Description
The “Unwrap the Gift” game is similar to the Pass the Parcel Game with the difference being that this one gives you a phrase that determines which youth gets the gift next. While you can use this for Christmas, it can also be used for birthdays. Why should the birthday teen be the only one who gets a gift? Want to make it even more inclusive? — Then use a gift like snacks or party favors that everyone can enjoy!
Preparation
To play this Unwrap the Gift game, you’ll need to wrap a gift in multiple layers of wrapping paper with a slip of paper per wrapped layer. You’ll need pieces of paper or sticker labels with the phrases written on them. Remember that the final phrase is below the first layer you wrap.
Note: When wrapping the gift use at least 2 different designs of wrapping paper so visually the guest will easily know when they have unwrap the topmost layer. If you use pink paper for one layer and
purple for the next you won’t have someone unwrapping 2 layers at the same time by accident.
The Phrases
You could use rhymes, bible verses, accessories, clothing color, riddles, trivia questions, favorite foods, pets, hobbies, anything you can imagine. Some examples of phrases to use:
- The next one to get it all, is someone who is very tall.
- Who’s up next? The gift goes where? To the one with the longest hair.
- Mark 9:3 “His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”
- Someone who loves ice-cream.
- Someone who has a pet dog.
- Someone wearing a bracelet.
- Someone who knows the number of books in the Old Testament.
- Someone who can finish the verse,”The Lord is my shepherd…”
Please add a few phrases of your own by posting a comment to this entry with your own ideas.
The phrases should get progressively complex and go from general to specific. You’ll want to start by seeing people wanting to avoid receiving the gift early, then clamoring to get it later in the game.
What to Do
- Grab your wrapped gift and invite everyone in the room and have them sit in a circle facing each other.
- Announce that you are going to play Unwrap the Gift game.
- Explain that when you receive the gift, you’ll need to Unwrap 1 layer of wrapping paper and read the next phrase to determine who gets the gift next. The last person to unwrap the last layer of wrapping paper wins the gift and once you have had your turn unwrapping, you cannot receive the gift again. There’s no telling how many layers there are so, the next one to completely unwrap the gift gets to keep it!
- We suggest the Party Host save a spot in the circle and start the game off so everyone understands how it is played. The birthday teen could even be the first one to start the game.
Take it to the Next Level
Here are some possible lessons:
- Surprises: Life is often full of surprises. Some are ours to keep and others are meant to be passed on.
- Grace: While in this game, you have to do something or possess a certain characteristic to get the gift, the grace is different. Grace is unmerited favor.
- Salvation: The gift of salvation is not the result of someone being born on a certain day, but because someone died on a certain day. Jesus gave his life, so that we might live. It was an unmerited gift, not based on who we are or what we do, but who God is and what he did for you! For God so loved he gave.
- Gifts: A lot of gifts come to us in life. Some are ours to keep, but most are ours to share and pass on to others.
- Evangelism: Evangelism is receiving the gift of God and passing it on so that someone else can be blessed.
Just for Fun
Of course, you can just play this as a fun game at a Birthday Party, Christmas Party or any other celebration with friends.
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200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
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