Paddle boarding is a leisurely activity enjoyed by many during the warm summer months, sometimes even in the winter if you can brave the chilly conditions, but did you know that there’s more to it than just having a paddle on the water? In this post we’ll be exploring a handful of paddling games that you can play on the water.
1. Paddle Board Paddle Ball
For this game you’ll need two paddles, a ball and something to stand on. What you do here is place the ball between the two paddles at either end of and then simply get on your board and see how long you can keep it up there. It’s just like paddle boarding tennis, but much more difficult!
2. Kayak Tug o’ War
Tug o’ war isn’t just for when you were younger, it can actually be really competitive when playing on kayaks! To play tug o war all you will need is two paddles and two teams of 2-4 people each… just remember that one team has to pull while the other pushes!
The first team to pull/push their opponent into the water loses – but make sure that no one gets hurt doing so! This game can get pretty competitive and because it involves teamwork it is even better. Have fun trying this game out if you ever decide to go on a kayak with friends or family members.
3. Paddle Board Football
This game is perfect for the whole family, but especially for the kids who will enjoy trying to score goals with giant inflatable footballs! The rules are simple: get on your board and either paddle or kick the ball towards a corner of a playing area and make sure you don’t hit any of the obstacles which can be floating objects like tennis balls.
If you hit an obstacle then your turn is over and it’s time to let someone else have a go. This game isn’t easy however, so don’t give up if it seems too challenging at first – just work together as a team!
4. Kayak Races
You can also have a race with your friends on kayaks, and it is a great way to see which team will win! To do this you’ll need either a rope or several lifebuoys, depending on how many people you want to race, although we recommend that there are at least 3. Once you have these all in place you’ll need to decide on a start point and finish line.
Make sure the finish line is far enough away so that the kayak doesn’t go too fast, otherwise it might knock over the paddlers! Everyone has their own method for racing but one thing most people say is that you shouldn’t push yourself too hard early on or you will find yourself exhausted before the race has even finished. Once everyone has finished just wait for everyone else to arrive then judge who got there first! This game can also be played by teams if you’re not wanting single races.
5. Paddle Board Slalom
This is another great game for family fun and is based on slalom racing. Players simply race each other down a course, with the aim being to get from one end of the pool to the other without falling off their board. Players are eliminated from the game if they fall off, meaning that this is best played as a team effort. This game can also be played solo if you want to practice before you try it out with others!
6. Paddle Board Capture the Flag
Capture the flag is a classic outdoor game that has been well known for many years now. The aim of this game is to steal your opponent’s flag, while at the same time protect your own. For this one you’ll need two or more flags and an area which can be designated as either your home or away zone.
Once you’re ready, set up two lines in each zone a few metres apart from each other and then simply get on your board and try to steal the other team’s flag! It makes for great fun either solo or with friends, so get out there and try it now!
7. Canoe Follow the Leader
Now we’ll get to a game where you’ll need your canoe as well as some rope or string. This game requires two teams, the different teams will be tied together by either a rope or string so they cannot let go of each other without letting go of the other team member first.
The start of this game is for one person to be ‘it’ before everyone else knows who it is – then everyone must follow them around their canoe until they get caught by being tagged by someone else who is ‘it’. The point of this is that you always have to paddle faster than your opponent but you will never be able to get too far away from them – this is an intense one!
8. Paddle Board Skittles
This game is a great one for the whole family and can be played in teams or on your own, making it perfect for all ages. All that’s needed is some large floating objects such as inflatable animals, which are then placed randomly around the pool.
The aim of the game is to knock over as many of the obstacles with your paddle as possible in order to get points. You can either play this game alone, which means you’ll have to balance both steering and paddling at once, or with someone else, in which case they’ll need to steer while you focus on trying to knock down every obstacle. Whoever has knocked over the most wins!
So there we go, 8 great games that anyone of any age can enjoy playing when out paddling! If you want even more outdoor fun then take a look at our collection of blogs on our website.
