Cup stacking balance game with storage tray for 4-6 year olds

The kids in the preschool LOVE stacking and contraption games.  I made this simple to print and oh-so fun stacking game set for teaching balance, patience, and just plain having a great time building something.  Print 21 or more cups for a nice size set - use lots of bright colors.   Print a set of the construction cards and you're ready to play.

This toy is a STEP (science, technology, engineering and PLAY) toy that the kids just love to make crazy stuff with.  It's applicable to young kids who are learning stack and dump, and it's applicable to older toddlers and pre-K kids who just love to play with a fun balance/building toy.  And the parts are durable and safe to play with, and dishwasher top shelf safe so you can get years of play.

The cards provide a lot of variety in the play aspects of this game.  They can be used to make teetery-tottery contraptions and help the older kids learn the innate math skills involved in achieving a tall balance.  

The kids just love to play with these - it's become a new favorite in the older kids class - they love seeing it all come crashing down and take turns trying to outdo each other building the tallest contraption!  And at the end of play time, the cups all stack together nicely so the toy can be put away for another day of play.

The game models include cups, cards, and a tray to neatly put it away when done playing.

Game variants

• Speed - who can stack all of the cups into a tower the fastest.

• Acuity - Who can stack all of the cups so that no color touches itself

• Balance - who can build the tallest tower without it falling over

To print:  The models for the cups are dixie-cup sized for small hands, and each bed on a MK4s or Core-One can print three cups in a go in vase mode.  The files provided are PRUSA Slicer project files - use 'open project' to get the full effect and have the sequential vase mode printing already enabled.

No supports are required.  Suggest using PETG for the dish washer safe ability to make these toys last a long time.  You can print them in PLA, they will just be a little more brittle.