Mini Amazing Race for Your Kids

With summer upon us, you might be looking for inspiration and some fresh entertainment for your kids. What if you made them their own, personal, "Amazing Race"?

Here's how I see this going....

1) Next Tuesday night, watch Canada's Amazing Race on CTV. Talk about how much fun that would be. The next day, reveal your surprise!

2) Get each of your children to invite a friend to "race" with. Pick your day to hold the race. (The sooner the better!)

3) Prepare 3 sets of checkpoint envelopes with instructions for each team. Plan 3 events and pick a location, like a community park.

4) Activity number one might be to solve a riddle or puzzle which would lead them to a new location at the park. Perhaps learn a fact from the park/point of interest plaque and recite it to the judge.

Another activity might be an egg race, or a three-legged race or a 50 times ball catch event. (Make certain it includes both partners working together.)   Your third event could be another physical challenge suitable to the park or it could be a gathering challenge where they find items.

5) Of course there should be a little prize for each team. Perhaps something like a trip to the ice cream store for a treat or a dollar store loot bag.

This activity is sure to provide an afternoon of laughs and fun. It can be no-budget or with a few dollars, you could pick up beach balls or bubble blowers or similar props at the dollar store to use in your events.

If you want to extend the challenge to a weekly event or make a bigger race out of it, get plain t-shirts from the craft store and have each team decorate their shirts/pick a team name etc. You could really make an amazing summer memory and have a lot of healthy fun together doing it!