The Pass the Potato game is super-fun for junior high and high school youth groups. Any number of kids can participate. But the more players, the more competitive the game gets! This outdoors game combines the classic Hot Potato with elements of Tag.
Read on to learn how to play this goofy, spud-tacular game!
Pass the Potato Game: Prepare to Play!
Materials Needed: One potato (or something representing a potato)
Where to Play: Outside, in an area large enough for 10 people to run around.
Setup: Mark the boundaries with cones. Choose one person to hold the potato first. The person with the potato must stay in the center. Everybody else can spread out within the boundaries.
Beginning: Shout “Go!” and begin counting down from 20.
The Potato: During those 20 seconds, the potato holder chases everyone else, trying to tag them. If they manage to tag someone, that person must take the potato and chase someone else. When 20 seconds is up, the person with the potato is out. Everyone else plays another round.
Here’s the Catch: The person with the potato can run as much as they’d like. If someone isn’t holding the potato, they can’t run!
Game Over: A round ends after 20 seconds, when someone is eliminated. These rounds should continue until two people are left. Then those two players compete for a prize (of your choosing).
The Final Showdown
Duel: The final two players perform the Potato Toss. This is a variation on a classic game. Players stand an arms-length apart, facing each other. One of them holds the potato. Then that person passes it to the other person. If it’s caught, they both take a step back.
