Games with cups

A fun, team-based cup game for a youth meeting. Here are a few options you can run with just plastic cups and some space:

1. Tower Build Challenge

Setup: Each team has 30-70 cups.

How to Play: Teams have 3–7 minutes to build the tallest free-standing tower.

Win Condition: Tallest (and stable) tower wins. (Fun twist: blindfold 1–2 team members and let others guide them verbally!)

2. Cup Stack Relay

Setup: Each team has a stack of 10–15 cups at one end of the room.

How to Play:

1. First player runs to the cup stack, builds a pyramid (e.g., 4-3-2-1).

2. Optional: claps hands above head.

3. Then they collapse it back into a single stack.

4. Run back and tag the next teammate.

Win Condition: First team to have all members complete the task wins.

Variation: Add obstacles they must run around on the way.

3. Cup Transport Relay

Setup: Each team gets one cup and one spoon.

How to Play:

• Place a pile of small objects (marbles, ping-pong balls, candy) in a cup at one end.

• Each player must carry one object in the cup (balanced on the spoon) across the room to an empty cup.

• If they drop it, they go back and restart.

Win Condition: Team that moves all objects first wins.

4. Cup Balance Battle

Setup: Each player gets 1 cup filled halfway with water (or ping pong ball), and balances it on the back of one hand. Teams face off in an open space.

How to Play:

• Players move around trying to knock cups off their opponents using only their free hand to tap the cup.

• No pushing, shoving, or touching the opponent’s body—only the cup.

• If a player’s cup falls or spills, they are out.

Win Condition: The last team with players still balancing cups wins.