Left Right Christmas Game: Free Read-Aloud Story
Everyone sits in a circle holding a wrapped gift. One person reads the story slowly. Every time you hear LEFT, pass the gift you are holding to the left. Every time you hear RIGHT, pass it to the right. When the story ends, the gift in your hands is yours.
The Night the Wright Family Wrapped Everything
On Christmas Eve, Grandma Wright looked at the pile of presents and said, "We have LEFT the wrapping until the very last minute again." Grandpa Wright said, "That's RIGHT, but we always get it done."
Uncle Lou ran out to the store because they had LEFT the tape in the car. He turned LEFT out of the driveway, then RIGHT at the stop sign, then realized the store was the other way, so he turned RIGHT again and then LEFT again.
Back home, the kids were wrapping with their LEFT hands because Aunt May said it would be funnier. It was. Every bow came out crooked, and nobody could tell which side was the RIGHT side up.
The dog grabbed a roll of ribbon and ran LEFT around the couch, RIGHT past the tree, and out the back door. Cousin Jo said, "I'll get him," and was RIGHT back with the dog, but she had LEFT the ribbon outside.
At dinner, Grandpa asked who wanted the last roll. Everyone pointed to the LEFT. Then everyone pointed to the RIGHT. In the end, the dog got it, which seemed about RIGHT.
When the dishes were done, the family sat down with the gifts that were LEFT under the tree. Grandma said, "Before anyone opens anything, let's make sure each gift is in the RIGHT hands."
So they passed them around one last time, laughing, until nobody knew whose gift was whose. And that was exactly RIGHT. Merry Christmas!
How to play
- Everyone brings one wrapped gift at the agreed price (or the host supplies small gifts).
- Sit in a circle, each holding one gift.
- The reader goes slowly and pauses after each LEFT or RIGHT so gifts can move.
- When the story ends, open the gift you're holding. Optional: allow one trade.
This story has 9 LEFTs and 10 RIGHTs, so gifts move a lot but end up spread around the circle. Works for families, classrooms, offices, church groups and Zoom (pass a virtual gift by name).
Want a gift swap with steals?
See the white elephant rules (also called Dirty Santa or Yankee Swap) with a free dice roller.
More games for the party
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Frequently asked questions
How does the left right Christmas game work?
Everyone holds a wrapped gift in a circle. A reader reads a story; each time LEFT or RIGHT is read, everyone passes their gift that way. You keep the gift you hold at the end.
How many people do you need for the left right game?
It works with 4 or more. Bigger circles make it funnier; for 20+ people split into two circles with two readers.
Is the left right Christmas story free to print?
Yes. Print it from this page for personal, classroom, office or church use. No sign-up.