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Must Have Mom

Saran Wrap Ball Game! Fun Party Game Idea For Kids Or Adults

Crafts & DIY· Entertaining

2 Nov
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If you are looking for the perfect Christmas party game idea for your next gathering then you have to check out this fun and easy saran wrap ball game idea! (Also known as the plastic wrap ball game, cellophane ball game, cling wrap ball or Christmas ball game.) We played this last year at our Christmas party for both the adults and the kids and it was a huge hit. I’ll show you how to make the saran wrap ball and how to play the saran wrap ball game for your next Christmas party game!

Last updated: November 2, 2020

 

saran wrap ball game

One thing I love about the saran wrap ball Christmas game is that it can be played with adults, kids or both! Everyone had such a fun time playing this game and I learned a couple of things that are important to factor in before playing it! I’ll share those with you so you can play this fun game successfully at your next party. Christmas games are a fun tradition to do year after year and this is one of those traditions you are sure to add to your holiday party list (along with the Christmas trivia of course!).

 

What Is The Saran Wrap Ball Christmas Game?

The saran wrap ball game is a fun Christmas game that can be played at holiday parties or any gathering (birthday parties, etc) with any age of guests (other than babies/toddlers). It involves wrapping exciting prizes inside layers and layers of saran wrap to be revealed as the layers are unwrapped. The BEST prizes should be hidden in the center of the ball so players need to work their way to the most exciting prizes at the end.

 

Saran wrap ball game idea! Fun party game idea for kids or adults. How to play and how to make a saran wrap ball.

Items To Put In Saran Wrap Ball Game

To create your saran wrap ball you’ll need several rolls of saran wrap (I used the red holiday variety ) and prizes of various values. You might want to save money and skip buying multiple boxes of saran wrap and instead buy one of these food service size cling wraps instead! You’ll want to put the BEST prizes towards the middle of your ball, but spread them out. Here are some ideas of saran wrap ball game prizes I included in our saran wrap ball game (for kids and adults):

  • Tic Tacs mints
  • reindeer nose or antlers
  • Target gift cards
  • dollar store toys
  • candy and gum
  • makeup brushes
  • ornament
  • lipgloss
  • candy cane
  • sponges (cool ones like these )
  • memo pads (these are fun memo pads with mini clipboards and these are super trendy )
  • tissue packs
  • headbands and hair accessories (like this styling tool or this trendy scrunchie)
  • coffee gift cards
  • erasers (we like fun shapes like these animals )
  • chapstick (this is a big pack for inexpensive)
  • cash
  • travel sanitizers
  • Santa hat
  • Makeup eraser cloths (My sisters and I love these!)
  • Matchbox cars
  • jingle bell
  • Card games (like Blink or this holiday edition card games set or Uno)
  • Fuzzy socks (these are cute!)
  • grinch playing cards
  • small screwdriver set

Order everything you need for your saran wrap ball game now!

Saran wrap ball game idea! Fun party game idea for kids or adults. How to play and how to make a saran wrap ball.

How To Make A Saran Wrap Ball

Once you have your supplies you simply start wrapping one item up and keep wrapping the saran wrap around and around in various directions, adding prizes randomly to it as you go. I put the best prizes toward the center but you can also disperse them throughout the ball to ensure all guests get a great prize. You can make yours as big as you want!

One thing that can help determine how big to make it is to take into account how many people will be playing the Christmas game at your holiday party. Make sure you have enough prizes inside for everyone to have a go at the saran wrap ball fun! I always make mine in advance and place it under the Christmas tree until it is time for the Christmas game to begin.

You’ll need the following supplies:

  • plasic wrap – how much you’ll need depends on how big of a ball you plan on making. I use 2-4 rolls of plastic wrap per ball typically – I like to use the holiday red/green cling wrap for my holiday ball. Make sure to use the brand name cling wrap as some of the off brand versions don’t actually cling together and it doesn’t work.
  • prizes – see my idea list above!

How Much Saran Wrap Do I Need To Make A Ball?

How much saran wrap you need depends on a few factors:

  • how many prizes you use
  • how big you make your ball
  • how much saran you place between prizes
  • how you wrap the ball (see the ways to make it more difficult below!)

How Do I Wrap A Saran Wrap Ball?

  1. Your first prize you wrap will be the center of your ball and should be the BEST prize. We often do something somewhat round such as a cup filled with money or a gift card. For kids I will put a small stuffed animal in the middle. For older kids a giant candy bar or box of candy is fun.
  2. Then, begin wrapping a few layers of saran wrap around the item but be sure to turn the ball different directions so that the layers aren’t too easy to unravel.
  3. Then, add another prize and more layers of saran wrap over it. Wrap in different directions and as you wrap you can begin forming the ball shape.
  4. Continue adding prizes and layers of saran wrap and form a ball as you go. If I have small prizes like candy or gum then I will put them closer together so a person may get more than one. If I have bigger prizes then I space them with more saran wrap between prizes.
  5. It may seem that the ball doesn’t have a sphere shape however you can form it as you go by adding prizes to different sides and shaping it into a ball.
  6. Once you have added all of your prizes then push down the end of the saran wrap so that the first person playing will have to hunt for the start!

 

How do you make Saran Wrap ball harder?

You can make the saran wrap ball game more difficult by making some minor modifications when you are wrapping the ball. Rather than using one consecutive strip of saran wrap to make your ball (which makes it easier to unwrap), instead, use many small pieces so participants are forced to find the beginning and end of each piece which takes more time and skill.

You can also add a component to make it even more difficult after you have used many small pieces of saran wrap. Have participants wear oven mitts or socks on their hands to further the difficulty level for players!

 

 

Saran Wrap Ball Game Rules:

  • To play the saran wrap ball game you’ll need your completed saran wrap ball, a pair of dice and a pie plate or bowl. Begin by sitting everyone in a circle and giving one person the saran wrap ball and the person to their left the bowl/pie plate and dice.
  • To play you must keep the ball on your lap at all times and unwrap it as fast as you can while the person to your left keeps rolling the dice until they get doubles. Once they roll doubles the dice will pass to the person on their left and the saran wrap ball will pass to the dice roller. Once the person to their left rolls doubles the ball gets passed again.
  • Keep unwrapping the saran wrap ball as fast as possible the entire time the person is rolling, until they roll doubles. You get to keep any prizes you unwrap. The ball must stay on their lap as we discovered that without this rule someone can easily set it on the floor and unroll it in no time.

We discovered that it would be even more fun to let the kids have their own saran wrap ball game and the adults get their own so the prizes would all be age appropriate. It’s a TON of fun and it’s really easy too so any age can play.

Our readers love this Christmas party game and have come up with many different variations of the saran wrap ball game! We have compiled all the different rules and variations in this saran wrap ball game rules variations post! Check it out and decide which one is your favorite way to play for your holiday party! This is one of our favorite Christmas activities and the many variations keep it fun and exciting year after year.

 

CAN SARAN WRAP BE RECYCLED?

Once your saran wrap game is finished, gather up the saran wrap and set it aside. Saran wrap can be recycled! Most grocers and large retailers such as Target and Walmart now accept plastic bags, wrap and film for recycling. Look for a bin near the front of the store. To find a list of participating locations near you, go to plasticfilmrecycling.org and enter your zip code.

So what happens to it? Most of the recycled plastic film ends up being made into composite decking! So it may just find it’s way back to your home in the form of composite wood.

How Do I Make The Saran Wrap Ball Game Eco Friendly?

Not a fan of plastic wrap? No problem, try this wrapping paper version of the saran wrap ball Christmas game which is more eco-friendly. Feel free to substitute recycled paper or other ideas for saran wrap as well. Save wrapping paper throughout the year as you open gifts at parties and then once the holiday season hits you will have it ready for this great holiday game. Get creative!

 

How To Play A Christmas Game At Your Party

The saran wrap game is a fun Christmas party game for any holiday gathering. You can play the saran wrap game with adults, children or both. To play the game simply gather the supplies listed above and create your saran wrap ball prior to the party. Then jot down the rules if necessary to remember and bring along a pie plate, dice and the saran ball. That’s all you need to play this fun Christmas game anywhere!

 

What Ages Or Groups Can Play This Christmas Game?

The great thing about this Christmas game is that it can be played with ANYONE! Here are some ideas of groups to play this fun party game with:

  • families
  • kindergarten class
  • office party
  • adults
  • children’s party
  • friends
  • girl scouts or cub scouts group
  • PTA group
  • club meeting group

Can You Fill The Saran Wrap Ball With Themed Prizes?

Yes! It is a lot of fun to fill the saran wrap ball with themed prizes depending on what group you are playing the Christmas game with. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

  • gift cards
  • card games
  • cash
  • drinks/alcohol mini bottles
  • gifts of all the same color
  • craft items
  • lottery tickets
  • cooking items
  • candy only
  • snack ball
  • office supplies

There are a TON of ideas you could pull from to create a themed game ball to fit the party group you are hosting.

How Do You Play The Saran Wrap Ball Game Without Dice?

If you don’t have dice you can still play the saran wrap ball game! For younger kids who may not be able to read the dice you can instead use a timer to give each child equal time. You could also play Christmas music and start and stop the music to indicate when to pass the ball.

How long does the Saran Wrap game last?

The saran wrap game is usually over in under 10 minutes. The amount of time will vary depending on the age of the people playing, how big your saran wrap ball is and how difficult you made your ball to unwrap.

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saran wrap ball game

Related Posts

  • How To Host An Ugly Christmas Sweater Party!
  • Saran Wrap Ball Game Variations
  • Saran Wrap Easter Egg Game Idea + Filler Ideas!
  • Must Have Holiday Traditions: Christmas Eve Boxes

 

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Comments

  1. Emily says

    December 4, 2016 at 7:23 pm

    This looks like so much fun! Question: would this be appropriate as a classroom game (like 25 kids?) Is that too many?

    Reply
    • Sarah Must Have Mom says

      December 5, 2016 at 10:06 pm

      Absolutely. We play with a large group of both adults and kids, so it would easily work for a classroom. If you wanted to keep it more exciting, you could do a couple balls and have two groups going at once.

      Reply
    • Cathy says

      December 4, 2017 at 10:29 pm

      We did this last xmas with the entire family but instead of the dice we did it with music(hot potato) & it was tons of fun. Family is asking for it again.

      Reply
    • Keith Vander Ploeg says

      December 29, 2017 at 6:33 pm

      yeah its good for a family christmas

      Reply
    • Judy says

      October 29, 2018 at 1:25 pm

      I found that WalMart brand saran with side cutter, works the best. It is awesome will not let you down.
      To use for the saran ball.

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        November 1, 2018 at 12:24 pm

        What a great tip! Thanks Judy

        Reply
        • Barbara says

          November 29, 2018 at 12:00 am

          We played this last year and it was so much fun! We have everyone chip in $10.00 to cover the cost. One thing we have done a bit differently is buy bigger prizes like a package of toilet paper, cheap wine, wine glasses, candles, etc. we then wrap all the gifts that don’t fit in the ball and number them. We put the same amount of numbers on a tag and wrap them throughout the Saran Wrap ball! This way you don’t have to be limited to small sized prizes, works great. It’s kind of fun to put a couple of “steal” tags in the ball where a gift can be stollen or a tag that says reverse game or skip two people! What ever you can think of to make it more fun.

          Reply
          • Barbara says

            November 29, 2018 at 12:03 am

            Also we do sheets of Saran Wrap and not a continuos piece

          • Sarah says

            November 29, 2018 at 10:35 am

            You can do it either way. Sheets are harder and continuous is a little easier if kids are playing.

          • Sarah says

            November 29, 2018 at 10:36 am

            Oh these are GREAT ideas! Thanks so much for sharing them with us!

          • Chrystal says

            January 4, 2019 at 5:20 am

            Great tip!

          • SANDRA CAVAZOS says

            November 19, 2019 at 2:21 pm

            Awesome! Thanks for the ideas of the number tags and steals!

    • Jimmy James says

      December 18, 2018 at 11:48 pm

      Anyone who does this is a monster. All that wrap will definitely go in the garbage afterwards. We are supposed to be polluting less plastic people. A few people do this and it will undo 100 years of not using straws.

      Reply
      • Christmas Elf says

        December 19, 2018 at 2:49 pm

        My community has a plastic wrap recycle program so it will be recycled.

        Reply
        • Bruce says

          December 30, 2018 at 12:06 pm

          Plastic wrap is hardly ever recycled even when you think it is. 75% of all plastic ends up in landfill or the ocean. This game does look fun be we really need to consider the environment and make better choices.

          Reply
          • Ljo says

            January 2, 2019 at 2:45 pm

            Totally agree. This is teaching our kids to waste plastic and pollute our environment. There are many other more eco friendly ways to connect with each other and have fun. Think before you do this!

      • Mary E Caruth says

        December 9, 2019 at 7:43 am

        Actually, you can recycle it. There are stores like Target, Kroger and HEB who have bins at the front of their store. Plastic wrap is recycled in different ways like composite decking! So, no grinches here, have fun playing!

        Reply
      • Kelly Rogers says

        December 9, 2019 at 9:17 am

        Are you serious? what a party pooper! I bet you are a ton of fun at all the holiday gatherings!

        Reply
      • LEAH says

        December 23, 2019 at 8:23 pm

        this comment probably coming from someone who takes nice trip via air planes! Don’t be such a Scrooge!
        BTW…MERRY CHRISTMAS!

        Reply
        • Sarah says

          December 29, 2019 at 12:13 pm

          Merry Christmas!

          Reply
      • Cindy says

        November 1, 2020 at 1:00 am

        Really that’s what you get from this?🤷🏼‍♀️

        Reply
  2. A Reed says

    December 8, 2016 at 9:47 am

    I am considering this for the adults at our Christmas celebration this year. It looks like a TON of fun! A few questions to clarify if you don’t mind. Do you wrap the item several times before adding the next object or just enough to cover it? Do you use tape at all or just the cling of the wrap? Do you cut pieces of saran wrap or just keep unrolling it and adding prizes until you run out of saran on that roll? On average how many items were unwrapped per turn so thgt I have an idea of how many to use. Thank you for this post. I can’t wait to get started shopping and wrapping!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Debbie says

      December 8, 2016 at 1:17 pm

      We played this at our family party last year too and it was a big hit. I had a separate ball for the kids. You want to wrap several times between each prize. No tape, but cut the wrap and switch directions so they have to look for the next place to start pulling. You don’t want it to be as easy as just unrolling it. You could even make the adults wear oven mitts if it seems to be to easy! I found the red doesn’t cling as well as the clear so this year I’m trying it with the clear. Have fun!

      Reply
    • Geri says

      December 28, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      Will try saran ball next Christmas Do you cut Saran every few feet to make it more interesting Thanks

      Reply
    • Jackie Cavaletto says

      February 8, 2018 at 1:51 pm

      We did this last Easter. I started with a large plastic egg in the center and wrapped around it. Since it was Easter, I put a photo of Jesus inside, to reinforce the idea of the Resurrection AND He is the best “gift”. In the end it took on a rather “egg-shaped” form. We used a gina t roll of saran wrap form Costco…Pretty sturdy and easily handled without turning into a tangled mess. We wrapped around the ball a couple of times as each prize was added and then tore the saran wrap and started wrapping/adding prizes in a different direction, so it wouldn’t be possible to just grab and an end and flip/unroll it. I made two balls, one for the grownups and one for kids under 17, because that’s what our group consisted of. The grownups were so into it that women were braking nails. One of the younger kids said that was the most fun thing she’s ever done. It takes two people to do the wrapping easily and efficiently, (one to hold the saran wrap and the other to insert prizes) but it was SO worth it. Planning on doing it again the year!

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        February 12, 2018 at 1:38 pm

        That sounds like such Fun Jackie! I also have an Easter saran wrap game here: https://musthavemom.com/saran-wrap-easter-egg-game-idea-filler-ideas/

        Reply
  3. Vickie Porter says

    December 11, 2016 at 8:45 pm

    We have teens and college aged kids we played this with. In order to keep someone from just unrolling too quickly, we put some tiny pieces all along inside the wrap, too. We ruled that anything that comes out, must be picked up and placed in a bowl before more unwrapping can be done. We played on a table top, so things kind of flung, wound up on the floor, etc. Having to stop to pick up and place in bowl slowed the unwrapping a bit. We went through about 12-13 plays with two rolls of saran wrap.

    Reply
  4. kjones says

    December 13, 2016 at 2:25 am

    I want to do this for several kids but give each kid a chance at it….there would be ages 2-15, 7 kids total. Any suggestions for this big age gap? They are 2, 10, 10, 13, 13, 14, 15. Also, there are three families that make these 7 kids. Myself – 3 kids, cousin – 2, other cousin – 2. How can we divide who brings what???

    Reply
    • Sarah Must Have Mom says

      December 13, 2016 at 3:56 pm

      You can ask for 3 gifts or so per person and put a limit on it. There is no need that this need to cost a lot. Things like lip gloss, candy, gum, holiday socks, and maybe a few toys are perfect.

      Reply
    • Betsy says

      January 31, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      You can also modify the the rules so that the younger kids get to unwrap until the dice roller gets doubles twice.

      Reply
    • Patty says

      December 18, 2018 at 10:03 pm

      We played with ages 2-60. At the end of the wrap, you could trade something you got with someone else. The adults would trade with the little ones for something they might want. Some adults would use a certain gift card or “prize” over another choice so this way we had as much fun trading as we did unwrapping the ball.

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        December 20, 2018 at 6:43 pm

        That sounds like a fun variation!

        Reply
  5. Margot C says

    December 14, 2016 at 2:03 am

    This looks like fun, you could never play it in our house though because it would be covered with cat fur!

    Reply
  6. Judy turner says

    December 18, 2016 at 9:07 pm

    Adding cat hair just makes it more special. This game is perfect for Dollar Tree items and will be appropriate for male or female. Using thin inexpensive knit gloves work well slowing the game down. A total hoot for any time of year. numb

    Reply
  7. Barb says

    December 19, 2016 at 8:39 pm

    We played this at our family christmas. We found when you wrap the syran wrap several times around the gift,then tear off and start again…..wrap, wrap, then add another gift, then wrap, wrap, then tear off, then add another gift and wrap, wrap……you get the idea. It is harder and a lot more fun. Every time the syran is torn off and start again the player has to find the end to pull. A heap of fun.

    Reply
    • Jo says

      March 10, 2017 at 9:39 pm

      We did this at Christmas with 14 kids and adults. I made two balls and started one on opposite sides of the circle. We used old cookie sheets to roll the dice on. Each ball had 40 to 45 gifts. The best gift in the middle … A roll of quarters. Everything came from the dollar store or 50 cent bins at crafts stores. HINT: Alternate between Saran Wrap and Press n Seal. I used a different length of wrap for each gift. Everyone had a blast and we will do it again.

      Reply
      • Laurie says

        November 29, 2017 at 8:39 pm

        Does the Saran Wrap stick well to the Press and Seal? Does the Press and Seal stick too well to the Saran Wrap? I don’t want it to be easy. Thankjs

        Reply
        • Sandee says

          December 5, 2017 at 12:33 pm

          We did this last Christmas and I alternated between cling wrap and some press n seal, it made it more difficult, thus prolonging the fun!! Since you can’t tear it, must be unwrapped so sometimes it would go to a few people before getting the press n seal off. There were 8 of us playing, my husband, myself, and our kids who are in their early to mid 20’s, and their significant others, EVERYONE had a blast with it!!! They’ve all asked to do it again this year!! I put in candies i.e. Kisses, mints, etc, lottery tickets, 1 dollar bills and deeper into the ball a few $5’s and a $10 in the middle.

          Reply
          • Carolyn says

            October 25, 2018 at 12:51 pm

            We did this the last 2 years.. Use Press and seal a lot .. Short pieces. Press and Seal make it tougher for adults. We used oven mitts and will do that again. Did it at the table and we had stuff all over. We did put change in now and then a long with MM and candy kisses. Even put in some scratch off tickets and gift cards. We used 2 rolls of the good Saran and Press and Seal. This year we will put in small notes with numbers on them so they can go to a grab bag where we will have numbered gifts..1 for example will be a Big candy bar..#2 will be a glass of wine, #3 the bottle of beer, #4 you get to clean up. #5 new bath towel #6 ear muffs #6 slipper sox #7 anything that makes them do a chore or give a hug to grandma or an aunt of uncle. Yes we are all adults.

          • Sarah says

            October 27, 2018 at 10:02 am

            Oh these are all fun additions to the game! Thank you for sharing your ideas!!

  8. heather b says

    March 21, 2017 at 9:03 am

    I love this idea!! It would be so fun to watch my son unwrap this lol!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      March 28, 2017 at 10:22 pm

      The kids have an absolute BLAST doing this!

      Reply
      • Joan says

        December 19, 2018 at 12:56 am

        We did this last year at Christmas for the kids. Since we had kind of a wide age range and didn’t want older kids with more dexterity to get all the prizes, we just skipped the dice and everyone just pulled until they found a prize, then passed the ball to the next person. They still had a blast, as they didn’t know what the next prize would be. We included candy, Cash and kid-appropriate gift cards

        Reply
        • Sarah says

          December 20, 2018 at 6:43 pm

          That’s a great variation!

          Reply
  9. Gloria says

    September 11, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    I love this. I’m going to suggest it at our office Christmas Party. We usually do a white elephant, but this sounds like so much more fun!

    Reply
    • jody says

      November 14, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      Do you use multiple
      pieces of plastic wrap or one continuous roll?

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        November 19, 2018 at 9:47 pm

        You can do it either way! Multiple pieces makes it a lot more difficult so it works great for older kids and adults. The continuous piece is easier for younger kids.

        Reply
  10. Nicole says

    September 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

    I’ve played this game many times but I had the students wear oven mitts when it was their turn. It added a bit more of a challenge. They loved it!!

    Reply
  11. Rachel says

    September 22, 2017 at 10:47 am

    This game was a big hit at our family Christmas party!!!! I wrapped each gift item several times before I added each gift. Oven mitts make it more fun and challenging. We would set a timer for 1 minute and then pass the mitts and ball to the next person. I used anything from candy to gift cards. This year I am going to play Christmas music and when the music stops, then pass the saran ball (like musical chairs). I also tried to make sure there was enough items for each person to have at least 2 gifts. The grand prize gift was the last thing to unwrap.

    Reply
  12. Gail S MCKEEVER says

    October 7, 2017 at 11:29 pm

    We played this last year at Christmas too, It was a blast and loved by all. They want to play again this year, so we are having each family bring a few gifts to Thanksgiving to be added to the Christmas ball. Kids and adults played together, but if a child ended up with a travel size bottle of Vodka or something, they traded at the end of the game with someone who won candy.

    Reply
  13. Debbie in SJ says

    November 14, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    This game has become a tradition for my family. We have about 14 adults and we each give $$ To one person and that person purchases the, gifts, lottery tickets and small amount gift cards. We also make a small gift box that is used for cards that we add to the ball with instructions on them, if while you are unwrapping and you receive a card you must follow the instructions on the card. (Examples of cards…pick a prize from the box, skip your next turn🙁, take 5 extra seconds your next turn, play gopher to everyone until your next turn.). The center prize is a monetary gift of $5 x the number of people playing. 14 people = $70. Great fun!!!

    Reply
    • Nel says

      December 21, 2017 at 6:03 am

      I LOVE the adding cards idea! It adds more fun watching the “unwrapper” having to stop and hop for 3sec, whistle, pat head & rub tummy at same time etc…

      Reply
  14. Adri says

    December 1, 2017 at 11:50 am

    I love this idea! It looks like a fun thing to play with my husband’s large family.

    Reply
  15. Mary Koym says

    December 6, 2017 at 4:23 pm

    Ok question I’m doing it for an office party with about 50 people. Do you think 2 balls is what I should do? and do you use oven mitts or not?

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      December 14, 2017 at 3:54 pm

      I did two balls for a family party of 50+ and it was better. Otherwise the last person in line has a long wait to wait for 50 other people to have a turn. We had one moving to the right and one moving to the left.

      Reply
      • April says

        November 14, 2018 at 4:21 am

        If u are the person add items to tha ball can u still play?

        Reply
        • Sarah says

          November 19, 2018 at 9:48 pm

          Yes, of course! Have fun

          Reply
  16. Cathy says

    December 8, 2017 at 7:47 pm

    We had 20 people and 3 balls…..lots of fun, will be doing again this Christmas. Dice is the most fun, everyone screaming doubles, doubles….and saran flying everywhere!

    Reply
  17. Cathy says

    December 8, 2017 at 7:49 pm

    If you tear off the wrap and change directions you don’t need mitts. Also keep the ball on laps like someone else said.

    Reply
  18. Diane says

    December 9, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    My family members loved this game ( young and old )
    They now want to do this every year!!

    Reply
  19. Becca says

    December 10, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    How long do you think this game will take? Thinking about doing it at a fourth grade holiday party. There are 25 kids in the class.

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 11, 2017 at 4:26 pm

      we played last week with 10 adults and it took about an hour(apprx 20 gifts in the ball). we wrapped each gift individually then added to the ball. if not wrapped individually, it may go quicker.

      Reply
  20. Wendy says

    December 13, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    We love this game in our family. It has gotten costly since the kids have gotten older. We now fill it with cash ($1 and $5), lottery tickets and lots of candy and small items. I also add in Easter grass, confetti or (for Christmas this year) TINSEL…or I think they’re called Icicles now. 🙂 Makes for a huge flying mess and a great photo at the end! We also play that the ball can’t touch the lap OR ground that way they are holding it up with one hand at all times and makes it last a bit longer.

    Reply
  21. Angela Baker says

    December 14, 2017 at 9:36 am

    How many rolls would you recommend? Also If we are playing with oven mitts, should the person rolling the dice wait until the person gets the mitts on before they roll so that person has a chance to unwrap?

    Reply
    • Angela Baker says

      December 14, 2017 at 9:36 am

      Rolls of saran wrap?

      Reply
  22. John Janek says

    December 16, 2017 at 12:12 pm

    Wtf do you have a million ads on your blog?? Endless scrolling just to get to the point of the end of your blog entry. Pay for your website instead of getting a ton of advertisers.

    Reply
    • Patty says

      December 16, 2017 at 2:48 pm

      How rude!!!

      Reply
    • Nel says

      December 21, 2017 at 5:56 am

      If you don’t like it then get off the site rather than being an annoyance.

      Reply
      • Nel says

        December 21, 2017 at 5:57 am

        That msg was for John janek

        Reply
  23. jtom says

    December 17, 2017 at 7:14 am

    I was thinking of doing this for a 2nd grade Christmas party. There are about 20 kids and I only have 20 minutes or so for a game. Do you think this will take longer than 20 minutes?

    Reply
    • Kelsey says

      December 18, 2017 at 9:41 am

      I would like a little more info as well on how long it takes kids to unwrap the ball. This is a station at my daughters christmas party but I don’t know how many saran wrap balls to make or how long to expect it to take kids… any advice. There will be 4 groups of 15 kids each.

      Reply
      • Laura H says

        December 18, 2017 at 1:11 pm

        If playing with kids I would probably use the “musical chairs” music idea. Some kids can roll dice faster and others not so much. You can control it better with music in case one child has difficulty. Remember not everyone will get a prize. The more competitive kids will get several while others won’t get any. The amount of time they have to try can regulate the game a little better. Just my observation.

        Reply
        • lucille says

          December 18, 2017 at 8:11 pm

          how do you determined who goes first and the person who undrapes the gift keeps it /

          Reply
    • Sarah says

      February 12, 2018 at 2:29 pm

      No it goes pretty quick.

      Reply
  24. Laura H says

    December 18, 2017 at 1:07 pm

    We are playing this year with 13 people. Older kids and adults. Rules are you must put on the Santa Hat before you can start unwrapping. No teeth or sharp implements. Mine looks like a giant head so I turned him into a Santa (using hat for game) and spray gluing beard eyes and nose Hopefully that will delay the start. The game can go fast unless doubles get rolled quickly. I put lots of gift cards, cash , candy and not ALL the good stuff is in the center. Gotta whet their appetite early on to up the frenzy. Can’t wait to play and film this little event. 🙂

    Reply
    • lucille says

      December 18, 2017 at 8:09 pm

      how do you determine who goes first

      Reply
  25. Melodie Shiltz says

    December 25, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    I think I will start buying after Christmas. You can get a lot of small items on clearance. Start wrapping it now . It will make it more fun for you also, if you are like me I will forget what i put in it by next year. Add to it all year long.

    Reply
    • Carolyn Truesdale says

      November 11, 2019 at 1:26 am

      That is an excellent idea and will also keep the expense easier to spread throughout the year.

      Reply
  26. James mitchell says

    December 27, 2017 at 1:38 am

    This could be more interesting than opening stockings. Randomly, about two weeks before Christmas, family members would add one at a time to the ball, followed by another. Since a record of additions was made until all had attached their stocking stuffer.
    When the great event, any starting sequence commences until the first item is obtained.
    And then this is passed on to the next person in sequence, regardless of selection is determined, until items have been retrieved.
    Variations in swapping prizes could be added for another family interaction.

    Reply
  27. Cynthia Williams says

    January 12, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    What do you use the bowl and pie plate for?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      February 12, 2018 at 2:03 pm

      To roll the dice in so they don’t fly all over 🙂

      Reply
  28. Layla Letizi says

    February 4, 2018 at 4:53 pm

    This is a great game to play with your family and friends. I am doing it at my sleepover with my 7 friends and it will be so much fun. We did something like this before but, we had to put on oven mittens and try to unwrap the wrapping paper and inside the wrapping paper was a box with wrapping paper over it and it kept going and the last box had a 50 dollar gift card to T.J. Max and it was BLAST!!!!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      February 12, 2018 at 1:38 pm

      That sounds like a GREAT game! How fun!

      Reply
  29. Samantha Younan says

    March 13, 2018 at 7:30 am

    I love this idea so much, I posted a link to it on my own blog as a must try! Thanks for sharing this!
    https://wellnesswhilelearning.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/the-beauty-of-staycations/

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      March 13, 2018 at 4:31 pm

      Thanks Samantha

      Reply
  30. Rosalie Boleyn says

    June 7, 2018 at 3:24 am

    I did it last Christmas and it was a hit. I put in things like a card of moustaches, artificial dentures, funny glasses, etc and anything that could be worn had to be worn – a lot of fun. (The guys ended up putting the moustaches on their eyebrows etc . Thanks for the idea.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      June 14, 2018 at 12:09 pm

      Oh that sounds like a lot of fun! Thanks for the ideas!

      Reply
  31. Cassie says

    September 4, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    We created a Saran Wrap ball over the 4th of July. We made a kid and adult one (in case you’re curious I will add what it looks like) 😉 🙂 We put things in there like whoopie cushions, a bag of farts, and more. It was so much fun to pass around and watch guests open it. I never thought to add some of the creative items you used! I love all the ideas you choose. I can’t wait to make our next one. Thanks for sharing such cool ideas!!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      September 5, 2018 at 3:38 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the idea and it sounds like you had some fun additions to your saran wrap ball!

      Reply
  32. Amelia says

    September 29, 2018 at 11:48 pm

    This sounds like so much fun! Is there a version of this that might be better for the environment? It seems like you use SEVERAL ROLLS of saran wrap and that seems extremely wasteful to me. There are 300 million tonnes of plastic produced EVERY YEAR and I don’t think this game is helping with those numbers. I really think we as humans need to respect and share the earth. I don’t want to kill sea turtles or even us, because the BPA and DEHP go into the water systems or soil and that would eventually end up in our food. Do you have any suggestions for alternative products?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      October 3, 2018 at 11:17 am

      I don’t know what else you would use. If you can find some better environmentally conscious option for clear plastic wrap then that would work but I’m not aware of any. If that bothers you then I would suggest avoiding this game and trying another instead.

      Reply
      • Amelia says

        October 9, 2018 at 11:31 pm

        Thank you for the suggestion. I believe that this should concern everyone since we all live on the same planet. We should treat it with respect.

        Reply
        • Sarah says

          October 10, 2018 at 5:00 pm

          Absolutely!

          Reply
      • PJ says

        December 2, 2018 at 11:16 pm

        Great advice. This is a great game. We played it for the first time last Christmas. I put gift cards to McDonalds, chic-fa-la, dish towels with Christmas designs, candy, shots of liquor, (adult game)

        Reply
        • Sarah says

          December 3, 2018 at 7:29 am

          These are all great ideas for putting in the saran wrap ball! Thanks for sharing!

          Reply
          • Sandy says

            December 9, 2018 at 10:13 am

            Put the two dice into a clear plastic container with a lid. Makes passing and rolling SOOOOO much easier!

          • Sarah says

            December 11, 2018 at 2:24 pm

            Great tip! Thanks Sandy

    • Michelle says

      December 12, 2018 at 9:39 pm

      Old newspaper, they are big enough and you can use layers of them, like literally plastic wrap as a whole should be banned, they are the worst.

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        December 14, 2018 at 12:19 pm

        Have you done this with newspaper? Thanks for sharing the tip!

        Reply
  33. Angie Constantine says

    November 1, 2018 at 9:49 am

    What a FUN idea! I’m definitely adding this to our Thanksgiving and Christmas gathering

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      November 1, 2018 at 12:15 pm

      It’s so much fun! I hope you love it.

      Reply
  34. Sherry says

    November 26, 2018 at 8:48 am

    If we have 13 or 14 people playing, what are the chances of the last players not getting a turn? If the ball is unwrapped too fast, I would hate to run out of prizes before the last couple of people had a chance at the ball. Just trying to plan ahead.
    Thanks,

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      November 27, 2018 at 3:51 pm

      Make sure that people keep the ball on their lap. This slows things down considerably! We had about that many playing and everyone got a turn at least once! It depends on how big you make it too.

      Reply
    • Merry says

      December 13, 2018 at 5:59 pm

      We played last year for our “breakfast club” Christmas party. I didn’t know about the lap thing and we played around a pool table. We wore oven mitts. The ball was over a foot in diameter and it took over 2 hrs! It went around the table at least 30 times, I’m guessing. Depends on how long it takes to roll doubles.
      I’m in the process of making ours for this Sunday. There are a lot of bar related things, koozies, candy, key rings, socks, earrings, scratch tix, etc. Lots of fun!!
      I love all the suggestions about alternating with the cling wrap, using a pie pan for the dice and keeping ball on lap.

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        December 14, 2018 at 12:16 pm

        These are great suggestions! I love the addition of oven mitts!

        Reply
  35. Susan says

    November 30, 2018 at 11:44 am

    We cut the saran wrap between each prize. It made the game last a lot longer. Also, the unwrapper had to put on oven mitts before they started unwrapping and the ball has to stay on the table.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 3, 2018 at 7:45 am

      These are brilliant variations! Thanks for sharing with us.

      Reply
  36. Ana says

    December 2, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    I used to play this game as a child but we used giftwrapping paper or newspapers. I like the idea of the saram wrap but do you think it would be too challenging for 3-4 year-olds?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 3, 2018 at 7:29 am

      For younger kids I would suggest using one continuous piece and helping them start it. Then it should be okay for them!

      Reply
  37. Michelle says

    December 12, 2018 at 9:38 pm

    Omg why….. That’s so much plastic and it’s so wasteful and so damaging to the planet. If you have to play this game why not use newspaper instead?

    Reply
    • Art Melton says

      December 15, 2018 at 10:46 pm

      Everyone is having a blast with the game, try it, you will love it! Newspaper will open easy, not a challenge at all…..most people don’t even have newspapers anymore, we read the news on the internet, it saves money and trees. I encourage you to try the game, you can recycle the plastic wrap. Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  38. Narnia says

    December 14, 2018 at 9:10 pm

    We love this game and I try to put in weird/funny prizes as well as good treats! Throughout the year I collect odds and ends so that at Christmas I have a great stash. This year’s ball includes a box of Jello, hotel shampoo, pop-up turkey timer, dental floss, make up wipes, sample mouthwash, ink pens, and lots of candy.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 20, 2018 at 6:48 pm

      Sounds like fun!

      Reply
  39. Cass says

    December 18, 2018 at 8:26 pm

    I love this idea and have my ball all ready to go for this year. If they love it, I am going to do it again next year with a twist (youngest is 13, will be 14 next year). I am going to wrap some gifts in smaller balls and add them to the big ball. When the person gets to a small ball they will have to choose which to continue to unwrap….the large one or the smaller one (of course if the dice aren’t kind they may be able to do both) If they choose to continue with the big one they hand over both to the next person, when doubles are rolled, and the next person has to choose which to unwrap.

    Reply
    • Judee says

      December 19, 2018 at 12:17 pm

      I have done this game many times using oven mitts and a Santa Hat to be worn by whoever is doing the unwrapping.
      I am going to use this last idea of including a smaller ball inside the large ball at about 1/2 way point. With that smaller ball I will include 2 dice so the dice fall out the same time as the small ball falls out. Then the person chooses which ball to continue opening and passes the other one on in the OPPOSITE direction along with the dice. (Host will have a spare pie plate and set of oven mitts ready to pass along with the one going in opposite direction.)

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        December 20, 2018 at 6:42 pm

        That’s a Great idea!

        Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 20, 2018 at 6:44 pm

      Oooo that’s a fun twist!

      Reply
  40. Shirley Zumalt says

    December 24, 2018 at 11:44 pm

    We have played this for the last 5 yrs. My group ask for it every year. We made a few changes. As my grands have gotten older – I use a hair dryer on the finished ball just to make it a little harder to find the first edge. First person to throw doubles starts unwrapping the ball. The dice continue going from person to person until someone else throws doubles – then they grab the ball from the person unwrapping.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 27, 2018 at 11:26 am

      Oh my! I love your idea of using the hair dryer on it to make it more difficult. So much fun!

      Reply
  41. Susan Boxall says

    December 25, 2018 at 10:37 am

    So what is one supposed to do with all the non-recyclable plastic at the end of the game?
    The idea is good bit the consequences can never be undone.

    Reply
    • Cory says

      January 2, 2019 at 11:33 am

      Jeez, all these people who are so worried about the wasted plastic need to get a grip! As much plastics that are produced by big industry every year, a few games of saran wrap ball arent going to make a bit of difference on a planetary scale! If you are so worried about the few rolls of saran wrap then you obviously arent reading this to get ideas, so you are just injecting criticism and negativity. Get lost already!!

      Reply
  42. Janet Cesarz says

    December 26, 2018 at 6:57 pm

    If a person unwraps a gift, is their turn over or do they keep on unrolling the saran wrap?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 27, 2018 at 11:26 am

      Their turn continues until the person next to them rolls doubles. Then it is passed.

      Reply
  43. Sue Seidl says

    December 30, 2018 at 8:44 pm

    We did 2 balls at Christmas time. For the little kids (one of whom is highly excitable) they unwrapped until they got a gift, then they passed it on. At the end we allowed them to exchange gifts with anyone who wanted to exchange.
    The big kids had to roll doubles. We did both balls at the same time in circles on the living room floor.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      January 2, 2019 at 2:01 pm

      That sounds like so much fun!

      Reply
  44. Heather says

    December 5, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    We are including half a dozen chocolate kisses this year. When someone unwraps a kiss they have to kiss someone. On the cheek. And then continue.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 8, 2019 at 3:22 pm

      Cute idea! Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
  45. Heather says

    December 18, 2019 at 5:34 pm

    I am going to try this with a group of kids at the library I work at. This sounds like so much fun!

    Reply
  46. Carol says

    December 31, 2019 at 8:21 am

    I’m trying this game for the first time for New Years. I bought all the on sale items after Christmas. I hope it becomes a New Year’s tradition in our family! Thanks for all the tips.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      January 2, 2020 at 6:56 pm

      That’s a great idea! I hope it went well and becomes a new tradition for you 🙂

      Reply
  47. Joni says

    January 8, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    How early in the year could you make your ball? I plan on making 5 this year, two for gifts for family who live far away. I like to prepare all year hopefully the wrap would still be tight, just no chocolate candy that might melt!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      January 9, 2020 at 3:23 pm

      I think you could do them anytime! Like you said, the only thing would be if the food/candy items expired before they opened it. How fun!

      Reply

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