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HOMEMADEHighlandGames

Ready, Set.GO!Highland games are a Scottishtradition which date back almost1,000 YEARS! Nowadays over 80Highland games take place acrossScotland each summer, and manymore happen around the world,but if you can’t get to one thisyear, or want to enjoy a taste ofthe excitement at home, why notHOLD YOUR OWN?Get your family ready forsome SCOTTISH FUN!2

Preparing forthe GAMESMost of the Highland games events are individualsports, but if you have a group of people competing,it might be more fun to split into clans. Either way,you’ll need to get into the Scottish spirit, so why notstart by inventing a good name for you or your clan?The funnier the better! If you’ve got a good ideafor a name, then go for it, but if not we have a funpicking method that you can use:Simply pick your favourite word from the firsttwo columns, and then a place name from the third.Add the words together to make your clan name.e.g the Hairy Teacakes of Eigg(if you are in a clan of one, simply removethe “s” from the 2nd word).1st2nd3rdHairyStagsof AuchtermuchtyWee (little)Chieftainsof Loch LochyScotsNeeps (turnips)Of MuckleCrabbit (grumpy)MunrosOf EcclefechanJaggy (spiky)ThistlesOf InveruirieCanny (cunning)Coosof GlencoeBraw (brilliant)Teacakesof DouneBonny (pretty)Laddies and lassiesof TroonClootyUnicornsof Eigg3

Create yourCLAN FLAGNow that you have a team name, why not create a teamflag? Use the pictures below to help you get started ordraw your own pictures to add to your flag. Don’t forgetto colour them in!4

Create yourCLAN FLAG5

Create yourCLAN FLAGWhat you will need:Your drawingsor printoutsA straw or a stickPaper or cardsScissors (and anadult to help youwith them)How to make it:1. Cut out and colour inthe pictures2. Cut out a triangle of paper(ask an adult for help withthe cutting)3. Stick your drawings to yourcut out triangle4. Attach your triangle to yourstraw with sticky tapeA glue stickSticky tape65. WAVE THE FLAG for yourteam mates!

Make your ownTam O’ ShanterHATThis style of bonnet is named after the poem of thesame name by Robert Burns, Scotland’s National Bard,and was introduced to the Scottish military during theFirst World War. These days it is considered by manyas a typical Scottish hat, and can be seen sported byvisitors to Highland games, sometimes with a bit ofginger hair poking out the bottom!What you will need:Sticky tapeScissors (and an adultto help you with them)Pencils and crayonsA hole punchA ball of yarnCardElastic band7

Make your ownTam O’ ShanterHAT8

Make your ownTam O’ ShanterHAT9

Make your ownTam O’ ShanterHATHow to make the pom pom:1. Cut two circles out of cardboard2. Hold the two circles together and wrapyarn around them until you can’t getany more yarn through the hole.3. Cut the yarn between the cardboard circles.4. Use a piece of string to tie the pompom tightly between the circles.5. Remove the cardboard andenjoy your new pom pom!10

Make your ownTam O’ ShanterHATHow to make it:1. Cut the template (on page 8) out of cardand colour it in. Once coloured, attachthe long strips together with tape tomake one long strip. Make sure you askan adult for help with the cutting.2. Curve the strip around your head soit fits comfortably, cut it to the rightlength and attach both ends together toform a closed ring.3. Place the disk on top of the head stripand join them together with sticky tape.4. Create a pom pom by following ourinstructions (on page 9) and stick it ontop of the disk, right in the centre.5. Punch two holes on the sides of thehead strip and add an elastic band tokeep your hat in place. Make sure youmeasure the right length of the bandbefore you stick it on. Get an adultto help you out with this.6.Pop yourhat on andGET READYtoPLAY!11

Get YOURMEDALS!Who doesn’t like to receive a medal, right? At the endof the games all participants will receive a medal fortaking part to keep as a souvenir of the day. The bestteam or player will receive a WINNERS trophy! If youwant this to be more official, feel free to put on yourown award ceremony!How to make it:1. Cut out the medals2. Punch a hole at the top3. Add a ribbon or a string4. Wear it like a winner!12

Get YOURMEDALS!13

Get YOURHow to make it:TROPHY!1. Cut it out2. Glue it on to cardboard3. Give it to the winner!14

Let the GAMESBEGIN!Now you’ve got yourselves ready, it’s timefor the fun to begin! Each activity is basedon a real Highland games event and willtest your strength, speed and stamina.Let’s find the top CLANSMANor CLANSWOMAN!oHow toHow tYou can compete asindividuals or in teams.Some events will requireindividual players to pairEach team chooses a playerto have a duel. The playerswill each have a go at theevent and one will win. KeepDUEL?PLAY?up to make a team.picking players to duel untileveryone has had a turn.The team who win the mostduels is the overall winnerof this game.For team play, some eventswill involve players competingin duels individually.15

What youSheafTOSS!NEED:When played at Highland games,competitors have to try and get afilled bag, or sheaf, over a high barusing only a pitchfork. But in ourversion we have changed the rules alittle bit. A pole - such as a broomstick. A sheaf - stuff a pillowcase orsack with something soft, suchas clothes, straw or wool. A starting line - madeusing a piece of chalk, stringor ribbon.Instead of seeing how HIGH you cantoss your sheaf, let’s see how FAR youcan toss it. A marker - something to markspots on the ground, such as apiece of chalk, plastic markercones or stones.0201Get yourself a pole or abroom and a homemade sheaf!0304Create a startingline with chalk,string or ribbonand place yoursheaf at it.Mark the spot where it landed.Let the next player take their turn.You each have two turns and theone who tosses it the furthest, wins!16Taking turns, try to lift up thesheaf and catapult it into the airso that it go es as far as possible.Just don’t step over the line, asyour toss will not be counted!

What youFarmer’sDASH!NEED: player - two objects of equalThis sport involves the athlete pickingup two weights, one in each hand andwalking as far as they can.To make sure that you’ve got enoughenergy for the rest of the games, we’vedecided that our winners will be theones who walk the distance the fastest.TWO WEIGHTS per team/weight which can be carried,such as bottles of water,buckets filled with stones, orpairs of socks in carrier bags.Just make sure the size isright for the age and the sizeof the players. A starting line. A return mark - you can usecones, stones, chalk or string.0117Set up a starting line,a return point and raceagainst your opponents!02Each team/player standsat the starting line, andwhen the game kicks offthe first player in eachteam picks up the twoweights, one in each handand walks as fast as theycan to the marker, turnsaround and comes backto the team. There theydrop off the weights andthe next one in their teamtakes their turn.03The team/player whofinishes first wins.

What youTug o’WAR!NEED: thick enough to grasp withTug o’ war is a team sport with anancient history, and versions of ithave been played across the worldfor centuries.your hands. 0203Teams line upand hold the rope.04On the starting sound eachteam starts to pull. Teammembers are not allowed tomove their feet – they mustlet the rope pass throughtheir hands if they aregaining rope.A divider - a piece of ribbon,coloured string or tape.Usually it is played in teams whereeach team has to use all their strengthto pull the other team across the line.01A long rope - this needs to be Two markers - create withchalk, string or cones.Fix your divider to thecentre of the rope.Lay the rope on the ground andcreate a starting point either sideof the centre line. This is whereeach team will line up to holdthe rope.0518The winning team isthe first team to pullthe tape on the ropeover their starting line.

What youHaggisHURL!NEED: This event at the Highland gamesinvolves seeing who can throw a weightthe furthest, but many Highlandgames also include a similar fun eventcalled haggis hurling.The aim of the game is to throw it thefurthest without bursting it. Have a gowith your own haggis!01Fill your balloon with water!You can also use bean bags orsandwich bags filled with rice.What ever you choose, just makesure everyone has the same thing.02Step at the starting line,or on the chair/barrel/boxand throw your “haggis”as far as you can withoutbursting it.A HAGGIS - balloons filledwith water, bean bags, orsandwich bags filled with rice.Make sure the weights and theitems are the same. A starting line or a chair.Usually this is played froman elevated position, like ontop of a barrel or a chair. Justmake sure it’s safe and anadult is keeping it stable.0319The team/player whothrows it the furthest andkeeps it intact wins. If theyall burst - no one wins!

What youWellyTHROW!NEED: This game is inspired by thehammer toss where participants takea hammer (a heavy metal ball on apole) and spin around with it beforeletting it fly as far as possible.Don’t worry you will not need todo this, a good old size 8 wellywill be good enough to test yourthrowing skills.WELLY - a knee-length bootcould also be OK (check withthe owner before using it!). A starting line - created withchalk, string or cones. Markers - create with chalk,string or cones.0201Get yourselfa welly!03Each player takesa turn to stand atthe starting line andgrabs the welly withboth hands.Either by spinning or byholding the welly in-betweenyour legs, throw it as far asyou can without steppingover the line.To make more it!challenging, you mightwant to make playersface away from thestarting line and throw04The one who throws thewelly the furthest wins!20the welly backwardsover their head!

What youCaberTOSS!NEED: A ‘CABER’ - something long,such as a foam swimmingPerhaps the most famous of theHighland games events, the caber tossshows both skill and strength. Largetree trunks, as tall as telegraph poles,are flipped around like matchsticks!pool noodle wrapped in paper,a roll of carpet, or a widecardboard tube. You can createyour own from whatever youlike. But remember to markone end so you can be sure ifit has flipped.We’re not expecting you to lift largewooden poles, so let’s just try thiswith something lighter, shall we? A starting line Markers to show whereit landed.01Get yourself a “caber”!Each player doesn’t need tohave their own one, but it’sgood to have some variety!0302A successful throw isone that sees the caber flipright over. The person whoflips the caber so it landsin the straightest line, wins.21Each player takes twoturns to toss the caber. Thisinvolves a short walk up tothe starting point followedby an attempted throw.

Take theGAMESfurther!If you’re still full of energy andwant to add more games in the mix,try Track and Field!There’s a long history of Track & Fieldactivities being part of Highland games,so why not add some of them to yourhome-made games as well!eHere’s somSUGGESTIONS: sprint short cycle three-leggedrace relay race make upyour own one! long jump22

ttanAll imporATHLETE’SmealAfter all that activity, your Highland gamesathletes will be looking for some tasty treats.Maybe you could continue the Scottish andHighland games theme by following some ofour food and drink ideas. ‘Caber’ carrot sticks and dips, or perhaps bread sticks.A hay bale/sheaf – fill paperbags with popcorn or trail mix. A Celtic knot biscuit. A ‘hammer’ – a cake pop on stick. A chocolate log caber. Irn Bru ice lolly. Cranachan – minus whisky! Gingerbread men in kilts.23

ENJOY yourHighlandGames!24

each team will line up to hold the rope. Teams line up and hold the rope. On the starting sound each team starts to pull. Team members are not allowed to move their feet - they must let the rope pass through their hands if they are gaining rope. The winning team is the first team to pull the tape on the rope over their starting line.