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A resource center for teachers to enhance learning through integrating movement, exploration and mindfulness into classroom lessons. Many of the activities can be adapted to be used on a playground, at home, in the boardroom and beyond.
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Group Cup Stack
Short description of activity: Group works together to build a tower of cups
Type of activity: Team Building
Minimum Time Needed for Activity: 20 Min
Grade Level: 3rd and up
Subject Area: none
Materials:
For each group of 4-6 people:
- 6 or 10 plastic drink cups
- one sturdy rubber band with 4 to 6 strings tied to it (or use girth hitch to create additional strings)
Set up:
- Divide class into groups of 4-6 people.
- Give each a prepared rubber band and 6 or 10 cups.
- Cups should be separated and placed in front of the group.
Play:
- Each person holds one or more strings. Teams will work together to flex the rubber band to pick up and stack cups into a tower/pyramid.
- The cups must be moved with the rubber band only- people cannot use any body part or other object to move a cup or stop it from moving.
Variations:
- Have the cups laying down at the beginning of the activity so they have to be stood up to grab.
- Write letters on the cups and have teams spell words
- Write numbers and mathematical functions on the cups and have teams create/solve problems or write equations
- Have teams disassemble towers and reassemble in another location.
- Have the cups assembled in another formation (pyramid with a square base, or a circular base)
- Use objects other than cups