Unusual Game Equipment Spotlight: Donuts

Sometimes it’s fun to break away from the traditional and try something different. Unusual game equipment switches up the Game Time routine and adds something fresh to keep the kids excited and wanting to come back.

In a previous post, I discussed some ways to use car sponges, ping pong balls, and combats. But sometimes unusual game equipment can include food items*, as is the case with this week’s article. Today, I want to share a couple games using donuts.

Donuts come in many shapes, sizes, and levels of messiness, which makes them fairly versatile. Also, many kids (and leaders — make sure you have enough for them, too!) love the treats, often covered in glaze, chocolate and/or sprinkles. Donuts can make any game time sweeter!

Here are two donut game ideas to start your creative brain train. Do you have any other donutty games? Share in the comments!

Blind Donut

Materials needed:

• Several 3-foot pieces of string (1 piece per team of 3)
• Several messy ring donuts (1 donut per team of 3)
• Powdered mini donuts work for younger kids
• Glazed regular sized donuts are great for older kids and adults

Pre-game prep: Tie a donut onto the end of each string.

How to Play: Break players into groups of 3. Each group must decide who gets blindfolded and holds the string, who gives directions, and who eats the donut. Eaters lie flat on their back with their arms resting comfortably — they are not allowed to use their arms or hands for the duration of the game. Nor are they allowed to sit up or lean forward. String holders are blindfolded and placed at the heads of the eaters, dangling the donuts at least a foot above the eaters’ mouths. Direction givers stand next to the string holders.

At the whistle, direction givers must tell the string holders how to move the string so the eaters can eat the donut. First team with a completely swallowed donut wins.

Jelly Donut Feed

Materials needed:

• Jelly Donuts
• Bowls (1 bowl per player, disposable are recommended – easy clean-up)
• Optional: Whipped cream and/or chocolate syrup

Pre-game prep: Slice the donuts into sizes appropriate for the ages of the players (quartered, halved, etc.). Put one slice into each bowl. Optional: add whipped cream and/or chocolate syrup to each bowl.

How to Play: At the whistle, players must eat the donut slices out of the bowls using only their mouths. First player with a completely swallowed donut slice wins.

Variations:

• Make it a team event — all team members eat at the same time. First team to have all players swallow their donut slices wins.
• Make it a relay — one player from each team eats a donut piece, then tags the next player.
• Make it a relay race station — team chooses a representative to eat the donut piece. When the representative swallows, team can move to the next station.

*With any food game, please be conscious of the allergies of the participants and the possibility of staining clothes or carpets.

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