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21 Things You Can Do with the Hoberman Sphere
by Kevin Eikenberry
1. Balancing act. Open the sphere and balance it on one hand. See how long you can balance it there without it closing or flipping over.
2. Flip down. Hold the closed sphere by one hub on top of your open palm. Flip the sphere over and watch it open. Then flip it back to the top of your palm and let it close. When you've gotten good at this, try it with your other hand!
3. Open bounce. A rug works best for this. Open the sphere fully. Holding the sphere open with two hands, toss it down to the floor. If you spin it toward you, it will bounce back into your hands. Do not try to bounce the sphere when it is closed!
4. Toss-up. Throw the sphere up above your head as you pull out on opposite hubs. It will open as it goes up and close as it comes down. Catch it!
5. Two-person catch. Throw the sphere to another person. If you spin the sphere slightly as you throw, it will open in mid-air. (Let your partner know it's coming before you throw it!)
6. Open spin. A hard floor works best for this. Open the sphere and place it on the floor. Holding an upper hub, spin the sphere and watch it move. Try spinning it on a hub, then a triangle, then a pentagon notice the different way it moves on each of these shapes.
7. Ballerina spin. Hold the open sphere by its top hub, with the bottom hub on the ground. Spin it around by the hub as you spin around it. See how long you can keep it open. If you get dizzy, spin the other way!
8. Square dance spin. Keep the open sphere spinning as above. Start with the sphere in front of you and your right hand on the hub, continue to face in the same direction as you spin the hub behind you and switch to your left hand. You spin around the sphere as the sphere spins around you!
9. Two-handed spin. With the sphere in closed position, place your hands on either side. Grasp a hub on each side and spin the sphere. Pull out on the hubs to twirl it open.
10. Mid-air bounce. Hold the nearly open sphere balanced with the bottom hub on top of your open hand. Steady it with your other hand either at the top or side. Now quickly push the bottom hub up to close the sphere as you let go with the steadying hand. It will appear to bounce closed and then open again in the air. Catch it before it drops! Repeat. (This one takes a little practice.)
11. Mid-air bounce and spin. Do the same as above, but spin the sphere as you push up on the bottom hub.
12. Two-handed spin open-to-close. Hold opposite hubs on the open sphere between your thumb and first two fingers. Spin and twirl the sphere as you close it. Now try the reverse. (This takes practice, but looks really cool!)
13. Continuous roll. Open the sphere and roll it in front of you across the floor. Watch it close. If you have a large open space, you can run behind it and continue to roll it, keeping it open by hitting the underpart of the upper hub. Races, anyone?
14. Mesmerizing. Holding the sphere by opposite hubs with your hands on either side, open and close the sphere as fast as you can, staring at the center.
15. Spikey hat. Wear the Hoberman Sphere on top of your head, opening it just enough to fit and stay on. Turn this into a cool activity by balancing it on your head as you walk, run, dance or move creatively. Try this in public! Also good for relay races.
16. Space helmet. Open the sphere enough to fit your whole head inside it, then close it to fit comfortably and let it rest on your shoulders. (We don't recommend running while wearing the Hoberman Sphere helmet!)
17. Thinking cap. An artist we know puts the sphere over his head when he is trying to think of a new idea. and expands it when the idea comes to him.
18. Sphereman. If you are small enough, you can wear the sphere around your middle.
19. Gimme Shelter. If you are small enough, place the sphere pentagon side down on a rug and climb inside. Have a seat!
20. Double fun. If you have two spheres, put on sphere closed on the ground. Now place a pentagon of the second sphere over it in opened position. Reach in and open the inner sphere. Lift them up and drop them. Watch them close together. What would happen with three spheres?
21. Mobile. Hang it from the ceiling to make a room decoration that you can open & close. Follow directions in booklet enclosed in the box with your sphere.
Grown-ups: Many of these activities are fun for grown-ups, too. Try incorporating them into your exercise routine for a fun upper-body workout! Parents: Besides being fun, perfecting these activities require a child (or grown-up) to practice physical and hand-eye coordination. Playing with the Hoberman Sphere is a fun way to exercise both your body and your creativity. We recommend most of these activities for school-age and up, some of them may be unsuitable for younger children.
©Kevin Eikenberry 1999. Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on Unleashing Your Potential go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.
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