Rump Race – the balloon popping game you play with your butt

By Ricardo de Jong ·

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A boy and a woman behind the Rump Race game, a blue and a red balloon with worried cartoon faces on either side of a yellow popping arrow

Family game night has a problem. Somebody always reads the rules out loud for twenty minutes, and the youngest player is under the table before the first turn.

Rump Race skips all of that. It’s a two-player balloon popping game where you bounce on an air pump with your rear end to blow up your balloon, and the first balloon to hit the popping arrow loses. That’s the whole rulebook. It might be the dumbest gift under 20 bucks this year. I mean that as a compliment.

PlayMonster Rump Race game box showing two kids bouncing on pumps next to a blue and a red balloon

What is Rump Race?

Rump Race is a party game from PlayMonster, the company behind Yeti in My Spaghetti, Marshmallow Madness and Spirograph. PlayMonster announced it on August 13, 2026, and calls it a balloon-popping battle for two players, ages 8 and up.

In the box, according to PlayMonster and the Amazon listing:

  • the Rump Race centerpiece with a yellow popping arrow
  • two “rump pumps” with air hoses
  • 30 balloons, 15 red and 15 blue, printed with panicked cartoon faces

The pump also fits most standard-size balloons, so you won’t be stuck when the 30 run out. And they will run out.

How does it work?

Each player puts a pump on their chair and bounces on it. Every bounce pushes air into your balloon, and your growing balloon shoves the arrow toward your opponent’s side. The Toy Insider describes it as players who “bounce their rump on an air pump” to fill their balloon. The faster you bounce, the faster the arrow moves. Whoever hears the pop on the other side first wins.

It’s basically tug of war, if tug of war was invented by a nine-year-old and a whoopee cushion.

The good and the not-so-good

The good:

  • Rounds take seconds, so everyone gets a turn and nobody sulks for long.
  • It’s as much fun to watch as to play. PlayMonster’s own box copy says it’s “fun to play and watch”, and I believe them.
  • It won a 2026 Nappa Award, and The Toy Insider put it on its 12 Under $20 holiday list.
  • On Amazon it has a 4.4 out of 5 average from over 900 ratings, and it’s in the top 600 of all Toys & Games.

The not-so-good:

  • It’s loud. Every round ends with a balloon bursting next to someone’s face. Not great for kids (or dogs) who hate sudden bangs.
  • Only two players at a time. Bigger groups play winner-stays-on.
  • Balloons are a consumable. Buy a bag of spares with it.
  • Popped balloon bits are a choking risk for little siblings, so clean up after each round.

Who is Rump Race for?

Families with kids around 8 to 12, cousins at a holiday party, and any adult who still finds the word “rump” funny. Which is most of us.

If your group likes something with a bit more strategy, look at The Gang or our gifts for board game lovers. If they want more physical chaos, the KLASK magnetic game is a good next step.

Where can I buy Rump Race?

PlayMonster sells it on Amazon, where it was about 17 bucks at the time of writing (October 2026), a bit under the $19.99 list price. It’s also at Walmart and Target.

Bounce responsibly.