| Tired of the same ol', same ol' when it come to | | | | Equipment required: A stagnant water source |
| entertaining your garden party guests? Weary of | | | | such as a neglected pool, pond or bucket. Kids |
| boring badminton and jarts? Croquet not your | | | | love this one! |
| style? Then you're in the right spot! Here are | | | | |
| games sure to make your next party the hit of | | | | The winner is whoever come up with the largest |
| the gardening social season!Icebreakers | | | | water strider. Incentive for the competitively |
| | | | spirited: Anyone bobbing to the bottom retrieving |
| Game #1: The Gnat Slap | | | | the hapless mouse that slipped in about a month |
| | | | ago qualifies for the National Bobb-Off! |
| Equipment required: A garden of any size. | | | | |
| | | | Game #7: Slug Races |
| As your guests arrive, invite them for the | | | | Equipment required: A slug for each guest. |
| obligatory 'stroll through the garden'. Tell them | | | | |
| they are welcome to slap the gnats but only | | | | We suggest two events: The 4" sprint and the |
| those gnats annoying another guest; never are | | | | 2-foot marathon. Guests may mark their slugs in |
| they permitted to slap gnats hovering around | | | | any way they wish. |
| their own eyes, nose, ears or mouth. The winner | | | | Tip 1: Use an air-horn to signify the start of the |
| is the last guest standing. A great icebreaker! | | | | races. Slugs are hard of hearing. |
| | | | |
| Game #2: The 3-Legged Butterfly Chase | | | | Tip 2: Entrants in the "Watch the Lawn Go |
| | | | Dormant" game can play this game |
| Equipment required: Rope or wire to bind legs. | | | | simultaneously. |
| | | | |
| This is lots of fun. Tightly bind two guests' legs | | | | Game #8: Hornet's Nest Pinata |
| together to make a three-legged contestant. | | | | |
| Then tell them you'll unbind them only after | | | | Equipment required: 1 large hornet's nest, a stick |
| they've captured a butterfly. | | | | long enough to reach the nest, a blindfold. |
| Tip: For a longer lasting game, declare the quarry | | | | |
| to be a hummingbird. | | | | This game really livens things up after the slower |
| | | | pace of the slug races and helps work off dinner. |
| Game #3: Competitive Weed Pulling | | | | |
| | | | Game #9: Blindfolded Lawn Mowing |
| Equipment required: Weeds of any kind. | | | | |
| | | | Equipment required: A power mower and the |
| This is a great game to reward the hard working | | | | blindfold from the Hornet's Nest Pinata game if it |
| guest. Entrants don't eat until the entire garden is | | | | isn't too bloody. |
| cleaned of weeds. Winner: The person with the | | | | |
| most weeds eats first and most, and so on down | | | | Everyone loves this sport! One by one guests |
| the line. This game teaches the rewards of the | | | | are blindfolded and told to mow the grass. The |
| Puritan work ethic. | | | | winner is the contestant who runs over the |
| | | | fewest trees, shrubs, flowers, pets and other |
| Game #4: The Wasp Dodge | | | | guests. Lotsa laughs! |
| | | | Time Saving tip: Dial 911 before the game begins. |
| Equipment required: More wire for binding, an | | | | |
| in-ground wasp nest or two (Yellow Jackets are | | | | |
| the best!), a small amount of kerosene. | | | | Games for After Dark |
| | | | |
| With hands tightly wired behind their backs, have | | | | Game #10: Firefly Shooting |
| your players stand in a circle around a wasp nest | | | | Equipment required: A BB gun for everyone. |
| entrance. Irritate the wasps by sprinkling a little | | | | |
| kerosene over the hole and oh, boy! Stand back! | | | | After a fun day of activities and food, gather |
| Entrants are judged on style, grace, self-defensive | | | | everyone in the center of the garden in a large |
| acrobatic movements and number of stings. | | | | circle to try their hand at nailing a few fireflies. |
| | | | The winner, and don't expect one, is anyone who |
| Games to Play While the Frozen Turkey Cooks | | | | actually knocks a lightening bug out of the |
| on the Charcoal Grill | | | | sky.Time Saving tip: Dial 911 before the game |
| | | | begins. |
| Game #5: Watch the Lawn Go Dormant | | | | |
| | | | Game #11: Feed the Mosquitos |
| Equipment required: A dry turf. | | | | |
| | | | Equipment required: Go figure. |
| This is for those guests that had a poor showing | | | | |
| in the other games. The winner is the person still | | | | Play this last game while lingering over |
| awake when the lawn is actually declared | | | | "good-byes" in the garden.When Tom Schneider |
| dormant. | | | | isn't trying to find new guests to invite to his |
| | | | garden parties, he and his wife Deb are busy with |
| Game #6: Bobbing for Aquatic Insects | | | | their on-line machine embroidery design business, |
| | | | WindstarEmbroidery. |