Ask Ollie
Layer by Layer Pass the Parcel
Here's one to try together!
Wrap a secret surprise in layers of silly tasks, then pass it round to the music and see who unwraps what!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- small surprise items are a choking risk for children under 3
- task requiring jumping needs clear space to avoid bumps or falls
What you need
- Paper, 8 to 10 sheets
- Painter's tape, 1 roll
- Paper, 8 to 10
- Crayons or markers, 1
- Small surprise, 1
- Phone, 1
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Gather paper, tape, slips and a tiny surprise, then cue up some festive music and clear a little floor space.
- Wrap your little surprise snugly in one sheet of paper.
- Think up a silly task and put it on a paper slip. Ask for help if you need itAsk: What silly task would make everyone giggle?
- Lay the slip on the package and wrap another layer around it.
- Keep adding slips and layers until you have 8 to 10.
- Sit together in a circle with the parcel.
- Pass the parcel around while the music plays.
- When the music stops, unwrap one layer and do the task! Ask: What do you think this layer's task will be?
- Keep going until someone opens the very last layer and finds the surprise.
- Now make a new parcel for friends or a grandparent! Ask: What new tasks will you hide in the next parcel?
Play it again
- Freeze round: when the music stops, everyone freezes like a statue while the holder unwraps.
- Kindness parcel: every slip asks the holder to say something kind to someone in the circle.
- Wrong way: each time the music stops, switch which way the parcel travels.
Kids loved this? There are more where it came from.
Get 3 free ideas a dayTurn "I'm bored" into "let's do something together!" 3 free ideas a day, picked for your kids.