Hobbies And Interests
Potato Balancing Race
Before holding any race, make sure you have a flag or whistle to signal the start and end of a race, and markers to establish start and goal lines.
You and the kids can try balancing a potato and racing simultaneously. You also can race with an egg, but to avoid a mess, make sure it's hard-boiled. You will need some small- to medium-sized potatoes and, to make it more challenging, regular-sized plastic spoons that are smaller than the potatoes. Have everyone balance a potato on a spoon. Once the race begins, head to the goal line and return to the starting line without dropping your potato. If you make it back first, you are the winner.
Sack Races
If you can get hold of some burlap sacks or old pillowcases, you and your group of kids can enjoy a sack race. Have each child climb into the sack and hold the sack's edges up around his hips or waist. To win this race, participants must hop from the start line to the goal line, and back to the start line.
You also can have two kids occupy one sack or pillowcase. After everyone has a partner, make sure at least one of the pair has both feet inside the sack. Players should discuss the best ways to move quickly without the sack falling down. As with single-player sack races, the first pair to run from the start line to the goal line and back wins the race.
Kick the Can Race
If you want to hold a race that combines racing with a classic kids game (in this case, hide and seek), you can play Kick the Can. After putting an empty can in a large open area, select the player to be "it" and choose an area near the can that will serve as "jail." Have the "it" kid count to 50 while the other players hide. Once the seeker finds someone, he calls the player's name and location, and both race to the can to see who will be the first to kick it.
The hider goes to jail if the "it" kid kicks the can first, though if the hider kicks the can first, he frees anyone in jail at that time and the "it" player must count again. If the "it" player is the only player remaining who has not gone to jail, you can start a new game with a new "it" kid.
Three-Legged Race
For the three-legged race, kids may want to team with an adult, so be careful and move a little slower than you would if your partner were another adult. You will need several pieces of twine to tie one of your legs to your partner's leg (hence, moving with three legs). Once everyone is tied up, you race each other from the start line to the goal line, and then back to the start line. If you or your partner falls during the race, you can pick yourself up and continue. Whichever pair is the first to make it back to the start line wins the race.