Have A Helium-Powered Shoot-Out
Set up four or five helium-inflated balloons and paint them with silly faces. Use these for target practice. You want them secured to the ground with strings and weights before you let your children attack the targets with their Nerf darts.
Play Nerf Gun Freeze Tag
Use the traditional rules for freeze tag but tag with your bullets instead of your hands.
Try Pin-The-Tail Target Practice
Play the classic party game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey but try shooting nerf darts instead of “pinning” the tail. Try it full-sighted or blindfolded for more fun!
Do Hopscotch
Instead of using stones or other items in hopscotch, use Nerf toys to mark the square. This will make it more fun.
Create Some Art
Want to have your children create art pieces? Try dipping Nerf toys in paint and shooting them onto paper. You’ll get fantastic and creative pieces.
Try A Paint Dart Fight
Don’t stop with the art pieces, go for a variation on paint ball too. Have your children wear old clothes and let them use the paint-filled dart to shoot at each other. Make sure they are not going to get hurt and let them have fun.
Have A Night Fight
When the darkness falls, you can have your kids use glow sticks to liven up their Nerf fight. You also can use flashlights and play Flashlight Tag with Nerf toys.
Take To The Trampoline
You can combine the fun of a trampoline with Nerf guns by having the shoot-out take place while they are bouncing on the trampoline.
Set Up A Combat Training Obstacle Course
Set up a fun obstacle course for the kids (or have them take turns setting it up for each other) that has targets set up at various points in the course. Have them carry their Nerf gun with them through the course and stop to hit the targets. You could have the kids do a speed round, accuracy round, or invent a scoring system to incorporate both!
How To Have A Successful Nerf War
If you just want your children to have an old-fashioned Nerf war, here are the steps to accomplish it.
1. Choose a location.
You’ll want a wide open space, like a park, but a nice-sized backyard will work too. Make sure the location you select is clear of other people (especially young children), has bathrooms nearby, and has places to hide.
2. Pick a backup place.
You might discover that your first location is already in use (especially if you have decided on a public space like a park). Always be prepared by choosing a backup location within walking distance. Some places can be reserved before you start your fight.
3. Choose a date and time.
Plan the Nerf war at least three weeks in advance, especially if you are trying to recruit new people. Consider having a four-hour fight. Remember to include meal breaks if necessary. Allow at least half an hour if people are bringing their own lunches, and at least an hour if people plan to eat at restaurants or hold a potluck picnic. End the fight about 15 minutes before you have to leave.
4. Recruit nerf warriors.
You can have a Nerf war with three or four players, but if you’re doing all this planning in advance, you probably have a bigger event in mind. Try recruiting up to 20 players.
5. Set the rules.
Make sure everyone is aware of the rules you’ve set. Then, get started with the battle! This article was written with the help of my childhood friend and co-founder of unlockboot.com, Vicki James. Happy reading! Featured photo credit: Andrew Gould via flickr.com
