2025 White Elephant Gift Exchange Trends Report: What We Learned From Thousands of Virtual Games
Another holiday season is in the books, and what a season it was. As we celebrate five years of White Elephant Online, we’re excited to share the biggest insights, surprises, and patterns from the thousands of virtual and hybrid gift exchanges hosted on our platform last year.
Whether you’re an HR leader planning a holiday event, a manager organizing a team celebration, or just a fan of a good White Elephant game, here’s a look at what shaped the 2024 season.
📈 The hundred year-old tradition continues
This year saw strong engagement from teams of all sizes and industries. Across the 2024 season:
47,000 gifts were exchanged
3,000 gift exchanges were created
46,000 players participated
From fully remote teams to hybrid offices and friend groups spread across states, the White Elephant tradition continues to thrive online.
👥 What a “Typical” White Elephant Game Looked Like in 2024
After five seasons, we’ve learned there actually is a formula for a highly engaging virtual gift exchange. Here’s what the average 2024 game looked like:
18 participants
$28 average spend on gifts
37 minutes of game play
December 19th was the most popular day to host
We love that sweet spot: large enough for excitement, small enough to keep the game fast, funny, and easy to coordinate.
🎁 The Gifts Everyone Wanted This Year
Every season reveals its own “it” items, and 2024 was no exception. Here were this year’s most popular picks:
Top 5 Most Popular Gifts
Bluetooth speaker (the undisputed champion of 2024)
Cheese board
Massage gun
AirTags
Hand warmers
From practical tech to cozy comforts, the trends paint a clear picture: teams love gifts that are useful and portable without breaking the budget. The top 5 doesn’t totally represent the quirky side of White Elephant, but many other items in the top 20 did: Smore’s makers, Lego sets, a Bonsai starter kit and more brought the expected to exchanges this season.
🛒 Where People Bought Their Gifts
Amazon continues to lead the pack, but alternative retailers held strong. This year’s top stores:
Amazon
Target
Etsy
Walmart
Uncommon Goods
The continued presence of Etsy and Uncommon Goods on this list highlights an ongoing interest in unique, handmade, and personalized items, especially for team gifts.
🎉 Gift Themes That Won 2024
Three themes consistently topped the charts this season:
LEGOs: big comeback!
Cozy things: slippers, blankets, seasonal treats
Gadgets: especially portable or WFH-friendly tech
These categories deliver high “steal” potential, which makes the game more exciting and more memorable for teams.
If you’re looking for the perfect White Elephant gift for this year’s gift exchange, be sure to check out our White Elephant Gift Idea Generator and see thousands of unique gift ideas.
🎄 The Continued Rise of Virtual Celebration
Five years into White Elephant Online, one thing is clear: virtual gift exchanges aren’t just a pandemic-era workaround; they’ve become a new holiday tradition for distributed teams.
Companies rely on virtual games to:
bring hybrid teams together
include global employees
make December easier for busy HR teams
boost morale during end-of-year crunch time
And this year’s strong participation numbers reinforce that remote celebrations are here to stay.
💡 Planning Your 2025 White Elephant Game?
Use this data as a guide to plan a fun, stress-free event next season:
Aim for 15–25 players (or more if you want a longer event)
Set a $25–$30 gift budget
Pick a gift from the top 2024 categories (or break the mold with some unique gift ideas).
And if you want maximum excitement? Host your game the week before Christmas, ideally in the afternoon so no one needs to stay past work hours to enjoy the celebration.
Whether you’re planning a virtual or in-person celebration, White Elephant Online has everything you need to make it easy, from invitations to automated gift reveals to gameplay that works seamlessly for hybrid teams.
Try it free today → Play White Elephant Online
Download & Share the Full Trend Report
We’ve compiled all the key stats and insights, including additional fun facts like the most stolen gifts, in our full trends report.