Christmas Gift Giving Passing Game

I have four nieces and I almost always give them some sort of experience as part of their Christmas present. So I thought it would be fun to have them play a Christmas gift giving game.

I bought four presents that cost about the same price and that all of them would like no matter which one they received. I wrapped them up but didn’t put names on any of them.

My nieces sit in a circle and prepare to pass their gifts left and right while I read them the story about the Wright family.

I gathered my nieces together, gave each one a present, and asked them to sit in a circle. I told them the rules of the game. Every time they heard the word “left” to pass their present to the left and every time they heard the words “right” or “Wright” to pass their present to the right. I told them to listen closely because the story gets awfully crazy!

Then I began to read out loud the following story. To make it even more fun, I read it quickly!

Many years ago high on a mountain, there lived a family named WRIGHT. They had many cousins whose names were also WRIGHT. Every Christmas the clan gathered to have a party and no one was LEFT out. Sally WRIGHT was in charge of the guest list and she LEFT nothing to chance. This party was planned and things had to be just RIGHT. Mary WRIGHT had LEFT home early to do her shopping, but LEFT her gift list at home. Now this created a problem RIGHT from the start for her. John WRIGHT had gone to cut a tree for the big affair. It had to be the RIGHT size to stand on the LEFT side of the fire place.The decorations were ready and waiting.

Mother WRIGHT was in charge of the kitchen and everyone had to bring the RIGHT food to fit the menu and no one LEFT home without their share. There were children by the score who played RIGHT in the middle of the floor and LEFT toys everywhere. Now it wouldn’t really be festive if they had no Santa Clause, so Charles WRIGHT had his wife Jeannie WRIGHT make him a Santa suit. She put two pockets on the RIGHT side and one on the LEFT. But Jake WRIGHT felt LEFT out because he said he had a RIGHT to be Santa because he had been LEFT out for five years.

Mother WRIGHT had to settle the argument RIGHT then and there before she LEFT for the kitchen. Charles and Jake both got mad and LEFT in a huff. But just then Uncle Ben WRIGHT walked RIGHT through the door and said he had a suit LEFT over from last year that would be all RIGHT. So that was settled and LEFT everyone feeling just fine except Charles and Jake, but they soon realized the Christmas spirit should prevail, so they marched RIGHT back into the house.

Tommy WRIGHT, of the RIGHT side of the mountain, LEFT his snow shoes at home so he was late reaching the party at the RIGHT time, but he was still able to help wrap the gifts which were placed on the RIGHT side of the fireplace and on the LEFT side of the tree. He also hung holly on the RIGHT side and every WRIGHT in the county was RIGHT on time, dressed in their Sunday best. No stone was LEFT unturned to make this a happy time.

The turkey was baked just RIGHT and LEFT everyone gasping with delight. The dressing and trimmings were also just RIGHT, because Mother WRIGHT saw to that.There was a pile of toys RIGHT by the door because Mother WRIGHT said there was no room LEFT under the tree. They gathered round the table, each woman had a man on her RIGHT and also on her LEFT. They laughed RIGHT loudly as they ate their dinner and as they LEFT the table everyone cried “I ate too much!” Then came Santa RIGHT on time to deliver the gifts to each WRIGHT. He LEFT each one laughing, even Grandpa WRIGHT, who usually LEFT early and said good-night. The children LEFT the room RIGHT after opening the last toy. Their hearts were full of Christmas Joy.

Mother WRIGHT knew the party was a success and LEFT for the kitchen RIGHT after the last carol was sung. Every WRIGHT on the mountain LEFT the party so happy and gay. Once more they had celebrated Christmas with the RIGHT kind of love in their hearts and LEFT each WRIGHT family shaking warm hands on their RIGHT and LEFT, saying Merry Christmas to each and everyone.

At first my nieces thought they were slick and kept up with the story. That only lasted a couple of sentences. Soon it was chaos – as you can imagine – with all of the lefts, rights and Wrights in the story. Everyone cracked up laughing as my nieces frantically passed their presents back and forth. It was a sight to see!

We all just laughed harder when my five-year old niece stopped in the middle of the game to say in her cute little voice, “I’m getting confused right now.”

It’s a gift giving game that is as much fun to watch as it is to participate!