The Giving Game

By SANDY LONG

Aunt Mary hid one up her shirt. Other players made a studied effort to keep theirs visible. A few participants sat forlornly; not a single gift had come their way. The pile of presents in the middle of the room grew smaller as numbers were called. The last gift was lifted. People glanced uncertainly about. Some folks had laps full of mysterious little marvels. Others had zilch. But the Giving Game, and its attendant insight and hilarity, had just begun.

Another number was called. The person holding its match looked questioningly at the caller. “Take a gift from someone else,” came the instruction. A nervous glance went around the room, landing on the player holding the largest cache. The group’s energy of anticipation electrified the moment as player One advanced on player Two’s ample stash, then plucked a tiny package. Breaking the tension, people laughed, cheered and sympathized. Another number was called and the game was in full swing.

Corny as it is, I find the Giving Game to be the game that’s got it all. It’s simple enough for children to play and entertaining enough to engage adults. Known also as The Present-Snitching Game, the activity becomes almost a microcosm of the typical issues humans deal with on a daily basis—but in a way that allows us to see and to laugh at our folly.

Players confront loss and gain, witness choice and reaction, wrestle the demons of desire and hoarding while practicing the grace of relinquishing. Anticipation and disappointment are mitigated by the joy of another’s delight. The hefty dose of hilarity doesn’t hurt either.

Over the course of the game, certain gifts, (the largest, the smallest and the most oddly shaped), become coveted. The competitive nature of our species is fully revealed as the same gifts are “snitched” again and again, increasing their desirability. Ironically, these gifts are often the least interesting, but the lesson is a good one.

When the last number is called, the game’s finest moment declares itself. Once again, there will be “haves” and “have nots.” In the true spirit of giving, the caller invites participants with gifts to share their bounty. Inevitably, the game reveals us in our best light—selfless, generous and good.

The Giving Game is a wonderful antidote to the stresses of the season. To play, purchase small gifts (enough for one gift per player) or round up silly stuff you no longer need. Goofy gifts are best. Wrap gifts in mysterious ways; leave a string hanging out or a bump sticking up. Place presents in a central heap. Players pick four or five numbers from a hat. The Caller keeps a score sheet with the same numbers, crossing out each one as it is called. The game ends when the last number is read.

And keep an eye out for Aunt Mary. As luck would have it, the secreted gift tumbled from her shirt as she scrambled to pick another present from the pile. Clever, but caught, she graciously displayed her winnings, which were promptly snitched.