Right now, the majority of us are still safe at home, and, at least for my family, that means we’re all going a little stir crazy. But it’s also allowed my husband and I to discover that we have two amazingly creative kids. That being said, it wouldn’t be fair to keep the games they created to ourselves, so here are our two favorites.
SUPERHERO TRAINING CAMP
I have to admit, this is my favorite. My son is an avid fan of all superheroes and this was his brainchild. Here’s how it goes:
– Decide what superhero you want to be (feel free to make one up). My daughter is always some kind of warrior princess with magical powers and my son alternates between Batman and Captain America. Anything or anyone works… use your imagination.
– Grab anything you might have lying around the house that you can use to make an obstacle course. You can use ANYTHING. Imagination is key. We use a hula hoop, nerf arrow and darts, water guns, targets, jump rope, balloons, frisbees, anything we can get our hands on.
– Once you’ve gathered your goodies, it’s time to go outside. Make sure you find a wide-open space to play in. Set each “training” object in a spot on the grass, leaving ample space between them – this can get a little crazy.
– Make a horizontal “starting” line for your heroes. Label a tree or a wall with the word “jail.”
– Grab some construction paper, index cards, anything that you can cut into squares or rectangles. You want to make two sets of cards, preferably in different colors. On the back of the first set, you will write “training” activities. Here you get to exercise your power as a parent. How hard do you want these kids to work? It’s totally up to you. I generally write things like, “jump rope five times” or “run around the house three times.” On the second set, you write “find and subdue the bad guy.” Shuffle the two piles together and split them into separate stacks for each “hero.” Place the stacks on a table/box/chair a few yards away from the starting line.
– You’re ready to start (usually at this point, my kids are done putting their costumes on and run outside to make sure I’m doing everything right). Have the kids stand side-by-side on the starting line. Count down to five then have the kids run to the place where you set their cards. They will each draw one. If they both get activity cards, they must race to the activity. The first person to complete their activity gets a point. If someone gets a “bad guy” card, they have to yell out “battle.” At that point, the other child stops what they are doing and becomes the bad guy. If the “bad guy/girl” makes it to the jail before the superhero catches them, they get a point. If the superhero catches them, they get a point. After the point is given for the round, the heroes return to the starting line, and it all starts again until the cards run out.
– Finishing the Game: Once the cards run out, the child with the most points chooses a sweet treat they can share.
WATER BALLOON BOWLING
Outdoor bowling and water balloons are common outdoor activities, but not the way we do it. Here’s our take on it – proceed with caution and get ready to get soaked. Forget your swimsuit.
– Grab a laundry basket, preferable one with lots of holes.
– Grab the flimsiest water balloons you can find. You want those bad boys to break on impact.
– Grab a super soaker. The more powerful the better.
– Get out your splash pool or slip and slide.
– Fill up your super soaker, your water balloons, and get that slip and slide ready to go!
– Place six water balloons at the bottom of the slip and slide and six water balloons in the laundry basket.
– Hand over the super soaker to one player and have them stand in front of the laundry basket. The other player should stand in front of the slip and slide.
– Set a timer for 15 seconds then count down from five. The player who is standing by the laundry basket uses the super soaker to break the balloons while the other player uses their body to break the balloons. At the end of the 15 seconds, whoever breaks the most balloons is the winner.
– The players alternate positions for the next round. You can continue this rotation until everyone is too tired to play. After that, dry off and have some ice cream to celebrate.
These are our two favorite 2020 summer games. I hope your family enjoys them. Stay happy and healthy and enjoy the rest of the summer.
