Croquet-Marbles

With thanks to Jenny Clarke of ClarkeCroquet.com for the original suggestion.

This is a turn-based mini-game that will improve your shooting and power - as the aim is to clear balls from the central zone.

• Use cones or similar to section-off part of the croquet lawn - e.g. the rectangle formed by hoops 1-2-3-4 (or 1-2-centreline).
• Gather up some white and pink balls, and put them in the middle (on the north/south line through hoops 5 and 6).
• Put some first-colour balls on the West boundary, and some first-colour balls on the East boundary.
• One team plays from the East, and one from the West.
• It's a shooting competition - you score a point when you rush a second-colour ball out of the sectioned off area along the boundary nearest the opposition team. Your own balls can be retrieved (e.g. from a central contact).
• Play to as many points as you want.
• It encourages a bit of cooperation, has the element of mad hitting of balls, which youngsters value, and is a team activity.