Pass the Parcel Birthday Game

This is the classic pass the parcel party game with a card in every layer. When the music stops, the child holding the parcel unwraps one layer, reads the card out loud and does what it says, then keeps the small prize from that layer. The last layer holds the grand prize.

What’s on the cards

The 50 cards are split into seven groups. Animal Act asks for a duck waddle or a frog hop. Move It cards are quick actions like five star jumps or walking like a robot. Birthday cards have kids blow out an imaginary candle or make a wish over the parcel. Pass It On cards send the parcel to someone wearing red or blue, or to whoever sits closest to the cake. Quick Quiz asks for a pink fruit or three animals that fly, and Silly Time is funny voices and faces.

The last ten are Surprise cards, which change the game for a round: Turn Around, Speed Round, Slow Motion, Swap Seats and more. Double Layer lets one child open two layers, and The Big One! goes in the final layer around the grand prize.

Setting it up

The wrapping page works on one rule: one layer per child, so everyone at the party unwraps exactly once. Wrap the grand prize first, then add a shuffled card and a small prize with each new layer. Using a different paper for each layer lets the kids watch the parcel shrink.

The music page suggests stopping every 20 to 40 seconds, turning your back so you can’t see who is holding the parcel, and keeping a tally so you can steer the stops toward children who haven’t had a turn. Any playlist works, and clapping or a kitchen timer will do if there’s no music.

The prize page lists small ideas for the layers, like stickers, bubbles and temporary tattoos, and bigger ones for the middle. It also has a no-prize version, and a reminder to leave out small parts and hard candy when children under three are playing.

Printing

Six cards fit on each page. Cut them apart, shuffle them, and drop one into each layer as you wrap. The black-and-white files are the ink-saving version.