The Table of S.P.L.A.S.H. is awesomely splendiferous in its wonderment!
Click the photos for the juicy details.
The Table of Silly People Laughing And Soaking Happily
The Game: Pistol Pong is the name, and it’s super fun. Players use squirt bottles to spray a ping pong ball away from their side of the table, trying to get it off the side belonging to another team. Everyone gets wet.
The Problem: The rules say that the kids are supposed to crouch down at eye level around the table top, and keep their spray bottles off the table. But in the heat of the games, the kids always stand up and reach across the table with their bottles. The game is thus “broken” because it’s so hard to get the kids to cooperate.
The Fix: The Table of S.P.L.A.S.H. The squirt bottles are bungeed to the edge of the table! The bottles can twist and turn, but they cannot be pulled away from the edge of the table. That means the kids stay crouched down, and they can’t reach the bottles across the table. Instant cooperation! Another problem is also resolved: you don’t have to hand bottles to players you know are going to squirt their friends (and staffers) before the game even begins. Kids don’t get their hands on the bottles until they take their places at the table.
How to Play: Use masking tape to divide the table top into the number of teams you have. Each team defends their piece of the “pie.” Place a ping pong ball in the center of the table and give the signal to start squirting (test the bottles before). When the ball shoots off the table, all teams score, except the one who lost the round. By the way, I’ve found that a small plastic disposable cup turned upside down floats really well on these plastic tables. Works great if you can’t find a ball. Play as many rounds as you can stand, substituting players until your whole population has gotten drenched. PS: Have a couple of backup bottles on hand as you play.
OPTIONAL IDEA: Tie a knot in each loop so that you can remove the bottle without “losing” the bungee. This makes it a bit easier for the kids to maneuver the bottles, and makes refilling and exchanging bottles easier. But now it’s harder to remove the bungees if the Pastor realizes he’s short one table in the foyer.
Materials: Table, bungees, squirt bottles.
Tools: Power drill, 5/8-inch or larger drill bit. See the photos for minor stuff.
Difficulty: Surprisingly easy. Can be done in an afternoon.
Yer Projects Blog pal, Tom Finley
