🎁 Pass the Parcel

What you need

Equipment: A small prize wrapped in 8 to 10 layers of paper, music and a speaker. Wrap a small prize in 8 to 10 layers of newspaper or wrapping paper. Slip a task note, and if you like a small treat, between the layers. Players sit close together in a circle.

How to play Pass the Parcel

1. Explain: the parcel moves from hand to hand only while the music plays.
2. Start the music. The parcel travels around the circle clockwise.
3. Stop the music without warning.
4. Whoever is holding the parcel removes one layer only.
5. If there is a note, they read it out and do the task: tell a joke, dance for 5 seconds, act out an animal.
6. Start the music again and keep passing.
7. No holding on to the parcel while the music is playing. Keep it moving.
8. When the last layer comes off, the child who unwraps it wins the prize.

Scoring and wrapping up

Scoring: Each task done: 1 point. Funniest task performance: 2 points. Unwrapping the last layer: the prize itself.

To finish: Choose a final prize that can be shared, such as a bag of sweets, so everyone ends the game happy.

By age

• Ages 3-5: put a small treat in every layer and make tasks simple, like "Roar like a lion".
• Ages 6-9: add sillier tasks and a couple of quick quiz questions.

Variations

• Big group: make two parcels and run two circles at once, or wrap more layers so everyone gets a turn.
• Buga twist: task notes between the layers, such as tell a joke, dance for 5 seconds or act out an animal.
• Reverse pass: when the host shouts "Switch!" the parcel changes direction.

Tips for the adult in charge

• Watch who has opened a layer and stop the music so that every child gets a turn.
• Use 8 to 10 layers, with a small sweet or sticker in some of the middle layers.

🖨️ Printable pass the parcel task notes

Cut out the notes and tuck one between each layer as you wrap the parcel.

• Tell a joke.
• Dance for 5 seconds.
• Act out an animal for everyone to guess.
• Sing the first line of your favorite song.
• Make the funniest face you can.
• Hop on one foot five times.
• Say something nice about the person on your left.
• Do your best robot walk.
• Roar like a lion.
• Name five fruits in 10 seconds.
• Pretend to be a statue until the music starts.
• Give the birthday child a high five.
• Do three star jumps.
• Talk like a pirate for your next sentence.
• Moo like a cow, then quack like a duck.
• Choose the next song.
• Spell your name backward.
• Pretend you are eating a very sour lemon.
• Wave like the king or queen.
• Do a magic trick or a magic pose.