"Meteor Shower" is a perennial favorite at Camp Possibilities in Western New York. It's best played on hot, sunny days when kids need a little cooling off.
Meteor shower is a great, fun summer game for kids who want to get a little wet! Materials and setup are very easy.
Materials Needed:
- 10-30 kids
- Spongeballs: at least 30 and the more the better
- 3 or 4 other harmless toys, such as rubber chickens, footballs, etc.
- Some sort of barrier: it should be at least ten feet high and ten feet wide and you shouldn't be able to see through it: a small building will work. Camp Possibilities uses a climbing wall (see photo) as a barrier, and it works perfectly.
- Rope, about 50'
- Large bucket of water
- Pad and paper for keeping score
Getting the Water Game Ready:
Place the spongeballs in the bucket of water on one side of the barrier or wall along with the other toys.
On the other side of the wall, make a half-circle on the ground with the rope, using the building as the diameter of the circle. The half-circle should go out from the wall about 15 feet and there should be room inside for at least 10-15 kids (see photos).
Time to Play!
- Divide kids into two teams. Place one team on each side of the wall. They should not be able to see one another.
- The kids with the spongeballs and other toys pick them up and wait. When staff yells out “Meteor Shower!” the kids launch the spongeballs and toys over the wall.
- On the other side, kids try to catch the spongeballs and toys as they fall. They should hang onto whatever they catch.
- When everything has been thrown, it's time to keep score. “Receiving” team scores points for every spongeball or toy caught. Try one point per ball or five for a rubber chicken.
- “Throwing” team scores points for every ball that has landed inside the rope half-circle. If any ball or toy has landed outside the circle, no one scores anything for it.
- Switch sides, repeat process and tally the final score!
Tips:
- The rope half-circle is very important, as it gives the catching team a chance to catch the thrown balls. The idea is to get the kids at least a little wet with the spongeballs, and it's more fun if they're all falling on you.
- Have at least 2 spongeballs per kid on the throwing team, any less and they'll get bored. The more the better: it's an impressive indeed when the first “volley” is fifty or more wet spongeballs raining down!
- Receiving team kids are allowed to bat falling balls so that they land outside the circle. Once a ball or toy has landed it cannot be moved.
- Spongeballs are usually easy to find at dollar stores.
- Once the throwing team is done, have the catchers raise their hands and walk out of the circle with what they've caught. This removes the temptation to nudge a ball or two out with their feet while staff are tallying the score. It's best to have at least two scorekeepers to keep the game moving along.
- Kids are often good for at least three rounds of Meteor Shower before they get tired of it. They like devising new strategies for throwing and catching.
Often, kids will ask to play again! Meteor shower is good fir birthdays, school carnavals, summer camps and anywhere kids like to play and get wet!
More Great Hot Day Water Games:
The copyright of the article Summer Camp Water Games: Meteor Shower in Kids Outdoor Activities is owned by Christopher Minster. Permission to republish Summer Camp Water Games: Meteor Shower in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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