Monday, December 23, 2002
More Frolicsomely Frustrating Family-Friendly Frivolity
In searching for a seasonally-appropriate gift of glee to share with the chosen many, I found this in the DeepFUN archives:
Dear Major Fun: "Opening presents is definitely fun. But, afterwards, there's always a let down for something else fun to do." -- Mary Maker
Dear Merrymaker: There's an old parlor game that should keep spirits high even after the main merriments are made. First you need a big candy bar or bag of goodies. Then you need a small array of cold-weather clothes (hat, gloves, coat, scarf) (the gloves are essential, you can add or delete other items of outer clothing depending on the collective delay-gratification factor of the players). Then you need plenty of wrapping paper and tape. Finally, a pair or more of dice.
Wrap the goody bag in as much paper and tape as you can find (and have the patience for). Put the clothes and the prize in a pile in the center of the living room, and arrange all the family and relatives in a circle around the pile. Give the dice to someone. When the game starts, the player rolls the dice. If the player doesn't roll doubles (two or more dice of the same number), the dice pass to the next player. If the player does roll doubles, the dice are still passed on to the next player, while the doubles-roller dives into the clothes pile, puts everything on (especially the gloves) and starts tearing open the package. Meanwhile, the dice are passed around the circle from person to person until someone else rolls doubles. At that time, the player who is raptly unwrapping the prize must stop, take off the extra clothes, take a place in the circle, and allow the new doubles-roller to continue the challenge while the rest of the players take turns rolling the dice. The round continues until someone manages to unwrap the present.
This game is fun, and frustration is definitely part of the fun. If the frustration is too daunting, add another die or two (so it takes longer for anyone to roll doubles) or decrease the number of clothes items in the clothes pile, or have two people (with two sets of clothes) work as unwrapping partners.
This game has been around a long time. Apparently, the way I learned the game (which is of course the best of all possible ways of playing it) is only one of many variations of a game called "Pass the Parcel." It's most often described as being played with "music like musical chairs." If you check out the Party Games Idea Resource Page, you'll find a listing for Pass the Parcel followed by two other variations, the last, the closest to the way I learned the game, whilst leading inexorably to a whole nother branch of family-friendly frivolity, e.g. Flour Mound.
Dear Major Fun: "Opening presents is definitely fun. But, afterwards, there's always a let down for something else fun to do." -- Mary Maker
Dear Merrymaker: There's an old parlor game that should keep spirits high even after the main merriments are made. First you need a big candy bar or bag of goodies. Then you need a small array of cold-weather clothes (hat, gloves, coat, scarf) (the gloves are essential, you can add or delete other items of outer clothing depending on the collective delay-gratification factor of the players). Then you need plenty of wrapping paper and tape. Finally, a pair or more of dice.
Wrap the goody bag in as much paper and tape as you can find (and have the patience for). Put the clothes and the prize in a pile in the center of the living room, and arrange all the family and relatives in a circle around the pile. Give the dice to someone. When the game starts, the player rolls the dice. If the player doesn't roll doubles (two or more dice of the same number), the dice pass to the next player. If the player does roll doubles, the dice are still passed on to the next player, while the doubles-roller dives into the clothes pile, puts everything on (especially the gloves) and starts tearing open the package. Meanwhile, the dice are passed around the circle from person to person until someone else rolls doubles. At that time, the player who is raptly unwrapping the prize must stop, take off the extra clothes, take a place in the circle, and allow the new doubles-roller to continue the challenge while the rest of the players take turns rolling the dice. The round continues until someone manages to unwrap the present.
This game is fun, and frustration is definitely part of the fun. If the frustration is too daunting, add another die or two (so it takes longer for anyone to roll doubles) or decrease the number of clothes items in the clothes pile, or have two people (with two sets of clothes) work as unwrapping partners.
This game has been around a long time. Apparently, the way I learned the game (which is of course the best of all possible ways of playing it) is only one of many variations of a game called "Pass the Parcel." It's most often described as being played with "music like musical chairs." If you check out the Party Games Idea Resource Page, you'll find a listing for Pass the Parcel followed by two other variations, the last, the closest to the way I learned the game, whilst leading inexorably to a whole nother branch of family-friendly frivolity, e.g. Flour Mound.
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