Games We Play

Just for fun. :) 

I am sure I have showed a few of these before, but just thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite outdoor, and occasionally made up, games: 

Duck Hunt: 

                      

This picture was taken one day (a few years back) when I naively thought my boys were playing sweetly on the back porch. I had even peeked out the window a few times... then, it dawned on me what they were doing! They were playing "Duck Hunt" and their little brother was the duck! I could actually hear the nerf darts pinging of the helmet (but it was kind of them to think of a helmet, don't you think?). Well, I thought it might be prudent to put a stop to the game, but not before I captured the moment! 

????:

Ummm.... I am still not sure what this is. A ball, a mitt, a baseball helmet with mask, a goal, and hockey sticks. Looks fun. 

And then there is rip/football with a basket:

I don't know if there are rules to go with this one or it's make up as you go along. It is hard to see, but there is a blue football sailing through the air in the above photo. Ending with a slam dunk below.

This one is pretty universal, but everyone the boys have played 

with has their own variation on the rules: 

 Needed: More than one player, a wall, and a tennis or other soft ball.

And then you are ready to play "bottoms up" (actually called but "butts up", but this is a "G" rated blog :)).

A player throws the ball against the wall. If anyone touches but does not catch the ball on the rebound, he must touch the wall before the next throw makes contact with the wall. If that player did not reach the wall, he must line up to get hit in the tushy with ball. Usually, restraint is used, but occasionally... not so much.

 Probably the most frequently played game here is Knock Out: 

Two basketballs, as many players as you have, line up... player #1 shoots, player #2 shoots, if player #2 gets the ball in before player #1, player #1 is out.

And so on down the line.

The kids often lower the hoop when playing with James so he can have fun too. Although, he is starting to keep up with the big guys more and more. 

And even the oldest kids like to play.

Broom Ball: 

If this isn't the weirdest picture- taken out the window, James in his feeties, playing with their art teacher. I don't know how this came to be, but a frequently played game around here involves a broom to guard the basket. Other than that, I have no idea what the deal is.  

The newest craze: 

Played with two or more players (although they decided they like two player best). From watching, and being the assigned ref for a few games, this seems to me to be a mix of 4 square and ping-pong played with badminton rackets and a tennis ball.