Hot Potato Game

Time

4 3 2 1 Early-Mid Stages

Benefits

What you need

Music and a large bag filled with clothing, like:

Hats
Scarves
Gloves
Petticoats
Trousers
Dresses
T-shirts
Shirts
Ties
Cardigans
Maybe underwear, like bras and y-fronts (if the group are open to the idea!)

Intro

OK, full disclosure: this ‘pass the parcel’ style game doesn’t actually feature a hot potato. But it’s a great way for people to stay-active and have fun (so long as they don’t mind dressing up in a variety of men and women’s clothes!).

We’d recommend playing it with groups of up to 10 who can choose among themselves how fast or gentle they’d like the pace to be.

Top tip

If the bag’s heavy, be sure to slide it along the floor rather than pass it. And don’t forget to remind your group that what makes this game so fun is everyone looking silly together. It’s all about not taking yourself too seriously.

The Activity

Ask your group to sit in a circle
Get the first person in the group to hold the bag while you start the music
As the music plays, ask everyone to pass the bag around the group in a clockwise direction
Stop the music randomly and ask the person holding the bag to reach in, grab an item of clothing, and put it on as quickly as possible
Start the music again and repeat the activity
Keep going until all the items are being worn
Your winner is the person wearing the most items or the one who looks the funniest (you decide)
To make things more challenging (and funny), start the music quickly after it’s stopped. You’ll soon find that someone will still be putting on a petticoat when the bag comes again