Hula Hippos
Hula Hippos Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
24 Wooden Hippos (six each in four colors) 1 Wooden Hoop
Object
Be the first person to land four of your hippos into or under the wooden hoop when it stops spinning.
Set Up
Note: This game plays best on smooth flat surfaces, like wood tables and floors.
- Give each player six hippos of one color. Place any extras back in the box.
- Line up your hippos, flat-side-up, in front of you.
- Place the wooden hoop in the center of the playing area.
How to Play
Hula Hippos is played in rounds. To start the first round, hold the hoop upright between your thumb and forefinger and give it a good spin onto the playing surface.
As soon as the hoop starts spinning, all players simultaneously try to flick their hippos in an attempt to position them so that they end up inside or underneath the hoop when it stops.
Hippo Flicking Rules
- You may only flick each hippo once.
- You may only use one hand to flick the hippos.
- You may not touch the hoop while it is spinning.
Ending a Round
Once the hoop stops spinning, all flicking must immediately stop. All hippos lying either inside the hoop or underneath the edge of the hoop have won the round's hula contest! Remove them from the game and place them back in the box.
Starting a New Round
Gather any of your remaining hippos and line them up in front of you. Another player starts a new round by picking up the hoop and spinning it onto the playing surface.
Ending the Game
Play rounds until one player has successfully flicked four hippos into the hoop. In case of a tie, play until one player flicks five hippos into the hoop.
Variations
- Be the first player to flick all six of your hippos into the hoop.
- You may flick all of your hippos more than once as long as the hoop is still spinning.
A Word from Gamewright
Sometimes the simplest idea makes for a great game. Such is the case with Hula Hippos. We can't say exactly what it is that kept testers both young and old playing it over and over again, but we hope the same will happen with you. As you're flicking hippos, you'll build up hand-eye coordination and work on fine-motor skills. Plus, the more you play, you'll find that there's even some subtle strategy in there too!