I’m sure most of us have used the classic red solo cup. They are cheap, versatile, and event-friendly. The red solo cup has been around for years and is considered a staple for church events, camping trips, lake fun, birthday parties, etc.
Red solo cups have a handy round shape that makes them easy to grip. They are easy to find due to their bold color options, most iconically red. These party cups are plastic, very durable, and you can buy a lot at an affordable price!
Not only are red solo cups to be used for their intended purpose of drinking your favorite beverage like an ice-cold Arnold Palmer. But, since they’re very affordable and convenient, many people choose to use them for fun red solo cup games and entertaining activities that you can enjoy during your gatherings!
What games can you play with red solo cups? Today, we’re going to share 12 fun red solo cup games and ideas that you can use to make your party unforgettable!
These games with solo cups are conveniently divided into a few categories based on the best group of people that would enjoy the particular game mentioned. Let’s start playing!
Table of Contents
Kid-Friendly Red Solo Cup Games
STACK IT!
Kids will have to stack 21 red solo cups into a tower formation and maintain the stack of cups for five seconds. Then quickly put it back in one stack in under a minute. This a slightly challenging yet fun red solo cup game for kids especially with the trouble of making the pyramid of solo cups stand sturdy for five seconds.
This game can easily turn a boring day into a fun and unforgettable one without exerting much effort at all! It is perfect for good hand/eye coordination skill building as well.
CATCH THAT BALL
Have the kids pair up and give them one red solo cup each and one ping pong ball per pair. Line them up facing their teammate. To start the game, the one who’s holding the ball will have to throw it to his/her partner and he/she should catch the ball in their plastic solo cup.
As the game continues, each pair will have to take one step backward to create a wider space between their partners. The pair who fails to catch the ball will be eliminated. The last pair remaining wins the game!
SOLO CUPS BOWLING
The game follows the same house rules of traditional bowling. Find an open space to play this game. A rectangular tabletop works well too. Now, gather the red solo cups and place them like bowling pins. Grab a small ball and let the kids roll the ball to knock all the cups down.
Teen or Adult Red Solo Cup Games
RUBBER STACKER (HARDMODE)
You will need at least two groups of four members each. To prepare, you will need a stack of 10 red solo cups, a rubber band for each group, strings for each member of the group.
Set this cup game up by putting the 10 cups in one stack and placing it on a small square table like this one upside down, now tie 4 strings onto the rubber band.
To play, each player will hold a string to pull the rubber band apart and hover it over the end of the top solo cup. They will have to work as a team to lift one cup at a time and place it on an open space of the table. Repeat the process until they make a pyramid out of the stack of cups.
This is a very challenging game and may be hard to start with, but once each team develops their technique by using the rubber band to grab the cup, it will get easier and is definitely fun to play.
The first team to finish the pyramid shape wins!
RACE TO THE TOP
Prepare this fun game by stacking 12 red solo cups together and placing one blue or any other colored cup on the bottom. If you only have red solo cups, you can use a sharpie to clearly mark the bottom cup for this game. Each player will have to hold this stack, upside down.
Players will race by putting the top cup to the bottom and repeating this step until the other colored/marked cup is on the top again. The first payer to finish wins. You can add more than 12 cups to increase game length. Don’t drop your cups or you automatically lose the round!
FLIP THE CUP
A simple but exciting cup game, that closely resembles the flip the bottle game. But this time, the players will use a red solo cup which is much more difficult. Each player must stand facing their table and flip an upside-down red solo cup towards the table. It must stand open side up. You can choose any number of cups to do in a row to win. The most widely played version is the first to complete 3 successful flips wins!
SHOOT THE BALL
This game with cups is perfect for couples and even friends at a party. Prepare by finding some cheap bulk headbands and taping or gluing four red solo cups on them. Now each player will have their own headband with four cups and a small ball in hand.
Each pair will stand face-to-face and must throw the ball up towards the head of their partner. To make the game challenging, no overhead throws are allowed. Their hands must be within their waist area only, but the partner can move their head to follow the ball.
Assign the forehead cup a value of 1 point, the side cups over each ear two points, and the rear cup behind the head a value of 3 points. After 10 throws between each player, calculate the points. The team with the highest amount of points wins!
BLOW THE CUP RACE
Prepare a smooth long table or surface and gather 2 players at a time. Draw or tape a line onto the table to serve as the finish line. Now each player must have their own straw and should stand at the other end of the table. Place the red solo cup, upside down.
To play the players must blow the cups towards the finish line using the straw. You can also try snorkels instead of straws for extra fun.
Outdoor Red Solo Cup Games
FILL IT UP
Gather everyone outside and create a few groups with 4 players each. Each player must hold their own red solo cups. Now the group must assign one player who will lie down facing up while holding their cup on their stomach. At the other end, each group must have their own bucket of water.
To play, the player must scoop water, place the cup over their head and walk towards their lying teammate, they will have to pour the content of their cup just by tilting their heads. The cups with water must stay over their head. The first team to fill the cup of their lying teammate wins!
DON’T BREAK THE EGG
Create 2 groups with 5 players each and each team must have their own red solo cup. Place a chair 10 feet away from each group. Line up each group 10 feet away from their chair and facing it.
On “Go”, the first player will have an egg on their cup and hold the cup using only one hand that is placed forward parallel to the ground. So their hands must be facing upward and holding the cups upside down with the egg on top.
Then, they’ll have to run, walk, or march towards the chair, sit down in it, and then go back to the next player, transferring their team egg carefully to make sure that it doesn’t crack. The first team to properly transfer the egg all through the players without cracking it will win.
DOWN THE CUP CHALLENGE
Here’s a fun consequence or punishment for losing teams, they will have to choose between 5 red solo cups and should drink, eat everything in the cup. The choice is yours on what to put inside the cups.
Fill it up with yummy treats or weird foods and even something sour. The will serve as an incentive to make sure that you don’t lose any game or else you’ll be the one to take the red solo cup challenge! Be safe of course.
PASS THE WATER RED SOLO CUP STYLE
This one is a perfect group activity game, form 2 groups with at least 10 players. Prepare the first cup with clean water. If you don’t mind potential staining, you can use 2 different watercolors to represent the groups. To start, each player must have their own red solo cups and should form a line, placing their cups over their heads.
Now the first player’s cup will be filled with water. Next, they will transfer the content to the person behind them just by tilting their cups which the next player should catch by adjusting their head.
The player behind them can use their hands to catch the liquid. This game is challenging but can create a really good camaraderie between players. The team that collects the most water at the end of their line wins. You may opt to give each team 5-10 tries through the line for extra fun.
In Summary
The red solo cup has contributed towards making any occasion memorable not only with it being a reliable drinking cup for all our favorite beverages but also because of the endless red solo cup games that you can play with it.
One important thing to remember though is that these cups are plastic and should be disposed of properly. If you have no intention of reusing it, consider recycling it as a plant container.
Here’s a bit of Red Solo Cup Trivia for you
While you’re playing these red solo cup games you may wish to impress your guests with some trivia around this iconic cup:
- These cups are reusable and dishwasher safe, so better think twice before throwing them to the bin, because you may save few bucks by keeping them!
- It was first introduced in the 1970s.
- Originally round and didn’t have any grips on it.
- Invented by the late, Robert Hulseman.