Dry Land Raft

A board lying on tennis balls is your raft. Part of the team rides on the board and pushes off the ground, and the rest sweep the balls under the board so it can keep moving. If the sweeping stops, the raft stops. The goal is to finish the course in the shortest time. The game builds teamwork, communication, and clear roles.

Equipment

- a wooden or other board big enough for half of the team - a large number of tennis balls - paddles or poles for the people on the board - brooms for the sweepers - two cones (start and finish), and more cones to mark the course if needed - a flat surface, outdoors or in a gym - optional: life jackets for the people on the board (just for fun)

How to Play

1. Mark the course from the start to the finish on a flat surface. Spread the tennis balls at the start and put the board on top of them. 2. Split the team into two halves. One half climbs onto the board and takes the paddles or poles. The other half takes the brooms. 3. On the signal, the people on the board push off the ground with the paddles or poles. The board moves only by pushing with the poles, not by pushing with hands. 4. The sweepers sweep the balls that the board has left behind to the front, under the front of the board, so the board is always on the balls and can keep moving. They can walk anywhere around the board. 5. The sweepers must not hold or push the board with the brooms. An accidental touch is fine. 6. If the board slides off the balls and touches the ground, the team gets a penalty. You can choose a time penalty, or going back to the last place where the board was still on the balls. 7. The team wins by finishing the course in the shortest time. One team can play against the clock, or several teams can compete against each other.

This game takes some preparation, because you need a lot of small balls and a suitable board. We recommend trying it first, before you play it for real. It is a very fun game.

Tips & Variations

- Choose the penalty to fit your group: a time penalty, or going back to the last place on the balls. - Swap roles: if the course goes there and back, swap in the middle. The people from the board become the sweepers, and the sweepers get on the board. You can also swap only part of the team. - For fun, give the people on the board life jackets, as if they could drown. - Team competition: teams ride side by side and can steal balls from each other. - Harder course: a narrower lane, turns, a slalom between cones, or a low threshold. - Ratio of players: more people on the board makes the game harder, more sweepers makes it easier. - Limited number of balls: the fewer balls you have, the more precisely you must sweep. - Limited communication: the sweepers may not speak and can only use gestures.