Has anyone ever done pass-the-parcel WITHOUT a prize between each layer?

[Snowstorm]

And, if so, what was the reaction of the young party guests??!

[MistleToo]

it always used to be one present at the end.

[partybabestitch]

its supposed to be one present at the end, and in the layers you are supposed to do something. liek sing or dance or stand on your head.

[iota]

but that was in the olden days Jooles

[handlemecarefully]

No. And tbh I wouldn't either....

[heavenlyghosty]

Just a lollipop

[heavenlyghosty]

Just a lollipop

[heavenlyghosty]

Or two

[foxinsocks]

snigger at Jools and the olden days!

someone did this at a party but had a tub of lucky dip sweets that you got instead

[MistleToo]

Yeah iota, I know I'm an old git! I'm the one they talk about on those threads 'does your mum always say 'in my day ....'

[handlemecarefully]

Absolutely - the days when folk died of consumption and children were sent to work down the mines!

[MistleToo]

hey! I'm not THAT old!

slate and chalk at school I'll have .....

[EllieChocolateOrange]

Blimey a present on EVERY layer. What is the world coming to? Kids have such high expectations of life. No wonder people get depressed!

Why not try it differently, some with a forfeit, some with a small gift - best gift at the end.

[BuffysMum]

At mine they get a sweet but they are supposed to do a nursery rhyme before unwrapping! Don't push it with the really shy ones but it's great they all get clapped and cheered for what they do try to do and it becomes about more than the present!

[iota]

ha I liked that thread about was your grandad in the war - actually my dad was

[Snowstorm]

I know, but some time between us being young and us having children it's all changed hasn't it?! I don't think I would dare not to do it for fear of having a mass walkout and ruining a party but there will be braver people than me out there ... and I'm really interested to know what the childrens' response was.

The other thing that surprised me about pass-the-parcel, since I've been doing parties for the DD's, is how bored most of the children look during the game even if we 'whoop it up'!! I wonder whether having prizes between every layer takes away the excitement of actually winning the game or whether it's just that I've got rose-tinted memories from my young years?!

[Snowstorm]

BTW, I usually do an opal fruit between each layer as it keeps them occupied a bit longer as they struggle to open it .

A friend of mine said her daughter (3 years old) went to a party recently where there was only a final prize and apparently the children were all asking what the point of playing was - ha!ha!

[notagrannyyet]

I always put a sweet in each layer. But at one DS 7th birthday I thought they were old enough for a proper pass the parcle. What a mistake that was! They all moaned and demanded a sweet! That was the last party I did at home. Since then we've arranged a venue or talked them out of a party.

[caterpiller]

When I was little the winner was the last one left which meant you tried to get rid if the parcel as fast as you could instead of hanging onto it for dear life. I hate it when you have to make sure each little darling gets a sweet. Encourages Spoiltbratedness

[Smithagain]

My dad was amazed that we put a mini prize in each layer. "In my day", there were forfeits and you definitely got rid of the parcel as quick as possible. In fact, now someone else has suggested it, I might rebel next year ...!

[WigWamBahhumbug]

We always had a present in each layer when I was a kid, and that was in the olden days (although not quite in the days of slate and chalk in schools ...)

[pollypeachum]

pass the parcel has awful memories for me. when my little sister had one of her birthdays parties (she always poor thing got indoors dreary ones being born in Feb whereas i got fabbo outdoors BBQ jobs in july) i inadvertantly made her dreary party even worse. i got the job of wrapping up the parcel at the ripe old age of about 11. being a serious minded sort i wanted to wrap it extremely well. this entailed leaning hard on it to wrap each layer as tightly as possible. the present in the middle - this was the olden days of nothing in the layers - was a bag of marshmallows. when it was finally unwrapped, the lucky winner got a bag of sweets that was flatter than a pancake. i still burn with embarrassment when i think of her face.....
on a cheerier if spoilt brat note, the best pass the parcel i've seen recently was one where there was not just one present in each layer, but two, one at each end, so that the child passing and the child receiving each got a sweet.
i am still too scarred ever to stage pass the parcel again, but if i was to do it, i'd opt for the two presents per layer approach.

[paulaplumpbottom]

You have to be so careful nowadays. Someparent might be upset if their little one gets upset because they didn't get a prize. Heaven forbid a child get used to the idea of it being ok to lose once in a while.

[JollyOldSaintNikkielas]

We have done forfeits too, and one sweet (only something small though)

Today I saw ready wrapped parcels in a shop I was

[corrina28]

we always put a little sweet or something in each layer. we went to a party once where there was only a prize in the middle and the kids were all shaking the paper as they ripped it off to try and find their prize, they wasnt amused.