Morning game · No. 19
Pendulum Passage
Move cups across a tabletop one at a time while a soft pendulum swings through the route.
- Ages
- 3+
- Energy
- Low
Helps with
What you need
- 5–8 lightweight cups
- One rolled-up sock
- One short scarf or ribbon
Set up
Tie the rolled sock securely to one end of the scarf or ribbon. The adult holds the other end so the sock hangs just above the table. Put all the cups on one side of the pendulum’s path.
How to play
The adult gives the soft pendulum a small, steady swing from side to side. The other player watches it and moves one cup at a time across the swing path to the opposite side. Wait for an opening, carry the cup through, release it, and move the hand away before the pendulum returns.
Continue until every cup has crossed, then move them back the other way. Swap roles only if the child can hold the ribbon still and make a very small, predictable swing.
A touch from the sock simply means freeze, reset that cup, and watch one full swing before trying again. Keep the arc slow and below shoulder height, and never wrap the ribbon around a hand, neck, or body.