Paper cups are easy to carry in terms of size and weight, so they’re often used for activities with seniors and in children’s play settings.
By combining paper cups to make simple tools or arranging them in different ways, you can enjoy crafts and games.
In this article, we’ll introduce ideas for recreational activities using paper cups.
We’ve rounded up a variety of options—from those inspired by nostalgic games to highly competitive activities that everyone can get excited about together.
Give paper cup activities a try—they’re great fun for small groups and large groups alike.
- Let's play with paper cups! Crafts and indoor play
- Team-based recreational activities for adults that are fun even with large groups
- A collection of simple indoor recreational games
- Recreation Activities That Excite Kids’ Clubs! Plans and Ideas Children Will Love
- Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
- Paper cup crafts that elementary school kids will love! A collection of fun project ideas
- A roundup of fun games and recreational activities using balloons
- A roundup of recreational activities for having fun with colored balls
- [Exercise] Recreational Ideas for Olympic Sports
- Fun games using rubber bands. Recreational games.
- [For Adults] Fun recreational games. Perfect for short breaks too!
- Ideas for paper cup crafts for adults: from interior decor to practical items.
- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
Recreation and game ideas using paper cups (1–10)
Relay
It’s a team competition game where you pass turns to the next person like a relay using paper cups.
Stack two paper cups, then quickly slide the bottom cup sideways; if the top cup that drops doesn’t topple over, the turn passes to the next person.
The key is to identify the ideal way to move the cup so it won’t fall, and share that technique with your teammates as you go.
Speed matters when passing to the next person, so it’s also a good idea to focus on how quickly you can restack the cups.
Target shooting
This is a simple, easy-to-understand shooting game that uses a paper cup and a rubber band to make a gun and knock down targets.
You cut the bottom of a paper cup into a narrow strip, thread a rubber band through a hole in the center, stretch it, and fix it to create the projectile.
You stack it with another paper cup with the bottom removed, hold the cup with the hole in your hand, and with the other hand pull back the rubber band and release it to shoot the tip forward.
Because it’s such a simple setup, you can easily vary elements like the target’s weight and the shooting distance for different arrangements.
Paper cup scooping
It’s a simple game where you use a stick to scoop up paper cups arranged on a table.
It may seem straightforward, but since you only use one hand holding the stick, your focus and ingenuity are tested—like how you insert the stick and how you scoop.
If you set the rules to compete on how many cups are collected within a time limit, it encourages speed and helps players concentrate on delicate hand movements—highly recommended.
The ease of scooping also changes depending on the length of the stick used, so encourage players to try various patterns.
Whac-A-Mole
It’s a game where you attach disposable chopsticks to a paper cup to make a hammer and use it to collect paper cups with moles drawn on them by tapping them.
It’s important that the hammer and the mole use the same size paper cups; if you build momentum and stack them, the mole cup will snap neatly into the hammer cup.
A clear rule would be to compete on how quickly you can collect all the moles lined up on the field.
We also recommend variations that make control harder by changing the hammer’s length, or make collection harder by attaching weights to the mole cups.
Paper cup passing
It’s a game where everyone sits in a circle holding a stick, and you repeatedly use the stick to pass and receive paper cups.
The key is to insert the stick firmly into the mouth of the cup; move your hands delicately while keeping a sense of rhythm.
You can also add a variation by increasing the number of paper cups used, encouraging not only focus on the stick in your hands but also attention to what’s happening around you.
It’s also recommended to rotate other items at the same time, such as rings, so players can feel the differences in how the stick needs to be moved.
combined paper cup
It’s a game where you attach vinyl strings to four sides of a rubber band, pull them to stretch the band, and use it to grab and stack paper cups.
Decide which cup to grab and coordinate the direction and amount of force when spreading the rubber band, proceeding with a focus on teamwork.
Because members aren’t positioned at perfectly exact four directions, you’ll naturally pay attention to things like arm angles to keep the rubber band evenly stretched.
If you make it a team competition, players will also focus on speed, which boosts concentration even further—highly recommended.
hand golf
This is a golf-inspired game where you roll a ball toward a paper cup taped to the edge of a table.
If you roll the ball too hard, it will jump out instead of landing in the cup, so be mindful of how much force you use.
Once you get used to controlling the strength, try increasing the challenge by reducing the number of cups or requiring the ball to go into a cup of the same color.
You can also make it more exciting by lengthening the distance to the goal or placing obstacles along the way.