CUP STACKING

Cup stacking has become a favorite activity of the kids. It is also great to teach, very individualized, very motivating and a very flexible activity.

This activity is fantastic for developing hand eye coordination, fine motor skills, and bi-lateral coordination. To do this activity well the kids need to use both hands simultaneously which also engages both sides of the brain. We also have added a cardio piece to a lot of the activities so that we are still moving as much as we can.

We have a set of 30 "stacks" of 12 cups each. So some of these activities would not work without the # of stacks that we have. Although with snough stacks that every kid can have 3 at least you can do most of these, you would just need to adapt a bit.

Intro to Cup Stacking

You can do this yourself or you can show the DVD. Either works well, they do a nice job of breaking th skills down on the dvd and that is helpful, so if you have not done it before I would use the dvd the first time.

The first step is getting kids to use both hands. This is a challenge, but if they understand that you can move more cups faster if you use both hands then they usually will take the time to learn it with both hands.

I start all kids with three cups. We can paly these following games with 3, 6, or 3-6-3 or 3-6-3-6-6, or the whole cycle.

Scroll down to find:

·         The different stacking patterns we use:

1.    3

2.    6

3.    3,3,3,3

4.    3,6,3

5.    6,6

6.    1,10,1

7. The Cycle

·         Indy 500 (Lightning McQueen) – Stacker style

·         Relays

·         Builders and Blasters

·         Electricity

·         Sweet 16

Stacking Patterns

· Indy 500 (Lightning McQueen) – Stacker style

The same as Indy 500 (Lightning McQueen ) see diagram/description in the Warm up section of the PE teacher page. The difference being that the person who is waiting to run/resting is stacking cups. They can see if they can stack a certain amount of times before their partner gets back, see if they complete a cycle before your partner gets back….,etc.

· Relays

Here are a couple:

1. Have the cups in sets (of 3, or 6) at pre determined intervals across the gym in front of each line. The runner stacks as they go across the gym and un-stacks on their way back.

2. Run to a set of cups at the end of the gym, stack them, un stack them and return to your line

3. Have the first parson in your line stack and unstuck the 3-6-3, then the next person do the 6-6, then the next do the 1-10-1, and continue to see how many cycles your team can do in a certain amount of time.

· Builders and Blasters

We divide the kids into 4 groups and color code them with pinneys. We have a group in each corner of the playing area (the whole gym) and stacks scattered throughout the space on top of poly spots. The first time I play with K-2 I play with stacks of 3. Everyone else gets stacks of 6. Half of the stacks should be "upstacked" and half should be "downstacked". On "go" one team tries to "blast" or downstack all of the stacks and the other three try to "build" or stack all of them. We paly for a predetermined time and at the end count how many stacks are "blasted" then we write that score on the board and rotate blasters.

* In Kindergarten at the end i will sometimes have the whole class play against me and another adult or a couple of kids so we are set up to lose. That way the score on the board does not matter.

· Electricity

The kids sit side by side on a team, facing the front of the room. Each team has 6 players. The first person in line has a stack of 3 cups in front of them, the 2nd person has 6 and the 3rd has 3, the 4th person and the 5th both have 6 cups and the 6th has 12.

On the go signal the first person stacks their cups and tags the hands of the 2nd person, who does the same and so on to the 6th. That person stacks the 12 cups into a 1-10-1 and then downstacks to a 3-6-3 then tags the hand of the 5th person who downstacks and tags the 4th person all the way back to the 1st. As soon as you downstack your hands shoot into the air. 1st team done wins.

Rotate the players one stack to the right, last person goes all the way to the end. Play again.

Variation : The Snake (see diagram)

Sweet 16 or Elite 8 -

This is just a way of competing for the kids in a racing situation. It is a blast and the kids love it. If you have one class you will most likely need to just do thew elite 8, with a double class or a class of at least 30 you could do the sweet 16.

I start with 8 kids racing for 4 spots (the final 4). they have to comple the sequence of stacking and unstacking and then they need to be the first to the next spot (see diagram) when the races are complete the participants shake hands and the losers go to the end of a beginning line. 8 new kids slide into the beginning race spots as well as the 4 who are the final 4. On "go" they all race to stack/unstack and get to the next spot. Now there are 2 stackers at the top tier, 4 stackers at the middle tier and 8 new ones at the bottom tier. On "go" they stack /unstack to get to the next spot. We always require the kids to shake hands with their competitor after the race. Lots of kids will ake it to the championship round, hopefully lots will win.

Variations:

1. have the stacking get harder with each tier (3-3-3 1st tier, 3-6-3 second tier, 3-6-3-6-6 with the final tier)

2. have each new group of 8 just go through the whole thing without stopping, the first kid to the new spot, stacks and unstacks if you are outstacked you simply move to the end of the line

3. Use "fancy cups" for each new level. I use regular colors for the 8, camoflauge/ pink camo/ flower power/ flame cups for the 4, and the mini cups for the final