Ready for some more great Christmas party game ideas? The Oven Mitt Game is another super fun game to play for all ages (though it may be a bit harder on the little ones). But trust me, you have to play this game at your next holiday party, it’ll be totally worth it!
This oven mitt game that was introduced to me a few years ago at my aunt’s party. It is very similar (yet very different) to the Saran Wrap Ball Game, which is another super fun Christmas game. Yes it gets loud and yes it gets competitive so it that sense, they are similar LOL.
But don’t worry. Here I’ll explain everything you need to know about the Oven Mitt Game including how to make it, game prize ideas and the oven mitt game rules so you all can have a blast.
[Disclaimer: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission if clicked at no extra cost to you. Though the opinions remain my own.]
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need for the Oven Mitt Christmas Game
Okay, so let’s start with the basics. Here is a clickable list of everything you’ll need to create and play the super fun oven mitt game.
Supplies Needed to Put it Together
– Scotch tape (or packing tape if you want to make it more challenging)
– Scissors
– Empty boxes (can use one box only or layer the prize into multiple – I’ll explain below)
Supplies Needed When Playing Game
– Jumbo dice (so it’s easier to see)
– Santa hat (optional but makes it more fun and challenging)
– Completed wrapped box of course
Lastly, on the day of the game, you will need a big enough space to fit all your guests in one circle. You will want to keep this space as empty as possible to prevent anything from being knocked over or broken (because yes, it gets that wild).
Related Post: Saran Wrap Ball Game – A Crazy Fun Game for Adults and Kids
Oven Mitt Game Prize Ideas
The bigger, the better! No I’m kidding… only the box needs to be big. But the prize can be as little as you’d like.
In fact, wrapping a little present into multiple bigger boxes may be a good way to keep the game going for longer. The only thing I would strongly encourage is to know what your guests would actually want to win. This way, you can cater the game prizes to something they’ll actually use or like as no one likes to spend money on something that ends up not being used.
So here are some awesome game prize ideas for your oven mitt game along with some tips on how to pick the best prize for your guests.
Game Prize Ideas for Adults
Like I said, the prizes can be of any size. I’ve played some where the prize itself is of a bigger size (though not necessarily a higher value) and also some where the prizes are smaller but was wrapped into multiple smaller boxes. The size and cost of the prize is totally up to you.
Here are some pretty awesome game prize ideas that make affordable, neutral grand prizes that any of your guests would love to win. Click through the links for additional details.
Now this list is not at all an extensive list as there are unlimited game prize ideas for you to choose from. But these are some of my favorites to use specifically for this game (one because they are easy to wrap and two because they are quite inexpensive).
However, for a massive list of game prize ideas, visit here.
Game Prize Selection Tips
Tip #1: Buy your grand prizes during a holiday sale to save big. And don’t worry if you missed out, there are still plenty of sales that happen throughout the year. So if you happen to find something you like on sale, snatch it up and store it until the holidays.
Tip #2: Similarly to the above, sometimes I’ll grab the post-Christmas sales and save the prizes for the following year. I’m all about saving money during the season of gifting so these prizes are usually stored in the attic until it’s time to bring them out.
Tip #3: Any prizes that come in a cube package are so much easier to wrap so try to stick to those if you can. You’ll need to be able to wrap everything good so it can be harder to open.
So now that you know everything you’ll need for this fun oven mitt Christmas game, it’s time to find out how to actually put it together.
How To Put Together the Oven Mitt Box
Out of all the games, this is probably the easiest one to put together. All you do is literally wrap up everything just how you wrap up presents (except with slightly more tape).
Oh and I usually do double and extra wrapping wherever I can. The thicker the wrapping, the better.
3 Simple Steps To Create
These 3 easy steps are going to leave you feeling like “really, that’s it?” Yup, really! It’s not complicated at all to get this box ready for the Christmas game.
1) Wrap the grand prize with lots wrapping paper and tape
2) Once the grand prize is fully wrapped, place it inside of the box
3) Close and wrap the entire box with lots and lots and lots of tape (seriously, lots)
See? Easy peasy.
Tips When Putting It Together
Here are some tips to keep in mind when putting this game box together.
Tip #1: Make sure to use lots of tape. I know I already mentioned this but it’s probably the most important tip I can offer when putting this box together. It will make it much harder for the participants to unwrap if it is loaded with tape. Plus, it helps the game last longer which means more people get a chance to actually play.
Tip #2: Try not to leave any untaped creases or ends. If there are any, it makes it easier for the participants to unwrap, and sometimes doesn’t even make it past person #2 if not wrapped correctly. So by not leaving any untapes spots, this will also make it harder to unwrap as they won’t know where to begin.
The next two tips are completely optional but are a way to make the game a bit more exciting and fun for all the participants.
Tip #3: Use shipping tape instead of regular tape. Yup, you guessed it… to make it harder LOL! Normally, we hear grunting when they see the shipping tape because at a glance it seems almost impossible to rip (because remember, they will be wearing oven mitts). But it’s not impossible, just harder and more fun to watch haha.
Tip #4: Use multiple boxes for the grand prize. Instead of just placing the grand prize into one box, why not 2 or 3? People’s reactions when they finally open the box and think they’ve won but then see ANOTHER box… well, it’s priceless! Just thinking about it makes me laugh because it’s literally so funny to watch.
You see the pattern here though right? Anything you can do to make the game HARDER, will be better and lots more fun so get creative.
Okay okay, all this talk about making the game more fun but I haven’t even told you how to play. And that’s because I saved the best part for last, but now it’s time to learn how to play this Christmas game.
Oven Mitt Game Rules
One thing I love about hosting party games is that you have ultimate control on everything.
If you want to add a twist to a game – go for it. If you want to use a different prize – duh, you get to choose what it is. Want the kids to join? Well then let them. The important thing is that you are wanting to enlighten the fun for your guests by hosting some awesome party games.
Now, how do you play this super fun holiday game?
How to Play Oven Mitt Game
There are several ways you can play this and please feel free to add variations as you see fit (aka fun). Here, I’ll explain the Christmas game with oven mitts and Santa hat version.
– To begin, have all the participants gather together in a big circle (you will need plenty of space for this game)
– One player (we’ll reference them as Player 1) should have possession of the box, Santa hat and oven mitts. The next player (we’ll reference them as Player 2) should have possession of the jumbo dice
– The game starts once Player 2 starts rolling the dice to try to land doubles. Meanwhile, Player 1 is quickly trying to put on the oven mitts and Santa hat so they can begin unwrapping the box (if not using the Santa hat, they just need to put on the oven mitts)
– Player 1’s turn ends once Player 2 lands the doubles. It then becomes their turn to unwrap (hence, becoming Player 1)
– The next person in line then takes over the dice rolling to try to land doubles (becoming Player 2)
– The game goes on until the grand prize has been fully unwrapped!
The trick here is to put on the props quickly so you can begin unwrapping the box to get to the grand prize.
I usually say that the grand prize winner is the one who removes the last bit of wrapping paper from the prize but you can choose to do this differently.
Below are some additional tips when playing the game.
Keep in Mind When Playing
Here’s some things to keep in mind when playing this fun oven mitt game:
– Before starting the game, decide if you will go clockwise or counterclockwise (this way, everyone is aware of when their turn will be and can be prepared)
– All props MUST be on before starting to unwrap the box (if a prop falls off, they will need to stop unwrapping to put the props back on)
– Decide whether smashing the box is allowed (if you used shipping tape, it may be needed but should not be if regular tape was used)
– Everyone may not get a turn, and this is OKAY! For that reason though, I recommend you have two boxes with two prizes inside so that more people can get a chance to win.
Most importantly, HAVE FUN! Which I know you will
Enjoy the Oven Mitt Game!
Doesn’t it sound fun?! It is almost guaranteed you will all have a great time playing this game! So the next time you host a holiday party, be sure to introduce this fun Christmas game idea to your guests to get the excitement juices rolling.
And don’t forget to check out the other Christmas game ideas starting with the Skittles Candy Game. Have you played this game before? Do you have any other tips I should add? Please drop a comment below as I would love to hear from you!