yourself, because that’s all that is LEFT of our story!
Except to wish you a Merry Christmas… isn’t that RIGHT??
**You can click HERE for a printable version of this great game.**
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Merry Christmas With the Right Family-ing! 🙂
*I also found a version of the Left/Right Game that uses the Christmas story from the Bible. It’s quite amazing and a fun way to read the story of Jesus’ birth with your Happy Homes. Check it out HERE!*
becky
December 11, 2010 at 1:40 pmThis is a fun game! When I was a Thirty-One consultant we played a version of this at my parties!
Happy Home Fairy
December 11, 2010 at 3:44 pmWhat is Thirty-One?????? Sounds exciting! I’ll bet you were great at it! Thanks for stopping by!
Amanda Boggs
February 11, 2012 at 10:30 amYou can check out Thirty-One at my website below Happy Home Fairy. We sell great bags, purses, stationary, wallets, etc…
http://www.mythirtyone.com/amanda_31gifts/
Jennifer T in Tennessee
December 29, 2011 at 9:46 amI tried this game with my family this past Christmas. I purchased about 25 tubes of candy from our local Walmart (at 98 cents each — they doubled as a bank when candy’s gone): Tootsie Rolls, bubblegum, gummy bears, M&Ms, Reeces Pieces, etc., put them in brown lunch sacks (instead of the more expensive Christmas bags), and topped them with red/green/white tissue paper. Each player got a bag; it was a GREAT ice-breaker for all ages, and didn’t cost a fortune for me. 🙂
Thanks for the cute idea!
Deb Cox
October 13, 2012 at 5:35 pmPlayed this game at our family Christmas gathering last Christmas and it was a big hit. I just bought a bunch of inexpensive gifts and wrapped them. Everyone picked one out of box at beginning then the story was read. Everyone had fun passing the gifts around and across the room.
Roxanne
October 29, 2012 at 4:53 pmI have seen this done while readings”the Night Before Christmas” and the gifts were passed each time the word THE was said…….ending with “The END!!!”
Gail Hawkins
November 7, 2012 at 10:02 amdo you have a printable version?
Happy Home Fairy
November 7, 2012 at 10:43 amJust copied it into a word document… it is now available on the post! Thanks for stopping by!
Kirsten Miller
November 24, 2012 at 1:02 pmI’ve played this game when reading The Three Trees, switching hands each time you hear the word tree in the story. It’s a very meaningful story about Christ and each tree that played a significant role in the creation to crucifiction story, and it’s a Christmas story to boot! 🙂
Lisa
November 14, 2013 at 8:53 pmI have a question. I have never played this game before, and I am hosting a ornament exchange party soon and want to play this game with the ornaments.. Do I have the guests put all the wrapped ornaments in a pile and they randomly choose a gift, or do they start with the gift they brought?
Sue
November 21, 2014 at 11:33 amHello, I’m new to this game too but would love to take the idea to our large family gathering. If each person brings a small gift how does it work when we’re all in a circle when the word “ACROSS” is read? Does everyone hand their gifts across to someone else? I get the Left, Right piece…just find the across a bit confusing. If there is an uneven number of people? there may not be a person across from everyone…
Kelly
December 17, 2014 at 6:10 pmGoing to try this exchange game tomorrow night. It sounds like fun!
Wendy Foot
December 26, 2014 at 7:32 amI wanted to have some fun games yesterday (Christmas day) with my family… ? I chose this game for our Christmas table. This presents weren’t brilliant (I bought fun coasters and placemats ) but fun. My family rolled their eyes when at the end of the meal I said I wanted to play a game… And then I began… and the hilarity started!!! It was SO much fun! Everyone was in fits of laughter and although the gifts weren’t expensive they went down a treat!!
Thank you for sharing this game!! It was a total hit!!!??
Happy Home Fairy
December 26, 2014 at 10:37 amWendy! That makes me SO Happy! Thank you for letting me know!
HelenGrace Dela Pena
November 30, 2015 at 9:27 pmtried this kind of gift exchange and it was sooooo fun! I prepared a story with LEFT and RIGHT words and my relatives enjoyed much this style, especially looking at each faces awaiting to hear the left and right words. Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Happy Home Fairy
December 1, 2015 at 1:42 pmThank you so much!
Pam
December 13, 2015 at 1:27 pmPlayed this game last night at our company Christmas Party —- Some of the guys were not that impressed when I said game. But they were the ones that where having a great time. After the story we the presents were numbered and opened in order and could be exchanged with other presents like a regular white elephant gift exchange. That made it really fun too!!!
Sabrina
December 15, 2015 at 4:28 pmLove this! We’ll be using it for a gift exchange for our MOPS group. Thank you!
Happy Home Fairy
December 15, 2015 at 8:50 pmYay! Sabrina, have fun! 🙂
Gina
November 20, 2017 at 9:30 amIt doesn’t really matter of it goes exactly across. The fun is in the confusion of getting up and exchanging it with anyone who is,across from them.