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When Kate Gosselin was sharing her holiday shopping tips, she mentioned a “Christmas cup game.”
“We also do a cup game, which I hope to film this year,” the former reality star said in a Nov. 12 TikTok video. “That is the absolute highlight of our Christmas.”
At the time, the mom of eight said she would go in more depth on what the game is in a separate video.
On Nov. 15, she revealed more about the Christmas Cup Game — and fans are in love with the idea.
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The setup is very easy — all you need are a bunch of solo cups (red and green are festive, but Gosselin said she also mixes in black and white ones) — but it might take some time to think of and buy the prizes.
The first year she did it, she had the solo cups face-down on the table with the prize underneath. Her kids would walk up to the table, flip over a cup and win whatever was under the cup.
She said the game was very quick this way, but it has since evolved to make it longer.
She now keeps the cups upright, tapes the bottoms to the table for stability and has her kids stand behind a pre-determined line before attempting to bounce a ping pong ball into the cup.
“I’m sort of like Vanna white — they can’t come past the line,” she says of her Christmas Cup Game.
Prizes include everything from silly things (like a harmonica or candy) to scratch-off lottery tickets, gift cards (for gas, Starbucks, etc.) and cold hard cash.
For the cash prizes, she likes to roll them up and wrap them in hair ties or rubber bands to make them harder to open — while also disguising what kind of bill it is.
Kate Gosselin says her boyfriend has now joined in on the fun
The video comes one week after Gosselin went Instagram official with her boyfriend and former bodyguard Steve Neild.
Gosselin said Neild likes to get creative with it and rolls a $100 bill under a $1 bill to make it seem like a small prize — until the kids open it up, of course.
“One year Joel almost burst my eardrum, he screamed, he was so excited,” she said of her son who unwrapped what he thought was a $1 bill — but turned out to be a $100 bill.
READ MORE: ‘Kate Plus 8’ star Kate Gosselin goes Instagram official with former bodyguard Steve Neild
Other rules she includes in the Christmas Cup Game include:
- Putting an old Christmas ornament in the cup, which means they can steal a prize
- Putting a piece of bubble gum in the cup. If they can chew it and blow a bubble within a set amount of time, they get to go again
- Putting slips of paper in a cup with further instructions, like “go again” or “choose a red cup”
- As prizes are taken, she eventually removes empty cups to make it harder to aim
- Eventually moves the line closer and lets her kids throw the ball in the cup without bouncing
- The kids aren’t allowed to peek into the cups before playing
- She either has the kids go in birth order or reverse birth order
She said the re-imagined cup game now takes around two hours to play and keeps the excitement strong.
“This game has brought life back into our Christmas and I absolutely look forward to Christmas so much just like I used to because it is that much fun. The kids absolutely love it,” she said in the TikTok video.
Gosselin also said that it’s a great way for competitive families to have fun during the holiday season.
In fact, some of her kids get so competitive that they call fouls on their siblings when rules are broken.
“That’s how competitive it gets in my house. It is loud, it’s exciting and it is super fun for everybody. We love it,” she said.
Fans reveal their own Christmas games for family parties
Gosselin’s explanation was a huge hit with other parents in the comments section.
“Recent widower and I think you’ve just helped me save Christmas this year,” one fan wrote under the video.
“Oh wow! I’m definitely going to do this. Love the idea of adding money & gift cards for my adult kids along with the silly little things,” another fan wrote.
Some fans even included their own ideas for Christmas games with solo cups.
@kate.gosselin Our Christmas Cup Game Explained #Christmas #game ♬ original sound - kate.gosselin
For example, one of her followers shared a picture of solo cups standing upright on the table with tissue paper over the top (so kids can’t see what’s inside) and arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree.
“I fill them then they pick a card to see who goes first. Then they roll 2 dice and if they get a double they pick a cup. No double, no cup,” the follower wrote above the photo.
Other fun Christmas party games include wrapping gifts into a large plastic wrap ball and having the kids (or adults) try to unwrap it with oven mitts on.
ALSO ON MOD MOMS CLUB: Mark Consuelos shared his Christmas gift idea for his kids — then immediately regretted it
And if you’re interested in seeing Gosselin’s family play the game, don’t worry — she said that she would take videos of them playing the game this year and upload it for all to see!
