Looking for an activity that you can use in a variety of ways with a variety of ages? I recommend going with ToppleTubes! I have used these with our elementary students as well as our high school students with great success. And for anyone that teaches Adapted PE, these are a great activity to get your students moving an active.
Elementary – Creative Movements with Topple Tubes
ToppleTubes are designed to get students moving throughout a space in a competition to flip the tubes in their favor. I recommend always having students use a different locomotor movement to travel the space. For elementary students, I love watching students walk like an elephant or bear walk to flip the tubes. These students are having fun, laughing, and better yet, working hard! Elementary students can also compete using scooters to travel the space. I love scooters for this game because I tell my students to think they are driving a car, and if any tubes are toppled because of poor driving they are fined 10 jumping jacks. Plus, it is always fun to hear stories about how they drive better than their parents!
Middle School – A Great Warm-Up Activity
At the middle school level, I would use these as a great warm-up activity to start class. Students come in, are immediately put into teams, and start playing while I take attendance. I can set a timer for each round and students move quickly to get started and active. Again, students can use different locomotor movements to travel the space, such as skipping, sliding, hopping, etc.
High School – Training for Sports
For my high school students, I like to use these on more sport specific movement. My favorite is defensive positioning and sliding for basketball. Teaching students to keep their butts down and not to crossover for a defensive slide using topple tubes is a fun way for students to learn the skill. I have also loaned these to the basketball coach as well. Coaches love them and use them as a station drill at practice in the hallway.
As the track and field coach at my high school, I also use ToppleTubes on days where we need to work on reaction time and just as a fun day to get a different kind of workout. We turn ToppleTubes into a highly competitive game and our athletes get a good workout.
Adapted PE – Coordination and Dexterity
My favorite way to use topple tubes is with our Adapted PE classes. Our Life Skills students love playing ToppleTubes. I think these are great for their dexterity and coordination because you can have them start working on using two hands to turn the tubes over and then work on using one hand to flip the tube over. We also work on putting the tubes on different levels, so the students have to work on squatting or kneeling to flip the tubes. Again, these students love it and when we turn on music they dance and flip the tubes! It is one of their favorites. For our students that are confined to a wheelchair, we place the tubes on the bleachers, tables, chairs, desks, or whatever else I can find that is at their height. We spread these things around the gym or the hallways and let the students travel on their own if they are able to do so. I am also considering turning ToppleTubes into a scavenger hunt throughout the building for these students. On the bottom of the tube I will attach clues to get them to find the next tube. I think they will love it!
I know others have ToppleTubes out there, and I would love to hear the creative ways you are utilizing this versatile ACTION! Game! Please comment in the thread so we can hear what you are doing! And if you don’t have Topple Tubes and want to purchase a set here is the link!
