Cup Dash
Cup Dash
A Fun Youth Group Game
Watch the Tutorial Video
Cup Dash is a fast-paced race that’s all about speed, focus, and a little strategy.
Overview
Ideal # of Participants: 2 to 12+
Where to Play: Indoors
Age of Participants: Elementary School / Middle School / High School
Approximate Time to Play: 10 to 30 Minutes
Materials Needed: Red Solo Cups, 2 Containers
How to Play Cup Dash
Set up a straight line of objects — red solo cups work great — spaced about two feet apart, with ten cups in total. At the end of each line, place a basket or container for the cups. Each player should have their own line of cups and their own basket.
Split your group into two teams and have each team send one representative for the first round. The representative’s goal is to move all of their cups from the line into their basket faster than the other team’s representative.
Players are only allowed to:
-
Pick up one cup at a time
-
Use only one hand
They can pick up the cups in any order they choose. However, if a cup falls out of the basket while they are placing it inside, that player loses instantly.
When the round is complete, the faster player earns one point for their team. New representatives step up for the next round. The team with the most points at the end wins.
The Strategy Twist
Here’s where the game gets interesting.
Even though the total distance traveled is the same, it’s usually faster to start with the cups that are farthest away and work toward the cups that are closest. When players save the most difficult part for last, they tend to get tired, making the final cups much harder to finish quickly.
Players won’t realize this at first — and that’s part of the fun. If one player starts with the closest cups and the other starts with the farthest cups, it might look like the close-start player is winning. But once the far-start player finishes their last few cups, they can make a dramatic comeback.
You can play until a team reaches 7 points to determine the champions.
Discussion Opportunity
Cup Dash isn’t just about counter-intuitive comebacks and high-energy racing, it can also point toward a deeper lesson.
Just like when we put off the most difficult part of this challenge for last, our relationships can suffer when we delay the hard but important conversations we need to have. Seeking forgiveness or addressing conflict can be difficult in the short term. It requires vulnerability, humility, and intentionality.
But holding onto hurt and unresolved tension often causes much more damage in the long run.
Handout
Want to make this easy to share with your volunteers or students? Download the “Cup Dash” Lesson Handout (PDF) below!
More Youth Group Games
Looking for more creative youth group ideas? Explore our free Youth Group Game Index — it includes 80+ short, easy-to-lead tutorials that you can filter by group size, location, and materials.
Next-Level Youth Ministry
The best way to teach a lesson is through active learning, that’s why we produce high-quality Game-Driven Lessons — youth group curriculum that has a fun game that ties into the lesson you want to teach. Check out our membership program ActuallyFun PRO to get these Game-Driven Lessons for a discounted rate, as well as tons of other benefits that help take your youth ministry to the next level!