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Team games in the recreation room

If it is raining outside and a relatively large recreation room is available, the games can also be played indoors. There should approx 3-5 kids per team. A small tournament can be organised if there are 3-4 teams.

1. Sitting football

   2 teams of 3-4 players try to bring a balloon into the opponent’s goal. The players are however sitting on old cut-offs of carpet which they use to slide around. They are not allowed to stand up. It’s not called sitting football for nothing.

2. Ring hockey

   Ring hockey is a team game which is suitable for a large recreational room, sports hall or corridor. The aim of the game is to shoot the ring into the opponent’s goal. You will need 2 teams with max 6 players in each team, a ring (small rubber ring which can be slipped along the floor easily) sticks (upturned sweeping brushes) and 2 goals. You will also need slippery floor surface (sports hall, corridor). Rules: The ring can only be moved along with the stick. It is a little bit like hockey (the stick can be pushed into the centre of the ring). The ring can be stopped with the foot but must be immediately re-released. Important: Watch out that no players swing the stick so hard that they could injure other players!

   I have introduced a rule: The player with the ring is the victim! That means he can be pushed or hindered…etc. This rule means that there are less egoistical players who simply run from the back to the front and wait for the passes. (Obviously no tackles are allowed which may cause serious injuries! Small bumps are OK; this is part of the learning process.
   If you don’t have a ring: A dishcloth or shoe can also be used.

3. Teacloth volleyball

   The game is similar to volleyball, in that it is played over a net. A piece of string or a small net is stretched across the room. 2 team members are always in possession of the teacloth and try to spike and keep the ball in the air. A light rubber ball or several balloons are suitable to play.

4. Crab football

   In the crab position/crab walk (on all fours with the belly pointing upwards) all players try to play football. The difficulty is that the bottom is not allowed to touch the ground.

5. Newspaper hockey

   In a recreation room, it isn’t always a good idea to play with ice hockey sticks (even if we almost always do so). Instead of hockey sticks and puck, a rolled up newspaper and tennis ball can be used. Chairs or table can be used as goal posts. Each team has 2-3 players who play in a knockout system or play one on one against a member of the other team.

6. Sitting football with place change

   This game is similar to seated football but once the players have chosen a place to sit, they must stay there. Each member of the team chooses a spot in the recreation room and is far enough away from the other players that both players cannot reach the ball with his hands or feet. If you want to make it more difficult, everyone is only allowed to use one hand. A balloon or a foam ball can be used as a football.

7. Indoor flip golf

   For this game, you will need some plates as well as playing stones which can be flipped. The plates are made into a golfing range in the room. At a starting point, one stone is flipped with a second stone as far as possible onto the range so that the stone lands on a plate in as few shots as possible. If necessary, the different stations can be played by different teams at the same time.

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