Straw Races

This simple and wacky racing game can get quite competitive. Each child is given a straw, and competes to be the quickest to blow a ping pong ball or balloon to the finish line.

1. Mark a start and a finish line on the floor.
2. Give each child a straw. Bendy straws work best, although we like to let them figure out the best way to utilize them.
3. Pair children up to race against one another, or split them into two teams and have the teams race 1 competitor at a time.
4. Lay a ping pong ball or a balloon on the starting line in front of each kid.
5. The kids must get in position to blow the ball from the starting line to the finish line.
6. Kids cannot touch the ball with their hands. They can hold the straw to help direct the flow if they would like to.
7. First to the finish line is the winner.

If you have a larger space, let more than two kids race together at the same time. This leads to more children overlapping one another and getting tangled up, which is half the fun! We've played it in both small and large spaces, and each presents its own challenge for the kids.