Summer Games

Summer Games

Now that summer is here and school is almost out, it's time to start finding some fun, new outdoor games that you can enjoy with your friends. We all know the classic games like tag and hide-and-seek. Although these are the games that we all learn to play at a young age, you may think that they aren't too much fun any more, but even the usual games can be spiced up. There are also sporting games like badminton, tennis, croquet and bocce ball.

Team sports are a lot of fun for large groups. If you have enough willing participants, you can organize games of soccer or football, maybe rugby or ultimate frisbee. These team sports are filled with rules, but someone among your group of friends is sure to know some of them. If you want to try something a little different, you can try capture the flag.

Capture the Flag
To play capture the flag you will need enough people to make at least two teams, and it's best if the teams have an equal number of players. You should probably try to have teams with at least three players per side. In many ways, capture the flag is similar to tag, so you need to have a few people per team to make the game fun.

Next you have to establish specific rules for the game.  Capture the flag can be played in many ways, so you need to figure out how you want to play your game. Each team needs a base, a place where players can run to be safe from being tagged by opposing players. Many people also like to have time limits on how long individual players can stay at base in a given time. You also need to figure out the rules for when a player is tagged -- they can be removed from the game, or be put "in jail" for a specific period of time, or they can become part of the opposing team.

Then each team hides their flag, which can be any type of item. Now it's time to play.  Each team starts at base, then frantically runs around tagging other players, trying not to be tagged and desperately trying to steal the opposing team's flag and return it to their team's base.

Extreme Treasure Hunt
Most of us think that treasure hunts are too easy, but you can get your parents to organize some truly extreme treasure hunts. Start by getting something fabulous to hide -- it doesn't have to be expensive, but it should be shiny and treasury. You will also need to have plenty of room to play the game with plenty of hiding places for clues and treasure. After you have your hiding places, you need some well thought-out and tricky clues. Of course, if you want to be able to participate, you will need to find someone who is willing to set it up for you, like a parent or favorite aunt or uncle.

Once you have your extreme treasure hunt set up, you will have lots of fun chasing your friends to the great treasure. You will have to run fast and think hard to decipher all of the clues. Being the first to discover the treasure is always a great way to end a day of friendly competition with your friends.

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