There are no real family sports in this world, and what we call family sports are often adaptations of a formally recognized sport of some kind. The family sports we make up together are likely to be sports that we can all have fun together: we don't need very formal sports facilities and sports equipment, just simple unofficial facilities for the purest of pleasures, and family sports are highly participatory and the preferred form of recreation for young and old alike. As you can imagine, when we finish our busy work and study schedule during the weekday, come the weekend the family gets together and does some sports together with just the right amount of competitiveness mixed with humor that will bring back new memories and make you laugh when it's all over. I'll be recommending 5 simple indoor sports and games for family members to play together in this blog.
1. Archery
Archery has become hugely popular in the last five years thanks to the archers in Lord of the Rings, Daredevil, The Avengers, and Arrow. Another major driving factor is of course Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. Archery is often one of the very interesting sports in the minds of young enthusiasts who love online culture and love watching movies. Because the characters in the show look very dashing and powerful, matching the image of the hero they expect in their minds. The sport is aimed at children who enjoy independent activities (usually 10 years old, but some clubs allow younger) and adults who are still childlike. The sport exercises focus, patience, and persistence. In addition to traditional target archery (aiming at a stationary bullseye from a known distance), there are variants such as 3-D (aiming at a moving shape at an unknown distance) or field (essentially golf course play). However, true archery requires a high demand for both field and equipment and requires a licensed club to perform the activity.
We can try to make some changes to the sport. Without changing its purpose, simplify the equipment and venue so that everyone in the family (especially small children) can do "target shooting". Revisiting our childhood memories, the improvised rubber band slingshot is one of the most precious memories of our childhood. All you need is rubber bands and a target - which can be anything you have lying around the house, from tin cans to stuffed animals. The lighter your target, the easier it will be to hit. The instructions are simple - get ready, aim, and fire! We can shoot at points, "price" different objects in the house, and score points for hitting them to make the game more interesting. In the end, the member with the higher score is the winner.
Difficulty: 3/5
2. Bowling
Whether the goal is five-pin or 10-pin, you don't have to get hung up on times and scores. That's not to say it isn't important for developing physical literacy - the sport improves coordination, balance, and fine motor skills. In addition, it is non-aggressive, has a handicap scoring system, and allows for fair competition and equal participation by all. Youth leagues are team-based, but at the end of the day, bowling is an individual sport - you're up against the ball bottle. But bowling has higher demands on the field and can cause ligament strains.
We can try to move this sport into the home for this. For bowling bottles, you can use whatever is available at home. That said, lighter "bowling bottles" make less noise when they fall, so be a considerate neighbor and stick to plastic bottles, empty toilet paper, and stuffed animals. Take turns rolling the ball into the bowling bottle from a distance and count how many people fall in each round. 3-4 rounds later, the scores are tallied and the tournament winner is determined. One suggestion is to set up a "lane" for your family bowling tournament - it's easier to score and you won't break your back in all rounds. If your home allows it, use a narrow lane. Otherwise, you can always get creative in the alleys of furniture or books.
And we can bring all the fun of the bowling alley outside to the park! You can go the DIY route and make a simple set of your own. Use tall cans or bottles, fill them with sand or water, and weigh them slightly. Get creative and make it a craft project for the kids - use colored water or paint in the bottle to decorate the outside and make the game more fun.
At the park, take turns trying to knock down a bowling ball with a ball. Try a tennis ball, small basketball, or any other type of ball to find the one that works best for your bowling setup.
Difficulty: 2/5
3. Table Tennis
Table Tennis originated in England in the 1880s. It was created as an adaptation of lawn tennis so that players could enjoy the game when it was too cold to play outside. Don't let the 'ping pong' nickname fool you, Table Tennis is serious business. Proficiency improves concentration and alertness, stimulates brain function, develops hand-eye coordination, and provides exercise. The wonderful thing about Table Tennis is that anyone, of any age, or ability, can play. It may seem like Table Tennis has very few restrictions, but it requires a lot of physical strength and coordination from the player, and a good table tennis table and paddle are essential.
We can make this sport a little more actionable. There is a classic ping pong game where all you need is a ping pong ball and a cup. When you are ready, stand about 1 meter away and take turns trying to throw the ball into the cup. If the ball lands in the cup, you will earn a point, and the first person to earn 3 points will win the event. This simple game will show you who has the best motor skills - who hits the most beer pong balls. If this game is not too difficult for you, you can try another ping pong game. Line up small glasses filled with four-fifths of water and take turns blowing the ping pong balls so that they jump over one cup after another, to make it reach the last glass without ever landing on the table. Once blown out of the glass, you have to go back to the starting point and start again. This is a game that tests your lung capacity and also requires you to precisely control the force of the blow-out so that the ping-pong balls march forward obediently. The first person to achieve this goal will win the game.
Difficulty: 4/5
4. Soccer
Soccer is relatively easy to learn the game. The objective of kicking the ball into the goal is easy to grasp, the rules are not too difficult, and the scoring system is simple for kids of any age. Many team sports are more suited to people of a certain height, strength, or speed, but Soccer is for anyone. Each different position on the field requires different abilities, so everyone has the opportunity to make the most of their strengths. We can try to change the rules to something that kids will be happy to play.
Red light, Green light is an interesting game. In this game, one person is chosen as the red light and stands on one side of the field or play area. The rest of the group starts on the other side and looks at the traffic light for directions. When the stoplight sounds "green", all other players can move to the other side. When the light goes "Red!" the player must stop moving and stay put. The red light can also face the player during the red light and turn its back to the other players during the green light for added excitement. If any player is caught moving during a red light, they must return to the starting point. The first player to get through the red light to the other side wins the round and becomes the red light for the next round. This game is perfect for young children learning to follow instructions.
Difficulty: 3/5
5. Hopscotch
As a classic outdoor game, no one can refuse to see the hopscotch grid without jumping up and down and taking two steps, and it can be said that anyone will enjoy this game. The game of hopscotch is not directly related to any sports, but it is an initiation for children to develop an interest in sports. You don't even have to go to the park, you can draw the hopscotch grid on the sidewalk in front of your house.
To play the original version of hopscotch, draw a simple square on the sidewalk with chalk and number the squares 1 through 9. To start the game, throw a small marker - such as a rock, bean bag, or small toy - into the square and jump over it and continue jumping to the rest of the numbers. Turn around and jump back to the starting point, picking up your marker on the way back. Give the marker to the next player, then on your next turn, throw the marker to the next number. If a player throws a marker to the wrong number, or loses their balance and falls, they are out of the game. The goal is to complete the entire course with the marker on each number. This is a great game for kids of all ages - keep it simple for younger kids and adapt the challenge for older kids. Using colored chalk lessons or decorating with your designs instead of numbers is encouraged. You can adjust the shape and size of the course for younger children and use numbers, letters, shapes, etc. to encourage learning while you play. You can make endless variations on a hopscotch course, designing spiral shapes instead of the usual square linear courses, or you can design extra-long courses as well. You can also draw a series of squares on the path with directions, such as "jump on one foot", "do a little dance" or "jump five jacks". Set a timer or use a stopwatch to see who can read and follow all the directions in the fastest time. In short, hopscotch is much more fun than we thought.
Difficulty: 2/5
In fact, we are usually so busy that the time we get to stay home and enjoy our families is rare and should be cherished. Even if it seems like a daunting task, give it a try! Start by making connections with these indoor sports and games to create new memories and enjoy each other's presence.
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