Printable Hawaiian cup guessing game
Kohokoho pūniu, the Hawaiian cup guessing game for your family
Two cups. One hidden piece. Which cup? You want a real Hawaiian game your family can play tonight, and you want it going in minutes. This is kohokoho pūniu, ready to play.
Printable PDF. Delivered to your email. Materials not included.
Sound familiar?
You want a real Hawaiian game.
Finding one shouldn't take your week.
The rules are buried in old books. It's hard to tell which "Hawaiian activities" online are real. And you don't want to sit down with your kids and teach them something wrong.
The fix
Kohokoho pūniu, ready to play
Open it with your child, and you're not researching or guessing. You're playing.
You can play today. All you need is two matching cups or bowls and one small, flat piece. A button or a bottle cap works.
You'll say the words right. The Hawaiian words come with how to say them, before you need them.
One page runs the whole game. Print it, or keep it on your screen.
Both of you get a turn. You swap roles after every guess, so nobody just watches.
Two players, a table or the floor, and a few minutes.
Two ways to play
Pick the one that fits your day
Ready to Play · $5
For tonight, at the table or on the floor
Open it with your child and be playing in minutes. No prep, no research.
Four printable pages. Ages 4 and up. Two players.
A say-it guide for four Hawaiian words, so you say them right.
A harder way to play for when you're ready.
Hide and Guess: Four Hawaiian Hiding Games · $34
For a class, a co-op or a youth group
Four Hawaiian hiding games in one download, from two players to two whole teams. Kohokoho pūniu is one of them.
Lead with confidence. A run sheet tells you what to say, show and do. Thirty-six printable pages. Ages 6 and up.
Short history cards for each game, with the sources listed on the last page.
A practice round for each game, a gather guide with quick readiness tests, and a Words to Know handout.
Safety is built in: guessers point, and nobody touches, slaps, grabs or searches another player.
Not sure? One game, tonight, at home: Ready to Play. A class or group, or you want all four: Hide and Guess.
What you'll need
Two cups and one small piece. That's the whole list.
Both are digital downloads. Nothing ships.
Two matching cups or bowls that you can't see through, or coconut-shell halves. No glass.
One small, flat hiding piece, bigger than a U.S. quarter. A large button, a smooth stone or a bottle cap works.
A table or the floor. A printer is optional: the Play page also works on a screen.
The piece stays on the table, never in mouths, and away from small children. Hide and Guess lists a few more things on its own page.
The game
About kohokoho pūniu, the Hawaiian cup guessing game
What is kohokoho pūniu?
Kohokoho pūniu (also spelled kohokoho puniu) is a traditional Hawaiian guessing game. A small piece is hidden under one of two cups, and another player guesses which.
What the name means
Kohokoho means "to guess in uncertainty," and pūniu means "the shell of a coconut." Together the name means coconut-shell guessing. The definitions are Andrews's, as cited by Navalta.
Is it a real game?
The game was described by Culin in 1899, when the cups and the piece were all made of coconut shell. Dr. S. Wilfred Navalta includes it among the youth-related games in his study of the Makahiki festival.
Where this comes from
This page and both downloads are based on Dr. S. Wilfred Navalta's 1978 doctoral dissertation, The Sports and Games of the Makahiki Festival: A History and a Unit of Instruction. It draws on Andrews, Culin, and Pukui & Elbert. Some details have been adapted for modern play at home. Used with permission.
Keep reading
Questions
Good to know
What ages is it for?
Ready to Play is for ages 4 and up. Hide and Guess is for ages 6 and up.
How many can play?
Two players. Hide and Guess has ways to play with more.
Do I need to know the game first?
No. One page runs the whole game.
What can I use for the cups?
Two matching cups or bowls that you can't see through, or coconut-shell halves. No glass.
Is anything shipped?
No. Both are PDF downloads. You print a page and gather two cups and a small piece.
Is anyone hit or touched?
No. The guesser points. Nobody touches anyone.
Can I use it in a class or group?
Ready to Play is a game for two. To lead a class or group, Hide and Guess has a run sheet and four games.
Find two cups. Keep a straight face.
A real Hawaiian game. A few minutes to open. Nothing to research.