Hobbies And Interests
Slow Speed Challenge
This is a race—but the winner will be last to cross the finish line. To prepare for this game, draw two or more lanes with chalk, wide enough for the players to easily pedal down. The lanes can be as long as you like, but they should be at least 15 feet long. To begin, the participants line up at the end of their lanes and begin pedaling forward at the referee’s signal. The goal is to pedal as slowly as possible, without taking either foot off the pedals and touching the ground. The last player to cross the finish line wins.
Leap Frog
To begin, all participants form a straight line behind the leader. The leader may go as quickly or slowly as he wishes. The last participant attempts to overtake the leader. When she does, she becomes the new leader. Continue playing until everyone has had a turn to be the leader.
Calf Roping Hula
You’ll need several hula-hoops for this rodeo-inspired game. Prepare a course, either a straight lane or something more intricate. Set the hoops at the beginning of the course or at a designated point along the way and set up a folding chair about midway through the course. At a given signal, each player takes a turn on the course, stopping to pick up a hula hoop and tossing it around the folding chair before cycling to the finish line. You can either decide a winner by time or by how many hulas he has tossed successfully around the chair.
Tightrope Tollbooth
With a piece of chalk, draw a 3-inch wide lane as long as you wish; 50 feet is ideal, but you can shorten or lengthen according to how much space you have. Place a can or bucket at the end of the lane and give each player a penny or small stone. The players take turns riding the “tightrope,” trying to stay inside the lane. They must drop their penny or stone into the bucket at the end of the lane. You can either have the player who best stays within the lines win or the fastest player, if you use a stopwatch.