Balloon football

Purpose
An energetic game, requiring team cooperation.

You will need
Several balloons (they tend to burst!)
Two waste paper baskets
Two low, sturdy chairs
A fair amount of space

How to do it
Divide the group into two teams, facing each other from opposite ends of the room. One member of each team, the "goalie", stands behind the opposing team, on the chair, holding the waste paper basket.

The referee throws a balloon into the air in the middle of the room. Players hit it with their hands (not allowed to hold it at any time), trying to get it past the opposing team to their own goalie, who must catch it in the basket. The goalie must stay on the chair, and must not handle the balloon, but can move the basket to catch it.

Physical contact needs monitoring – you may need to impose rules about it!

VARIATIONS

Use a mat instead of a chair for the goalie to stand on

Use basketball nets if fitted in your room

Sit the teams in lines facing each other – a goal is scored if you can get the balloon to land on the floor behind the opposing team

Put up a net and use volleyball type rules