Alpal's Summer Fun

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been really busy. but anyways. So summer is here!

Now there is so much time to do anything I want! Hang with the neighborhood kids, swim read, listen to music, anything! One of my favorite things to do is hang out with the neighborhood kids.

There are like a MILLION (well I'm exaggerating a little) kids in my neighborhood and most of us go to the same school. We have a lot of fun messing around, laughing and playing different games.

I'm going to tell you about and how to play some of our favorite games. Some are made up, but most are pretty familiar:

CAPTURE THE FLAG

This game is probably one of our neighborhoods all time favorite games. The least amount of people you can have is four, but I suggest having at least eight or more because the more people you have, the more fun it will be.

First you divide into even teams of two (If you have an odd number of kids, then split up evenly according to age, like the team with more kids has more of the younger kids, and the other team with less kids has more of the older kids) and give each team a flag.

The flag can pretty much be anything, preferably small, like an old sock, glove, or even a real flag. Then each team will get part of the yard your playing in (one team gets the front yard, the other team gets the back yard) which will be there territory. Each team needs to hide there flag (if you want to make the game easier, you can make a rule saying the flag has to be partially visible).

When everyone is ready, take a piece of chalk, or use a specific landmark and make a dividing line, dividing one territory from another. The object of the game is to find the other teams flag first.

But, if while you are running to the other teams side and you get tagged by someone on that sides team (the opposite team) you have to go to jail (just use a bench or a porch they can sit on as the jail) and have to sit there until another one of your teammates tag you out of jail.

This game is a lot of fun, especially with a lot of people.

RUNNING BASES

Another game that has always been one of the top games in our neighborhood. You should have at least four people, but again, it is way more fun with more people. Take two markers and put them one at one side of the backyard and the other one at the other side of the backyard.

Get a tennis ball (or some other kind of squishy ball or soft ball) and choose two people to be catchers. They each stand at one end of the backyard, while everyone else stands at one of the bases. The catchers throw the ball at the runners.

The object of the game is run to the other base without getting hit with the ball. If you get hit with the ball three times (three outs), you switch places with the catcher/thrower who got your last out, and they become a runner and you become a catcher. This is a fun game that even little kids can play!

SLIP 'N' SLIDE (without buying the real thing!)

My neighbor and I just invented this this summer. Most people know what a slip 'n' slide is, but for those of you who don't, it's like a long piece of rubber, with a tiny pool at the end.

There are many different kinds, some that when you go through them it will dump water or have a sprinkler or something to slide through, and most of them aren't too expensive ( we found one for $8.00, but it only lasted for a day) if you look at the right places, but they all have one thing in common: they all barely last more then a few days of use before they rip.

They are soOoOoOoOoOo much fun, but kind of a rip off. I'm not saying you couldn't find one that wouldn't rip right away, but... Anyway, me and my neighbor/friend figured out a way make our own slip 'n' slide. You know the blue (sometimes black or other colors) tarp you might find under new mulch when the landscapers drop it off at your house, or in your garage or even at the store?

Well, me and my friends found a clean one and spread it out on the grass. Then we took a hose and cleaned if off, and made it nice and clean and wet. (If you try this, make sure you make soaking wet, or you could get a rug burn. Little puddles of water are okay too, sometimes it makes it even more fun!)

To keep it wet, you should water it with the hose every few minutes, or you could try what me and my friend did. We took one of those rotating sprinklers and put it next to the tarp. It kept it wet and it was fun to slide through!

You can slide however you want. ON your stomach on your knees or even standing. I like to go on my knees and sometimes stomach. I think those ways are more fun. This is a great way to cool off during hot days!

GHOST IN THE GRAVEYARD

This is a game to play at night, when it gets a little darker. You pick one person to be the ghost. Pick a spot in your yard to be base (a spot where you can't get tagged)

The ghost goes and hides, while everyone else counts like this: one 'o clock, two o' clock, three o' clock, four. Five o' clock, six o' clock, seven o' clock, eight. nine o' clock, ten o' clock, eleven o' clock, MIDNIGHT!!!

Next, everyone walks around together looking for the ghost. Then the ghost jumps out at everyone and chases them. Everybody screams and runs to the base.

The person the ghost tags first is the new ghost (if no one is tagged then the old ghost keeps being the ghost until they tag someone new) This game rocks!

YOU never know where the ghost will hide next! You can play with as many people as you want, but you need at least three.

Well, I hope you have fun playing these games! E-mail me feedback about if you liked these games, and if there's anything else you would like me to write about. I will keep you updated with more fun games to plays when your bored. Have a great time hanging out with your neighborhood!

*Alpal*