If you haven’t played the “Cup Game” at your WyldLife club, don’t wait any longer. It’s an easy to explain and easy to execute mixer that will get every kid involved. Most importantly, your middle school kids will love it. (Don’t believe me? Check out the video clip to see how excited these kids are.)
The game can be played at any size club. Every person finds a partner, and each pair is given a red plastic cup. If there’s a room, the partners can line up across from each other so you have two lines facing each other. In a bigger crowd, just let the pairs find space anywhere in the room.
The cup is placed on the ground between the two partners. Kids face each other with their hands on their knees.
Like a simple game of Simon Says, the leader calls out a body part like “shoulders” and kids must touch their shoulders with both hands. The leader continues to call out body parts at random (knees, head, elbows, toes, ears, etc.) At some point, the leaders yells “CUPS!”
Whichever kid grabs the cup first is the winner of that round.
You can let everyone play a few rounds and then start eliminating or let kids find a new partner each round. Because middle school kids are better participants than spectators, it’s great to let everyone play at least a few rounds. Then you can let kids find new partners each round or do some kind of elimination.
HOW TO PLAY THE CUP GAME
- Get enough cups for half of the group. If you have a club of 40, get 20 cups.
- Have everyone get a partner (be on the look for folks without partners and have leaders make sure no one feels left out.)
- Partners face one another with hands on knees.
- Have the skit character running the game call out commands like “Head” and everyone has to listen carefully and touch their heads.
- The commands continue in random order (knees, shoulder, elbows, toes, eyes, ears…..CUP!)
- After “cup” is said, the first person to grab the cup moves on to the next round and finds a new partner. The other person takes a seat.
- Last one standing wins.
Written by Julie Clapp.
