Oh Fill My Cup
Oh Fill My Cup
A Fun Youth Group Game
Watch the Tutorial Video
Oh Fill My Cup is a surprisingly suspenseful water game where two teams take turns adding water to a cup, trying to get as close to the top as possible without spilling.
Overview
Ideal # of Participants: Any Number!
Where to Play: Indoor / Outdoor
Age of Participants: Elementary School / Middle School / High School
Approximate Time to Play: 5 to 20 Minutes
Materials Needed: 3 Plastic Cups
How to Play Oh Fill My Cup
Fill three cups with water about two-thirds of the way up, and divide your group into two teams.
Give each group their own cup, but leave the third one in the middle.
One representative from Team 1 will come forward with their cup with the simple goal of pouring any water into the neutral cup without it spilling over.
They can choose to just pour a little, or they can pour a lot, as long as none of it spills.
If they are successful, a representative from Team 2 will try to do the same.
The Challenge
This starts off easy, but as the water level gets closer to the top, you have to be more and more careful.
Eventually, teams are trading off the tiniest little increases. Because of surface tension, the water starts to bubble over the top level of the cup.
Eventually, after you’ve reached what seems like an impossibly high water level, one of the teams will pour too much in and the cup will overflow, awarding a point to the other team.
How to Win Oh Fill My Cup
Once a team causes the cup to overflow, award one point to the other team.
Reset the cups and start another round.
The first team to win four rounds wins the game!
Use Oh Fill My Cup to Teach a Lesson
While this game may seem like it’s just a game for fun, you can actually use it to teach a lesson.
Conflict is an inevitable part of life, but the way that we handle conflict is hugely important when it comes to our relationships.
Don't Let Tension Keep Building
If someone has done something to hurt us, or perhaps you’re the one that’s done something hurtful, it’s tempting to ignore the problem.
No one likes dealing with conflict, after all.
But if you leave things unchecked, just like the water in the cup, the tension continues to rise and rise.
Eventually, even the tiniest little thing can cause the tension to break.
Deal With Conflict Early
If we let conflict get to that point, it can lead to a massive argument, or perhaps even the severing of the relationship altogether.
The lesson is simple: it’s important to humbly deal with things early if we want to build strong relationships.
Just like the cup becomes increasingly difficult to manage as the water gets higher, unresolved conflict becomes increasingly difficult to handle as tension builds.
Oh Fill My Cup gives students a simple visual they can remember the next time they find themselves avoiding a difficult conversation.
Tips for Playing Oh Fill My Cup
- Use plastic cups. This game involves water, so plastic cups are the safest and easiest option.
- Only fill the starting cups about two-thirds full. This gives students enough water to play multiple rounds.
- Play somewhere that can get wet. Even with careful players, water will eventually spill.
- Have towels nearby. A small amount of cleanup is inevitable.
- Remind students they can pour as little or as much as they want. The strategy is deciding how much water to add.
- Let the tension build. The most exciting part of the game happens when students are adding tiny amounts of water and everyone knows the cup could overflow at any moment.
Lesson Handout
Want to make this easy to share with your volunteers or students? Download the “Oh Fill My Cup” Lesson Handout (PDF) below!
Where Games Meet God's Word...
Most leaders just look for games to play, but miss their true value. When used well, games help teach your lesson, because experiential learning is by far the most effective way to teach a lesson that sticks.
If you want to see this principle in action, check out Uplift, our FREE youth group lesson that is built for engagement. It contains a fun game, but then your students’ experience from the game ties into the Christ-centered message you’ll teach.
