Celebrate your human body unit with these engaging, science-based games and challenges! For even more fun—and some great photo opportunities—have students participate wearing their completed Guts shirts or aprons.
📷 Photo Op Tip
Have students wear their GUTS shirts during every event — the wearable science makes for memorable class photos and a natural connection back to what they've learned.
🍼 Bottle Burp-Off
Team size: 2 players per team | Supplies: Baby bottle filled with a carbonated beverage
Science Tie-In
What causes burps? Air often makes its way into your mouth, stealing a ride down your esophagus when you swallow. The air is either pushed into your stomach or sits at the bottom of your esophagus giving you that uncomfortable feeling. Middle-school students have mastered the art of forcing the trapped air back up and out of the mouth — sometimes on cue!
One participant holds the bottle while the other sits in their lap and drinks. The first team to finish the entire bottle and burp… wins.
🥚 Egg Crush
Team size: 1 player per team | Supplies: Raw egg
Science Tie-In
Can you crush a raw egg with your bare hand? When you squeeze, the pressure is distributed evenly across the egg's surface and it remains intact. This demonstrates how arches — like those at both ends of an egg — distribute force. It's the same engineering concept used in bridge design, making eggs surprisingly tough to crush!
Each player places a raw egg in their palm and squeezes. Spoiler: it's harder than it looks!
🧂 Cracker Whistle
Team size: 1 player per team | Supplies: Ziplock bag with 8 saltine crackers
Science Tie-In
What good is saliva? Saliva keeps the mouth moist and lubricates food, aiding chewing, swallowing, and even speaking — and whistling! The dry crackers absorb all available saliva, making it nearly impossible to whistle until the mouth re-moistens.
Contestants eat and swallow all 8 crackers, then try to whistle. First to whistle wins. It's not as easy as it sounds!
🧲 Tangled Umbilical Cord
Team size: 2 players per team | Supplies: 1-meter rope with loops at both ends for each player (fit loosely around wrists)
Science Tie-In
The umbilical cord connects a baby to its mother and is about 20 inches long. It transports oxygen, nutrients, and antibodies from mother to baby and returns waste to the placenta. The cord contains one vein and two arteries.
Players must separate from each other without cutting the cord, untying the knots, or slipping the knotted portion over their hands.
🧠 Solution
- Make a loop in the center of your partner's cord
- Pass the loop under one of your own wrist loops
- Pull the loop through with your other hand and enlarge it to fit your hand
- Pass the loop over your hand
- Pull it back through your wrist loop — you're free!
- If not free, release and try again
More Structure & Movement Games
Add these team relay games to round out the event:
- 🧠 Simon Says: Skeletal System — 1 player per team
- 🏃 Femur Relay — 4 players per team, foam noodle required
- 👐 Mandible-Clavicle Relay — 4 players per team, small foam ball or bean bag required
Make It Even More Memorable
Pair this event with the Guts – Human Anatomy wearable project so students can wear their science while they celebrate it!