Outdoor Family Games are Healthy–for the Body and Soul
The experts are telling us two things these days. First, we don’t get enough exercise. We sit—a lot! We sit at our desks, on our couches, at our tables, in our cars, at restaurants and much more. Now, mind you, sitting is not altogether a bad thing, the problem is that we’ve got the whole sitting thing out of balance. We sit too much. The result is that we’re all becoming fat!
We’re not exercising like Americans did back in the good old days. We need to walk, run, jog, or even just plain move around more. In fact, one recent American Cancer Society report states that lack of exercise is just as dangerous to your heath as smoking! And, people who don’t exercise are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease as people who get even modest amounts of exercise.
Years ago when John F. Kennedy was president, there was a craze that swept the nation resulting in large numbers of people walking or jogging. Some tried to see how far they could go in a day. Some went 20, 25 or even 30 miles in a day. Even four decades ago people were worried that we sat around too much. Today, no one is asking Americans to walk 30 miles. Just play an outdoor family game together.
The same experts that tell us we’re getting fat, also tell us that even a small amount of exercise each day has a physically beneficial effect. That’s one reason that outdoor family games are becoming so popular. They are reasonably within reach of even the most tight-fisted consumer, plus they are a good way to add some exercise to our daily routine.
A current favorite game is BlongoBall. It’s fun for everyone to play, it’s easy to set up and play—and it’s even easy to be a winner! No special skills required to thoroughly crush your competition.
The second thing the experts are telling us is that we don’t spend enough time together as families. Of course this is probably not going to make you lose weight, unless being with your family puts you off your dinner. But an essential part of healthy psychology and parenting is to spend time together not just working and handling the chores involved with running a family, but doing fun things.
This is where outdoor family games are handy things to have around. Most families will respond quickly and easily to a game as easy and fun as BlongoBall. Even teenagers who might normally be less interested in participating in a family activity will usually perk up when the BlongoBall game is set up.
One of the things that makes BlongoBall one of our favorite outdoor family games is that not only can you play it in groups, but you can talk and interact with each other while you’re playing. Intense concentration is not required for effective play, but the game is still challenging enough to capture the interest of players of all ages and abilities. And—the soft rubber ball sets are ideal for playing indoors. This makes BlongoBall a year round favorite at many houses.
You can find out everything you need to know about the greatest outdoor family game by visiting the BlongoBall website at http://www.blongoball.com. You can also find a BlongoBall dealer near you at the BlongoBall dealer locator on the site at http://www.blongoball.com/find.html
We love BlongoBall too! We have a large backyard and play it all the time with the whole family. Maybe we haven’t lost any weight, but we have gained some great memories and good family times! Keep up the good work Blongo!
Craig
One thing we’ve discovered about BlongoBall, especially compared to the other “pretenders” is that BlongoBall is built to last. It’s sturdy and made from quality materials. Our family has played hundreds of BlongoBall games on a set we got two years ago. Probably not everyone can say that!
OK, I’m a little upset. We love our neighbor’s BlongoBall game and so I tried to find one for our family for 4th of July. I snagged one at a local cheap-o discount store for about $20, maybe a little more. We hadn’t been playing more than 15 minutes when one of the balls hit one of the horizontal rungs and it broke right in half (the rung did , not the ball). I thought my kids were going to tear me apart. They were so mad that I hadn’t bought the “real BlongoBall” and blamed me for ruining our fun. Of course the store’s not interested in taking it back. I guess I should have learned my lesson from my Dad. He always said “the disappointment of poor quality lasts long after the thrill of low price.” It’s certainly true for BlongoBall. I went out and bought the “real thing” the very next day!
I know what you’re talking about Roger. Beware of imitations! We bought a real cheap set too and it broke on the second game. Only the real BlongoBall for me from now on!
Not to brag or anything, but I’m looking for someone–other than my family of course–to tell about my great BlongoBall victory last night. OK, maybe I do want to brag a little. Anyway, we were at my parents house with my brother and sisters and all the kids (what a mad house!) and of course my brother started talking trash about his BlongoBall expertise since he is the reigning family champion. I just couldn’t handle it anymore so we “took it outside”. We set up the BlongoBall game in the backyard and went for two out of three. He won the first game and I won the second. In the third game, I threw first. I got three bouncers in a row for 15 points!! On my first turn! How cool is that. Well the pressure was on for sure. My brother totally caved under the stress. It was the best. On my next turn I bounced my first shot for another 5 points, then hit the top bar on my second shot, but it didn’t stay. With my last shot I wrapped the top bar for 1 point and put my brother in his place! I totally rule!! What a great outdoor family game!
We took our BlongoBall set on vacation with us. We just packed it in our RV and took off. We set it up at every RV park we camped at and it was a huge hit. People wanted to play with us. It was a great way to meet new people and enjoy the trip.
Richard
Hi All. I am making my own blongoball game. I have already made the goals. However I am getting mixed info on the balls. Can someone tell me the distance of the balls on the rope and tell me if that is measured using the inside of the balls or the outside of the balls? Also can you tell me what size rope is used for the balls? I have read 1/4″ but that seems a little small. Thank you. Jeff
Here’s chapter 2 . . . My brother still hasn’t gotten over his defeat of a couple of weeks ago. He was pushing me for a rematch and, once again the family was all at my parent’s house. We did another two out of three and, (uh-hum) I CRUSHED him the first two games in a row. He couldn’t believe it so he wanted a third game–just for fun. I beat him again! Three straight. He was a little better sport about it this time. What a fun time we had. What a great outdoor family game!
Just thought you’d all like to know.
Lisa
Found it! Here’s where my sister has been posting stories of her alleged victory over me as the family BlongoBall champion. Not likely! What a cheater! Why is it that women always want some sort of concession in the world of competition, yet expect their victories to be celebrated as if there were no concessions given? What my sister DIDN’T tell you was that she insisted on being about three feet IN FRONT of the goal when she tossed her Blongos. The rules specifically state that the distance is supposed to be 25 feet, not 22 feet. Okay, yes, she beat me, but it would have never happened if I hadn’t caved in and let her cheat! So there, the secret is out. This is a great family game, but it would be better if there were no cheaters in my family!
Jason
I can’t belive how addicting this game is! It’s so rare these days to find an activity that I can enjoy with my whole family. My kids love it, as well as my tailgating buddies! Best backyard game I’ve ever played..Thanks!
Thank you for sharing!
I agree with Jason. I’m a BlongoBall addict too. My whole family likes to play. Now that the weather is starting to change here in Michigan, we’re playing BlongoBall in the garage with the indoor balls. One thing we like to do indoors (in the garage anyway) is see if we can bounce the blongos off of the back wall and score on the rebound. Probably most dads would have a fit, but one of our garage walls is mostly cement so it’s no big deal. We award extra points for bouncing off the backwall and scoring, but a couple of my kids are so good at it that we’ve started playing to 31 instead of 21. We’re having a great time!
Bruce
Hey, finally a game that I can destroy my husband at.
Thank you BlongoBall!
I’m glad I found this blog! I’ve been meaning to give some feedback to the Blongo folks for quite a while, so here goes. Holy cow!! What a great game. Not only is it a ton of fun, but it’s perfect for family activities. The whole “family fun” thing is really true. We’ve never found another outdoor family game as well liked as this one. And now we’re even playing it indoors! Can I be serious for just a minute? While the game is fun and we’ve had a great time as a family and with our friends, the real benefit–at least from the point of view of this Dad–is that we’re spending time together and we’re talking! When we’re playing BlongoBall we’re talking and laughing and having fun together as a family. It’s really what we’ve always hoped would happen more often at our house. Now, with BlongoBall, we can make it happen! Maybe it sounds a little sappy, but BlongoBall is much more than a game–it’s a family bonding experience. You get all the benefits of camping without having to sleep on the ground! What a great game!
Paul
Hey, I give up! Every Christmas since ‘02, I have been making this game out of my shop for friends and family. With the cost of PVC going up daily, and a chance encounter with BlongoBall, I am no longer making the game. Why make it for almost the same cost and all the time wasted on cutting PVC? I love the BlongoBall product and all the available accessories that they offer.
Thank you BlongoBall for saving my social life and making the game just as well as I did.
I discovered BlongoBall on the internet, and last weekend we got a break in the rain in Seattle, so we christened our new game. Well, Blongo won the fun contest with our family. The game is easy to learn and play and it brings unexpected surprises. The balls hit the goals, spin around the rungs, and end up who knows where. In close games the animation can generate great hoots and laughter. My wife, who is not the competive type, really enjoyed beating me. BlongoBall is as fun as horshoes but without endangering property and life from flying metal.
Alright Blongo!
Maybe this is evidence that I’m getting smarter in my old age, but our family has decided to break with a long-standing tradition this Thanksgiving. Normally, after we’re all filled up with good food and feeling a little lethargic, we all go out into the backyard for a game of football. It’s been the source of a lot of fun and more than a couple of broken bones and bruises over the years. Plus, we work up enough of an appetite for Grandma’s pumpkin pie which we always have after the game.
Well, this year it’s going to be different. We’re dispensing with the football game and we’re going to have a BlongoBall tournament instead! We’ll have just as much fun, more people will get to play and Uncle Ed won’t end up in the emergency room for the third year in a row (2005–sprained ankle, 2006–broken collar bone). The way I figure it, Ed will save enough money to buy us all brand new BlongoBall sets!!
Just a quick note to say how much my family has enjoyed playing BlongoBall all summer long and even into the fall. Now that it’s winter and there’s snow on the ground, we’re still playing–but now it’s indoors. I see other people have found the indoor rubber balls too. They’re great! I’m glad we can keep playing even when the weather isn’t cooperating. That means we’ll be able to keep up our BlongoBall skills and when spring rolls around, we’ll totally crush our neighbors–again!
Good job BlongoBall folks–and Merry Christmas to all BlongoBall fans!
Rob
I’m going to get the first post in this season! I see my sister hasn’t been here so I’m going to throw down the gauntlet again. My sister (Lisa) has been shooting her mouth off again about how she beat me last summer. In fact, she mentions it almost every time we’re together as a family. Of course I’m being a good sport about it, but it’s getting old. Here’s how it’s going to go down. We’re all getting together at Mom and Dad’s for Mother’s Day. Hopefully the weather will cooperate because I’m certain the BlongoBall set will come out and the family will pester us until we have a re-match. But this time, there will be NO CHEATING! Unless Lisa is willing to play by ALL the rules, there will be no re-match. Plus, I’m going to make a little wager. We’ll play two out of three. Loser has to dye their hair the same color as the winner’s BlongoBalls! That ought to freak her out!
Can’t wait for Mother’s Day!
Jason
Our family is crazy about BlongoBall. We take it everywhere and play it frequently. My daughter and son-in-law take their game on their boat most weekends during the summer. My son-in-law, Jeff, and I are almost unbeatable when we team up. This causes some family arguments because my daughter, Michelle, is very competitive and she hates losing. Being a close family we all offer Michelle encouragement and support but, truthfully, she will just have to improve her game before she will be able to unseat the CHAMPS!
Once you go Pro you never go back. I just got my Pro BlongoBall game last night and I am WOWED by the games quality and ability to assemlbe quickly. I have the orginal BlongoBall game so adding the Pro was an easy decision. BlongoBall has been putting out the best quality games since day one and they have elavated the quality with the Pro. I do not know about you, but when I buy something I like to have it last.
GO BLONGO!!!
Great! I got here before Lisa. OK, now for my completely unbiased report on the Mother’s Day grudge match between me and Lisa. I have been preparing Lisa for this match for a while by telling her that we’d be playing a high stakes game and the loser would have to suffer–major! So, we get to Mom’s on Mother’s Day and we do all the great Mother’s Day stuff (we have an amazing Mom) and as soon as dinner is over, Lisa wants to “get after it”. She thinks she’s going to stomp me into the ground!
We get the game set up in the back yard, all the family gathers around and starts cheering. It was intense. Before we start I laid out the conditions. First, there will be no cheating! When the rules say 25 ft. that means 25 ft., not 20 ft. or even 24 ft. Second condition is that the loser has to die their hair the color of the BlongoBall they select. I knew this would horrify Lisa! She has blond hair–and she’s really proud of it. And I knew she was so superstitious that she wouldn’t dare play with anything but the hot pink BlongoBalls. My clever trap was set!
So, we played. I goofed off the first game and let her get too close. She ended up beating me 21-19. The second game was more intense. I was in the Blongo zone! I completely crushed her 21-9. She battled back in the third game, but I still had a comfortable lead and ended up beating her 21-15. I was victorious!
So now Lisa has pink hair! (she has to have it for a week). She started off wearing a hat to work, but now has decided to let her Blongo colors show. I think she actually likes it! Not exactly what I had in mind, but oh well.
So, that’s the story. I’m sure Lisa will come by to post her side of the situation since I told her I was going to do this. We’ll see what she says.
Go BlongoBall!!
It’s been a while since I posted here and I see my brother Jason has already reported on our Mother’s Day family tournament. I have to say that this is getting out of hand and I want it stopped–as soon as I get my REVENGE!
So, let me make sure that everyone knows the latest happenings. Here’s the scene:
It’s Fathers Day. We’re all at Mom and Dad’s having our usual family time. No one is really saying much about my loss to Jason on Mothers Day or my pink hair (it’s back to normal now), but of course EVERYONE wants to play BlongoBall. I think they mostly want to see me and Jason duke it out in the field of BlongoBattle, but it’s really fun so I don’t mind. In fact, I’ve been practicing. In my apartment with the indoor balls and in the park across the street with the regular balls. I’ve particularly concentrated on hitting 5-point shots. I’ve been practicing like a maniac, but no one knows. So, I’m ready to spring the trap!
Of course Jason wants to play and is nudging me and teasing me about playing him again. I pretend like I don’t want to–just to get him over confident! He totally takes the bait!
I get to decide the stakes this time, so here’s my program. Loser has to paint their face the same color as their BlongoBalls and has to wear it when we go to the mall to buy Dad his golf shoes AND to dinner at our favorite restaurant. Jason won’t play with anything but the blue ones–you know the dark blue ones. He agrees and we start playing a three-game set.
I take a chance and let him beat me the first game. Then I unleash my 5-point bounce magic! In game number two I get three 5’s on my first turn. Jason’s face almost turns blue all on it’s own! My second turn I get another 5 and then an air ball and then I hit the top rung for the final point. I completely killed him!
Third and final game. Jason is sweating like crazy. I’m cool as a cucumber. He goes first and scores 10. I’ve still got the bounce magic going for me and score 15 and even knock one of his off in the process, so it’s 15 to 5. He hits another 5 and a three so it’s 15 to 13 and it’s my turn. The family is completely silent and riveted to their lawn chairs. I completely squash him on my next turn with two 3 point shots and the victory is mine! The whole family erupts into applause and even Jason congratulates me.
Yes, I painted his face with some stuff I bought at a costume store and we went to the mall and to the restaurant with Jason looking like one of those guys from the blue-man group. I’m not sure we’ve ever laughed harder in our whole family history!
What a great game! What a fun family! I love it!
Lisa
Hey Blongo Fans!
Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed BlongoBall–especially the BlongoBal Pro on our recent camping trip. We spent a few days exploring the Tetons and surrounding areas in Idaho and Wyoming. We set up the BlongoBall Pro at every campground. It only took a few seconds and we were having a blast. Lots of people wanted to play with us, so we made some great new friends too. We love it!
Ben
3 weeks ago was at the beach and my friend had a cheap version of Blongoball–played it had a blast except the game would fall apart once in a while. I went out right away and got the original blongoball from a cool little toy store in Ocean City, NJ. We played all week at the beach, never had a problem. Since I came home all my friends and family love the game (it’s addicting). We have tournaments all the time. I just purchased Blongoball pro–gave my other one to my dad. The Pro version is awesome and sets up in seconds. I LOVE this game and would recommend to anyone!!!
The summer of Blongo is officially over. I hate to admit it, but it’s true. The kids are back in school and the leaves are changing color. The weather is still pretty nice in our part of the world, so we’ve been able to get in a few extra family tournaments this year before we put away the outdoor balls and break out the indoor ones (thank you BlongoBall!). I haven’t posted anything here since my sister beat me 2 out of 3 on Father’s Day. It’s not because I’m embarrassed because my sister beat me–she did a great job and beat me fair and square. I’ve just been busy all summer and haven’t had a chance. But we did have a really fun BlongoBall summer. And our family tournaments have continued. Lisa and I have cooled our competitive issues somewhat, but things still get pretty heated during our games. We’re not really keeping score of the tournaments (at least that’s what I’m telling Lisa), so I’m not supposed to tell you that since Father’s Day, I’ve beat her 2 out of 3 games in 5 straight family tournaments and of course I’m the family champion! There was not really any drama involved. No weird wagering or bizarre betting, just the games, the great summer weather and the world’s best family (oh, and tons of the world’s best food too).
So, I say farewell to the summer of 2008. The summer of Blongo at our house. It was great fun. We can’t wait for the indoor tournaments!
Jason
I used BlongoBall to get a raise! Seriously. My boss is a BlongoBall crazy man. He eats, sleeps and breathes anything competitive, but especially BlongoBall. He thinks he’s the best BlongoBall champion in the known universe. He’s always bragging to us about how he blows away his entire neighborhood with his amazing BlongoBall expertise.
Well, a couple of weeks ago, it was time for my performance review and my raise (hopefully). We work in a machine shop and I’m probably the most productive machinist in the place. The boss knows it–and of course so do I. I was pretty sure I’d get a good raise, but one day when he was bragging to everyone in the lunch room about his latest BlongoBall conquest, I made a little wager with him. I told him I could beat him two out of three games. Of course he said I couldn’t, but I insisted. I told him that if I couldn’t beat him he could give me the average department raise like he gives everyone else (around 3%), but if I beat him, he had to give me the maximum raise of 5%. He agreed! What he didn’t know was that I’d been practicing like a maniac all summer.
To make a long story short–I beat him two games in a row and I got my 5% raise! How cool is that?
Thanks BlongoBall! I’ll be using my raise to buy more BlongoBall games this Christmas! What a game!
Jared
Hi,
I came across your website several months ago while looking for products to sell online. I was intrigued with your website and the game. You have done a great job at promoting this game. I had never heard of it before but you obviously have a product that is popular. Congratulations!
This sounds like an ideal game for families! I love that it is portable and can be played outside.
Our neighbors had a week-end washer tournament a few weeks ago, and we all had a ball! What a great time we would all have with Blongo!
All the best with this great product!
Barb
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