Pass the Parcel Etiquette

[LisaLessLumpy]

Right, having ds's 3rd birthday party on Saturday. Amongst other things will be doing a pass the parcel, but what is the etiquette nowadays? When I was a kid it was totally random and the only prize was the last one. Nowadays it seems every layer has 'something' in it and you make sure everyone gets to open a layer. Now who gets the 'big' prize?

Any help appreciated

We've done PtP with two or even three parcels and it works fine. With littlies if you have loads of layers they just get really bored and unco-operative after a few, especially if they've had their "go". 14 is way to many.

Right, two parcels it is then, thanks

Ok I will suggest no PTP but pass the hat instead ,same princeple but pass the hat and when the music stops they get a sweet and leave the circle . No paper fantastic.

am liking pass the hat, dds party is on fri, we are in london, says its going to be sunny , 20 degrees anyone tell me different?

If you want to get fancy and fast use two hats . Big cowboy hats work well .

I am really liking the pass the hat idea, so easy and would still be fun

I had 14 4yr old's to ddd's last party & separated the boys and girls in to two different circles for pass the parcel (initially this was because I hadn't got unisex prizes but in the end it worked out better because it was faster/less boring and I had one adult helper per circle to move things along a bit). Alternated a mini-box of smarties in each layer with children's pencils + tiny note book and rigged the music so that every child got something by end of game (but birthday child didn't get main prize of course!!).

That is a good idea but... I only have 4 boys and 9 girls

I have party bag toys I was going to use rather than chocolate

Turniphead - details of allergy status of children + parent mobile phone numbers taken at door on arrival

You're welcome! But tbh only got wise to this when my cousin's ds developed a really bad reaction to kiwi fruit & strawberries after a party - he nearly stopped breathing - made me much more cautious ....

Pls excuse digression btw!

Meant to say LisaLessLumpy that some of the on-line party sites do pass the parcels already made up if you are short of time - at a price of course - or you have the option to buy the wrapping and gifts and then make them up yourself ...which even with tailor-made wrapping paper and presents TAKES AN AGE .....I was still at it at 2am the morning of the party last year ....

I got mine from PartyPieces and we are still re-using all the tissue paper for craft projects a year on ...

How was your party LLL?Hope the rain held off for you..(it did here most of the time, so we were only stuck indoors for 20 minutes, which was a relief as those 20 minutes were a bit chaotic to say the least!)

Hi Scootermum - party is tomorrow

Countingthegreyhairs - I solved the problem... got DH to wrap it all up and yes it took him ages. I spent the time decorating ds's cake instead

Ah yes, LisaLL, delegation, delegation! I must remember to get dh involved this year (although funnily enough he always disappears two hours before a children's party muttering about photographic equipment and batteries)

Hope all is going well/goes well today and that your ds has a great time!

Sorry to offend Califrau! [proffers arm for slapped wrist] I did recycle the paper endlessly and I insist on mashing my own potatoes - honest!

Hi everyone, what beautiful weather we are having... finally

Well ds's party went ok in the end on Saturday. It started raining an hour before they were all due to arrive at 1pm after very grey skies all morning, so we deflated the bouncy castle and covered it so it wouldn't get too wet. I then had a mad panic in trying to tidy the downstairs so the party could move indoors (I was gutted), also had to throw all the junk from the dining room upstairs so I could use it to put all the food in. I was a sweaty mess by the time people started arriving. It wasn't till it was all over and I looked in the mirror I realised I had not put a scrap of make-up on mortified is not the word

Luckily half an hour after they were all here the rain stopped, so we inflated the castle and put a load of blankets out on the grass and it warmed up and dried out sufficiently to be able to all move outside and to have the food and pass the parcel outside. I said goodbye to the last guest at 3.30.

Oh bad luck about the weather LLL. So happy to hear that they all had a good time in the end though. You can relax for another year!

If I could do fancy links I'd send you a glass of wine .....and a comfy chair ...

fiodyl, your friend needs to update his asthma information!

Both mine have asthma and are good runners. My daughter has never been beaten in a school race. My son is noted on football field for being nippy.

They still like to win pass-the-parcel, though.