Games
Papercup Launcher
Children join two paper cups with a rubber band and throw it into the air. As it spins and flies, they explore motion, force, and balance through play.
Materials
- Paper Cup
- Tape
- Rubber
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Checklist
Older game
how to play
Children make a fun flying structure by joining two paper cups with a rubber band. Tell the kids a story about launching a spinning flying cup that flies through the air like a helicopter. They stretch the rubber band around the cups and throw it into the air to watch it spin and fly. If kids have trouble joining the cups or throwing, give simple hints about holding the cups tightly and throwing gently upwards. This game helps kids learn about motion, force, and balance while playing.
Challanges
- Let them figure out how to and how many rubber bands are required to launch the paper cup first.
- Add or reduce the number of rubber bands used so that they can identify the perfect number of rubber bands needed.
- Give them a challenge to make their paper cup reach a certain height or certain floor above.
- Increase the number of cups gradually once they make a launcher. Let them figure out how they can add the cups.
Questions to be asked
- Will the papercup fly the same if we join the bigger side of the cup rather than the smaller ones?
- Is there an alternative for rubbers? Will a thread work the same? What sets them apart?
- Does the number of rubbers used affect the distance covered by the papercup? Or are there any other factors affecting it?
- Does the launcher fly well even when adding more cups to it?