The Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game: Rules and Basics of How to Play

Oven Mitt Unwrapping — the name says it all. Oven Mitt Unwrapping game rules revolve around unwrapping presents with a twist. It is one of the most popular and loved indoor group games of all time that can be played among a large number of family and friends to light up the festive season.

The game is not for those who cannot contain their excitement when seeing gifts. With this game, reaching the gift requires patience, layers of unwrapping, and an element of luck with regards to the dice roll.

Already excited to get started? Let’s jump right into the details of the game along with a complete guide on the Oven Mitt Unwrapping game rules and gameplay.

What Is The Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game?

Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game Info image

A competitive game that brings you to the edge of your seat, Oven Mitt Unwrapping is a gift-dice game that involves unwrapping gifts with oven mitts on. If that’s not challenging enough, you only get to unwrap as long as your adjacent player is rolling the dice, which makes it a race against time. 

Number Of Players: Ideal for large groups.

Ages: Enjoyable for all ages.

Difficulty: Easy

Length Of Play: 20 mins or more depending on the number of players involved.

Main Objective: Unwrapping the present before the next player rolls a double on the dice.

Why We Love It: Oven Mitt Unwrapping is the perfect game for large gatherings and is fun irrespective of the age group. Also ,it makes handing out presents super exciting and adds a competitive element to the holidays. 

Playing The Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game Image

Brief History Of The Game

Oven Mitt Unwrapping is one of the traditional holiday games that is being passed on as telltales from generation to generation. Thanks to its easy set-up with little requirements, simple rules, and flexibility in players, it gained popularity as the perfect holiday game. Since it involves gifts, it matches the holiday and festive vibe, a factor that has contributed to its popularity.

What You Need To Play Oven Mitt Unwrapping

Unlike Shut The Box dice game, Oven Mitt Unwrapping does not involve a dedicated game box or kit. You will probably find the equipment at home or easily available online. Here’s a checklist of what you’ll need:

  • A pair of oven mitts.
  • 2 regular dice.
  • A Santa hat (optional during the festive season).
  • A gift, of course. 
  • A gift wrap and lots of tapes.

As part of the set-up, you will first need to wrap the present. It should be tightly wrapped with as many tapes as you like so that the unwrapping becomes more difficult.

If you’re buying yourself oven mitts, make sure to get something like this one by Slop Hill that has enough insulation to resist heat as well as make the game challenging, and is also friendly on the hip-pocket.

This pack of dice by JustMike’s consists of 10 pieces so that running out of dice is not a reason to interrupt the game.

Set of 10 Six Sided D6 16mm Standard Dice Die - White with Black Pips
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Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game Rules And Instructions

To begin with, all the players form a circle with a present, oven mitts, and dice in between. Players may decide who goes first according to age, or a mini dice game where the player who gets the highest number goes first.

Unwrapping The Present

The player who goes first will wear the Santa hat, oven mitts, and be ready with the gift. The player to the right of this player will be ready with the dice. 

Let’s say player A is unwrapping and B is rolling, as soon as B throws the dice, A can start unwrapping. The only rule for unwrapping is that only the mitts can touch the present. This means player A cannot use the elbows, foot nails, or any other object as an aid for unwrapping. 

The moment player B’s dice play is over, player A will have to pass on the present to B and A’s turn is over for the round. 

Dice Play

The main objective of the players when rolling dice in the Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game is somewhat similar to that in Bunco. While in the latter, players aim to roll out three dice with the same number of pips, in Oven Mitt Unwrapping, the goal is to get the same number on two dice, also known as a double.

Taking the above example, B will have to keep rolling the dice until a double is scored, say, a 4-4 or a 6-6. This is where the luck factor comes in because if A has managed to open more than half of the present, B will need to score a double fast so that the dice can be passed on and B is the one who gets the chance to completely unwrap it and finish the game. 

Winning The Game

As mentioned above, the player who completely unwraps the present and finishes the game, wins the game. In the above example, if B does manage to score a double and get the present with just one or two tapes of unwrapping remaining, B is highly likely to win the game. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game

Can We Use Teeth To Open Tapes In The Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game?

According to the Oven Mitt Unwrapping game rules, generally, only the mitts are supposed to touch the game. This makes the game more complicated and fun. However, for children younger than 10 years, the rules can be altered to use teeth to open tapes and bring down the difficulty level.

Is Mery Christmitts The Same As The Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game?

Yes, both are different names for the same game. The game is extremely popular during the holidays, especially Christmas when gifts are passed around, and thus the name. In Merry Christmitts, a variation can be added by keeping not one but all the gifts on the table.

How Is The Christmas Variation Of Oven Mitt Unwrapping Game Played?

Each player brings a tightly wrapped gift and sets it on the table. The gift should be preferably generic and useful to any member. Each player wears a pair of oven mitts except the one who is rolling the dice. The gifts are shuffled and as soon as the dice are rolled, the players start unwrapping gifts.

When the rolling player gets a double, he/ she takes the gift remaining at the center. The dice are passed to the player on the right, who will now keep his/ her gift at the center. At the same time, the players pass their gifts to the left so that each has a new gift to unwrap. 

The game continues this way and the player who manages to completely unwrap a gift gets to own the gift. This is a fun and exciting way to give gifts during Christmas because no one really knows what they will get, and who they will end up gifting.

Similar Family Dice Games That You Must Check Out

Need more inspiration to add flavor to your game nights? Here’s a collection of dice games that you can play with any group of family and friends, irrespective of age.

You should check out 3 Dice Game, a super fun family dice game in which players compete to score the lowest score with the help of a maximum number of 3s. If you also like something mentally stimulating for adults and kids alike, you can try Qwixx Dice Game which involves puzzles and quizzes. 

Finally, if you want a game that you can never go wrong with, the classic Yahtzee is all you need. The variety within the game is sure to keep you entertained throughout your game night.

And for the ones to come, we will have you covered with a wide range of exciting dice games and more family games.

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