The unwrap ball game (aka: Halloween ball game or Halloween candy game) is perfect for fun Halloween games for kids and adults, group games for Halloween party, or a fun fall festival party game! You can play the unwrap the candy ball game for any holiday (many play it as a Christmas Saran Wrap game) or event, but we made ours into a pumpkin game for Halloween.
The Unwrap Ball Game for Halloween
This ball unwrapping game can be played any time of year (and is an especially popular Christmas party game), but we thought it would be fun to make it a Halloween party theme game as a pumpkin and add it to our fall ball games.
These really make super fun Halloween party game ideas for all ages.
(We had a player as young as 2 years old play along with some help with our unwrap gift ball game!)
What are the main rules of the ball game?
How do you play unwrap game:
- Create a plastic wrap ball with party themed items wrapped throughout.
- One player rolls dice trying to get doubles, while the other player is unwrapping as much of the plastic wrapped ball as they can until the person next to them rolls doubles.
- Any gifts that fall out of the ball, the unwrapper gets to keep!
- Once doubles are rolled, the plastic ball is passed to the next person.
- The dice are also passed to the next person in line.
- Play starts over again until the new person rolls doubles.
- Make a rule that the plastic wrap cannot be ripped or torn, it must be unwrapped (unrolled) or you lose your turn during the unwrap plastic ball game!
This really is one of the most fun Halloween games for parties (even Halloween games for teenage parties or Halloween games for tween party!)!
Keep scrolling to get the plastic wrap ball directions on how to play fun Halloween party games!
TIP: If you want to do this as one of your fall activities with preschoolers, use tissue paper or wrapping paper and let them rip it! (It also makes it a more eco-friendly game that way, too!)
How many items do you need for the Saran Wrap game?
The number of items you need for the unwrap Saran Wrap ball game depends on the number of players you have, the quality of the gifts, and how large you make the plastic ball. Plan for at least 10 gifts for each Saran Wrap ball game, but you may need 20+ for a large wrapped ball.
You want to keep the game interesting by making a gift or party favor fall out regularly or the game players will lose interest.
PLASTIC WRAP GAME GIFTS TIPS:
- The middle (center of the ball is how you start wrapping the ball) should hold the nicest and best gift. (We usually put cash plus a gift card, but you’ll tailor it to your audience.) Save that space for the really good prizes!
- There should be 2-3+ other nicer gifts (think $10 gift cards, socks, smaller cash bills, etc.).
- The remaining gifts for your Halloween cling wrap ball can be inexpensive party favors, candy, coins, etc. You can use a lot of those! Like 20+ (There is no set number of prizes. It’s up to you!)
People will get excited for just getting a gift when they unroll the plastic wrap ball! So, don’t think the gifts are too small or people won’t like the small prizes.
They’ll still have fun doing this as part of your pumpkin games for kids.
YOU’LL ALSO HAVE FUN WITH THESE HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES:
Fun Things To Do On Halloween At Home
It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown Lesson Plans and Activities
Preschool Activities For Halloween
Halloween Facts For Kids for Halloween Lesson Plans (Download PDF Printables)
What do you put in the Saran Wrap game?
For a Halloween plastic wrap game ball, use:
- Halloween candy
- Suckers
- Dollar bills
- Coins
- Candy corns
- Packs of gummy snacks
- Mini candy bars
- Gift cards
- Mini bubbles
- Vampire teeth
- Balloons
- Mini flashlights
- Light up Halloween necklaces
- Coupons for local businesses
- Pencil toppers
- Bloody fingers
- Witches fingers
- Glow in the Dark Halloween temporary tattoos
- Halloween Lottery tickets (if adults are playing)
- Glow critter bugs
- Halloween socks
- Spider rings
- Halloween stampers
- Stretchy skeletons
- Monster squishy balls
Plastic wrap gifts can be fun and silly — no matter the ages playing the ball game! Use your imagination for your Halloween saran wrap ball game item ideas!
If you you’re adding this to Halloween games for adults party, your gifts can include things like mini liquors, gourmet wrapped chocolates, lottery tickets / scratch-off tickets, or more gift cards.
If you’ve never heard of the unwrapping ball game, this might be a good place to answer…
What is the plastic wrap game?
The plastic wrap game, also called the cellophane ball game, plastic ball game, or The Saran Wrap Ball Game, is usually a Christmas party game where you place prizes inside of plastic saran wrap that is formed into a ball. One game player uses dice to roll doubles while another game player unwraps layers of plastic, keeping any gifts that fall out.
How To Make a Halloween Saran Wrap Ball and Play the Pumpkin Plastic Wrap Game
If you’re looking for funny Halloween games, this is it! Everyone will be laughing hysterically with this fun pumpkin game and it works for a variety of ages.
(It’s also great if you need indoor ideas for Halloween games at a party.)
Unwrap Ball Game For Halloween
Our unwrap the ball game includes instructions on how to make a plastic wrap ball and also how to play the un-wrap ball game.
Materials
- 2-3 boxes of Saran Wrap, Clingwrap, or any plastic wrap
- 10+ gifts or favors to go into the game ball
- 3-5 sheets of orange tissue paper
- Black construction paper (for pumpkin face)
- Green construction paper (for pumpkin stem)(optional)
Tools
- Scissors
- Clear tape
- Glue stick (optional, for face decorations, or just use tape)
- 2 dice (pair of dice to play)
- 1 paper plate (to play)
Instructions
TO CREATE THE PLASTIC BALL GAME
- Start with the best prize in the middle. Roll the item in layers and layers of plasticwrap. (Don't worry if your middles is square or a weird shape, you can shape the cellophane with your hands to make it round as you create the plastic wrap ball.)
- Stop and place another gift on top of what you've rolled. Add more layers of plastic wrap rolled around your next gift. (You can even cut the plastic wrap between each gift to make it more difficult.)
- Stop again and shape the plastic into a ball shape, then add your next gift. (You want to space out the better or more expensive gifts and fill in with the cheaper gifts and party favors. So you may wrap in this order: most expensive gift in middle, 5 cheap gifts wrapped, 1 more quality gift, 10 cheap gifts, another quality gift, more cheap gifts, etc. I usually try to make the first gift they unwrap pretty good, like a $1 bill.)
- Repeat this process, continuing to add prizes, wrapping each prize with multiple layers of plastic wrap. (Sometimes I add prizes close together / right next to each other so someone might get 2-3 prizes at once on their turn. For other prizes, especially the prizes that cost more, I space them out.)
- Continue to shape the Saran Wrap into a ball as you go. (This is only really necessary in the beginning. Eventually, the plastic wrap will take on a ball shape.)
- Once finished, carefully cover the wrapped ball with orange tissue paper to transform it into a pumpkin. (We used smooth paper on the front and taped the openings at the back of the ball.)
- Using the black construction paper, cut out a pumpkin face (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.). Tape or glue the face onto the orange tissue paper covered ball.
- OPTIONAL: Form a tube with the green tissue paper and glue or tape. Then, affix it to the top of the ball with glue or tape (for the pumpkin stem).
TO PLAY THE UNWRAP BALL GAME
- Clear a table or have everyone sit in a circle on the floor. (The plastic game wrap can get crazy, so don't have drinks or anything else sitting on the table or nearby!)
- One person starts with the dice on a paper plate or pie plate (so the dice don't go flying around). The person to their immediate right starts with the wrapped saran wrap ball in front of them.
- On GO! The person with the dice rolls the dice over and over again on the paper plate, trying to get doubles. At the same time, the person with the cellophane ball rips off the tissue paper and starts to unroll the plastic wrap to get to the gifts. IMPORTANT: THE TISSUE PAPER LAYER IS THE ONLY LAYER WHERE RIPPING IS ALLOWED. THE REST OF THE TIME ONLY UNWRAPPING IS ALLOWED ON THE PLASTIC WRAP. IF SOMEONE PURPOSELY RIPS THE PLASTIC WRAP, THEY LOSE A TURN.
- When the player rolling the dice gets doubles, they shout DOUBLES! and then place the dice on a paper plate and pass it to their left. That person immediately starts rolling and trying to get doubles. The person who previously had the dice now gets the plastic ball and tries to wrap as much as they can before the person to their left gets double. There is no pause in the game. Everything moves quickly and people need to pay attention!
- The game play continues until the last person unwraps the middle gift. Anything that people unwrap during their turn they get to keep!
Notes
TIP: To make the unwrap ball game more challenging, turn the ball and add plastic wrap layers going different directions (instead of one continuous direction). With plastic wrap layers going in different directions, it is harder to unroll.
NOTE: When unrolling a saran wrap game prize, a person must have the prize completely unrolled and on the table in front of them to claim it. If it is “almost” unrolled or still stuck to the plastic wrap when the dice roller calls DOUBLES!, the unwrapper has to pass the ball on to the next player and they don't get the prize. (Brutal, I know!)
Have fun with your unwrap ball game for Halloween!
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