Head Shoulders Knees Cup is a quick icebreaker for work teams, clubs and workshops. It takes two minutes to set up, a few minutes to play, and people of any level join in on equal terms. It works well as an energiser after lunch or a break in a long meeting.
What it is good for
- Warming up a group that does not know each other yet.
- Waking people up in a long session.
- Giving a team a short, shared laugh before a hard conversation.
Set up in two minutes
- Put cups on a table, one fewer than the number of players.
- Open cupgrab.com on a laptop or phone and show it on a screen.
- Type in the names and press Start game.
The game handles up to 14 players per table. Use Normal speed and Standard rounds for a first game.
Team scoring
Split the group into two or three teams and mix the members around the table. Play several short games. A team scores a point each time one of its players wins a game. The team with the most points at the end wins. The game does not track teams, so keep score on a whiteboard or a piece of paper.
Bracket for 20 to 60 people
Use tables of 6 to 10 and play a final between the table winners.
- 30 people: three tables of 10 with 9 cups each (27 cups), then a final with 3 players and 2 cups.
- 48 people: six tables of 8 with 7 cups each (42 cups), then a final with 6 players and 5 cups.
The game tracks one table at a time, so give each table its own device.
Keeping it comfortable
- Let people join as the caller or referee if they would rather not grab.
- Skip forfeits that embarrass people. A harmless one, like sharing a fun fact, is fine.
- Choose cups and a table where nobody has to reach far, and agree on “grab the cup, not the person”.
Not a fit for fully remote teams
The game needs people standing around a table with real cups. It does not suit a video call where everyone is in a different place, because the game cannot see who grabs first.
Optional debrief questions
- What helped you react faster?
- When did you decide which cup to grab?
- What would you change to make it fairer?
A 10-minute agenda with a script
- Welcome (1 minute). Say: “Touch the body part on the screen. When it says CUP!, grab a cup. If you are left without one, you are out. The last person standing wins a point for their team.”
- Practice (1 minute). Play one round so the first real game goes smoothly.
- Games (6 minutes). Play three short games with 3 or 4 players each, so a game takes about two minutes. Rotate the players, and note each winner and their team on the score sheet.
- Result (1 minute). Add up the points and name the winning team.
- Wrap up (1 minute). Ask one debrief question, then move on.
These timings are a rough guide.
Team score sheet
| Game | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 |
Total points: Team A ____ Team B ____ Team C ____
Want to adjust the game? See the variations. For birthdays and bigger events, use the party ideas. You can also try the game with a class or a youth group.