Simple activity to warm up stackers and review stacking patterns.
Equipment
- One set of Speed Stacks for every stacker
- Perimeter markers or cones
Setup
Establish a perimeter with markers or cones. Build the perimeter as large as possible. The teacher should remove one cup from each set of 12 and then give each student 11 cups to randomally place around the room. Then hand out the remaining single cup to each student and they site with that cup as their "home base" and wait for the go signal.
How To Play
On the ‘go’ signal; stackers move in and out of the activity area collecting one cup at a time and returning it to their home base. The cups they collect must be the same color as their home base cup. Once stackers have retrieved all 11 cups, completing their set of 12, they stack a designated pattern, and then signal their completion by raising their hand.
Rules
- If a stacker knocks over a cup while they’re inside the activity area they must fix that cup by placing it upright.
- If a stacker has retrieved a cup and then knocks over another cup inside the activity area, they must set their retrieved cup on the floor, fix the knocked over cup, then run back and touch their home base, before they can resume play.
Variations
- The designated pattern for beginning stackers can be to build a creative structure.
- Choose an alternative locomotor skill for retrieving the cup like skipping or hopping.
- Choose a variety of stacking patterns or number of repetitions (3-3-3, 3-6-3, Cycle).
- Have stackers work in pairs stacking Doubles (Doubles stacking is when two stackers stack together. The stacker on the right is the right hand, and the stacker on the left is the left hand).
Physical Distance Variation
Place cups in a straight line from one end of the gym to the other. Students run to the first cup and bring it back to the start. They then go get the second cup and bring it back and so on, until they have retrieved all their cups. Can also retrieve cups from farthest to closest.