Today was a hot one, so the theme of the day was keeping cool. For us, that meant ice cream and water balloon capture the flag. We also added in a water gun fight for good measure.
We can’t say enough good things about Tom’s Dairy Freeze. They’ve been serving up cones since 1969 and they’ve still got it. They’ve recently been named best soft serve in the city and we couldn’t agree more. You can tell the actual ice cream is made with real cream, plus they have incredible dips and toppings. Vanessa opted for a rainbow burst, which literally takes vanilla soft serve and infuses it with ribbons of flavour (the yellow is banana!), while Alyssa went for the peanut butter dip coated with smarties. I went for the blue raspberry dip with rainbow sprinkles and it was amazing.
We warmed up with a little water gun fight action. You can get some pretty good water guns are your local dollar store, so it’s a cheap and cheerful way to beat the heat.
From there, we filled up over 50 water balloons. We had a group with us today so capture the flag seemed like the best way to maximize the fun. You may think water balloons are for kids, but we respectively disagree. It’s hilarious to watch someone get hit – whether the balloon breaks or doesn’t. They’re also hard to throw well so it’s not super easy.
- Two flags (we used mini Canada flags – but technically it doesn’t even need to be a flag per se, it can be anything tangible like a beer can)
- At least 50 water balloons, but if you want a game to last more than 5 minutes we recommend at least 100 (hope you’re not paying for hydro!)
- Buckets (to house the water balloons)
- 6 people or more
- An open space
- Competitive spirit
Form two teams, with an equal number of people on each. Set up two zones as “jails” for the two teams. Also mark a centre line that separates the two zones. Give each team a flag.
Have each group hide their flag somewhere in their territory. The flag must be at least partially visible and not impossible to retrieve. When a team hides a flag, they can not move it once it is set in its original place. Once both teams are ready, the round begins.
The goal of the game is to find and grab the other team’s flag and bring it back to your zone. If members of the other team enters your zone, you can hit them with a water ballon and “imprison” them in your zone (only if it bursts though!). Similarly, if players of the other team hits you (or your teammate) with a water ballon when you are in the opposing team’s territory, then you (or your teammate) must go into the other team’s prison. When a person touches their teammate’s hand in prison, they are released and can continue playing the game.
We needed a boozy beverage to get us prepped for this fight. Enter the Long Island Iced Tea. It has all the liquors in it, so you’ll feel great pretty quickly. You can grab the recipe here.
These tunes will get you jacked up for some serious water balloon slingin’.