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4th Grade Class Takes Game of 'Rock Paper Scissors' to a Whole New Level

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When you were a kid, what kind of games did you play? Wherever children congregate, there are sure to be games of some sort or another, and a lot of them have been passed down from generation to generation.

Tag. Hide-and-seek. Jump rope. Red Rover. And the time-honored ultimate way of making difficult calls?



Rock, paper, scissors. The concept is simple (though the logic behind why paper beats rock still seems questionable), and most kids know and have used it at some point.

It doesn’t require training, or any particular athletic ability, though there are ways to stack the odds in your favor.

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One school has taken the simple concept and given it an upgrade by putting it into an entirely different context. Lowell Elementary School’s Eric Branch first posted the video online in early August.

“4th graders getting hyped for Hoop Hop Showdown today,” he wrote. “I’m pretty sure this could fill a 30 minute time slot on ESPN 8: The Ocho.”

A PE teacher for the elementary school, it’s clear that Branch has the position for a reason. Watch the video closely: this is a game you’re going to want to steal if you’re a teacher or help with summer camps or VBS.

The kids are broken up into two teams. They stand at opposite sides of the gym, and between the two groups is a long line of hula hoops, snaking back and forth.

To start, the first member of each team begins hopping forward, hoop by hoop, as fast as they can, until they’re facing the opposing team member.

At that point, they duke it out with rock-paper-scissors until there’s a winner: The winner moves forward, while the losing kid runs back to his or her team and the next student on their team starts hopping forward.



This continues, ostensibly, until one team makes it to the other team’s side, but it’s a wonderful blend of athleticism and chance. Lots of team-building and cheering goes on, and the kids seem to love it.

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Branch refers to the game as “Hoop hop showdown,” and it’s gone viral. About a week or so after Branch originally posted it, ESPN retweeted the video, giving it their stamp of approval.

There are so many ways to build strength, fitness, and strategy in children, and the internet is a wonderfully resourceful place. Branch also posted a video of another game his students love, which is like a huge relay version of tic-tac-toe with an added flipping element.

What do you think? Do you know kids who would love this game?

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