Head Shoulders Knees Cup makes a quick movement break for a classroom. Students touch the body part they see and hear, then race to grab a cup when CUP! appears. It needs a few cups, a table and one screen. There is no prep and no sign-up.
Why it works in class
- A round takes about a minute, so it fits between lessons.
- Everyone moves, listens and reads at the same time.
- Students who are out can stay involved as helpers.
- The caller is on screen, so the teacher can watch the table instead of running the game.
What you need
- A phone, tablet or laptop with a browser. Show it on a projector or an interactive board if you can.
- Light plastic or paper cups, all the same size.
- A table with room to stand around it.
How many cups and tables?
You need one cup fewer than the number of players at a table, and the game handles up to 14 players. For a class of 24, make three tables of 8 with 7 cups on each table, which is 21 cups in total. The game tracks one group at a time, so use one device per table (a tablet, laptop or phone each). If you have only one device, run a single table at the front while the rest of the class watches and cheers, then swap groups.
Settings by age
These are starting points, so change them to suit your class.
- Ages 5 to 7: Classic mode (head, shoulders, knees), Easy speed, Quick rounds.
- Ages 8 to 10: all moves, Normal speed, Standard rounds. Add decoy words once everyone knows the game.
- Ages 11 and up: Fast speed, decoys on, Standard or Long rounds.
The variations page explains each setting.
Practising body-part words
The game shows each word on screen and says it aloud, so learners read and hear it together. Classic mode covers head, shoulders and knees. The full game adds toes, hips, ears and elbows. The decoy words (cap, cop, cub and cut) sound a lot like CUP, so they also work as a listening exercise for English learners. The game speaks English, so it suits English lessons rather than other languages. Before you play, you can point to each body part with the class and say the word together.
Safe grabbing
- Agree on one rule first: grab the cup, not the other person.
- Clear chairs, bags and anything breakable away from the table.
- Use light cups, and stand in a ring so nobody is squashed.
- If a cup falls, put it back and continue.
- Let students who cannot reach quickly stand where cups are within easy reach, or take a helper role.
Explain it in 30 seconds
Read this aloud, or put it on the board:
- “Stand around the table with your hands by your sides.”
- “Touch the body part you see and hear.”
- “When the screen says CUP!, grab a cup.”
- “No cup? You’re out. Come and help us watch.”
- “The last player standing wins.”
Sample lesson plans
Ten minutes: three tables, one device per table (24 students)
- Explain the game with the script above and run one practice round (2 minutes).
- Tables play to a winner on Quick rounds (6 minutes). Students who are out count the rounds.
- Winners take a bow. Ask which words were hardest to hear (2 minutes).
Twenty minutes: one device (12 to 18 students)
- Warm up. Point to each body part with the class and say the word together (3 minutes).
- Explain the game and run a practice round (2 minutes).
- Split into three groups of up to 6. Each group plays at the front while the others watch and cheer (about 5 minutes each, 15 in total).
These timings are a rough guide, so allow extra time for your first game.
Group tracker
| Group | Players | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 |
Running a party instead? See the party ideas. Need the exact steps? Read the rules. You can also try it with a youth group or a team.