How To Do a Fun Secret Santa in a College Dorm: A Full Student's Guide
College years in a dorm is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Bring your floor together this winter — decorate, swap gifts, and play Secret Santa. Here’s a full guide to organizing a memorable gift exchange with fellow students.
Dorm life is one of the most memorable parts of college. You're managing your own space, make schedule, and celebrate holidays with new friends. Before everyone leaves for winter break, plan a small Christmas gathering and play Secret Santa. It’s an easy way to connect with roommates, suitemates, and neighbors, especially if it’s your first winter together.
Why Playing Secret Santa in a Dorm Is a Great Idea?
Winter is a special season, especially for freshers. You spend countless hours preparing for finals, writing essays, and so on. That's why many students wand to unwind and have fun during the holidays. Planning a Secret Santa exchange for Christmas is a great choice if you want to:
- Make new friends. Invite the people you see daily in the hall, kitchen, elevator, or class. The game gives you something to talk about, and soon you'll be greeting each other, discussing what's new, and feeling part of a friendly community.
- Keep costs low. You buy for one person and receive from another. Set a budget everyone can afford (for example, $10 or $15) so the exchange stays accessible.
- Choose a format that fits. Play quick and in person, invite friends on other campuses, or keep it fully remote if you want maximum mystery. The MySanta app supports both in-person and online play.
- Simplify logistics. Let the online generator handle assigning Santas, sending reminders, and maintaining anonymity. It’s much easier to use an app than to draw names from a hat with 30+ participants.
1. Invite Participants
If you want to initiate a Secret Santa exchange in your dorm, start with inviting participants:
Make announcements in dorm or floor chats.
Freshmen are looking to make new friends. Write a simple invitation and share it in your floor chat, dorm chat, and university groups.
Sample message: Hey! Want to play Secret Santa? Gift budget $10–$15. We can do door drop-offs for anonymity or a quick meet-up to hand off gifts. Reply here or DM me if you’re in — I’ll send the join link.
Create a flyer.
Hang it in the kitchen, laundry room, or by the elevator.
Sample flyer: Floor 3 Secret Santa — anonymous gift swap. Scan the QR, DM @yourhandle, or stop by Room 312. Players accepted until December 10th.
Use word of mouth.
Tell two or three campus connectors (such as, club leads). Personal invites spread fastest across floors and campuses.
2. Create the Game on the My Santa Platform
When you have plenty of players, it's time to create a game in an online generator. In the MySanta app, here are the steps you need to take:
- Register. Sign up with email and confirm. Small games are free larger groups can add PRO features (e.g., re-draws, unilmited players, gift tracking, and exclusions).
- Create a game. Click Create a Game from the homepage or sidebar.
- Choose the game type. Online (longer timeline, add players later) or Quick (up to 9 players on the spot).
- Edit the settings. Name the game and choose how you'll exchange gifts - in person or by mail. Set the budget and dates (deadline for joining the game and exchanging gifts).
- Invite participants. Share the join link or QR in chats or by email. Players tap to join, and when everyone's in, the system assign Santas to everyone.
3. Fill Out the Questionnaire and Wishlist
After joining, each student completes a short questionnaire (what they'd like to get from their Secret Santa and what not to give them. Also, players can add links to items to their Wishlist to get a specific item from the Santa.
- Questionnaire: only your Santa can see it. Include any allergies or what not to give (e.g. strong scents, alcohol, clothing).
- Wishlist: add links to items from any online retailers. There's nothing wrong with asking something specific!
4. Draw Names
When everyone’s in, the organizer draws names. The system randomly matches players: you see who you give to and their questionnaire.
In the MySanta app, free and paid plans are available.
- A free plan is perfect for small groups (up to 9 players) and include all the needed features.
- Paid PRO plans offer advanced features: unlimited players, an organizer can see who gives a gift to whom, removing players after the draw, and setting exclusions.
5. How to Add a Twist to Your Secret Santa Game?
No reason to stay silent between the draw and the gift exchange day! Use this time to fuel the mystery and have fun:
- Pick a gift theme. Don’t just set a price limit — come up with a quirky or playful theme. For example, give only white items, something you could take to the Moon, presents that start with a certain letter, or gifts guaranteed to make the recipient smile.
- Leave notes. If the Santa knows the recipient’s room number, they can slide short letters with hints or kind wishes under the door. You can also set up a Secret Santa Mail, similar to classroom valentines. Place a letter box in a common area, and once a day volunteers will deliver the notes to rooms.
- Use anonymous chat. The MySanta service lets you chat anonymously with your Santa and your recipient. In these chats, you can hint at the gift theme, ask clarifying questions, or simply lift each other’s spirits.
VI. Plan the Gift Handoff Format
Choose a finale that suits your floor and the level of mystery you want:
To maintain the mystery: Put gifts with attached notes under recipients’ doors. Aim for a full secrecy mode — deliver quietly and try not to be seen.
For close-knit groups: exchange the gifts in person. Plan a quick meet-up, exchange greetings, and have some fun.
For large student groups: Set a table near the entrance in a common room and instruct everyone to drop a gift there with the recipient’s name. Later, each players picks a gift with their name on it. This preserves both the intrigue and everyone’s time.
A fun reveal: Plan a festive dorm party with drinks, snacks, music, and the gift reveal. Add riddles or trivia to make guessing and revealing more engaging for the entire group.
Conclusion
Secret Santa in the dorm is a happy adventure, from filling out the questionnaire to building strong student friendships. Try it and invite the people you’ve been wanting to get to know better!
FAQs
Can we play if there’s an odd number of people?
Yes. The game works with both odd and even number of players. As long as you have 4+ players, no one will end up without a Santa or without a recipient.
Can I hand in my gift in person?
You can hand a Secret Santa gift to the assigned player in person if both you and your recipient are okay with revealing identities. Confirm this in your anonymous chat.
Is the MySanta app free?
Yes, you can play for free with up to 9 players. With 10+ players, a small fee applies, and you get access to premium features.
