Host Your Own Olympic Games for the Kids

Games for the Beach: Water-Balloon Relay

What you need: A pack of water balloons and a half-dozen position markers (sand pails, large stones, or driftwood would work).

How to play: A water-balloon relay is just as tricky as the old egg-in-spoon relay race you grew up with, only less messy—or wasteful. (Running in sand adds an extra challenge.) Mark handoff points (about 30 feet apart) and position runners at each. The first team to make three successful balloon transfers and cross the finish line—balloon intact—wins. Tip: Try using biodegradable water balloons, in case one of the remnants gets buried before you have a chance to collect them ($5 for 250 balloons, fatbraintoys.com).