cups Archives - JDaniel4s Mom

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STEM Coding for Kids – Cup Stacking Algorithms

July 7, 2017 By Deirdre

Coding is a precise set of instructions a computer can understand. The instructions or steps are called an algorithm. This STEM coding for kids activity invites students at school or children at home to create a cup stacking design and record the steps needs to build it as an algorithm. I have created a printable planning and recording document for you.

Coding for Kids- Cup Stacking

The first thing you are going to need to do is to download the STEM Coding for Kids – Cup Stacking Algorithm printable.Your children can record their design on it and record the algorithm need to build their design.

The link below is an affiliate link.

You will need to provide cups for your children to test their design out with. They can later use the same cups to follow their algorithm and make sure that it is accurate. We used mini red cups when we explored this coding for kids activity. If you prefer your children use larger cups, that is totally fine.

Starting the Activity

Children or students will need to draw their design at the bottom of the STEM Coding for Kids – Cup Stacking Algorithm printable. Before they start their drawings, you will want to let them know how many cups they can use. If you want them to use a particular number of cups, that would be fine. If they can use less than that number of cups, you will need to share that with them.

Creating the Code

You will need to go over what each of the algorithm symbols means. There is a start the stack here cup symbol along with symbols for go up, go down, go left and go right. They may need to use some or all of these symbols for their design.

Reflecting

They are almost finished the coding for kids activity. The final step is to reflect on the challenges they encountered by doing creating their cup stack and cup stacking algorithm. This will give them an opportunity share what they learned about coding an algorithm.

Here are some more coding for kids activities you will love:

Amazing Offline Coding Activities

Little Miss Muffet Coding Activity and Printable

Coding Activity- Going on a Bear Hunt

Coding the Planets in Order

Exploring Binary Number While Making Jewelry

ABC’s of How to Read Binary with Printable

Building Binary Code with LEGO

Reading Games- Sight Word Stackers

September 8, 2014 By Deirdre

Reading Games Sight Word Stackers

There is just something wonderful about stacking cups. As soon as I took out
these sight word stackers or cups with sight words on their bottoms, I was asked
what we were going to do with them. “We are going to play a sight word reading games,” I
announced. I confess that there was a slight sigh that slipped out of someone’s
mouth. Stacking cups is fun. Decoding words isn’t always viewed as fun, but it
can be made to be fun.

Reading Games Sight Word Stackers

It can be fun to race a friend to read the words on the cup. The first person to
read the word at the top of the stack gets to have the cup build a wall or tower
with. If it looks like one person maybe a stronger reader than the other, you
can have the children take turns reading the words on the cups. When a word is
not read correctly, it goes to the bottom of the pile or stack. (It can make someone
feel awful to have a friend quickly read a word they have struggled with.)

Reading Games Sight Word Stackers

It can be fun to have the full stack of cups to read on your own or without
a friend too. The same rules apply to this version of the game. When you read a
word, you get to build with it. If you miss the word, it goes to the bottom of
the stack. That way you will be able to try to sound out a word a second time.
Another fun sight word game to play with the sight word stackers is to build
towers that contain the same vowel sound. You could even create cups that focus
on long or short vowel sounds. I just placed the words on a first grade sight word
list on the cups. We are able to stack by vowel sounds, but our stacks for
particular sounds weren’t very tall.

Reading Games Sight Word Stackers

This same set of reading games could be done with spelling words. You could spell
and read the words on each cup to earn the opportunity to stack with it.

If you have child who seems reluctant to read the words in these reading games, you
might let them explore the cups first. Once they are hooked on stacking them, I
bet they will be willing to read the words on them.

Reading Games Sight Word Stackers

Here are some more Learning to Read Activities I have pinned on Pintererst.

Follow JDaniel4’s Mom’s board Learning to Read on Pinterest.

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Games for Children- Landing Spot On

July 7, 2014 By Deirdre

Simple household items and office supplies can be used to create games for children that will have them working on fine motor skills and having tons of fun. These Landing Spot On games will allow your kids to do just that.

Supplies for Landing Spot On Games for Children

Platter size paper plate
Colored dot stickers
Large drinking cups (4)
Button
Chopsticks*
Pom poms (colors that match the dots)

*If you want chopsticks like ones we used, there are available on this affiliate link Zehhe Cheater Training Chopsticks for Children . I couldn’t find the chicken chopsticks, but the sheep is available.

How to Put the Game Together

This game board is so easy to put together. You simply place dot stickers an equal distance across and down on the plate. I ended up with four rows and five columns. You could easily arrange the dots any way that you would like. Your children might enjoy creating their own game board design on the plate.

Once you have the dots arranged on the plate, it is time to set the plate on top of the four drinking cups. You can arrange the cups close together or spread them apart so they are more like table legs.

Games for Children

Landing Spot On- Buttons

The goal of this game to get the buttons on the dots. There are several ways you can get the buttons of the dots. The way you have your children try to get the buttons on the spots will depend on how well your children have developed their fine motor skills and their eye hand coordination.

They can:

Place a button on a spot
Drop a button onto a spot
Underhand toss a button onto a spot
Overhand throw a button onto a spot
Frisbee toss a button onto a spot

Landing Spot on- Pom Poms

In this version of the game you are working with pom poms. Pom poms tend to be light and hard to throw so, for this version of the game children can use chopsticks. The chopsticks will give children a little more control of the pom poms.

You can do the same actions that I listed for the buttons. We found the dropping the pom poms or placing them to be the easiest. Frisbee tossing didn’t work well for us, but you may find that you really like frisbee tossing.

We played both games on our deck and on the kitchen table. It worked out well in both locations.

Other Fine Motor Activities

Fine Motor- Fold and Thread Necklace

More Fine Motor and Early Learning ideas can be found on my Early Learning Pinterest board.
Follow JDaniel4’s Mom’s board Early Learning on Pinterest.