No paper slips, no email chains. Gather everyone, draw names one by one, and keep the gift-giving a surprise.
1. Enter everyone's names into the machine 2. Each person takes a turn drawing one ball — privately glance at the result 3. The name you draw is who you're gifting to. Drawn names are excluded automatically, so nobody gets picked twice If you draw your own name, just toss it back: reset, remove yourself from the pool for that one turn, and redraw.
• Agree on a budget and a deadline before drawing — it saves awkwardness later • Drawing live (in person or on a video call) is half the fun: everyone sees the machine, nobody suspects rigging • Add a wish-list round: after drawing, everyone shares 2-3 hint items • Keep your draw secret until the reveal — that's the whole game!
The same draw works for manito games at school, kris kringle at the office, birthday gift circles, and appreciation weeks. Any time each person needs to be secretly matched to another person, a one-ball-each draw with exclusion does it perfectly.
Six names are loaded. Draw one to see how the secret assignment works.
Enter your group's names and draw your Secret Santa now.
Create my Secret Santa draw