What is it and how does it work?
I wrote about the plastic Christmas ball game on my Facebook page last year and had so many questions about it that I decided to make a whole post about it! This game is one that my family plays when we all get together for a weekend in Branson. I wrap small presents in plastic wrap and make a big ball then we stand around a table to start the game. We usually either let the youngest or the oldest person go first and play goes to the left so the person on the left next to the person with the ball will have a pair of dice. The person with the ball starts opening the ball and every present that they can set free is theirs. The person on the left is frantically rolling the dice trying to get a matching pair. Once they get a matching pair then they get the ball and the dice goes to the next person to the left. The game continues until the ball is completely unrolled and all the presents are released. A variation of the game that we might try this year is for the person with the ball to wear oven mitts. This will slow down how many presents each person will get at a time.
How to Make the Plastic Ball
First, you have to decide what to put in it. I get $1-$3 items for our ball and there is a variety of men’s, women’s and kid’s items. Next, I sort all of the items into piles. The piles this year where kid’s items, teenager items, women’s items, and men’s items. I alternate the piles as I make the ball. The most valuable item will go first, which in my case is a $5 bill. Now it’s finally time to wrap it a couple of times then cut the plastic wrap and wrap it some more. This way the person will have to find a new beginning when unrolling and it will take a little longer. I then add another item and wrap some more and keep going. As you continue to wrap the ball will get bigger and bigger. Some of the items are pretty good-sized but most are pretty small. There are some breakable items in this ball so I made sure and put some soft items around those as I wrapped.
What did I put in the Ball?
This is the big question that I get asked the most! Well, you are in luck because I saved my receipts and so now I can give you this list of all that I bought and where I bought it from.
Walmart:
- 2 small candles in glass jars (wrap well in the plastic and put dishtowels in another layer over them.)
- Tube of Christmas bows
- 2 Scalp Massagers
- Dishtowel
- Pot Holder
- 2 Wooden Massagers
- Gingerbread cookie cutters
- Peppermint Body Scrub
- Gift Tags
- Bodycology Fragrance spray
- Toy Story Chapstick
- Frozen Chapstick
- Christmas Activity Book
- Frog ice pack
- Twisted Bath Bomb
- Confetti Cake Face Mask
- Avacado lip Balm
- Nail Files (Glitter)
- Bubble Bath
- Bath Fizz
- Candy Cane pens
- Glow sticks
- Glow Bracelets
Target:
- Package of 3 pairs of Women’s Christmas Socks (I put one pair at a time in the ball)
- Package of 3 pairs of Men’s Christmas Socks (I put one pair at a time in the ball)
- Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate individual package
- Pepperidge Farm Christmas Gingerbread Cookies in a small package
- Bath Scrub
- Bath Puff
- Magnetic Christmas List
- Dishtowels and Hot Pads (Can be separated or used together in the ball)
- Christmas List Pad
Harbor Freight Tools
- Gripper Work Gloves
- Small Tape Measure
- Small box opener
- Screwdriver
- Carabiner
- Work Scissors
Local Farmer’s Supply Store
- 2 Microwavable Pork Rinds
- Box of Perks Chocolate and Carmel Nut Candy
- Hand Warmers
Other Ideas
Everything I bought was mostly $1 but I did throw in a couple of $2-$3 items as well plus I put the $5 bill as the “big” prize. You could go bigger and put gift cards, movie tickets and a $100 bill in the middle, it just depends on who you are doing it for. I have to say that I have seen many grown adults thrilled over getting small pieces of candy! It’s more about the fun than the prizes. Our family enjoys this and I hope yours does too. Have you made a plastic Christmas ball game before? What did you put in it?
Angela, you are Sooo creative! How long did it take you to ‘wrap your ball’? Bet you n Robbie had as much fun wrapping as the family did unwrapping! MERRY CHRISTMAS to ur family! ❤️💝
Thank you Linda! It took about 30 minutes to completely wrap the ball including the time I took to sort the items. Shopping for the items is what takes the time but if you do a little at a time it doesn’t take too long and it’s a lot of fun to find interesting items. We always have fun doing this every year and I’m glad you like the post. You have a very Merry Christmas too!