Speed stacking, also known as sport stacking, is a fast and fun game that is incredibly addictive. It started in the 1990s as an all-access activity that has grown into a highly competitive world-wide sport. It is cheap, simple and a great way to help your child develop their hand-eye coordination, and it may help improve their self-control. This means it’s a fun way to help improve these core life skills.
How Long Does It Take To Play? Speed-stacking is very quick, with the world record taking five seconds to complete the forty separate moves required to complete a full cycle (see video below – it has to be seen to be believed!). However, when a child first starts out, it will probably take them between thirty seconds and a minute to do this. Once started, they will probably want to do it a number of times in quick succession, but this is something that they can be left to do on their own.
Ages: Five and older. With younger children, start with more basic patterns, and build up to the full cycle (see below).
Core Life Skills It Will Help Develop: Physical Skills – Hand-eye coordination; Manual dexterity; Intrapersonal Skills – Persistence; Self-control.
What Do You Need To Play It? At its most basic, all you need to do speed stacking is a set of stacking cups. These are very cheap and usually cost around £7/US$14. UK-based parents can buy a set here, while USA-based parents can buy a set here. A timer of some description is also useful for timing how long it takes to complete a specific stacking pattern. If your child becomes really interested in speed stacking, then you can also consider buying a speed stacking mat with a built-in timer (see below).
Preparation: It can be a little difficult to work out exactly how to do speed stacking based solely on the instructions which come with a set of speed stacking cups. As a result, it is generally advisable that you watch a how-to video on speed stacking before you first give your child the speed staking cups so that you can explain to them how to do it. You can find a useful video below, or by clicking here.
How Do You Play It? The best way to start speed stacking is to do a simple pattern called three-three-three. This is where you create three pyramids, each consisting of three cups as shown below. The first time you get your child to stack the cups, get them to do it slowly and don’t time it. Wait until they have successfully done it a couple of times before you bring the timing element into it.
Once your child has mastered the three-three-three pattern, you can encourage them to move onto the full cycle. This involves creating three separate patterns in quick succession. These patterns are: Three-six-three, six-six and one-ten-one, and you can see these patterns in the video below.
If you are interested, you can find out more about speed stacking here.
When And Where Can You Play It? This game can be played anywhere there is a flat surface, but it is best to do it on a table. It addition, once your child has the hang of it, this is something they can do whenever they have a few moments free.
Variations: Once your child has mastered the basics of speed stacking, then you can encourage them to persist by setting them challenges to be completed within specific time periods. If you wish you can offer them a reward for reaching a specific target, but be careful that you don’t accidentally change something fun into a chore by doing this.
If your child particularly enjoys speed stacking, then they can consider entering speed stacking competitions. However, this is something they should only do if they want to, rather than if you would like them to do it. If you try to force them into competing when they don’t want to, it will quickly remove the enjoyment from the game. You can find details of competitions for speed stacking in many parts of the world here.
Links To Useful Products For This Game
Speed stacking cups: The basic requirement for speed stacking is a set of speed stacking cups. These are relatively cheap, and you can purchase a set from here. If you have more than one child, it is advisable to buy more than one set to avoid arguments. Digital timer: A digital timer is very useful for this game as it will allow your child to time themselves to see how fast they can complete speed stacking patterns. If you don’t have a suitable timer already, you can find a range of digital timers here. Speed stacking mat: If your child gets seriously into speed stacking, then you might want to consider purchasing a speed stacking mat. This provides a non-slip surface for stacking as well as a built-in timer. You can purchase a speed stacking mat from here.For Parents Based In The UK
Speed stacking cups: The basic requirement for speed stacking is a set of speed stacking cups. These are relatively cheap, and you can purchase a set from here. If you have more than one child, it is advisable to buy more than one set to avoid arguments. Digital timer: A digital timer is very useful for this game as it will allow your child to time themselves to see how fast they can complete speed stacking patterns. If you don’t have a suitable timer already, you can find a range of digital timers here. Speed stacking mat: If your child gets seriously into speed stacking, then you might want to consider purchasing a speed stacking mat. This provides a non-slip surface for stacking as well as a built-in timer. You can purchase a speed stacking mat from here.For Parents Based In The
USA
About The Author: This post was written by Colin Drysdale, the creator of How To Raise A Happy Genius. The fastest he can complete a full speed stacking cycle in is about fifteen seconds.
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