Hula hoops are for so much more than just spinning around your waist. Whether you’re a youth worker, children’s educator, or hosting a backyard birthday party, hula hoop games offer a unique blend of excitement and exercise. Hula hoops encourage physical activity, coordination, and teamwork. Be it in indoors or outdoors, hula hoop games can easily be adapted to suit various spaces, group sizes, and skill levels. Getting children to interact and play with hoops is a fun outlet for self-expression while also developing essential motor skills. Here are 5 hula hoop games for kids, that adults can play too.
Hoop Race Relay
Why not set up a little race in your space? Split the kids into 2 teams and have them race each other with their hoops. They could be skipping through the hoop, passing it from hand to hand around their body, or spinning it on their hand as they walk from the start to the relay point. This game encourages healthy competition, teamwork, and coordination.
Hoop Dance Party
With hula hoops and some tunes turned up, it’s party time! Provide a range of hoops in different colours and sizes and encourage the kids to experiment with the hoops as they dance to the beat. Letting go and having fun is what this game is all about as it encourages creativity, self-expression, and physical fitness while creating a lively atmosphere. There is no wrong way to move with a hoop, from stepping in and out, to spinning it around, holding it in one hand and spinning around, even just standing inside it and turning it into a dance podium.
Bonus Game: You can even play musical hoops, kind of like musical chairs but, instead of chairs, the hoops are on the ground as the kids dance around. Once the beats stop, everyone must try to find a hoop to stand in.
Hoop Simon Says
Take the classic Simon Says game and add hula hoops. With the hoops for props you can say things like “Jump through your hula hoop” or “Spin the hoop on your arm”. This can be a fun challenge that enhances coordination and following directions.
Hula Hoop Tangle Pass
Start by getting your group to stand next to each other and hold hands. Break open the chain and place one hoop around someone’s arm then get them to hold hands again. The objective of this game is to pass the hula hoop between people without unlinking. The hoop will need to move over arms and heads, and under legs and bodies to reach the other side. This is a great game to get kids working together as they encourage and support the person next to them to move the hoop along. Coordination and problem-solving are also put to work with this one.
Hoop Tag
A classic for a reason. The person who is it tries to tag the others with the hoop. They could roll the hoop, spin the hoop, or capture with it. Once tagged, the person must stay still as a statue, until another player taps and releases them.
Incorporating hula hoops into play provides a fun and engaging way for kids to stay active. Group games are a great way to encourage social interaction and teamwork, while physical activity helps to develop cognitive skills. Allow the kids to create their own fun and use their imaginations to invent their own challenges. These activities can help to boost a child’s confidence and build their problem-solving skills. If you need a bunch of hoops and/or a professional-led workshop, please get in touch.
