How To Play The Popular Saran Wrap Christmas Ball Game

Few games are versatile enough to make an appearance at just about all kinds of parties, including baby showers, birthday parties, holiday parties and Christmas parties. What sets the Saran Wrap ball game apart from other games is that it’s just plain fun, and everyone will get a surprise by the time the ball has been unwrapped. The game can be played lots of different ways with plenty of little goodies, but no matter which way you spin it, it will always be a ball for your guests in more ways than one!

What Is It?

The Saran Wrap ball game is a challenge in which you unwrap prizes from a large ball of plastic wrap. The layers are added in such a way that each treat is more exciting than the one that came before. The best is saved for last, and the center of the ball will hold the most exciting or expensive gift. The ball can hold just about any kind of goodie that appeals to you and your guests, from little inexpensive party favors to cash.

How To Play The Game

To play, you’ll need:

• A giant Saran Wrap ball of treats
• Some dice
• Some guests who are up for some rowdy fun

First, decide on the order in which you’ll play. You can start with the youngest player, the oldest player, go in alphabetical order or just whoever throws doubles first. The first person will begin the unwrapping process, and any treats that are exposed become the property of that person.

The person who starts will continue to unwrap while the next person throws the dice. When that person throws doubles, they’ll get their turn to unwrap the ball, and the dice go the next person. The dice can be passed either clockwise or counterclockwise. Whoever ends up with the ball at the end gets to keep the big prize at the center of the ball.

Prize Ideas

You can use just about any treat that will fit inside the ball, but you might want to stick with non-breakable gifts. Kids often enjoy small prizes like party favors, coloring books, candy, noisemakers, dollar store trinkets, colorful socks or mittens, coins or dollar bill and small but desirable toys.

For adults, consider including scratch-off lottery tickets, lip balms, Tic Tacs, fun-sized candies, mini hand sanitizers or lotions, bath bombs, movie passes, tiny bottles of alcohol or cocktails, and gift cards.

During the holidays, you can also include holiday-themed gifts, like cozy socks, candy canes, earmuffs, ornaments, holiday chocolates, non-breakable ornaments, holiday accessories and hot chocolate packets in your Saran Wrap gift ball.

How To Make A Saran Wrap Ball

When wrapping your ball, start with the largest or most expensive gift first, like higher dollar gift cards or cash. Wrap the gift in a few layers of plastic wrap to get the ball started. If you’re using Press’n Seal wrap, keep the sticky layer next to the gift. Roll each section of the wrap in the opposite direction as the last to keep things interesting. As you wrap your ball, smooth it down to keep the layers close and to maintain the desired shape.

Once you’ve wrapped the main gift, start adding mid-range treats in the next several layers. These can be things like $5 bills, smaller gift cards, movie passes and alcohol. Save the least expensive gifts, like dollar bills or fun-sized candies, for the outside layers.

Soundtrack For Game play

This game is going to get loud. Players are going to be laughing, chatting and maybe even squealing as the ball is unwrapped and passed around. That doesn’t mean you don’t need a soundtrack, though. Adding music to the mix can make things more enjoyable all around and keep the mood light and fun.

For a great holiday party soundtrack, include a variety of rhythms and styles of music. Keep in mind that some of your guests might have different cultural backgrounds, and consider including both secular and religious holiday tunes. Instrumentals, classic holiday songs and newer music from popular artists are all great choices, including:

Check out this 50 Holiday Classics CD, it can be found on Amazon!

• “Happy Holidays”
• “Let It Snow”
• “Jingle Bells”
• “The Wassail Song”
• “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
• “Little Drummer Boy”
• “Chanukah, Oh Chanukah!”
• “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”
• “Sleigh Ride”
• “My Dreydl”
• “The Holly and the Ivy”

Variations For Game Play

Although this game is sure to be a hit at any holiday party no matter how you play it, you can up the ante with some fun variations of the Saran Wrap game, including:

• Using strips of Saran Wrap or Cling Wrap instead of one long piece
• Rolling each strip in different directions to make things a bit harder
• Using holiday-themed plastic wrap to keep things fun and festive
• Requiring everyone to wear holiday-themed gloves or mittens when unwrapping
• Wrapping each little gift in festive or brightly colored gift paper before wrapping them in the ball
• Using Press‘n Seal wrap to make it easier to wrap and harder to unwrap
• Wearing blindfolds while opening the ball
• Playing a white elephant version where each prize gets a little funnier or a little sillier with each layer

For younger kids, you can use a timer instead of dice to give each child the same amount of time to unwrap their treats.

The Saran Wrap game is a holiday must for any get-together or party. It’s fun for people of all ages, and it’s easy to customize in any way you want. Even better, it takes no time at all to assemble, but the payoff in laughter and fun will be more than you can imagine.