You probably have a white elephant reward change at work this yr or with family and friends, there’s a great likelihood you’re scrambling proper now to discover a good reward — or decipher what even makes a great white elephant reward. The doable origins of the time period “white elephant” present a technique of it: In response to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. It was a much more devious punishment than merely having them executed. The recipient had no selection however to easily thank the king for such an opulent reward, realizing that they doubtless couldn’t afford the maintenance for such an animal. It will inevitably make them monetary spoil.
Whether or not or not that story is true, it provides us a technique of a white elephant reward: one thing simply helpful or amusing sufficient that it gained’t instantly get tossed into the trash, however can also be considerably of a burden. Nonetheless, there are many different methods of deciphering this unusual but pleasant custom. Some compete to get a present that others will certainly need to steal, whereas others scavenge for essentially the most area of interest and focused gag items. Nearly all of them, although, usually have a value restrict that retains the burden of reward giving to a minimal — often $50 or much less. So with all of that in thoughts, listed here are some white elephant reward concepts that may get you just a few chuckles with out requiring you to spend an excessive amount of (or suppose too exhausting about it).
Finest white elephant reward concepts
KFC / Enviro-Log
One of the best white elephant items are those that create a little bit of intrigue as quickly as they enter the reward pile. And a full-size, 4.3-pound firelog wrapped in vacation paper is not possible not to note. It’s going to virtually actually dwarf each different reward that’s up for grabs, and can immediate limitless questions and hypothesis about what could possibly be within the bizarre, surprisingly heavy field.
The truth that the comically-large field holds a KFC fried chicken-scented firelog makes the entire gag much more amusing. I’ve a gasoline fire at residence, so I, sadly, don’t know what the KFC 11 Herbs and Spices firelog truly smells like. Many on-line opinions declare it smells “precisely” like the within of a KFC. Whether or not that’s interesting to you or not in all probability is determined by your affinity for the Colonel. However I can’t consider a extra pleasant reward to bestow on somebody who simply actually needed to see what was inside the massive, heavy field. — Karissa Bell, Senior Reporter
OCOOPA
A present anybody can respect is the reward of heat, and a pair of those magnetic hand heaters is among the cutest (and most handy) methods to offer that. They’re rechargeable little pucks that can be utilized caught collectively or individually to heat up frozen arms throughout the winter — or actually, any time of the yr. They warmth up tremendous quick (actually, inside seconds) and can last as long as eight hours every on a single cost. They’ll even be nice for individuals who insist they by no means get chilly as a result of they’re so small and compact that they’ll use them stealthily of their coat pockets, with nobody the wiser. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor
ChopSabers
Is there actually any level to sushi or noodle night time in case you’re not consuming your meals with utensils protected by The Drive? No. The reply isn’t any. These lightsaber chopsticks glow in several colours with simply the press of a button and include included batteries so your giftee can get proper to defending their plates from the forces of evil. Certain, they are going to be a success amongst Star Wars fanatics, however anybody can discover pleasure in a pair of extra-powerful chopsticks with which to have impromptu “meals fights” in between bites of sashimi. — V.P.
Native Union
Native Union is a French equipment firm that made its identify greater than a decade in the past with the Pop Cellphone. It was an outsized, old-school phone handset designed to plug into iPhones again when the world nonetheless felt a shiver of hope. It helped embody that temporary interval after we have been utilizing outdated images filters on our social media footage, mixing the outdated and the brand new. Now, the corporate has re-released the Pop cellphone with USB-C, letting you hook it as much as any cellphone or system you’d care to take calls on. The audio high quality is greater than advantageous, and it’s in all probability extra of an attention grabbing assertion piece in 2025 than it was in 2015. — Daniel Cooper, Senior Reporter
Magic Puzzle Firm
I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of jigsaw puzzles, however the items of artwork the Magic Puzzle Firm makes so that you can assemble are a delight. For starters, every has beautiful and distinctive paintings — whereas there are a number of artists who’ve contributed to the corporate’s puzzle lineup, all of them really feel associated, full of colour, whimsy and a bunch of secrets and techniques you’ll discover as you construct. The puzzle items themselves are high-quality and stable, one thing that goes a great distance in direction of making a puzzle enjoyable to place collectively.
However my favourite half is the truth that when you end the primary puzzle, you’re not achieved. Every has sections that may slide round after you are achieved, which opens up a brand new center space to be crammed in with a bonus part of items. This new addition seamlessly matches into the puzzle and expands on its story. It’s exhausting to explain, nevertheless it’s in contrast to something I’ve seen in different puzzles. I’m fairly agnostic about my puzzle-makers, however I’m itching to get my arms on extra from the Magic Puzzle Firm and discover their secrets and techniques. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy Editor
Aimeizi
Who doesn’t need their front room to seem like a galaxy far, distant? Your giftee might need to battle their younger youngsters (or others in your reward change) for this galaxy projector, which shines completely different gentle results up onto the ceiling with adjustable brightness and velocity. They’ll use it to attain the right vibe for his or her subsequent Star Wars binge watch get together, or to soothingly usher themselves to sleep on a nightly foundation. Along with an included distant and a companion app, the projector has a timer too to allow them to set it to show off simply as they go to sleep. The cellular app will allow them to customise all features of their private house subject, from its nebula and twinkling results, to the swirling colours, to the music that they pair with it (sure, there’s a speaker inbuilt as effectively). Overlook these boring outdated good gentle bulbs — this galaxy projector is the good system that may level-up anybody’s residence surroundings. — V.P.
Etsfmoa
What’s higher than a heat and comfy beanie? A heat and comfy beanie that additionally helps you see higher once you’re strolling the canine on a chilly, darkish, winter morning, going for a night jog or rummaging for a selected instrument in your storage. This unisex beanie has a detachable gentle on its entrance edge that has 4 LEDs inside and may run for as much as eight hours on a single cost. And when it wants extra juice, you possibly can merely take the sunshine fixture off, recharge it and pop it again into the hat. — V.P.
WANIDEA
Our desks are cluttered and boring, however this cute little rechargeable gentle can brighten issues up. The chibi flame contained in the old-school kerosene lamp determine is fabricated from silicone, so it’s simply as squishy as it’s cute, and it has two lighting modes: candlelight and night time gentle. The delicate, heat hue it emits will likely be nice for setting the temper in your house, and its dimmable so you may get simply the correct amount of sunshine on your style. — V.P.
Engadget
The Banana Cellphone is strictly what you’d count on it to be — a banana that’s additionally a cellphone. It won’t have a SIM card or a service plan connected to it, however your giftee can pair it with their smartphone by way of Bluetooth to allow them to ditch that drained, $1,000+ handset and begin taking calls the fitting manner — with a bit of fruit. Along with taking and making calls, they’ll additionally use the Banana Cellphone with the Google Assistant and Siri, to ask concerning the climate or inform it to “Play Merciless Summer time by Bananarama.” Sure, the Banana Cellphone additionally works as a Bluetooth speaker and has a 30-foot vary, so it may play tunes at any time when they’re not utilizing it to conduct official enterprise. — V.P.
Clocky
If the purpose of a White Elephant reward is to be a type of low-key torture, then the Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels could be the best White Elephant reward of all time. (Nicely, apart from these weirdos who get up at 4:30 AM each day bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.) It’s an alarm clock that, in case your giftee tries to hit the snooze button, runs away from them persevering with to beep, telling them in no unsure phrases it’s time to stand up. And each morning, they’ll stumble away from bed drowsily cursing your identify. – Terrence O’Brien, Former Managing Editor
White elephant FAQs
What’s white elephant?
A white elephant reward change is a celebration recreation usually performed across the holidays by which folks change humorous, impractical items.
How does white elephant work?
A bunch of individuals every convey one wrapped reward to the white elephant reward change, and every reward is usually of an identical worth. All items are then positioned collectively and the group decides the order by which they’ll every declare a present. The primary particular person picks a white elephant reward from the pile, unwraps it and their flip ends. The next gamers can both resolve to unwrap one other reward and declare it as their very own, or steal a present from somebody who has already taken a flip. The principles can range from there, together with the rules round how usually a single merchandise might be stolen — some say twice, max. The sport ends when each particular person has a white elephant reward.
Why is it known as white elephant?
The time period “white elephant” is alleged to return from the legend of the King of Siam gifting white elephants to courtiers who upset him. Whereas it looks as if a lavish reward on its face, the assumption is that the courtiers could be ruined by the animal’s maintenance prices.
Take a look at the remainder of our reward concepts right here.
