Pass the parcel is a popular English Party Game. The parcel (package) is wrapped
with a large number of layers of wrapping paper and passed from one person to
another. Music is played and when the music stops the person gets to open one
paper layer. Smaller prizes are placed between the layers, and generally there is a
large present in the center “the winner”.
Modification of the game. For “take your kids to work day”, we modified this to
help kids learn about minerals and the uses of these minerals in their home. We
wanted to use minerals that had easy tests that the kids could do – one set of tests
were distinguishing and one set was non-distinguishing. We also did not want
music, so we added a number on the back of the clues in the parcel. The parcel could
be passed that number of kids / places.
Preparation of the game.
12 minerals with names on a board (PPT slide 1). We choose.
6 white or colorless minerals - quartz-gypsum-feldspar-mica-halite-calcite
3 silver minerals - graphite-galena-specular hematite
3 red/brown minerals - sphalerite-copper-garnet
Innermost layers (total of 12 layers). Wrap each household object with the correct
mineral name (PPT slide 3 & 4, double sided, laminated and cut into squares), one
object in each layer. We used snack baggies to hold the clue and the object together.
quartz – a watch (bought from Goodwill for $1:00)
gypsum - wall board
feldspar – toothpaste (travel size from CVS)
mica - make up (we used glitter polish)
halite - salt
calcite – cement (make sure it reacts with dilute HCL)
graphite - pencil
galena - fishing weights (from sporting goods store)
hematite – metal toy car
sphalerite - zinc oxide – travel size sunscreen or calamine lotion
copper – electrical wire
garnet – red sand paper
Then wrap second set of layers onto the parcel (total 24 layers) Distinguishing clues
(PPT slides 3 & 5, double sided, laminated and cut)
quartz - scratches glass
gypsum scratches with fingernail
feldspar - has wavy colors (perthitic)
mica - breaks apart like pages in a book
halite – cube and taste
calcite – fizzes - reacts with dilute HCL
graphite - writes on paper
galena - very heavy
hematite - red streak
sphalerite - S smell with streak
copper - metal / color??
garnet - soccer ball.
The wrap the outermost set of layers (total 36 layers). Non-distinguishing clues
(PPT slides 3 & 6, double sided, laminated and cut)
quartz – white or colorless
gypsum white or colorless
feldspar - white or colorless
mica - white or colorless
halite – white or colorless
calcite – white or colorless
graphite - silver
galena - silver
specular hematite - silver
sphalerite – red/brown
copper - red/brown
garnet - red/brown
Place 12 mineral samples, testing materials, and the “board” with the 12 minerals in
the middle. Kids form a circle around the materials.
How to play.
ROUND 1. Kid 1 gets the parcel, undoes one wrap layer and gets a clue. One side
says "quartz" and "white or colorless". The back side will say “move 5 places.”
Can they identify the minerals from this clue…No. Why ? Could be one of 6 minerals.
Kid 1 passes the parcel 5 places.
Next kid opens a layer - finds a clue… MICA " white or colorless" on front - on back move 3 places.
They now know that 1 of the 6 white minerals is mica and one is quartz…but they
cannot tell them apart.
Continue to completion of round 1. Hopefully (statistically) all will get a turn.
ROUND 2. Continue playing using the clues to ID the 12 minerals. Get the kids to do
the tests. THIS TIME - they should be able to test all the mineral samples, and get
them on the on the correct square…yeah!!
ROUND 3. As they opened the layers we got the kids to put the item in the correct
place in the “house” (PPT Slide 2…or any house you can construct)
THE END