Hot Potato (game)
Encyclopedia
Hot potato is a party game
that involves players gathering in a circle
and tossing a small object such as a beanbag or tennis ball
to each other while music plays. The player who is holding the "hot potato" when the music stops is out. Play continues until only one player is left. The game is designed to be fast-paced and high-pressure and is often played by children. The game can also be played without music where there is a designated leader who shouts out "hot!" and the player holding the object is eliminated.
Hot potato remains a popular children's party game, as well as an activity for practicing motor skills such as eye–hand coordination
and catching.
is handed to the first person, who says:
The one in whose hand the light expires has to pay the forfeit.
Party game
Party games are games that some people play as forms of entertainment at social gatherings. Party games usually involve more than one player. There are a large number and styles of party games available and the one selected will depend on the atmosphere that is sought to be generated...
that involves players gathering in a circle
Circle
A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry consisting of those points in a plane that are a given distance from a given point, the centre. The distance between any of the points and the centre is called the radius....
and tossing a small object such as a beanbag or tennis ball
Tennis ball
A tennis ball is a ball designed for the sport of tennis,approximately 6.7 cm in diameter. Tennis balls are generally bright green, but in recreational play can be virtually any color. Tennis balls are covered in a fibrous fluffy felt which modifies their aerodynamic properties...
to each other while music plays. The player who is holding the "hot potato" when the music stops is out. Play continues until only one player is left. The game is designed to be fast-paced and high-pressure and is often played by children. The game can also be played without music where there is a designated leader who shouts out "hot!" and the player holding the object is eliminated.
Hot potato remains a popular children's party game, as well as an activity for practicing motor skills such as eye–hand coordination
Eye–hand coordination
Eye–hand coordination is the coordinated control of eye movement with hand movement, and the processing of visual input to guide reaching and grasping along with the use of proprioception of the hands to guide the eyes. In simple terms, eye-hand coordination involves the coordinated vision and...
and catching.
Origins
The origins of the hot potato game are not clear. However, it may go back as far as 1888 when Sidney Addy's Glossary of Sheffield Words describes a game in which a number of people sit in a row, or in chairs round a parlor. In this game, a lighted candleCandle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
is handed to the first person, who says:
- Jack's alive, and likely to live
- If he dies in your hand, you've a forfeit to give.
The one in whose hand the light expires has to pay the forfeit.