Fear Factor Friday Ideas

[emacmommy]

We have a tradition in our gym called Fear Factor Friday. We have traditionally done it near Halloween as our Halloween celebration. We invite the entire team on Friday (regardless of level) and we form teams with a well rounded mix of levels on each team, usually three different teams. We start out with a few team building games, nothing too hard. Last year we played Herd the Sheep game, where you had one shepard and the rest were the "flock" and they were blindfolded. The shepard had to lead their flock to the other side of the gym using only animal sounds (no words) to give directions. It was pretty hilarious to watch. The year before we played Blind's Man Bluff on the beam, using the "keep your eyes closed honor system". Each team would play individually to get a champion and then the champions battled it out. Obviously we didn't call things too hard to do, but saying they had to hang under the beam with out touching the floor and then get back on the top of the beam with their eyes closed is my favorite to watch too.

Anyhow... I need new things to throw at them this year. They then draw indivudual challenges out of hat, one for each gymnast on their team, and they try and earn points for their team based on how difficult of the challenge they choose to attempt. A couple of examples that we did years past would be...
a) CARGO NET CLIMB TO THE TOP: 1 Pt for just climbing to the top (easy enough a new 5 yr old L3 might choose), 3 Pts for climbing to the top upside down, 5 pts for climbing to the top and back down while upside down.
b) LEAF DROP: 1 Pt for leaf drop off low bar to hands and knees, 3 Pts for off High Bar onto Whale Mat (L4 vault system/porta pit), 5 Pts for off the Men's HB into the pit (much higher)
c) PRESS HS CHALLENGE: 1 Pt for press on floor, 3 Pts for press on beam, 5 Pts for press on High Bar.

That gives you a bit of an example, notice they are out of the box things, not actual skills (except press HS).

All they win is who gets to go sample the Fear Factor Food Table at the end of practice first. This usually includes Halloween Fare such as... Boogers on Witch's Fingers (melted cheese with crumbled up crackers tinted green & breadsticks), Kitty Litter (find the recipe, looks gross but really sweet), Eye Balls, Goulash, etc.

So... any thoughts anybody?

 

[AerialGirl]

How about Stick It or Jump the River?

 

[hakunamatata]

That sounds like SUCH a blast for the girls! Makes me miss the team-building exercises we did at my gym (many years ago). If I own a gym one day, or if I'm ever a team coach, I may just have to borrow this idea

One game that might be fun to play with the whole group is Flashlight Tag. Basically you set up panel mats, wedges, handspring trainers, and all other types of mats you have so that they're spread out along the floor. Turn all the lights off except maybe a hallway light. Someone stands on a channel bar or a beam facing the floor, and they have a flashlight. The goal for the person with the flashlight is to shine it on people as they jump from mat to mat trying to hide, and if they call out the person's name, that person is out. The goal for the people who are hiding behind the mats is to work their way down the floor and eventually to jump into the pit. If they get into the pit without having their name called, they win. Harder than it sounds! But it's a ton of fun

There's also your basic freeze tag, dodgeball with pit blocks, don't touch the ground, etc. Maybe you could do a funny challenge where the different teams try to come up with the silliest 30 second floor routine they can think of, implementing each of the gymnasts and doing frilly dance skills! Lol

For individual challenges, you could also do a dive roll height challenge. Stack up a bunch of mats until they're at a ridiculous height and award points for the number of panel mats the gymnast can dive roll over. You could give them three tries, and they could keep stacking the mats as they go if they wanted to try to get even higher.

Have fun! Let us know how it goes

 

[gymgurl]

i might sound stupid but what's a leaf drop?

 

[emacmommy]

Leaf Drop = Sit on the bar... fold your arms... fall backwards and flip off without grabbing bar. If low to hands and knees, if high to soft mat or pit. I spot any first timers who I think my freak at the feeling.

 

[gymgurl]

sounds fun wish my gym did things like that just a suggestion do gladiator wars they are so much fun you can do them on rings and beam.
For rings: Each gymnast (2 at a time) have one ring and they have to get the other person off:

For beam we used pillows and did a pillow fight on the beam

 

[triptwister]

Walk the plank...
Build different levels of platforms at the pit. The higher platforms are the scariest. Blindfold the challenger at the edge of the platform. When they are ready let them jump into the pit feet first. The higher they are willing to jump down the better. Not knowing where the ground is and when they are going to land is frightening.

The Hoist
Set up a spotting rig from the ceiling over the pit. If you have a high ceiling then this works better. Tie a bar to the rig for the kids to hang from. Lift them up to the ceiling and see how long they can hang from their hands from the highest point before they let go. Most kids will let go on the way up. The one who hangs the longest from the highest point wins.

Variation is have challenger hang upside down from the knees and they have to hold a partner from their hands for as long as possible, hands to hold partner's hands.

Variation is jump from mini tramp or right off floor at the edge of the pit and have their partner hanging from knees catch person with hands.

Slingbat
Set up two mats vertically parallel to each other that form a corridor. Do the same thing about 10 feet away with two more mats. The challenger hides in one corridor and when ready runs across the floor out from between the first pair of mats and tries to make it to the other corridor without getting hit with a ball. Lots of variations are possible if you use your imagination. The ball throwers are centered perpendicular to the two mat corridors in line with the gap between the mats and do not know at what moment the challenger will appear and run to other side.

Pyramid Building
Again, imagination will help to invent challenges.
Usually the highest pyramid wins.
Or the most people used wins but you limit the amount of bottom people.
Usually hands and knees pyramids are the safest and easiest.

Set up a tight rope over the pit.

Stretch a galvanized 3/4 inch pipe across the pit and see who can walk across.

Balance Poles
Set up stands that are higher and higher with room for only one foot. The challenger must stand on one foot and balance for as long as possible.

Using a single bar stuff...Stand on one bar near or over the pit for as long as possible. Headstands on a single bar near or over the pit. Laying on your back longways on a single bar over or near the pit.

Variation of Marco Polo...
Two teams. Blind fold one person from each team. You yell begin and everyone not blind folded runs around the designated floor area. Both blind folded persons yell Marco at will. When the blind folded hear everyone say Polo everyone except the blind folded must stop. Then the blind folded players have to tag only people from the other team. Its a listening game to see if they can recognize the people on their team by their voices. If they tag the wrong person then that person sits down on the other team's side. If they tag an opposing teammate like they are supposed to then that person sits down on the tagger's side. The team with the most people at the end wins. Every time Marco is called out all players must yell Polo.

 

[gymster]

I cant take credit for this but was a Great Fund raiser! The coaches would Decorate Pumpkins and all the Kids Could vote with any coin! The coaches Pumpkin that generated the most $$$$$$MOOLAH! Won the Great Pumpkin Award! The gym Would donate all profits to Relay for life!!!!


Pic from the Pumpkin Patch!