Goliath Games Brings Big Outdoor Fun to Church Youth Group –

Goliath Games sent us several outdoor games to try, and we decided they would be even more fun with lots of friends. We chose to use them during the activity time at our church youth group last Sunday evening. Our youth group includes kids in a wide range of ages, and all of them had so much fun with these excellent outdoor products from Goliath Games.

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The specific games sent to us were:

• Waterproof Beach Soccer Ball
• Zoom Ball
• Zoom Ball Hydro
• I-Top

Our youth group lesson the evening we tried these games was on ENCOURAGEMENT. Before the activities we read I Thessalonians 5:11 and Philippians 1:3-11. The lesson is a free lesson available on the Ministry to Youth website. You can find the full lesson here.

We discussed the way our words can be used to build each other up or tear each other down. Competitive activities like sports and games can sometimes bring out the worst of our harsh words, so we tried to be mindful of the words we were using during these games.

We quickly discovered the siblings among the group were the first ones to struggle with using kind words toward one another, so we encouraged the kids to work on saying kind words to each other through the week.

These Goliath Games gave us a perfect opportunity to practice encouraging others while having tons of fun.

Waterproof Beach Soccer Ball

This Goliath Beach Soccer Ball is made from high-quality waterproof neoprene and heavy duty stitching, so it can be taken anywhere from your backyard, park, pool, or to the beach. This soccer ball is soft and safe to use in all playing conditions.

Because this waterproof soccer ball is a bit softer than most soccer balls, it’s actually perfect for a game of volleyball as well. I love multipurpose items, so the fact that it can be used for soccer, volleyball, or many other games is awesome.

We’ve actually been keeping this beach soccer ball in the van with us because it’s great for any time we have downtime at another event. A few weeks ago I ended up being in charge of a junior high cross country practice at the last minute because the coach was sick. The kids finished all their running about a half hour before time for parents to start picking them up, and this soccer ball saved the day.

At both cross country practice and youth group, the kids started out playing soccer and eventually morphed the game into something more similar to volleyball. Allowing kids to make up their own games with their own rules is a really great way to let them practice social skills. We love free-range learning opportunities!

We’re bringing this soccer ball along the next time we go to Florida because it gives the kids a fun way to get in some extra physical activity.

I couldn’t find a link for the Goliath Beach Soccer Ball, but while searching for it, I did find this other awesome product. Apparently Goliath also makes this really cool Phlat Ball Mini Soccer toy. You throw it as a flat disc, but it turns to a ball in the air.

For any of you who pack Christmas Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child with your church or other civic group, this Phlat Ball Mini Soccer toy would be a great addition to your shoeboxes. It folds flat, so it won’t take as much room in the shoebox, and you will still be able to pack lots of other goodies in the box. You can read more about our youth group’s Shoebox Packing Party here.

Zoom Ball

If you’ve ever played that game where you have a button on strings, and two people pull the strings apart over and over to move the button, this Zoom Ball is like that game on steroids. Maybe only old people know about that button game now.

With Zoom Ball, players pull the strings apart to send the ball hurling toward the other player. Then that player pulls the strings apart just before it reaches him/her to send the ball zooming back.

This game can get super crazy. You can see just how crazy my son and son-in-law get while playing in this video.

Zoom Ball takes a bit of practice before most players get the hang of it. Many of the kids who are first learning forget to bring their strings back together after they send the ball zooming away. Once they get the timing down, it’s so fun!

I would caution against letting a little kid play with a much bigger kid unless the bigger kid knows to be gentle. The goal of Zoom Ball is to not let the ball hit the handles, but if it does hit, it can sting the hands a bit. A much bigger and stronger kid should be paired with another bigger, stronger kid if they want to play competitively.

Zoom Ball Hydro

Zoom Ball Hydro is the very same concept as Zoom Ball, except the plastic enclosure is slotted. The ball part opens to allow water balloons to be placed inside.

The water balloon makes the stakes much higher and brings a whole new dimension to Zoom Ball. On the day we were scheduled to play these games at youth group, we woke up to temperatures in the 50’s. I was sad because I believed it would be way too cold to play Zoom Ball Hydro that afternoon at youth group. I was freezing through the morning church service.

Fortunately, the weather ended up being perfect. By afternoon, it was almost 80 degrees again. That’s Indiana for you! The kids were thrilled with the water balloons. Not all of them made their way to the Zoom Ball Hydro though!

The goal of Zoom Ball Hydro is supposed to be splashing your opponent, but all the kids in our youth group considered the splash a reward.

We are taking this game to the beach with us next time we travel because it will be a wonderful beach activity.

One issue we had with the Zoom Ball & Zoom Ball Hydro was the strings getting tangled between uses. We found an easy way to solve that problem. We had several small sections of foam fun noodle left from when we made our floating cooler for our 7 Cheap & Easy Dollar Tree Pool Hacks post.

I sliced down the length of the foam section, and used that to wrap the strings from the Zoom Ball. It worked perfectly.

I-Top

We did not use I-Top with the youth group that evening because it’s more of an indoor game, and only one person can be spinning the top at a time. However, my kids have used this game the most of all the games at home.

The I-Top uses a digital counter to keep track of the number of spins the top has made on each turn. This turns a simple oldtime toy into an exciting competition. A player can compete against himself to try to get a new personal record, or the player can compete against a friend.

I would never have guessed a top with a digital counter would bring so much ongoing enjoyment. This top has been on my kitchen island the whole time we’ve had it, and the kids will often give it a spin. Then another family member will come along later and start trying to outdo the last person’s best spin.

I-Top also has special challenges that are unlocked as you complete various tasks and challenges. This element keeps players coming back for more.

One of my favorite features of I-Top is that the little spindle folds into the top making it almost flat. This is a great item to keep in your mom bag to occupy your kids when sitting in a waiting room or trying to fill some indoor downtime with antsy kids. I’m actually bringing this with us when we stay in a condo later this fall because I think my brother’s younger kids will really enjoy it too.

The I-Top comes in three different colors.

Other Fun from Goliath Games

Goliath Games has been around since 1980 and is one of the few remaining family-owned toy companies. Goliath Games is “dedicated to creating toys and games that inspire young minds and adults alike to reach beyond their imagination.” We have certainly found this to be true. You can visit the Goliath Games website here.

Goliath is the company responsible for bringing us other fun games like Pop the Pig® and Doggie Doo™. My kids actually had Doggie Doo™ when they were little. I thought it was the weirdest toy ever when my daughter put it on her Christmas list for her grandma one year, but my kids loved it. For some reason dog poop is extremely funny and thrilling to small children.

We had a great time with Goliath Games, and we believe you will too!

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