Paper-Cup Race

1. 1

   Turn several paper cups upside down on a table. Gather two small handheld fans and mark a finish line.

2. 2

   Show how to fan one cup gently so it slides toward the line without tipping over. Hand the other fan to your child and invite them to try.

3. 3

   If the fan is difficult to use, help your child adjust the arm movement until enough air reaches the cup.

4. 4

   Once the action is familiar, add one or two cups and see whether your child can move several to the finish.

5. 5

   For another challenge, place two books between the start and finish as obstacles. If a cup touches a book, return it to the start.

6. 6

   Join the race with your own marked cups and see whose set reaches the finish first.

What to notice

• Waves the fan to move the paper cup toward the finish line Gross Motor
• Tries different approaches until one works Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)

Tips

• When the paper cup moves, connect the result with your child’s action: “It kept moving forward. How did you fan it?” If needed, describe what worked.
• You can also agree on a new rule or obstacle that makes the trip to the finish line more challenging.

Developmental benefits

• Movement: Repeatedly swinging the arm to move air toward a cup gives your child purposeful practice coordinating upper-body movement.
• Cognitive: Trying different fan angles and routes until the cup reaches the finish gives your child a visible reason to adjust a strategy.