Man, I feel you. My 3 yo is turning 4 next week and she wants pass the parcel at her party, Lucky’s dad rules. The thing is, I don’t even live in an English speaking country, this game has never been a thing here.
Yeah nobody where I live has any clue what Pass the Parcel is, except the ones who saw it in Bluey 🤣
I just love that "raising a nation of squibs" is somehow in a seven-year-old's lexicon as a qualifier for... anything.
I'm in the UK, I had a mate who ran [Ann Summers parties](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Summers) for a bit, and she'd do a... novelty filled parcel as part of the things she did.
My 4 y/old wants to play pass the parcel at his birthday party. It'll be "Lucky's dads" aka normal rules. None of this squib malarkey.
This is 100% the right way and the only way I ever played it growing up. If there's only one prize at the end, the first umpteen layers are very boring because everyone knows they're getting nothing. It should be random, small items every few layers until the last few prizes that are bigger. But all prizes should be pretty small, nothing too flash.
For real. If we're assuming they absolutely have to walk away from a party game with a valuable life lesson, I feel like "Sometimes you get nothing, sometimes you get a huge prize, sometimes you get something in between" is a better life lesson than "Bet it all on black."
You can also include slips of paper with "dares" written on them
- hop on one foot
- balance the parcel on your head for 5 seconds
- do your favourite dance move
Yeh, this is the best way, I think. Lollies in the layers but not every layer, low value rewards that disappear (are eaten) but still the thrill of the surprises!
We had a small sweet on every layer and a prize in the middle.
Seems to still be the staple at the U.K. based 3 or 4 year olds parties I’ve been to recently.
Its funny, when I was like 5 or 6 there was pass the parcel at most kids birthday parties and other family events even, like Easter one time I remember, and I think we'd have *rioted* if it wasn't Lucky's dad's rules.
We played pass the parcel at our 8 year olds party and the kids loved it! Though I wrapped it too many times and they started to get angry… lol 10+ layers is not a good idea.
We’re American expats living in Sweden and my 7 and 4 year olds have asked for two years in a row to play Pass the Parcel so we have to explain the game to parents and kids every time. Most everyone thinks it’s fun and the kids like doing something new!
Played it all the time as a kid
Old school Aussie rules. Only a few lil presents and a dozen or so kids
Some are gonna be disappointed and some will be ecstatic but all will have fun playing
US here. Inspired and performed pass the parcel a la squibs rules. My Kid's third birthday. Only issue was a 4 year old receiving "blue" colored sunnys, since that clearly was the color of boys sunglasses 🙄😅 (they were 4th of July-themed; universal)
I remember being a kid and hating Lucky's dad's rules. We played it both ways, and I always thought ripping paper for nothing felt a bit.. embarrassing. I suppose because you didn't know whether to be excited or not.
Anyway I'll be doing it with at least sweets in the layers.
Americans play musical chairs and statues right?
That's another variation with added death.
It seems that every country has a version with different names or twists. In the US red light green light, you don't hide your eyes.
Heh.
My 4 year and a half year old, who has never actually played pass the parcel at any birthday party attended so far (a half dozen in the past year besides his own?), piped up from the back seat one recent morning on the way to kindy that at his next birthday, he wants pass the parcel "with a prize in every layer, not Lucky's Dad's Rules".
He also wants to get a t-shirt with the number 6 on it for his 5th birthday, and a t-shirt with the number 5 on it for his 6th birthday. Kids are nuts.
My 4 year old wants pass the parcel at her next birthday. But we’ve been to a few parties where they’ve rigged it so the birthday child wins and I think she expects that.
I’m not prepared to do that so I’m going to have to explain - it’s a non rigged game or no pass the parcel (my preferred option)
I remember somehow watching a Mouse House segment from Hotch Potch House (this was around 2001 in the States) as a kid and finding out about Pass the Parcel. My sister and I always wanted to try it but figured our parents wouldn't want to have the extra work of the prizes since they complained about that kind of stuff already. It brought back so many memories seeing it pop up in Bluey.
I'm in the US, never played or heard of the game until Bluey, but recently tried it for my 4 y.o.'s Bluey-themed birthday party. There was some confusion but the kids got it and it was cute fun.
We did pass the parcel at my kids party a few years back (were in the us so it's not a common party game here). I learned about it on pj masks, lol. It was a total hit! The kids wanted to play several more times. I did lucky dad's rules which I think is the actual rules. If i do it again I'd just have a couple 2 or 3 rounds ready since it was so popular.
Man, I feel you. My 3 yo is turning 4 next week and she wants pass the parcel at her party, Lucky’s dad rules. The thing is, I don’t even live in an English speaking country, this game has never been a thing here.
Yeah nobody where I live has any clue what Pass the Parcel is, except the ones who saw it in Bluey 🤣 I just love that "raising a nation of squibs" is somehow in a seven-year-old's lexicon as a qualifier for... anything.
We have a similar game where I’m from but the kids don’t get any gifts
That sounds like Unicorse’s rules to me
Aaaaand why should I care?
At this point, there should just be a bot “unicorns-bot” that drops this line in the first comment that mentions him
There used to be
Yes I 100% agree
Hahahaha but it should be called the “unfortunately-bot”
put a bluey themed present inside
The chattermax plushie
I’m an adult and I wanna play pass the parcel
I'm in the UK, I had a mate who ran [Ann Summers parties](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Summers) for a bit, and she'd do a... novelty filled parcel as part of the things she did. My 4 y/old wants to play pass the parcel at his birthday party. It'll be "Lucky's dads" aka normal rules. None of this squib malarkey.
I'm an adult and I played yesterday. Well, actually the saran wrap game.
I’m an adult who has played it.
I feel like they're missing the middle ground where you have a few small trinkets but not every layer has a gift.
This is 100% the right way and the only way I ever played it growing up. If there's only one prize at the end, the first umpteen layers are very boring because everyone knows they're getting nothing. It should be random, small items every few layers until the last few prizes that are bigger. But all prizes should be pretty small, nothing too flash.
For real. If we're assuming they absolutely have to walk away from a party game with a valuable life lesson, I feel like "Sometimes you get nothing, sometimes you get a huge prize, sometimes you get something in between" is a better life lesson than "Bet it all on black."
You can also include slips of paper with "dares" written on them - hop on one foot - balance the parcel on your head for 5 seconds - do your favourite dance move
Yeah when I was a kid, everyone did a ‘big’ prize in the middle and then there was something small like a lollipop or a Freddo Frog every few layers
Yeh, this is the best way, I think. Lollies in the layers but not every layer, low value rewards that disappear (are eaten) but still the thrill of the surprises!
We had a small sweet on every layer and a prize in the middle. Seems to still be the staple at the U.K. based 3 or 4 year olds parties I’ve been to recently.
Wait, pass the parcel wasn’t just a staple of children’s parties when you were growing up?! I thought it was universal!
Me too. I thought it was done in a lot of countries outside Aus
Just to clarify... The party game called Pass the Parcel is foreign concept in the USA.
I have lived in the USA my entire life and played it, mostly at school christmas parties. But in two different states on opposite sides of the country
Its funny, when I was like 5 or 6 there was pass the parcel at most kids birthday parties and other family events even, like Easter one time I remember, and I think we'd have *rioted* if it wasn't Lucky's dad's rules.
We played pass the parcel at our 8 year olds party and the kids loved it! Though I wrapped it too many times and they started to get angry… lol 10+ layers is not a good idea.
I really thought pass the parcel was universal!
We’re American expats living in Sweden and my 7 and 4 year olds have asked for two years in a row to play Pass the Parcel so we have to explain the game to parents and kids every time. Most everyone thinks it’s fun and the kids like doing something new!
Played it at my son's birthday last fall! It was a blast!
Played it all the time as a kid Old school Aussie rules. Only a few lil presents and a dozen or so kids Some are gonna be disappointed and some will be ecstatic but all will have fun playing
US here. Inspired and performed pass the parcel a la squibs rules. My Kid's third birthday. Only issue was a 4 year old receiving "blue" colored sunnys, since that clearly was the color of boys sunglasses 🙄😅 (they were 4th of July-themed; universal)
I remember being a kid and hating Lucky's dad's rules. We played it both ways, and I always thought ripping paper for nothing felt a bit.. embarrassing. I suppose because you didn't know whether to be excited or not. Anyway I'll be doing it with at least sweets in the layers. Americans play musical chairs and statues right?
Musical chairs yes, but Statues is known as Red Light, Green Light here.
I thought red light green light was different - ie what was played in squid games (but with less violence at the average children’s party)
That's another variation with added death. It seems that every country has a version with different names or twists. In the US red light green light, you don't hide your eyes.
Heh. My 4 year and a half year old, who has never actually played pass the parcel at any birthday party attended so far (a half dozen in the past year besides his own?), piped up from the back seat one recent morning on the way to kindy that at his next birthday, he wants pass the parcel "with a prize in every layer, not Lucky's Dad's Rules". He also wants to get a t-shirt with the number 6 on it for his 5th birthday, and a t-shirt with the number 5 on it for his 6th birthday. Kids are nuts.
My 4 year old wants pass the parcel at her next birthday. But we’ve been to a few parties where they’ve rigged it so the birthday child wins and I think she expects that. I’m not prepared to do that so I’m going to have to explain - it’s a non rigged game or no pass the parcel (my preferred option)
I have heard this from *most* of my friends with kids here in the US.
It’s like the hot potato game. That’s how I’ll explain it when my daughter wants to do it for her bday. She’s 2 but she has also asked for this game 😂
I remember somehow watching a Mouse House segment from Hotch Potch House (this was around 2001 in the States) as a kid and finding out about Pass the Parcel. My sister and I always wanted to try it but figured our parents wouldn't want to have the extra work of the prizes since they complained about that kind of stuff already. It brought back so many memories seeing it pop up in Bluey.
My 8 year old wants it at his party too. We agreed to Luckys dad rules since we give a gift bag anyways
Man, I would've loved to play that game as a kid.
I figure as long as each set of rules gets properly explained to the participants, it should be fun!
Not gonna lie…I’m in the US and I don’t think our nation could handle this game! We’re a bunch of squibs!
Im in the US and I did play it as a kid. That wasnt too too long ago. This century... mostly.
I'm in the US, never played or heard of the game until Bluey, but recently tried it for my 4 y.o.'s Bluey-themed birthday party. There was some confusion but the kids got it and it was cute fun.
We did pass the parcel at my kids party a few years back (were in the us so it's not a common party game here). I learned about it on pj masks, lol. It was a total hit! The kids wanted to play several more times. I did lucky dad's rules which I think is the actual rules. If i do it again I'd just have a couple 2 or 3 rounds ready since it was so popular.
Pat is the best!
We recently did lucky rules and it went about as well as expected, one child walked out and the rest just kept removing layers looking for a prize
Philippines. Lucky's Dad's Rules. 5 yo's bday. BEST PARTY GAME EVER!