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Team relay

Cup Stacking Relay

Also called Cup Pyramid Relay, Speed Stacking Relay

Team members take turns running to a table, building a cup pyramid, knocking it back into a stack and running back.

people
8–60
time
12 min
energy
High
materials
Cheap to buy
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Watch it played
What you need3
How to play4

Before you start

Split into teams of 4–8 lined up behind a start line. Put one table per team 5–8 m (15–25 ft) away with a single stack of 10 cups on it.

  1. 1First player runs to the table and builds a pyramid: 4 cups, then 3, 2 and 1.
  2. 2Once it stands, they collapse it back into a single stack and run back to tag the next player.
  3. 3A pyramid that falls must be rebuilt before you can unstack it.
  4. 4First team whose last player is back behind the line wins.
What to say3
  1. 1“Four, three, two, one — build it, stack it, run back!”
  2. 2“Team Blue's pyramid is down! Rebuild, rebuild!”
  3. 3“Last runners! Who's going to stack it first?”
Host tips3
  • Teams cheat by leaving the pyramid half-collapsed. Put a judge at each table who has to see one clean stack before the runner leaves.
  • Make the run short. With ten people per team, a long run makes the game drag past ten minutes and the back of the line goes quiet.
  • Have a second set of cups ready in case a cup cracks — a split cup won't stack and stalls the whole team.
Variants2

  • Build only

    Each player adds one row instead of a full pyramid. The last player must take it all down.

  • Bigger pyramid

    Use 15 cups (5-4-3-2-1) for adult teams who finish too quickly.

Safety2
  • Running on tiled or polished floors: walking-fast only, or move it outdoors.
  • Keep the tables out of the running path of other teams to prevent collisions.
Good for

Occasions

ChristmasTeam buildingBirthdaySchoolFiestaReunionRetreat

Venues

Indoor, largeOutdoorOfficeChurch hall
If this one dies early4