(Suitable for ages 9 – 90, best for six to ten players)
This is a Christmas game we group-play every year, guaranteed to result in uproarious laughter and merriment, it has become a Christmas tradition that everyone looks forward to.
A sturdy box of mixed chocolates, Whitman’s Sampler or the like, is wrapped as a present. Family and friends gather, sitting in a circle on the floor. The first person is given thick leather gloves to wear as they try unwrapping the box, the person to their left given dice, trying to roll doubles.
Once doubles have been rolled the as-yet unwrapped gift, gloves and dice are quickly passed to the left, to a new un-wrapper and new dice roller.
Sometimes the un-wrapper doesn’t even have time to get the gloves on before doubles are rolled. Sometimes the dice caster can’t roll doubles to save their soul and that becomes more comical by the roll; with the other people around the circle, awaiting their turn, shouting exasperated encouragement. It can be rather loud game.
If still unwrapped after once around the circle we go to rolling doubles twice, giving the glovee more time. Eventually someone finds a way to begin unwrapping the box, but the roller usually gets doubles before they manage to finish.
“Usually”; finishing is not that easy. I have become trickier in wrapping the gift, using 2 or even 3 layers of wrapping paper, a flimsier easy-tear layer of thin Christmas paper on top, underneath a layer of thicker brown paper, both sealed to some degree 2” clear packing tape.
“To some degree”. The occasional tape end offers a folded over tab for easer gloved grabbing, but some of those easy-pull tabs do nothing, they just peel off a layer of tape laid directly atop another layer of tape below, leaving the wrapping still fully intact. Oh, that sacrificial easy-pull tape was wrapped around the box multiple times in a five foot length?. Well shucks!
Strategically wrapping the box with false leads and other mischievousness is half the fun.
Please try this game if you have a gathering of family, kids or friends for Christmas. It is crazy laughing shouting fun, and everyone’s a winner; the eventual un-wrapper shares the chocolate reward. If you do let me know how it goes, and if you had fun devilishly wrapping the box.
No fair bending the box, or biting at the tape in desperation.
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