The London 2012 Olympics are right around the corner. Why not get into the spirit of things with this fun little craft and outdoor activity?

What you’ll need:

• Two or three empty plastic water or pop bottles with the cap intact (the number of bottles depends upon how many teams you have playing)
• Sharp scissors
• Aluminum foil
• Access to water
• A large measuring cup

Directions:

1. Carefully cut an inch or two off of the bottom of each bottle.

2. Wrap the outside of the bottle with foil, tucking any excess down the bottom.

Your torch is ready!

For the relay race, divide your group into even teams. Each team gets one “torch.” Fill each of the torches with water.

On your marks, get set, go! Have the torchbearers run a short distance holding their torch aloft, and passing it to their team members in turn. The team who returns with the most water left in the torch (this is where the measuring cup comes in), wins the gold medal!

You can play different variations of this game. Toddlers might enjoy something simpler, like passing a water-filled torch around a circle (while seated in the grass, of course). Slightly older kids might like the extra challenge of removing the cap on the torches and running the relay while plugging the hole.

It’s almost guaranteed that any organized games will eventually become a splashfest, but I think that’s one of the best things about summer, don’t you?

Andrea Tomkins is a mother of two imps, and wife of one. She’s a freelance writer who is often found with camera in hand or scribbling madly in her notebook. She is passionate about arts and culture, travel and healthy living, and gets an extra big thrill out of helping parents and kids discover all the hidden treasures Ottawa has to offer. You can follow her adventures on her blog, a peek inside the fishbowl, where she’s been writing about family life since 1999.