The Secret Santa Wheel is a free spinner that runs your Secret Santa party: spin to pick who opens next, then spin for a funny reveal challenge. Spiññer is wearing a Santa hat and promises not to peek at the gifts (it peeked).
How to use the Secret Santa Wheel
- The wheel loads with 10 reveal challenges for a gift party.
- Type the names of your group into the custom wheel to pick who opens next, or keep these challenges to add fun to each reveal.
- Tick “Remove the winner after each spin” so everybody gets exactly one turn.
10 Secret Santa wheel ideas (ready to spin)
- Guess who your Secret Santa is (one guess only)
- Give a clue about the gift you brought
- Pose for a photo with your gift
- Say what you would have wished for instead
- Guess what is inside before opening it
- Open the gift with your eyes closed
- Name the person who wrapped their gift worst
- Pretend the gift is the best thing you ever got
- Show the best surprised face
- Say what you would give them next year
Secret Santa vs White Elephant
In Secret Santa every person buys one gift for one assigned person, and the giver is a secret until the reveal. In White Elephant everyone brings one wrapped gift, takes turns picking, and may steal. Both end in loud laughter and one person holding a very strange candle. If you want the stealing and trading rules, use the Gift Game Wheel. If you want a calm reveal with a bit of comedy, you are in the right place.
How to run a Secret Santa party
- Pull names from a hat (or any name draw) so nobody sees the matches.
- Agree on a budget up front. A cap of $15 to $25 keeps it fair.
- On party day, spin the wheel for who opens first.
- Spin a reveal challenge for each person, then the giver is revealed.
Draw Secret Santa names with the wheel
All in one room? Paste everyone’s name into the custom wheel and tick “Remove the winner after each spin”. Each person spins once, quietly reads the name, and keeps it to themselves. If you land on yourself, put your name back and spin again. If the names must stay fully secret (for an online group, say), a Secret Santa generator that sends each person a private message is the better tool.
Secret Santa at work or online
Working remotely? Share your screen on Zoom, Teams or Meet and run the reveal live. Keep it work-safe with our Office Party Wheel, which has icebreakers and toasts for the team. Every list can be edited, so delete anything your group would skip and add your own, one per line.
Finally, a tip from Spiññer: wrap the gift badly on purpose. A gift in a pizza box with seven rolls of tape gets a bigger cheer than a gift in a nice bag.
Funny gift ideas under $20
Stuck on what to buy? The classics never fail: a fancy hot chocolate kit, a mug with a rude joke, cozy socks, a tiny plant, a puzzle, a deck of cards, or snacks from a country they have never visited. Add a handwritten note and wrap it as badly as you dare. Keep the receipt in case your match turns out to be allergic to the thing, and remember that the best Secret Santa gift is one that makes the whole room laugh when it is opened.
10 more Secret Santa reveal ideas to add to your wheel
- Hint at your gift using only animal noises
- Describe your gift like a movie trailer
- Guess your Secret Santa in one try
- Wear your gift for five minutes (if you can)
- Thank your Santa in a short song
- Unwrap your gift wearing oven mitts
- Act out how your Santa picked your gift
- Rate the wrapping job out of 10
- Swap gifts with your left neighbor for 30 seconds
- Reveal yourself with a dramatic drumroll
Add these to the wheel above, or make your own Secret Santa wheel and share the link with the office or family before the party.
Similar wheels
Questions people ask
What is a Secret Santa wheel?
A Secret Santa wheel is a free spinner that helps run a Secret Santa party: it picks the reveal order, the gift rules and the silly challenges at random. Tap spin and go.
How do I use a wheel for Secret Santa?
Type the names of the group, spin once for each gift giver and tick “Remove the winner after each spin” so nobody comes up twice. For a gift game with trading and stealing rules, use the Gift Game Wheel.
Is this a Secret Santa name generator?
It can be used as a simple one for the reveal: spin to choose who opens next and who gave the gift. For true secret pairs where nobody sees the matches, pull names from a hat or use a dedicated generator first, then use the wheel for the party games.
What is the difference between Secret Santa and White Elephant?
In Secret Santa each person buys for one person they were assigned and the giver is revealed. In White Elephant everyone brings a wrapped gift, takes turns choosing and may steal from each other.
Can I add my own rules and challenges?
Yes. Type your own ideas into the box, one per line, and delete anything your group would skip. Entries stay in your browser and are not uploaded.
Can I use the wheel as a Secret Santa name draw?
Yes, for a group in the same room: each person spins once with “Remove the winner after each spin” ticked and keeps the name secret. For online groups, use a generator that sends private matches.
Is this a Secret Santa randomizer?
It randomizes the reveal order and silly gift challenges with no email and no sign-up. To match givers and receivers, draw names privately first, then use the wheel at the party.
Can I share my Secret Santa wheel with my guests?
Yes. Change the entries, tap “Share this wheel”, give it a name and send the link. Everyone opens the same Secret Santa wheel on their own phone. Private links last 14 days, which is perfect for one party.
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