2012 Buttonwood chinese grab bag

EMD_Driver · 03-25-2012, 07:39 PM

We are hoping to do the grab bag again, this year. To help out, I'm posting the basic game play rules. This game is lots of fun and gets better with more players. Please consider bringing a small/wrapped gift and get ready for a lot of laughs!

Basic Play
- Everyone participating in a game of Chinese grab bag brings a gift to be put in a communal pool. Players then draw numbers to determine the order in which they will choose gifts. Each player selects one gift from the pile and opens it in front of the other participants.
Budget
- Setting an appropriate budget is important to ensure that no one feels as if they were ripped off and ended up with a gift worth much less than the one they contributed to the party. Select a spending cap that allows each participant to comfortably afford a gift.
Wrapping
- Wrapping your gift provides a chance to add some deception and excitement to the game. Players could package a great gift with rather mundane wrapping. One popular trick is to make a small item seem much larger by placing it inside a larger, otherwise empty box. Including uncooked macaroni or rice inside a gift box helps disguise any sound-based or tactile information a player could garner from shaking.
Drawing Numbers
- In a game in which stealing is allowed (How we play it), it is better to get a higher number. Then you know what gifts are available.
Stealing
- In a game that allows stealing, the first player still goes as described above, but each subsequent player can either choose from the pile of wrapped gifts or steal a gift that already has been opened. A player whose gift is stolen then chooses another gift from the communal pile to replace the stolen one, or steal a gift from any of the previous players. A gift can be stolen a maximum of four times. It is then out of play.

suebobby · 03-27-2012, 12:36 PM

Sounds great! What budget has been used in the past?

kanyonkitty · 03-27-2012, 03:15 PM

How do you play ????? well it goes like this:

You bring a gift worth up to $20.00 and it MUST be wrapped, the gift is placed on a table and once all gifts are on the table they are numbered 1 thru whatever,. Now, if you brought a gift you then get to draw a number from a bag, this lets you know when it's your turn to go to the table to pick a gift OR to STEAL an already open gift. This process is repeated until everyone with a number has either opened or stolen a gift. The catch is that at the very end, the person that had #1 now gets a chance to "steal" from someone if they want a different item. Also, once an item has been stolen 3 times, it can't be stolen anymore.
This really is a fun game, and I hope I have explained it well enough that you will play this year.
If you have any questions, Gary can explain it better because I'm not sure I explained it well enough.

The MORE people that participate, the more fun this game is. The "stealing" part of it gets very interesting. Last year I think it was a nice white blanket that was the focus of the stealing.

So, grab an item, wrap it up (does NOT need to be wrapped fancy, either) and join the fun. Oh, yeah this does NOT require a lot of energy on your part

.

Kitty

Mellow Yellow · 05-03-2012, 01:09 PM

Sounds like fun. Which day and time is this held?

Quote:

Sorry, thought I put it in the post, but it will be saturday evening immediately following the pot luck dinner.

Mellow Yellow · 05-04-2012, 07:43 AM

I kind of thought that would be the answer. Unfortunately, we will miss both as our friend in PA retiring and the family is having a retirement party that evening and we're invited. Are there any events planned for Friday evening?

EMD_Driver · 05-04-2012, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mellow Yellow

I kind of thought that would be the answer. Unfortunately, we will miss both as our friend in PA retiring and the family is having a retirement party that evening and we're invited. Are there any events planned for Friday evening?

I'm sorry you cannot make it. It is a lot of fun!

Friday evening is when we have an ice cream social.

Mellow Yellow · 05-07-2012, 06:03 AM

We'll be there Friday night and will attend the ice cream social. Sounds like fun !! We bring ice cream or topping I assume?

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMD_Driver

I'm sorry you cannot make it. It is a lot of fun!

Friday evening is when we have an ice cream social.

kanyonkitty · 05-07-2012, 09:48 AM

Tom & Debbie,

You can bring ice cream or toppings or both, it's up to you.

Kitty

HappyCampers · 05-13-2012, 12:19 PM

Sign Mandy and I up. We had lots of fun with this in the past.

EMD_Driver · 05-13-2012, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyCampers

We had lots of fun with this in the past.

The more, the merrier!

delcon88 · 05-14-2012, 07:49 PM

Gary,
You know you can count Terri & I in

EMD_Driver · 05-14-2012, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delcon88

Gary,
You know you can count Terri & I in

Sweet!

Poor Man Campin' · 05-21-2012, 08:36 PM

I'm in; now I just need something to contribute!

**Tweety** · 06-05-2012, 07:23 AM

Count me in this year

kanyonkitty · 06-05-2012, 08:54 AM

Brad, Pam glad you will be participating in the grab bag. You know the more who play the more "stealing" there will be. Remember no special fancy wrapping is needed, just as long at the item is wrapped for the first pick. You out to see what my wrapping paper is gonna be

bdichristina · 06-05-2012, 10:08 AM

We will participate in the Chinese grab bag. Sounds like fun!

**Tweety** · 06-05-2012, 12:15 PM

When we wrap are we supposed to put who it's from, or is it anonymous?

kanyonkitty · 06-05-2012, 03:48 PM

It is anonymous, just wrap it. Looks like we have more people participating this year, which will make it a lot more fun.

Bo and Katie · 06-05-2012, 09:17 PM

Bo and Katie
We're in to. Sounds like fun!