Revolutionary War Game for Kids

This outdoor game, a modification of "Capture the Flag", uses ball, baskets, and foam to re-enact the fight between the Redcoats and the Patriots in Massachusetts in 1775.

Can your foam-armed "Patriots" stop the "Redcoats" from capturing Concord's armory? You'll find out!

What You Need:

• 10-20 tennis balls, or other soft, rubber balls, at least two per person
• Three empty baskets—laundry baskets work great
• 2-3 short sticks of foam, such as a section from an old pool “noodle”, about 12-18”
• 8 sport cones or other markers to place on the field
• Optional: red, white, and blue streamers; duct tape

Set-Up:

1. Assemble the props and clear the field area. Collect tennis balls (or any rubber balls of any size) that you have on hand or that you can borrow from friends and family. Place the balls in one of the baskets, and take a quick count. These balls will be the "cannonballs" in the armory for the game.
2. Gather the foam sticks which will act as the “bayonet muskets” for the patriots. These foam sticks will help young kids extend their reach, so they should be soft to avoid injury. To add more color to the game, have the kids decorate their foam sticks by wrapping red, blue, and white streamers around them, so everyone can be very clear who and where the “Patriots” are!
3. Set up the field. Find an open space that will accommodate all the kids. At one end of the space, place one empty basket and put four cones around it. This basket represents the British headquarters in "Boston". At the other end, place the basket full of balls and put four cones around it. This basket represents the "Concord Armory." In the middle of the field, place the third basket. This middle basket will represent the patriots' "secret stash" basket that was the property of the Continental Army.