War Games - The Play of the Day
Getting kids,and ourselves, out of the house these days and unplugged from the techno-world can be an incredible challenge.
But with the right idea and the proper equipment you may find yourself a bit surprised that they don't want to come back in and zone out in front of the computer or TV.
Why not stage a neighborhood "battle re-enactment" and encourage some old-fashioned interacting instead of the solitary behavior we are all getting sadly accustomed to? First and foremost, you need a clear objective.
Are you trying to encourage teamwork, family time, neighborly bonding, good social skills, sportsmanship, or do you just want something fun and unique to do? One way to get settled on the purpose for such an event is to take a good look at your children, and yourselves, and see what you can do to help them develop certain character traits they are somewhat less than exemplary in, and then give them some practice at it.
Practice is always more enjoyable when there is some play involved.
Also, remember this needs some walking/playing along side, not just setting something up with a bunch of young people and walking away.
Besides, you might find yourself enjoying it as much as they do.
Now, for the strategy: Research an exciting battle story from history.
This can include Revolutionary War, World Wars, Ancient Battles.
It gets even better if you had ancestors who fought.
Get those involved acquainted with the history of the battle, and then set up a mock battle they can participate in.
Equipment and setup: Silly string.
Obviously you can use any kind of equipment, but since you do not want to incur actual death, using silly string as a weapon of war will make it a lot more "friendly" as you re-enact your battle scenes.
There are silly string guns that come with 2 cans of string per gun, and you can purchase extra cans.
If you are setting up a more recent battle, fishing string strung as trip wires, and using silly string to discover the danger zones is a good idea too.
Just make sure you have enough on hand to play hard.
Get the kids involved in setting up the boundaries, and the battle plans.
Give names to the soldiers, and the sides they are on.
Dressing the part always makes it feel more authentic.
Outline the safety and good sportsmanship rules.
Then, give the battle cry, and go for it.
But with the right idea and the proper equipment you may find yourself a bit surprised that they don't want to come back in and zone out in front of the computer or TV.
Why not stage a neighborhood "battle re-enactment" and encourage some old-fashioned interacting instead of the solitary behavior we are all getting sadly accustomed to? First and foremost, you need a clear objective.
Are you trying to encourage teamwork, family time, neighborly bonding, good social skills, sportsmanship, or do you just want something fun and unique to do? One way to get settled on the purpose for such an event is to take a good look at your children, and yourselves, and see what you can do to help them develop certain character traits they are somewhat less than exemplary in, and then give them some practice at it.
Practice is always more enjoyable when there is some play involved.
Also, remember this needs some walking/playing along side, not just setting something up with a bunch of young people and walking away.
Besides, you might find yourself enjoying it as much as they do.
Now, for the strategy: Research an exciting battle story from history.
This can include Revolutionary War, World Wars, Ancient Battles.
It gets even better if you had ancestors who fought.
Get those involved acquainted with the history of the battle, and then set up a mock battle they can participate in.
Equipment and setup: Silly string.
Obviously you can use any kind of equipment, but since you do not want to incur actual death, using silly string as a weapon of war will make it a lot more "friendly" as you re-enact your battle scenes.
There are silly string guns that come with 2 cans of string per gun, and you can purchase extra cans.
If you are setting up a more recent battle, fishing string strung as trip wires, and using silly string to discover the danger zones is a good idea too.
Just make sure you have enough on hand to play hard.
Get the kids involved in setting up the boundaries, and the battle plans.
Give names to the soldiers, and the sides they are on.
Dressing the part always makes it feel more authentic.
Outline the safety and good sportsmanship rules.
Then, give the battle cry, and go for it.
Source...