Hello everyone out there - i am new to Relay and the activities committee. Well last year was our first year doing Relay at this location and I was a team captain, i did so well that they asked me to join the committee and now I am the head of the Activities and Entertainment Committee. I am looking for new ideas of what's done at other relays. Our relay is a 12 hour relay, It starts at 5 P.M. and goes until 5 A.M.

 Does anyone else out there have the same timeslot, and if so what types of activities work best after midnight, i would like some suggestions on how to keep everyone active and motivated until the wee hours of the morning. I have a bunch of ideas we have been working on but not sure when to plan them, i know we have the Opening Ceremonies at 5 the survivors lap at 5:30 and the luminary at 9 and the closing ceremonies at 4:30.

I want to do a jail and bail booth, a silent auction sort of thing, but that can go all night, i believe one team last year had a space walk out there for the kids and pony rides, not sure if they plan on coming back. I want to try a Relay Olympics sort of thing, but am getting stuck on events to do as part of the olympics. I have a few planned suck as tug of war, musical chairs, 3 legged race, dizzy bat race, water balloon toss (instead of egg toss) does anyone have any other ideas they've tried before.

I also want to do a cake walk, a kids tent, and much more - i currently don't have my notes with me as I am at work on my lunch hour but i will get them when i go home tonight and finish this post with the rest of our great ideas.

But if anyone else has any ideas as to keep people motivated please let me know, last year we started off with over 20 something teams and at the end of the night we had 7 - although it was our first relay at that location and they didn't have a full committee of people to handle all of the fun activites, i want to make this year bigger and better for everyone. So please send me your ideas - either on here or to my e-mail at babygurl_y2k@yahoo.com

 thanks for all the help,

 Mindi LeCarpentier

Activities and Entertainment Chair

Metairie, LA 

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Hi!!   What's the jail and bail booth?

Thanks!

We were a first year event last year so we combed the internet for ideas.  The vast majority of our participants stayed all night.  We didn't advertise that it was an option to leave, but we didn't lock them in, either. :o)

Our activities chair did a few things that were big hits.  She had a frozen t-shirt contest where participants had to take a t-shirt (that had been wadded up in a ball, soaked in water and frozen) and break it open and put it on.  The first person to have their shirt on won.  It was great because it was about 102 degrees when she did it.

She also did human foosball and a sponge relay (bucket of water at one end, cup at the other; soak a sponge in the bucket and squeeze as much water as you can into the cup--she/he with the most water in the cup after 3 laps wins).  There were hula-hoop contests and things you already mentioned.

She also had a volleyball net set up that people could just use at will and quite a few people did use it.  We had Monster baseball set up, also.  It was good to have things sitting around for people to use that were not structured activities.

The one area where we didn't really meet the needs of our Relay was kids activities.  We had no clue how many to expect.  Fortunately and very thankfully, one of our participants volunteered to head a committee specifically to focus on things to keep kids occupied.  She has tons of ideas and is doing some big things! 

I think what people enjoyed most was that all of the games and activities were free.  I've been to Relays where it seems like everyone is begging for money (which I understand is the point) but after fundraising for months, purchasing campsite decor, and taking time off work to be there, we just couldn't see asking for money to keep people occupied while they were at the Relay.  Our teams do a silent auction and onsite fundraising but a person could visit our event, play the games and have a grand time without spending money to do it. After all, the visitors that have a great time this year may well be your new teams next year!