Pipeline Challenge

Each student holds a section of pipe made from cardstock folded into a channel, and the group must roll a tennis ball through all the pipes into a bucket far away. Students practice accuracy, anticipation, and coordinating with the group.

How to play

1. Make 4 groups of 6 (one of 7). Each student gets a sheet of cardstock folded into a channel about 16 inches long. A bucket marked with cones sits 45 feet from each group.
2. 3-minute practice: standing in a line, students pass the ball from pipe to pipe without it touching the floor or their hands.
3. Challenge: get the ball into the bucket. After passing the ball, a student runs to the end of the line to extend the pipeline. If the ball drops, it goes back to the start (6 min).
4. Count how many balls each group gets into its bucket and add up the class total.
5. Round two: raise the challenge with 2 balls in the pipeline at once and try to beat the class total (6 min). 3-minute wrap-up.

Rules

• The ball can't touch hands or roll backward.
• Run to the end of the line along the outside, not between classmates.
• Take care of the cardstock: don't hit it or step on it.
• The score belongs to the whole class.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a student using a wheelchair holds a fixed section at the end, next to the bucket, and doesn't need to run.
• Visual impairment: use a ball with a bell, and the previous student says "coming."
• Skill level: faster groups use shorter pipes, which demand more accuracy.

Learning goals

• Adjust the pipe's angle to control the ball.
• Anticipate the previous classmate's movement.
• Cooperate to reach a shared goal.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cardstock: 25
• tennis balls: 8
• buckets: 4
• cones: 8

Teacher tip

Heavy cardstock or cardboard tubes cut in half last longer. If the balls bounce too much, switch to foam balls.

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