Saran Wrap Ball Game

The Saran Wrap Ball Game is the most fun and entertaining holiday game out there. Guests get to unwrap a saran wrap ball filled with prizes!

The Saran Wrap Ball Game is especially fun at our Christmas parties, but it’s a great game for any holiday – even birthdays! Serve up your favorite Christmas Cookies, Drinks, and Appetizers after a rousing round of this fabulous game!

Family fav – Saran Wrap Game

Who here has played the Saran Wrap Game?

We were first introduced to it a few years ago and realized it was one of the best holiday games ever. It’s now become a tradition to play as a Christmas party game. It’s something the entire family can enjoy, along with some of our other favorite party game ideas: White Elephant Game and Christmas Trivia.

But, what is this Christmas ball game? It involves a huge ball made up of saran wrap with goodies all throughout. The object is to unwrap the big cling wrap ball during your turn, in the hopes that some of those prizes fall out during that turn.

I’ve included everything you need to know to make this game a success!

how to make a saran wrap ball

Making this Saran Wrap Ball is quite easy, but we wanted to share some tips to make it as simple as can be. Here is what you will need to make the ball:

• 1-2 rolls of Saran Wrap (not cling wrap)
• prizes – gift cards, candy, cash, small toys/gifts, etc
• broom handle

PRIZES. Begin by gathering all your supplies and prizes.

EASY SETUP. This next step is not necessary but makes it quicker and easier to do all by yourself. Put the broom handle through the saran wrap roll. Place the broom handle behind something on both ends (we used two chairs – see #1 pic). Start pulling saran wrap out and wrap your first object. It helps to use something that is round-ish and larger for the first prize.

WRAP. Begin rolling up prizes, adding a prize or candy every few rolls. Using larger prizes is really the only way to get a larger ball since everything is compact when you wrap it this way. That’s why we like to throw in larger random objects like small toys, drinks, lotions, etc.

In order to keep it a more round ball (and to make it more fun un-rolling while playing), turn the ball 90 degrees while rolling, to wrap in different directions as you go.

SECOND ROLL. When you run out of one roll, you have the option of tying the first roll to the next roll of saran wrap so that the play doesn’t stop (see pic #4) OR if you want to make it more difficult, just start wrapping the second roll on top. This makes it harder for the person to find the end while they are playing.

MARK THE START. When you are done wrapping up the ball, one helpful tip is to mark the edge of the saran wrap, otherwise, it may be hard finding the end when you start playing (see pic #4).

how to play saran wrap ball game

The rules are simple and laid out below. Note, you will need 2 OVEN MITTS (or gloves) + 2 DICE to play the game.

1. Have all your party guests sit on the ground in a circle. One person will begin with the ball, while the person to their left has a pan with two dice in it.
2. Once the game begins, the person with the ball puts on oven mitts and tries to unwrap as much as they can, while the person to the left tries to roll doubles.
3. When that person rolls doubles, it’s their turn. The pan with dice gets passed to the left, and the saran wrap ball goes to the person who rolled doubles. They put on the oven mitts and try to unroll while the next person tries to roll doubles – and so on.
4. Everything that falls out during that person’s turn, is theirs. The game ends when the last prize falls out.

Be prepared for loads of laughs and fun the entire time!

saran wrap ball game rules

Be sure that you go over the rules of the game before playing, even if guests say they have played before. Sometimes different families have different house rules and other ways to play the plastic wrap ball game. Some rule variations that I have come across include: 

• If you have a mix of older players and younger players, you may have older players wear oven mitts and younger players wear mittens with fingers. 
• Keep the ball in your lap. The ball tends to go in all different directions and can unroll very quickly along the floor as you pull the wrapping away. If the ball leaves your lap you must pause and place it back in their lap before resuming.
• You may only roll the dice with one hand. You can also choose to unwrap if even doubles are rolled, or if the numbers on the dice add to an odd number. 
• Take on Musical Chairs. Instead of a dice roller, have someone play music. When the music stops the person holding the ball gets to unwrap a gift. This is a great variation for younger children who tend to whine when they don’t unwrap as many prizes as the other players when playing the original way.
• Another kid-friendly variation is to include 2-3 prizes per player. Once a player collects their allotted amount they are out of the game. 
• Incorporate some UNO rules. Add slips of paper into the wrapping that say “Steal”, “Reverse”, “Go Again”, “Skip” and so forth.
• Make a smaller or mini saran wrap ball, and wrap it, along with a second pair of dice, into the large ball. During the gameplay, when the smaller ball is unwrapped it becomes part of the game. The larger ball continues being passed as usual, while the smaller ball is passed and played in the opposite direction. 
• Give time at the end for the bartering of prizes. Don’t like your restaurant gift card or candy bar? Barter with another player and trade for something else.

Saran Wrap ball game gift ideas

Prizes for each game should vary based on who is playing the game. We like to have an adult version and a kid version. Even though many of the things are the same, we like to change it up. Here are some gift ideas to include in an adult saran wrap game:

• gift cards
• cash
• candy, gum, and mints
• card games
• bath & body items – lotion, etc
• snacks – jerky, cookies
• sports drinks
• socks
• lip balms

For the kids, we change things up a bit:

• cash – dollars and coins
• candy – chocolates or candy canes
• small knick-knacks or party favors
• small toys
• small games
• bath & body items
• temporary tattoos
• stickers

Buying all of these Saran Wrap game prizes can add up, so we like to ask the family for donations. We gather those a week before our event and put everything in the ball. For gift cards, we also like to buy 1 or 2 each month all year long, to spread out purchases.

Tips

Saran Wrap: This one element can affect the game in several ways.

• Some generic brands don’t hold together well so I suggest a name brand or test out a generic brand to make sure it works.
• Wrap the prizes in one long piece, or use layers of saran wrap so players are forced to take time to find the beginning of the next section.
• Use Press n Seal wrap to make it difficult. During the holidays, it’s fun to use colored saran wrap to be more festive. 
• When the game is done, check out this RECYCLING PAGE to find out where you can drop it off in your area to be recycled. 

Spacing the Prizes. Place smaller items fairly close together so players have a chance to get more than one. Larger items can be spaced further apart.

Also, unwrapping the layers when it is larger takes longer than when the ball is smaller. You may wish to place items further apart when you begin wrapping.

This really is such a fun game and is perfect for your next holiday party, birthday party, or get-together. We love that both adults and kids can play and that everyone loves it. I mean, you can’t go wrong with winning a bunch of prizes. 😉

Saran Wrap Ball Game Video:

For more holiday games, check out:

• Left Right Christmas Game
• FREE Christmas Trivia
• FREE Printable Christmas Games