If it's May 19-26, it's National Backyard Games Week

Patch Products is once again sponsoring National Backyard Games week, bless their fun-making hearts.

In his Herald Tribune article Come Out and Play, Gerry Galipault catalogs some of the games scheduled for National Backyard Games week:

"Physical Education Hall of Shame (They may try to ban them at school, but there’s no law against them at home: Dodge Ball, Duck-Duck-Goose, Line Soccer, Messy Backyard, Musical Chairs, Simon Says, Spud, Steal the Bacon and Tag. Just watch out for bruised egos.) Office Olympics (Who says you can’t have games at work? Be more like Dunder Mifflin.)

"Old standbys (Capture the Flag, Crack the Whip, Family Flag Football, Frisbee Golf, Hide and Seek, Horseshoes, Hula-Hoop Contest, Jail Break, Kick the Can, Limbo, Marco Polo, Mother May I, Red Light-Green Light, Scavenger Hunt, Stoplight, What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?)

"Suitcase Relay (Pack a suitcase with all kinds of clothes. Participants unpack the suitcase, put on all of the items and run across to a line of waiting teammates. The first team to complete the relay wins.)

"Other relay games (Baby Care Relay, Backseat Driver, Ball Relay, Balloon Head Race, Banana Olympics, Beanbag Bowling, Big Foot, Blanket Carry, Bucket Brigade, Chimp Race, Cup Stack Relay Knock Down, Dizzy Basketball. Water Balloon Volleyball (Throw and catch water balloons over a volleyball net using a sheet or blanket.)

"Other water games (Beach Ball Balance Race, Beach Ball Bumper Pool, Dolphin Relay, Fill the Bottle, Greased Watermelon Polo, Hole In The Bucket, Jump Rope Water Splash, Over/Under Game, Poison Pool Toss, Shaving Cream Shoot Off, Sponge Toss Contest, The Shark & The Mermaids, Trash Target, Tugboat Relay Race."

I, on the other hand, would rather see a National DIY Games Week, where families invent and teach other families completely new games to play. But that's me. And, though the games are mostly competitive, they're so many of them that most playful purposes should in deed be satisfied.

via Yehuda

from Bernie DeKoven, funsmith