Summer might not be here just quite yet but it’s damn close and until it is, there’s nothing like those rare, warm afternoons in the park to give you a taste of things to come. It’s not quite hot enough for sun-sunbathing and reading so you’ve got to keep active out there; here’s our super spring, active outdoor game: Gather up, get yourselves to a large green space, assign countries to represent and prepare for Park Olympics!

Event 1: Sprint
Set a distance, use the park’s screaming youngsters as the kick-off gunshot and then sprint it backwards, on piggyback, with bush-hurdles, relaying an open coke can between team runners.

Event 2: Gymnastics
Find a grassy hill in the park and roll down! Award points for distance covered, number of rolls, quality of rolls, straightness of trajectory and how quickly you can stand steady on your feet afterwards.

Event 3: Long Jump
Tie each competitor’s legs up, mid-calf, and get leaping!

Event 4: Marathon
Picking a hyperactive child playing in the park and follow its movements exactly until all but one player gives up exhausted. To avoid angry mothers though, alternatively just run round and round and round and round the park, once jogging, once hopping, once skipping, once juggling.

Event 5: Weightlifting
Every competitor lifts every other. He who lasts longest wins! More elaborate holding poses get bonus points too.

Event 6: Archery
No arrows here, just use this event as an excuse to lob water bombs at each other!

Event 7: Wrestling
An all on all fight to the death with each competitor’s arms tied behind their back.

Event 8: Shot-Put
Avoid lobbing anything too dangerous or too heavy, that takes the fun out, try throwing your shoes. Grab them by the laces, swing and release! Obviously the further the shoe lands the better, unless in knocks over a jogger and their dog. Then instant win!

Awards Ceremony
Wrap the afternoon’s games up with medal giving ceremony. The losers have to get down on all fours and the winners stand on their backs, lording it up on the impromptu podiums. Forage for some twigs to use as winners’ laurels and ice-creams will do as edible medals. Just make sure you’ve got a big bottle of lemonade to froth up and spray all in attendance and plenty of food and beer to enjoy afterwards - not too much though, the muscles to show-off athletic achievements are now closer than you think!

Anna Leon
Illustrations by Ben Goodman