This summer my friends and I had an "Adult Field Day" - and it was awesome! I wish I could take credit for the idea, but my friend Lindsey thought of it and planned most of the day.
We had about 30 adults (and a handful of kids) and honestly had the time of our lives!
Before the event, Lindsey drew names out of a hat to select three teams. She selected the guy and gals separately so they were spread evenly amongst the teams. She let everyone know the teams ahead of time so we could dress in our team colors.
THE GAMES
The first 5 games had point values:
1st place: 10 points
2nd place: 5 points
3rd place: 0 points
At the end of the 5 games we added up the points and the top 2 teams had a final game to play.
GAME #1
Water Balloon Volleyball
In this game, you split each team up into two groups - one on each side of a volleyball. Each group holds onto a beach towel. Place a bucket of water balloons on one side.
One of the groups loads a water balloon into the towel "sling shot" and launches it over the net.
The other group attempts to catch the water balloon in their beach towel. The team with the most balloons caught in the allowed time - we did 2 minutes - is the winner!
GAME #2
Marble Toes
The object of the game is to "collect" the most marbles out of a kiddie pool filled with water. The catch is... you have to use your toes! Surprisingly harder than you might imagine....
The whole team gathers around the pool with one bucket next to the pool. The pool is filled with water and a bunch of marbles.
One person at a time sticks their foot into the water and attempts to pick up a marble with their toes and place it in the designated bucket. The next person can't begin until the first person has placed a marble in the bucket.
It is acceptable to pick up multiple marbles at a time. If you knock over the bucket, the spilled marbles don't count... so be careful! The team with the most marbles in the bucket at the end of the designated time - we did 2 minutes - is the winner!
GAME #3
Sack Race
Nothing special here... just your typical sack race. Lindsey found the potato sacks online for pretty cheap. I'm guessing a quick Google search would help you find plenty.
Set up a cone at a starting point. One person at a time hops down to another cone and back - the next person goes when the first person crosses over the starting line. Fastest time wins!
Don't forget to let the kiddos play too. We let them play around in between games and they had a blast!
GAME #4
Ping Pong Bounce
Ok I'll admit - this wasn't my favorite game, but it was still fun - and challenging!
Take a long folding table and make two lines. One person is the designated "catcher" and attempts to catch the ping pong balls into a cup. The rest of the team lines up on the other end of the table with a box of the balls.
The bouncers have to bounce the ball (one time only) between the two lines. The catcher has to stay behind the line closest to them and attempt to catch the ball. It's really difficult to figure out the right strength and angle of the bounce in order to get it across the back line and into the cup! The team with the most catches wins!
GAME #5
Egg Toss
This game works best if you have plenty of space - like a large yard or field. Everyone on each team finds a partner (we chose to just do three "couples" per team). All teams go at the same time on this game.
Each pair lines up across from one another. Pass out eggs to one side of the pairs. At the beginning, everyone should be just a few feet from each other in two parallel lines. The side with the egg tosses it to the other side (everyone tosses at the same time). Those who caught the egg take one step back - if you drop the egg or it breaks in your hand, your pair is out.
The key here is to have each throw happen at the same time, that way everyone is stepping back the same distance and you can easily gauge who the winner is. The winner is the team who has the pair that throws - and catches - from the furthest distance.
FINAL ROUND:
4-event Relay
The top two teams after the first 5 games will face off in a 4-event Relay. There should be 4 stations set up. Everyone on the team must complete each station before moving onto the next.
Event 1: M&M Suck and Blow
Each person has to pick up an M&M out of a cup with a straw and drop it into a cup on the opposite side of the table. One person goes at a time - whole team moves on when each person is successful.
Event 2: Watermelon Eating
Each team has one whole watermelon - pre-sliced into 4 slices (or more if you want). This one is a free-for-all... eat until you can't eat any more, pass it onto another person, and do it all again. Make sure you have a judge who determines when the watermelon is gone. Once it's gone, the team moves on,
Event 3: Catch the Pencils
Each person holds 4 pencils on the back of their hand. In one big motion, toss up the pencils and catch them in your hand (keeping your palm down). This is derived from a "Minute to Win It" game so check it out there if you have any more questions. Once everyone on the team has completed this successfully, move on to the last station.
Event 4: Puzzle
I don't have a picture of this one, sorry. In this event, there should be two puzzles laid out on a table. These should be toddler-age puzzles, so about 15 pieces each. Each team has to complete both puzzles.
The big winner is the team who completes all 4 events the fastest!
A FEW TIPS
If you're allowing kids, have plenty for them to do.
We had a bouncy castle (they're pretty cheap to rent for a few hours), sprinkler, kiddie pool, and a sprinkler. They mostly entertained themselves throughout the day. We also had a few extra people on hand to help keep an eye on the young ones. In think next year we'll even hire a few teenagers to watch the kids so no one feels obligated to leave the games to take care of a child.
Designate a Game Maker for the day. Even better if they don't play the games (but not necessary). This person is the one who coordinates and explains games, helps keep time (or designates a time keeper), settles disputes, and breaks up fights :)
Have other things to do too. We had volleyball going before and after the official games. Just something for people to do.
Also - have plenty of water on hand. And it's never a bad idea to incorporate a pitch-in BBQ at the conclusion of the games.
We ended up spending several hours playing, eating, and hanging out. It was a super duper fun day and we'll already talking about our 2nd Annual Games next year!!
