Build a paper-cup tower
Start with six paper cups on a table. At the signal, build a pyramid: three cups along the bottom, two above them and one on top. When it is ready, let go and see if it stands.
For the next round, try working in pairs and taking turns to place one cup. Allow time to practise, and make it easy to start again if the tower tumbles.
Adapt the challenge to the children
- For younger children, use three cups to make a two-level tower.
- For puzzle fans, cut a picture into a few pieces to put back together.
- For teamwork, take turns adding blocks to create one shared shape.
If the timer makes a child uncomfortable, leave it out and enjoy finishing the task. Notice the ideas and cooperation as well as the result.
Add a story from the birthday child’s world
Stars drawn on the cups can turn the challenge into building a space base. Animal pictures can turn it into making little homes. Familiar materials feel different when they are part of a story.
