Kids Party Games - Pass The Parcel Forfeit Ideas
Suggestions for Livening Up This Classic Children's Game
Oct 21, 2009
At any sort of party kids games provide great entertainment to young and old. One the most popular and fun games is pass the parcel. This old favourite has been played by generations and loved by all.
It can be stressful finding forfeit ideas in the days, or even hours, leading up to a party. This article contains some suggestions that have been tried and tested over and over.
The rules of pass the parcel are simple. A prize is wrapped in multiple layers of paper. Each layer is separate from the others so that it can be removed. A small prize, such as a sweet, is placed between each layer, along with a forfeit written on a slip of paper.
The players sit in a circle and pass the parcel around as music is played. When the music stops the person holding the parcel must remove one layer and can claim the small prize when they complete the forfeit.
Pass the Parcel Forfeits for Younger Children
Here are some suggestions for kids aged up to about 8.
- Recite a nursery rhyme.
- Sing a simple song.
- Count from 10 to 1 backwards.
- Put all the pieces into a toddler's shape sorter toy.
- Name five US states.
- Name your favourite teacher at school.
- Solve a toddler's jigsaw puzzle (less than 10 pieces).
- Make a noise like a farm animal.
- Use building blocks to make as high a tower as possible in one minute.
Pass the Parcel Forfeits for Older Children
These work for ages 8 upwards, including teenagers. They include some that also work for younger children because they are fun for any age.
- Recite the alphabet backwards.
- Sing a song on a karaoke.
- Put all the pieces into a toddler's shape sorter toy.
- Name five countries in Europe.
- Identify several house-hold objects by touch, by putting them inside a bag.
- Name the last person you kissed.
- Use building blocks to make as high a tower as possible in one minute.
These are just some ideas for pass the parcel forfeits. They can be adapted to suit the children who will be playing - British kids will not be able to name US states, for example. The lists will probably spark ideas for other forfeits that can be added.
What is important is that the children are able to have fun playing pass the parcel and are not made to feel inferior or inadequate in any way. Some will be shy and unable to recite even one line of a nursery rhyme in front of their peers. If that happens, have everyone join in.
Pass the parcel is not a competition; it is about laughter and having fun together.
