How to play the saran wrap ball game (kid version)

When it comes to party games, the saran wrap ball game is one that can’t be beat. Everyone can play and win prizes. It’s super easy to make and a ton of fun. Check it out!

If you’re looking for a fun game for your next birthday party, Christmas party, classroom party or just for fun, the Saran Wrap Ball Game is just what you need. It will be an instant hit with all of your guest. We played this game at my son’s 9th birthday party and everyone loved it. Let’s get started.

Gather your saran wrap ball game supplies

The sky is the limit as far as what you want to include in your saran wrap ball. You can basically wrap anything in saran wrap, so it depends on how big you want to make the ball. But, for your first time, you might want to keep to it simple. Here’s what you’ll need:

Saran wrap (with built-in slide cutter)
Large prize for the center of the ball such as a stuffed animal
Small toys to wrap up in the ball

There are lots of different small toys or treats that your can use to wrap up in the ball, but here’s just a few examples:

Assemble your saran ball

First, you’ll want to wrap your stuffed animal or prize in the middle. Roll out a section of saran wrap on a flat, hard surface and wrap the stuffed animal a couple times. To make this process as easy as possible, I would recommend buying a box of saran wrap with a slide cutter. Then cut the plastic and wrap it around the stuffed animal.

*Wrap the big prize first with saran wrap*

Next, you’ll want to follow the same process with the prizes. I organized all the prizes into piles of three so that each person gets a few toys when it’s their turn. One by one, wrap the three prizes around the saran wrap ball and then cut the plastic. Continue this process until all of the prizes have been wrapped.

*Wrapping prizes inside the saran wrap ball*

How to play the saran wrap ball game

There are lots of versions of how to play this game. Here’s the kid-friendly, easier version that is perfect for birthday parties or classroom parties. Gather the kids in a circle around a table or on the ground. A group of 5-8 kids is perfect. Any more than that, and the kids waiting for their turn get a little bit bored.

To begin, the first child unrolls one layer of saran wrap. Because it sticks a little bit, it will take a minute for each child to find the end of the plastic and begin unrolling it. Once that child has finished his layer, he hands it to the next person. Each child takes a turn and unwraps his own layer and collects his toys. Whoever unwraps the last layer gets to have the big prize in the middle.

Sometimes you might need to help the kids get their layer started if they are having a hard time. Giving each child a turn to unwrap their layer ensures that everyone will get some prizes and will mitigate an otherwise very chaotic game.

Alternative way to play the game

If you are playing this game with teenagers or adults, you can add larger and more interesting prizes. I’ve seen people wrap very large items and it works! It just makes for a much larger saran wrap ball.

Also, instead of cutting the saran wrap for each grouping of prizes, you can make the ball one continuous strand of plastic. Whoever rolls doubles tries to unwrap the ball with oven mitts on. It makes for a pretty hilarious spectacle for everyone involved.