A great alternative to the traditional Pass the Parcel party game
Pass the Parcel is a traditional board game that dates back to medieval times. Even after many centuries, it is still the most popular children’s party game!
Traditionally, in medieval times, the parcel pass was made up of gifts and loot that were wrapped in layers of cloth. This was passed between the guests with music and when the music stopped the person holding the package had to remove a layer of cloth to reveal the gift or loss. The winner was the person who got the last gift, which was often the best prize!
Most parents these days make a package pass themselves, which is simple to do, and usually wrap toys and candy in layers of paper instead. This is fine, however, when children pass the package to the beat of the music, especially younger children, they inadvertently end up breaking more than one layer and the gifts/candy end up flying out of the package. Also, when a child receives the last present, which is usually the ‘biggest’ prize, this can cause a bit of jealousy, even if it’s the birthday girl or boy who wins!
A Lucky Dip box is a great alternative to using a layered pack pass.
Not only does it look great, kids will love the excitement and suspense that a lucky dip creates.
It’s very simple to create a lucky box, here’s how to make one in 5 easy steps:
1. Get an old cardboard box, a size that is not too big and can be passed easily, especially for younger children.
2. Cover the box with any type of wrapping paper, you can even use plain white paper and create your own design.
3. Cut a round or square hole in the top of the box that is large enough for the children to reach through and remove the gifts.
4. Wrap each gift in wrapping paper or tissue paper and put them all in the lucky box.
5. Once all the gifts are in the box, fill the rest of the box with shredded tissue paper or Styrofoam shapes and mix it up a bit.
There you have it, a wonderful looking lucky box that can be used to play music. When the music stops, the child can reach in and pull out a wrapped gift!
Every child should have a chance to dive into the box and there is no ‘one winner’ as such as everyone is a winner!