The idea is delightfully simple. In round 1 you take turns rolling and hand out all the presents from the pile: take, unwrap, and pass along. In round 2 you set a timer and things get serious: giving away, trading, and — yes — stealing, until time runs out and everyone keeps whatever is sitting in front of them at that moment. Below you'll find what you need, the actions for every roll in both rounds, an action card to print, the best variants, and the Christmas version.
On this page
What do you need?
- 2 to 3 small wrapped gifts per person. Agree on a budget together beforehand — that keeps it fair and full of surprises.
- One die. A big foam die rolls far more comfortably in a full circle than one of those tiny dice from a board-game box.
- A timer for round 2 — a phone will do.
- Optionally a game host who reads out the actions and settles judgment calls. The host plays along too.
- All the gifts go, still wrapped, onto one big pile in the middle of the table. The youngest player starts.
Gift night tip: with the free Dice Together Android app, you can cast that one die via Chromecast, larger than life, onto the TV, so the whole circle watches the roll together. Nobody has to shout "what did you roll?" over three piles of wrapping paper, and no die goes missing under the couch.
Round 1: the handout round
All the gifts sit wrapped on the pile. The youngest player rolls first, and the die then goes around the circle clockwise. On every roll, you immediately carry out the matching action. Round 1 is over as soon as the pile is empty — from then on, new gifts only come from your fellow players.
| Roll | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Take a gift from the pile and unwrap it. |
| 2 | Take a gift from the pile, but leave it wrapped. |
| 3 | Everyone passes all their gifts one place to the right. |
| 4 | Everyone passes all their gifts one place to the left. |
| 5 | Unwrap one of your own wrapped gifts. |
| 6 | Swap all your gifts with the neighbor on your right. |
If you can't carry out an action — say you roll a 5 while all your gifts are already unwrapped — nothing happens and it's the next player's turn. Count on fifteen to thirty minutes for this round, depending on the size of the group and the number of gifts.
Round 2: the swapping round
Now that all the gifts have been handed out, the real game begins. Set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes — if you like a long arc of suspense, 30 to 45 minutes works too — and keep rolling at the same pace, but with new, slightly meaner actions:
| Roll | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Skip a turn. |
| 2 | Unwrap a gift. |
| 3 | Give a gift away to another player. |
| 4 | Steal a gift from another player. |
| 5 | Trade a gift with another player. |
| 6 | The direction of play reverses. |
When the timer goes off, the game is over immediately: everyone keeps the gifts lying in front of them at that moment. Put the phone with the timer face down on the table, so nobody can strategically time their last steal to it.
Action card to print
Don't want to keep reaching for this page during gift night? Then print the action card: both action tables together on one sheet, straight from this page — no download or PDF needed. Click the button and only the card rolls out of the printer; the rest of the page stays behind.
Sinterklaas dice game action card — dice-together.com
Round 1: the handout round — take turns rolling until the pile is gone
| Roll | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Take a gift from the pile and unwrap it. |
| 2 | Take a gift from the pile, but leave it wrapped. |
| 3 | Everyone passes all their gifts one place to the right. |
| 4 | Everyone passes all their gifts one place to the left. |
| 5 | Unwrap one of your own wrapped gifts. |
| 6 | Swap all your gifts with the neighbor on your right. |
Round 2: the swapping round — set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes
| Roll | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Skip a turn. |
| 2 | Unwrap a gift. |
| 3 | Give a gift away to another player. |
| 4 | Steal a gift from another player. |
| 5 | Trade a gift with another player. |
| 6 | The direction of play reverses. |
Timer gone off? Everyone keeps the gifts lying in front of them at that moment. Have fun — from dice-together.com.
Variants
So many families, so many versions — and that is exactly the charm of this game. The best tweaks:
- With challenges — tuck little task cards in among the gifts: small dares or questions (sing a Sinterklaas song, name three kinds of pepernoten cookies) to complete before you may keep the gift.
- For young children — cut the stealing and taking away: replace actions 3 and 4 of round 2 with "roll again" and "unwrap a gift," and make sure everyone ends up with the same number of gifts. More play ideas for the little ones are with the dice games for kids.
- Large groups — roll two dice at once (carry out both actions) or make the rounds shorter, so everyone gets a turn often enough.
- Three rounds — some versions cut the game into three: after the handout round comes a middle round with the same actions but with the gifts unwrapped, and then the finale with a timer of 30 to 45 minutes.
- School or quiz variant — in the classroom or at work: whoever answers a Sinterklaas question correctly gets to roll. Same action tables, plenty learned along the way.
If you run into a different action list at home or online — in the version from Dutch retailer HEMA, for example, everyone moves over one chair on a 6 — then by all means play that version. House rules are part of this game; the only real must is agreeing beforehand which list you're using. That's what the printable action card is for.
Christmas dice game: same rules, different gifts
If the game works on gift night, it works just as well at Christmas — or at any White Elephant-style holiday gift exchange. The Christmas dice game is exactly the same game: only the presents are Christmas gifts, the decorations are different, and the budget is often a little bigger. Many families now play it twice every December — on December 5 with handcrafted surprises and pepernoten, and during the Christmas holidays as a cheerful closer to Christmas dinner.
You don't need anything new for it: just use the action tables and the printable action card above. Only the music behind the game switches from Sinterklaas songs to Christmas bells.
The die on the TV
No die in the house, or is that one little die impossible to see from the other side of the circle? Then roll it for free with the online dice roller — one big die on your screen is all this game needs. Even better: with the free Android app, you can cast the die larger than life to the TV, so everyone sees the roll at the same time and there's no arguing about what was really rolled.
Frequently asked questions about the Sinterklaas dice game
What are the official rules of the Sinterklaas dice game?
There are no official rules: the Sinterklaas dice game is not a published board game but a party tradition, and every family plays a slightly different version. On this page you'll find a complete standard version in two rounds that you can play right away and adapt to your own taste.
How many gifts do you need for the Sinterklaas dice game?
Count on two to three small wrapped gifts per person, and agree on a budget together beforehand. All the gifts go, still wrapped, onto one big pile in the middle of the table.
How long does the Sinterklaas dice game take?
Round 1 lasts until all the gifts from the pile have been handed out, usually somewhere between fifteen and thirty minutes. For round 2 you set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes; as soon as it goes off, everyone keeps the gifts lying in front of them at that moment.
Can you also play the dice game at Christmas?
Yes, the Christmas dice game works exactly the same: only the gifts and the decorations are different. Many families play the game both on gift night and during the Christmas holidays, often with a slightly bigger budget for the Christmas gifts.
Which die do you use for the Sinterklaas dice game?
One ordinary die is enough, though a big foam die rolls a lot easier in a full circle. If you don't have a die in the house, roll one for free online at Dice Together — or put it larger than life on the TV with the free Android app, so the whole circle sees the roll.