Saturday, February 7, 2015

Speed Cup Stacking! Homeschool P.E. #1

I am going to be posting periodically some ways we have done P.E. in our homeschool. There are so many great ideas and activities out there!

In the warmer months, P.E. can be as simple as a bike ride, park day, or playing baseball in the yard. But when it is too cold outside for these things, here's an activity that can keep your child's mind, hands, and body active inside!!



I was introduced to speed cup stacking several years ago, and Big Brother and I both love it!

In case this is your first time hearing about speed cup stacking (also called sport stacking), let me explain. The player has a mat, a timer, and 12 specially designed stackable plastic cups. The player races to upstack and down stack the cups in a certain pattern in the fastest time possible. The patterns are easy to learn. This is an activity that can be enjoyed by preschoolers through senior citizens!

There are 3 competive stacking patterns to learn. They are called the 3-3-3, the 3-6-3, and the Cycle.

This activity, though relatively simple to learn, is very challenging! The player must continually try to stack faster without having an avalanche of cups go tumbling everywhere.

With practice, some players are able to get remarkably fast! Check out this amazing cup stacking video!

Speed cup stacking has many benefits including:

*Promotes physical fitness
*Improves fine motor skills
*Builds eye/hand coordination
*Promotes ambidexterity and bilateral proficiency
*Sharpens quick reflexes
*Improves brain focus and concentration
*Builds spacial awareness
*Improves overall cognitive functioning

And did I mention that it is just plain FUN?! :)

You can speed stack on basically any hard, flat surface. Big Brother stacks on the kitchen table, on the piano bench, or in the floor!

Many schools and homeschool groups have formed speed stacking teams that compete. We simply enjoy cup stacking as a family right now, but if you are interested check out (the World Sport Stacking Association Website http://thewssa.com] for team & competition info.

This set is the official Speed Stacks kit and includes a stack mat, timer,12 stacking cups, and a training DVD.

Big Brother will often get out his set and follow along with the training DVD learning the fastest stacking strategies. For a child with attention issues, he will actually focus on cup stacking for close to an hour some days! It is simple but engaging, he gets immediate feedback from the timer on how well he's doing, and he gets to move quickly!! So it is definitely a win-win for him!

I encourage you to give speed cup stacking a try! Click here to get your set and start stacking!!

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