Making it fun for kids

[durant7]

Had our monthly 4-H shoot this last Sunday at Backwoods in North Dallas area. Hot day. 10 kids ranging from 9 to 15. 50/50 girl boy.

Some were finishing their postal match (22) but we had the 499 bb guns and 888 10m guns out as well as one 747 pistol. Most of the interest was in completing postal matches. Some of the kids played with the BB/10m rifles but it was clear by the time they got things sighted in they tired of the exercise and lost interest. Most find it hard to hold on target (prone) and as a result give up...

Sigh....

So, I've got 6 888s that continually amaze me at how accurate they are. I could play with them all day. I think I need to create a reactive target game and let the kids compete against one another for bragging rights. Maybe that will hold the interest.

I was at a match where we had to shoot at paintballs on white background. They make quite a show when a pellet hits them. Of course they are a bit small and I could see that back-firing. Then there is the NECCO wafer game, a little bigger. Too bad they don't carry them in Texas. NECCO = New England Confection Company for those who are currious.....

Anyway, perhaps we can collaborate on how to make it fun....when it's 90F and impossible to see marks in paper just don't cut it.

Thanks!!!

[Gary Von Schmittou]

The small silhouette animals make a good change of pace,and the kids get a kick out of the clang from a solid hit. For a change of pace I will tell them they must shoot rams(largest) from offhand (or the chickens for the precision class kids). Some times I will set a timer for 3 or 5 minutes, telling the kids it is " free for all" when it beeps (shoot other kids standing animals). When I give them an exersize, such as 10 rds each position, or 40 rds offhand, or 1 round, each position, 10 times, I will tell them we shoot silhouettes when they are done (carrot & stick). White thumb tacks in a black target paster, and baloons are also good for a change of pace.

Some times anything different is enoughto keep it fun. Good shooting,Gary

[JPM]

Each year I have used the final meeting before Christmas as a "Fun" day.

Two years ago we did a lifesaver match. I hung lifesavers from fishooks and we had a match where you got 3 shots to break 3 lifesavers.

For a tiebreaker I glued "smarties" to a 3 x 5 card for the kids to shoot. They are about 4 mm in diameter and I had to hit them with spray paint first to make them uniform in color.

This year, I used the animal silhouettes - lots of fun!!! I'll stick with that as there is less mess to clean-up.

A long time ago, when I was a kid, we shot lifesavers with a 22.

Jim

[TWP]

At easter time we shoot those candy peeps chickens. Lots of fun, get the hard ones, they break up nicely.

I also had the kids hang a target backward and shoot a smiley face on the back side of it, then complete it by connecting the dots. I then took a team picture and sent the targets and picture to the owner of the dive shop that fills our scuba tanks for free.

We also use the Daisy breakable targets, they look like little clay pigeons. Kids love shooting them.

Another one that I heard about (may even been on this board) and used recently was to buy the black dots for the Shoot-N-See targets (the black targets that show yellow around your hit). Put one up for each shooter and see who can get rid of all the black first.

We also do a guts match for fun. Let the less experienced shooters shoot prone, the better kids shoot kneeling, and the really good kids have to shoot off hand. Have every one load one round, give them 45 secs to fire the shot. Lowest score has to drop out, they then get to heckle the other shooters with animal noises while they shoot. If there is a tie the 2 lowest shooters shoot a tie breaker. It does several things, first it breaks up the monotony, second it lets the younger kids have a real chance against the older ones, third, it shows the kids that the only shot that counts it the one they are firing. A bad shot anywere along can knock you out. But some of them also get lucky, there one bad shot is often matched by someone else.

[GaryN]

I think you are right. Kids today are brought up on video games, so they like action. So some kind of reactive target would hold their interest. So rather than a score from a 10-ring, score based on how many targets they hit.

spinners, cans hanging from a string, water balloons, small molded plastic animals, 1x2 wood blocks (on their ends so a hit knocks them over), film containers filled w flour (w/o the cap on so a hit caused a cloud of flour), animal crackers, pringles, hanging small sheets of metal (cut from a soda can), etc.

The thing to be careful with are the targets that can bounce the BB or pellet back at the shooter. Some of the spinners fall will bounce pellets back. To some degree, this seems to be velocity related, so you have to test with the particular gun.

Gud Luk
Gary

[Helen]

Thanks for all the ideas, folks. I coach junior air pistol & they really like to shoot clay targets, hung on strings. They love the "smash" on the concrete floor, in our indoor range. I have about 10 kids, so silly little prizes from the dollar store also is enjoyed.

[tim s]

hello all, at my club for our christmas shoot we use polo mints taped onto black paper. Not sure if you have them in the U.S, but they are hard round sweets about 1/2" across with a 1/4" hole through the middle so perfect accuracy is not wanted. we shoot them without any of the normal gear, jackets slings, gloves (we a re precison .22" club) It's a rapid fire course with unlimited ammo, you have to shoot all your polo mints before the other fellow does. This would probably work quite well with air-rifles or pistols too. polo mints are also very, very cheap.

good luck and good shooting.

tim s

Exeter U.K