Olympics a golden opportunity for exercise motivation
Are you watching the Olympics? Why not use this occasion to inspire your family to be a little more active? You can stage your own version of the Olympics in your neighborhood or as a great activity for a family reunion. Here are some ideas for events you might try for kids and grown-ups alike:
Disc toss
Mark a circle in the grass with spray paint or on the driveway with chalk. Use a Frisbee and ask each person to stand in the circle and throw the disc as far as possible. Designate a marking judge and give each person three chances. The person who throws the disc the farthest wins.
Gymnastics
Have a cartwheel contest. See who can do the most cartwheels in a row or choose 3 judges and have them judge each competitor’s cartwheel based on form.
Foot races
Group contestants by age, mark off a start and finish line and run simple races. Or, set up a relay. Stick American flags in buckets filled with sand and line them up on one side of your yard. Choose teams and ask each team to line up across from the buckets. On your “Go,” the first team member runs to his bucket, grabs a flag and runs back to his team. The first team to gather all the flags and cross the finish line wins.
‘Water’ polo
Play a dry land version of water polo by dividing your group into two teams. Place two laundry baskets directly across from each other, about 50 feet apart. These are the “goals” for each team. Give one player a water balloon.
On your “Go,” the players on one team must pass and toss the balloon to each other, trying to get the balloon in their basket without the other team breaking or stealing the balloon. If the balloons break, it just adds to the fun.
Make sure you have a large supply of filled balloons available for the inevitable.
‘Archery’
Hang a hula hoop from a tree limb. Use two pieces of rope or cord several inches apart so that the hoop hangs straight.
Give each contestant 3 beanbags or baseballs or other small, safe, throwable objects and see who can get the most of them through the hoop.
You probably can come up with other events that your family and friends would enjoy. The point is that you enjoy spending time together doing something active.
