WATER BALLOON VOLLEYBALL

I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS FOR AN OUTSIDE ACTIVITY ON A WARM/HOT DAY! (THE KIDS DIDN'T GET TOTALLY SOAKED, BUT EVERYBODY GOT SPRINKLED A BIT WHEN BALLOONS HIT THE GROUND - OR A TREE BRANCH!)

YOU WILL NEED: A VOLLEYBALL NET (OUR CHURCH BUILDING HAS ONE)
20 (OR MORE) SMALL WATER BALLOONS (FILLED) - I PUT THEM IN A PLASTIC BIN TO KEEP THEM OFF THE GROUND
6 TOWELS (BEACH TOWEL OR BATH TOWEL SIZE) -3 FOR EACH TEAM
FORTUNATELY, IN OUR CHURCH PARKING LOT, THERE ARE 2 TREES THAT ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TOGETHER THAT WE COULD PUT THE NET UP BETWEEN THEM (TYING THE ENDS AROUND THE TREES - SEE PHOTO BELOW)...

IF YOU HAVE FREE-STANDING VOLLEYBALL POSTS AT YOUR BUILDING, YOU COULD PROBABLY TAKE THEM OUTSIDE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A NET, YOU COULD STRING A ROPE BETWEEN TWO STRINGS (THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET THE BALLOONS OVER) AND TIE THEM BETWEEN TREES OR POSTS. YOU COULD EVEN HAVE YOUTH TAKE TURNS HOLDING A NET (OR ROPE).
I WOULD NOT DO THIS ACTIVITY INSIDE A GYM/CULTURAL HALL - THE WATER SPRAYS EVERYWHERE AND IT WOULD BE SLIPPERY!
IT TOOK A COUPLE OF TURNS FOR THE YOUTH TO GET THE HANG OF IT - IT IS NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS!

WE DIDN'T HAVE STRICT RULES, ONE GROUP WOULD GET A BALLOON AND ONE TEAM WOULD TRY TO LAUNCH IT TO THE OTHER SIDE. THEN THE OTHER GROUP WOULD GET A TURN. WE DIDN'T REALLY KEEP SCORE OR TRY TO PASS - IT WAS VERY CASUAL! WE ROTATED KIDS IN AND OUT AND CHANGED TEAMS EVERY SO OFTEN.

MOST OF THE BALLOONS DIDN'T MAKE IT OVER, BUT THEY SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT OF FUN TRYING!

A BIG BAG OF WATER BALLOONS COST ABOUT $3, SO IT WAS A FUN AND LOW-COST SUMMER ACTIVITY!

I FILLED ABOUT 20 BALLOONS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PLAY FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES (THIS WAS THE FIRST 1/2 OF OUR ACTIVITY). THEY SAID THAT NEXT TIME, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE BALLOONS SO THEY CAN PLAY LONGER! I WOULD RECOMMEND 50 FILLED BALLOONS FOR AN HOUR WORTH OF PLAY WITH ONE NET.