Nesting Cups · Beadbar

Safety

The smallest cup must not fit the small parts test cylinder (1.25 in. × 2.25 in.).
Use wood, metal, or sturdy plastic cups, not glass or ceramic, and check for cracks and sharp edges before use.

1
Invite the child to a low table or a floor mat and sit beside them.
2
Take the nested cups out of the basket and separate them slowly, one at a time, placing them in a random row.
3
Pick up the largest cup and place it in front of you.
4
Pick up the middle cup, look at both cups, and lower it into the largest.
5
Pick up the smallest cup and lower it into the middle one. Point of interest: each cup dropping inside the next.
6
Take the cups apart again and offer them to the child. Let them try without correcting.
7
If the child pushes a larger cup onto a smaller one and stays stuck, wait. If they look to you, place the cups side by side and say only, "Try another."

Five cups instead of three
Turn the cups upside down and stack them into a tower, largest at the bottom
Hide an object under the largest cup for the child to find, using an object too large for the small parts test cylinder

A cup that is too large does not go inside the next one; if the order is wrong, a cup is left over at the end.