The Chopstick Race

Intro

This classic party game is great for encouraging coordination and really fun to play in a small group. You can make it as fast or slow-paced as you like – and if you want to add some competition, go for it

What you need

A pair of chopsticks
2 plates
Some dried beans
A timer or stopwatch (or just use the one on your mobile phone)

The Activity

Place all your beans onto the first plate and place the other plate next to it
Pass the chopsticks to your first player and tell them they have 1 minute to move as many beans as they can onto the second plate
Set the timer for 1 minute – and go!
Stop the timer after 1 minute and count how many beans or beads your first player has moved
Ask your next player to step up… and repeat the activity
The winner is the person who’s managed to move the most beans or beads in the space of 1 minute, so be sure to keep score
Or, for an alternative way to play, you don’t have to restrict the time to 1 minute. You could use fewer beans and then just let the clock run. The winner would be the player who completes the task fastest

Top tip

There are no rues to say that people can’t use both hands to control the chopsticks if one-handed playing proves too difficult. And, you can always replace the chopsticks with mittens if you want to make the game easier still