To not have a clue re pass the parcel etiquette

[Toomuchtooyoung01]

Making up a pass the parcel for DD to take to nursery for her birthday (its a "thing" at her nursery) and realised I dont have a clue about the etiquette - when I was a kid I'm sure there were only ever about 8 layers and they went to whoever the music stopped on, but now I have a suspicion its preferred that everyone playing has a turn unwrapping and getting a little treat? But then won't the game take about 900 years by the time a group of 30 preschoolers have unwrapped a parcel each? Is it better to just have the standard 8-10 layers and then give the remainder of the mini Smarties etc to the nursery staff to give out to whoever didnt get to do any unwrapping?!
And another thing, isnit frowned upon to ensure the birthday child gets the good prize on the last parcel?!
Thanks!

Yeah, can't be arsed with the prize in every layer malarkey. Life lessons, kids!!

Prize in every layer, different child each time, birthday child doesn't get the big prize. But 30 layers is too many, we only ever did this at home parties, so maybe 10 guests. And if you're not doing the music you can't control who gets the prizes obviously.

Back in the 80's when I was little it was the final layer with good prize usually went to the good child...if it was a small group then every child got a layer and prize....but if it was a big group then no, imagine the size of the parcel with 30 layers of paper and 30 prizes inside 😂...

Never played this in a whole-class group, only ever in smaller home parties, it would take forever to unwrap 30 layers, and also how do you ensure each different child gets a turn? Would someone have a list of names and tick them off as each one has a turn?
Anyway, I've always played it differently, in that there is only one prize but with lots of layers wrapped. The excitement comes from unwrapping and hoping yours is the last layer. I've never had it done with a prize in every layer, far too much faff and seems to defeat the point of winning the prize if everyone gets one.

I've seen prize in every layer and not, but the prize was only something like a single Quality Street. Most important thing is to have different paper for every layer! Makes it exciting and they're less likely to accidentally unwrap multiple layers.

Oh god I did pass the parcel once and it went terribly. One child was absolutely devestated not to "win". Birthday girl was meant to get the main prize and it accidentally went to someone else (who was then incredibly kind and gave it to the birthday girl!)

To be honest, I regretted it and now no longer do any games where someone wins!!!

If it is a big group I do two parcels. The main present is from the works for £2. I wanted to put forfeits not sweets but was advised against it, so I put both. Forfeits were really easy questions or gentle challenges. Tell a joke, sing a song, tell us about an animal you like, pat your head and rub your tummy.

Traditionally, it's the final unwrapper that gets the prize.
More recently a prize has been included in each layer else each child unwraps a layer and an adult gives that child a sweet.
I really can't understand pass the parcel for so many children. It would be almost impossible.

Pass - disinfect - pass - disinfect - pass -.....😂

My kids knew not to expect to win pass the parcel at my house ever! We played it at Christmas parties as well as birthdays. Hence the need for 2 parcels (only one circle of children though.

Oh... I've never had a pass the parcel with a prize in each layer???

@pinksnowball

Oh god I did pass the parcel once and it went terribly. One child was absolutely devestated not to "win". Birthday girl was meant to get the main prize and it accidentally went to someone else (who was then incredibly kind and gave it to the birthday girl!)

To be honest, I regretted it and now no longer do any games where someone wins!!!

Eesh what a faux pas - you let the winner give their prize to the birthday child? I'm cringing for you

@00100001

Oh... I've never had a pass the parcel with a prize in each layer???

There should be a sweet in each layer?! How do you play it, just paper??

The birthday child should never win the prize!

So far I haven't had to host more then about 10 children, but at a party we went to last year there were 3 parcels on the go at once, each with 10 layers (rules were if you had already opened one it had to be passed on to next kid along who hadn't, as music timing would be impossible to rig). Each layer had a little pack of haribo, and a colouring book for the middle. It worked quite well, but it depends how much faff you want to sign yourself up for.

Eesh what a faux pas - you let the winner give their prize to the birthday child? I'm cringing for you

It was all arranged without any adults being involved! Such a sweet child.

That takes me back. As a little kid we had a posh girl in our class. Her mother would put a Lindt Neapolitan in each layer of the parcel at her parties. I remember thinking it was the nicest thing in the world to unwrap and eat. I’ve adored Lindt Neapolitans ever since. (Don’t do that though. They are full of nuts!!)

I would put 30 mini bags of sweets in the middle, to be shared out at the end. Are they allowed bring sweets?

Even better, 2 pass the parcels, so 15 kids in a group. Would take a while to get around 30 kids!

For younger ones we used to do a gift wrapped box which was passed around and when the music stopped a child would stick their hand in and pull out a sweet or small toy. If it was a smaller group at home then the toys would be wrapped and they could unwrap while the box went around. But yes every kid gets something. And the birthday child never gets the big toy (if there is one)

Piñata is good fun also.

When I used to run a toddler group, we had pass the parcel games at the group, but instead of it being a parcel, it was a soft toy. Pass the Bear for example. If the music stopped on you, you get up and come and get a sweet, then sit with your parent until everyone has got a sweet. They loved it and it saved any upset at a child’s birthday party.

2 (or 3!) parcels. 10p pack of haribo in each layer. Birthday child does not win main prize (both main prizes the same, unisex and worth £2-5 max). Forfeits for the over 6-7s who stand a chance of being able to read it and knowing what on earth is going on.

This sounds like chaos!
But I’d do 2 parcels.
A sweet in each layer, enough for each child altogether.
Alternatively ask nursery how they want you to do it?

I saw a better version of pass the parcel to avoid all the hassle of wrapping. You pass a cuddly toy round and whoever is holding it when the music stops is out. We had a soft toy shaped like a poo emoji so used that and called it pass the poo! If they were out they got a treat. Last one in got a proper prize. Makes the game faster as no one holds onto the parcel.

As a nursery teacher I used to do pass the parcel on the last day of term before Christmas, to be honest I'm not sure why I did it every year because it's such a PITA! Wrapping that many layers takes forever and I sometimes forget if I've put the little pack of sweets in between the layers and end up unwrapping to check. Then when it comes to actually playing not all of the children have had enough party experience to know how it works, they won't pass it on, get bored, can't unwrap the layers and then get upset when they don't win the big prize. Save yourself the hassle and send in a pack of sweets each or a cake to be cut up and shared.