Most of us find ourselves sitting in front of a screen either watching movies and shows, checking out social media platforms, or playing games. We tend to do this even when we’re out with our friends or at family gatherings, which is becoming quite unhealthy for both adults and youngsters. The best way to encourage a healthier attitude in socializing is to find an activity that will engage everyone and let you all have a blast. A great activity that includes all that and is safe for all ages is gel balling.

Here’s a guide on how to play gel ball and have an amazing time with your family and friends outside and work on your fitness.

What is Gel Balling?

Gel balling is a fun group game, and a team sport, where players use toy guns powered by batteries that shoot water beads, also called gel balls. The objective depends on how you decide to play the game; it can be how many people you can shoot from the other team, how to reach a trophy, or whatever the group decides the objective should be. One of the best things about the game is that it can be flexible where you can make up your own game rules and objectives and have a wonderful time. It is best played outside at parks or fields dedicated to the game. You should not carry the gun in the streets because many of those toy guns resemble real guns and that will cause a huge, unnecessary hassle and scare many people.

Which Types of Guns Are Best for the Games?

Gel ball is played using gel blasters, which, as mentioned above, are toy guns that shoot gel balls made of water basically. There are various types of guns and each has its own specs and pros and cons. In terms of speed and gunpowder, there are pistols, rifles, and submachines. Pistols are light and easy to carry but don’t have the highest shot speed or longest shots. Rifles may be heavy, but they can shoot about 250 feet per second, which makes up for their size and weight. Submachines are the best in size, accuracy, and shooting speed. Each of these guns can either be electric or gas-operated. Arguably, gas gel blasters are more efficient than electric gel blasters. Gas-powered gel blasters are faster than electric ones; a gas blaster can shoot up to 280 FPS (feet per second) while the electric blaster doesn’t go above 250 FPS.

How Safe Are Gel Balls?

Gel balling is extremely safe as the balls are really light and basically made of water. They also don’t pose any danger to the environment as they don’t leave any trace and they evaporate a bit after they’re shot. Gel balls are also light and don’t cause pain when they hit the person shot. A gel ball game is a lot like laser tag and paintball, but it’s more preferred over the others. Although, players should still be careful and take safety measures like wear face shields or any kind of eye protection. Another thing to always remember is to never shoot your gel blaster unless it’s during a game, and never carry the gun in public. There have been many cases in different countries of people reporting that someone is carrying a lethal weapon which turned out to be a toy gel blaster. Just follow the instructions and enjoy a safe, fun game.

Things to Consider Before Playing

As mentioned above, you need to take all the safety precautions, but there are also a couple of things to note before you play. One thing you need to do before playing is to soak the gel balls in water for about 4 hours before you start playing. Soaking the gel balls lets them expand to the size needed for the guns to work properly and the game can go smoothly.

How to Play

As mentioned above, there isn’t one way to play gel ball, you have the liberty of choosing how to play the game. Some people prefer to have more than 2 teams and the team with the most players still standing, weren’t hit, wins the game. Another way to play is to have a target to collect, it can either be a flag or a trophy, and the team that gets to the object that should be collected first wins the game. Another way is to have a number of tasks and things to collect and the team that finished first wins. Whichever game tactic you choose, it is definitely so much fun.

Now gather a large group of friends and family and go outside on a gorgeous sunny day and get active with them. Leave your phones, tablets, or any smart devices you have and have an old-fashioned, healthy fun activity with the people you love.