Pass the Paper
Here's a great game that promotes teamwork and good lung power! Players work together as a team to pass a piece of paper from one end of the line to the other. The catch? You can only use drinking straws to do so! This game takes patience, practice, and a bit of persistence and gives a positive spin to the phrase: "You suck!"
- 1 drinking straw per player
- Tissue paper squares (about 4 x 4 inches in size); 1 for each team plus extras
- Bowl, cup, or container to hold tissue papers
1. Cut tissue paper into 4 x 4 squares and place in a bowl.
2. Divide group into teams (if you like) and have them line up one in front of the other.
The object of the game is to pass a piece of tissue paper from one end of the line to the other without using hands. A straw is used to transport the paper from player to player.
1. The first person on each team is handed a piece of tissue paper.
2. On "Go!" the first person holds the tissue in their hand, places the straw in their mouth, places the straw to the tissue paper, then sucks in through the straw. The paper will attach itself to the straw.
3. Without using their hands on the paper, the player turns to the next player in line and offers the tissue.
4. The second player uses their straw to attract the tissue paper, through suction, to their own straw.
5. Once the second player has successfully attached the tissue to their straw, they pass it to the third player and so on, until the paper reaches the end of the line.
6. Should the paper fall at any time, players should freeze, and the player passing the paper should retrieve the paper and begin where they left off.
7. When the last person in line receives the paper they should sit down, along with all of their teammates, to signal that their team is done. First team with all their members sitting, wins!
1. Pair players up and have the players pass the paper back and forth between the themselves. Make this a timed event (say, 2 minutes) and have players keep count of how many times they can pass it successfully back and forth without dropping.
2. Make a big group circle and see how quickly the tissue can make its way around the circle.
3. Play as a rainbow relay race. Set a series of colored tissue papers on a table. Have the first players from each team race up, pick up one color, then race back to their team and begin the passing process. As soon at the paper reaches the last player on their team, the first player runs to the table and sucks up a different color then begins the process again. Keep playing until each team has one of each color.
4. Play in the original manner described above, but when the paper reaches the last player, have them pass it back again, so that it goes back up the line until it reaches the first player.
1. It helps for the player who is passing the tissue to wait until their teammate has achieved strong suction on the paper. Once that is achieved, they should release their own suction to make it easy for the teammate to disengage.
2. Should a paper fall on the ground or get too wet during play, a new one may be substituted.
3. You may want to have players "warm up" by practicing in pairs, then 4s, then 8s, etc. until players feel confident.
4. Should you have a player who can't seem to grasp the technique, have them practice by themselves picking up a piece of tissue paper from a table and back down again.