The Hot Potato Game

Laughter is guaranteed with the Hot Potato Game to be organized with a group of children for the birthday animation! The Hot Potato is an easy to play game that reinforces hand-eye coordination and attention.

Perfect activity for an indoor or outdoor Kids birthday party.

Game sheet

number of players: from 4 children
age: from 5 years old
material: potato or other round object + music
Played indoors or outdoors
Duration: 15 min by playing several games

How to play the game of Hot Potato

Gather the children around you and explain the following rules to them. The children form a circle and sit down. You give the children a potato and tell them that it is hot. You can replace it with any other object: a ball, an apple, or any other round object. The children will have to pass the potato to their neighbor as quickly as possible. You turn on the music to start the game. The children hurry to pass the “hot potato” to each other… You turn off the music at a certain point. The child who then has the potato in his hands is eliminated or has a forfeit (it’s up to you to choose your way of playing). The last child in the game wins!

Variations of the game

You can also rotate 2 potatoes when there are more children, either in the same direction or each in a different direction.
You can also use a timer… You set a time and when it rings, the child with the timer in his hands is eliminated.
Replace the music with the children singing the rhyme or a song themselves. When you clap your hands, the children stop singing. The child with the hot potato in his hands is eliminated.
Step back after each throw if you have a limited number of players. If you are only playing with 3-4 players, the classic game of hot potato may not be difficult enough. To increase the challenge, ask each player to step back after passing the ball. Eventually the players will be far away from each other, making it more difficult to catch the potato.
Use a water balloon as a potato if it is hot outside. The player who bursts the ball is eliminated. Use a new ball to continue the game. This version of the hot potato is a great way to cool off in the summer.