If you’ve ever seen the sport of speed stacking, you know that it requires bursts of quickness and hand-eye coordination that’s worth bragging about. I’m no speed stacker, but I’d be willing to learn just to save some time emptying the dishwasher.
With Quick Cups from Spin Master, kids can get a taste of sport stacking as they race to be the first to complete color sequences using a set of five different colored cups. Designed for two to six players ages 6 and up, Quick Cups is the perfect combination of color pattern matching and speed stacking, making it an exhilarating challenge for the entire family. Included in the box are 24 picture cards, one bell, an instruction sheet, and six sets of five cups in red, blue, yellow, green, and black.
Once all the contents are out of the box and every player has their own set of cups, the game begins with the youngest player in the group flipping over one of the picture cards for everyone to see. Quick Cups is best played on a large, flat surface such as a table or a hardwood floor, but a soft carpet is also a viable option. After the card is drawn, players must analyze it as quickly as they can and then stack their cups to match the color sequence it displays. The first player who successfully organizes their cups in the correct order and rings the bell in the center wins the card, and a point. Once all 24 cards have been played, the player with the most cards earns the Quick Cups crown. It’s a game of fast rounds where everyone involved has a shot to win.
While the picture cards do show either a horizontal or vertical sequence of colors, they weren’t what I expected them to be. Instead of using simple, solid-colored shapes to display the sequence, Quick Cups utilizes detailed illustration sets that force players to do a little quick thinking. For example, there are cards that sport mushrooms, paintbrushes, and alien spaceships with different shades of the same color to show depth. Some cards even have only one multicolored image, like a three-scoop ice cream cone, a striped T-shirt (that I would never wear), or my personal favorite: a colorful parrot with a green mohawk. While this deviation from the norm may seem like no big deal, it’s a flair that’s guaranteed to make players’ heads scramble and sweat in the heat of the moment as they try to pick apart the color sequence and arrange it correctly.
Ultimately, Quick Cups from Spin Master offers fast-paced group play that fuels excitement and friendly competition. The cups are perfectly sized for younger hands, and the array of unique illustrations force kids to think on their feet while opponents ride their heels. And throughout all the fun, improved ambidexterity and hand-eye coordination may even result in a little less time at the dishwasher.
