Set up two separate Tube Switch areas. Use a 50 foot (or longer) activity rope to make a nice big circle for each area - have the rope circle areas about 20 feet apart. In this (Texas) version, one circle has the letter set and one circle has the number set.
Place down a set of number/letter spots in each area (see video). For a more challenging version of the activity, don't place any of the number/letter spots too close to the edge - far enough away so a player cannot lean over, while standing outside the rope circle, and look down through a tube to see the number.
After all the number/letter spots are placed set down the tubes over the numbers/letters - the tube numbers/letters SHOULD NOT match the numbers/letters on the cards. Be sure the tubes are completely hiding the numbers/letters.
After running this activity a number of times, I've found a good range of participants per Tube Switch area to be 8 to 12. With Double Play you get more action and there is now the potential to collaborate if you set it up that way. When you have enough people for Double Play, divide them into two groups. Assign one group to each area.
Here's the collaborative idea:
Move all the tubes to their matching numbers/letters.
- Only two players can be inside the Tube Switch area at a time.
- Each person in the area can pick up and set down one tube - a tube can go back down on the same spot it came from if necessary.
- When a tube is set back down* on a spot the number/letter must be completely covered - tubes are always placed down in the vertical position.
- A player, after exiting the Tube Switch area, may not go back into the area until someone else has entered and exited.
- Time will start, for both groups, when the first person steps into one of the Tube Switch areas. Time stops when all the tubes, in both areas are matched up with their number/letter spots.
- Players around the outside of the Tube Switch areas can help in any way they can without going "into" the area. [You will need to define what "into" means for them.]
Be sure to check out the video to get a glimpse of the action.
All the best,
Chris Cavert, Ed.D