Balloon Volleyball Game

Get your little Misty May-Trainer out on the court!

Submitted by
Kayla Chong

Do your kids love balloons? Um, yeah! Do they love running around? Duh! Why not combine two of their favorite things with a rousing game of Volleyballoon?

Balloon:
Remember to buy extras in case one breaks.
Net or a piece of string:
A competition volleyball net is 32 inches long. You don't have to make your court that big, but there's the info, just in case you want to be "regulation."
Two chairs or trees
Players:
Two or more.
A grassy spot or sandy beach:
The backyard is fine, but if you really want to play on the sand, hop in the car and head to the nearest beach. (Or get Dad to finally book that trip to Hawaii.)
Rocks, duct tape, shoes:
Anything to mark the sidelines of your court.
Timer:
A watch or kitchen timer, if you feel like getting technical.

Set up the net or fashion an ad hoc one by tying string to two chairs or trees and pulling the string taut.
Define your court's boundaries by lining up rocks or shoes, or marking it with strips of duct tape. The court doesn't have to be all that big since volleyballoons don't float very far (not even when spiked by Daddy).
Blow up the balloon. Yep, you have to use your lungs. A helium-inflated balloon would float away.
Line up at least one player on each side of the net.
Flip a coin to decide which team serves first.
Play! The starting server stands behind the end line and hits the balloon over the net. The server must get the balloon in bounds or the serve goes to the other team.
The players hit the balloon back and forth over the net.
When the ball hits the ground, the team on the opposite side wins one point and the serve.
Limit the number of times the volleyballoon is allowed to be hit on each side before making it over the net. In volleyball the number is three. If you're playing with wee ones, you can up that number to five or six. But don't be too lenient—you know how your kid loves to do the same thing over and over and over. ...
Keep score. The first team to earn 10 points (or 21, if all that's waiting for you inside is a pile of dirty dishes) wins the game. Or set a timer and the team with the most points when the buzzer rings wins!