60-second
Nose Dive
Also called Cotton Ball Nose Transfer, Sticky Nose
Dab petroleum jelly on your nose and move cotton balls from one bowl to another using only your nose.
- people
- 2–16
- time
- 8 min
- energy
- Medium
- materials
- Cheap to buy
Kids-safeChurch-safeFriends only
Before you start
Put a bowl of 20 cotton balls and an empty bowl at each station, about 30 cm (1 ft) apart on a table. The host applies the jelly to each nose with a fresh swab.
- 1Hands behind the back.
- 2Dip your nose into the full bowl to pick up a cotton ball, then drop it into the empty bowl.
- 3One cotton ball at a time. Balls that fall on the table or floor don't count.
- 4Most cotton balls in the second bowl after 60 seconds wins.
What to say3
- 1“Vaseline on the nose — hands behind your back!”
- 2“Dive in! Got one! Now carry it, carry it!”
- 3“Look at the bowl — it's snowing! Ten seconds!”
Host tips3
- Too little jelly and nothing sticks; too much and the cotton won't let go. A thin coat on the tip of the nose only — do it yourself rather than letting players scoop from the tub.
- Players end up with jelly and fluff on their face. That's the joke with friends and kids, but it can feel humiliating for a manager in front of their team — ask for volunteers and have wipes ready the moment the timer ends.
- Cheap cotton balls shed fibres. Buy the larger, firmer ones; they also stick better.
Variants2
Christmas snowman
Players carry cotton balls to a paper snowman and stick them on as snow.
Distance
Put the bowls at opposite ends of the table so players have to walk bent over.
Safety3
- Hygiene: apply with a fresh cotton swab per player; never let two noses touch the same tub.
- Keep jelly away from eyes. Players who wear contact lenses should wipe their face before touching their eyes.
- Players may inhale cotton fibres — don't run this with anyone who has asthma unless they're comfortable.
Good for
Occasions
ChristmasBirthdaySchoolReunionFiesta
Venues
Indoor, smallIndoor, largeOfficeChurch hall