FUNdoing - Activities for Team Builders
  • FUNdoing
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Books
  • Trainings
  • Ricochet
  • Contact
  • Store

Flip Flop Tower (CUP IT UP Teaser with Video)

9/29/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture

(THIS POST WAS UPDATED AUGUST 2nd, 2017)
GO HERE to find a fully updated and detailed downloadable write-up for Flip Flip Tower.
As some of you might know, my friend Barry Thompson and I have just finished up a team building activity book called Cup It Up: Teambuilding with Cups! (Find the downloadable ebook at the FUNdoing Store or the paperback on Amazon).
BONUS ACTIVITY: Flip Flop Tower. We did not put this one into the book CUP IT UP, so it's a perfect bonus and teaser to demonstrate the power of team building with cups. You'll notice in the picture above the group is using Speed Stack Cups (if you have them the different colors make for a great visual). In the picture below the group is using the red Solo brand cups. They both work great. 
Needs & Numbers: For every group of 2 to 5 participants you'll need 36 cups (as noted above, Speed Stack or Solo cups work great). You will also need a solid surface, at ground level, to build from. A wind-free environment is also a good idea if you are not working on objectives like frustration or anger management! 
Procedure: I've been using this activity a lot lately - since I just developed it about a month ago - at the beginning of a program as an energizing team-builder with a little tension. It doesn't take long to present and play, the directions are simple, and it provides a nice starting point to talk about the types of activities a group will be going through during their program. 

No matter the size of your group (so far my biggest group has been 50), divide them up into small groups of 2 to 5 participants (with my group of 50 I had 10 groups of 5) - you'll need 36 cups for every small group. Ask each small group to find some space in the activity area to build their tower. After everyone is settled into their spots, provide the challenge. 
​
Picture
The Objective Using only the 36 cups you have in your possession, build the tallest free-standing tower in 60 seconds.
Rules for Building: 
  • One individual cup is added to the tower structure at a time. (Note: Each group is building only one tower structure.) 
  • Each person in the group must add one cup to the tower structure before anyone adds in a second cup to the structure. Then, everyone must add a second cup to the structure before anyone can add a third, and so on until the time is up. (Note: the order of turns can change during each round of turns.) 
  • ​When the horn blows (whistle sounds or "STOP" is called), all hands must be off of the tower structure. What remains standing will be counted for a score. 
Scoring: 
​Tower structures are scored by number of rows. Rows consist of one or more individual cups - nested cups, one, or more, inside of another, will not count as a row. (Note: The score for the red Solo cup tower is 16 (rows). 
Once the groups understand the challenge I let them know they will have three attempts to build the tallest tower possible. I then give them three minutes to plan and practice before the first attempt.  
Here's what I tell everyone before I start each attempt - "Your first row can be set up and ready to go. The rest of your cups can either be in your hands, set down on the ground, or a combination of both. Okay, is everybody ready? Set! Go!"
After 60 seconds, giving the groups continuous updates on the time remaining, call a hard STOP (e.g., horn, whistle, or yell it out). After the dust settles, have the groups count their number of rows still standing - the number of rows is their score for the first attempt. Tell the groups to remember their score. Then, give everyone two minutes to plan and practice for the second attempt. Encourage the groups to try and "better their score." 
After the second round, each group makes a note of their score. Then, give everyone one minute to plan and practice for the third and final round. Have them note their score for the third round. After all three attempts take some time to focus on one or more of the discussion points (suggestions) below based on your group's objectives for their program. 
Discussion Points: 
  • Planning - What did this look like over the three attempts? 
  • Strategies - What strategies did you plan on and did they change? Why?
  • Failure - If your structure did fall, what did you do? 
  • ​Success - How did you measure your success? Were you successful? 
  • Risk Taking - What risks did you take? What risks did you avoid? Why?
  • Collaboration - Did any collaboration take place? Was it "secret" or "open" collaboration? 
National Standard and World Record
As of the date of this post, the national average of rows in 60 seconds, for the adult (18 years old and older) bracket is 17 rows. The world record, adult bracket, is 20. 
Video Here's video of a group using Speed Stack cups. I only included two rounds to keep the video short - you'll get the idea. Note: Notice the tower in the first round is higher (for a moment) than the one the group builds in the second round - watch the behavior in the last few seconds of the second round!! Great stuff!
I've also been setting up Flip Flop with "expectations" - GO HERE for details on how expectations work - detailed write-up of Flip Flip Tower.
 
Let me know how this version goes!! Leave a comment below. 

All the best, 

Chris Cavert, Ed.D. 
2 Comments
Natalie
9/30/2016 08:27:37 am

I would love to be able to watch the video, but it says it's private. Any way you could fix that?

Reply
Chris Cavert
9/30/2016 07:42:07 pm

Natalie - thanks for the heads up. The video should be working now.

Chris

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Assets Package is Now Available 
    Picture
    Assets Package
    Picture
    Processing for Beginners
    FREE Mini-Course

    Click for Information
    Some Team Building Tools at the STORE! 
    Picture
    Details & Purchase
    Picture
    Details & Purchase
    Picture
    Details & Purchase

    JOIN
    FUNdoing
    Fridays
    Team Building Activities sent to your email every two weeks! 
    Picture
    FREE Processing Activity just for signing up! 

    Blog Author

    Dr. Chris Cavert is an internationally known author, speaker, and trainer in the area of adventure-based activity programming and its relation to community and pro-social behavior development.

    Blog Purpose

    This blog is a space for hands-on programable fun - energetic activities and ideas that can be used as a means to bring people together; activities and ideas we as educators can add to our social development curriculums. 

    Categories

    All
    Activities
    A Files
    A-Files
    Challenge Course
    Chiji Cards
    CUP Activities
    Ed Tech 4 Adv Ed
    Facilitation
    Fun Props
    Lessons
    Let's Talk About
    List Play
    Noodles
    On Pedagogy
    Print N Play
    Processing
    Programming
    Puzzles
    Read This
    Repurposed
    Resources
    Small Group Activities
    Tools For Team Builders
    Top 10 Activities
    Variations
    Videos
    Virtual
    What? & Why?

    Archives

    January 2023
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly