Family Flag Football

Want to really get moving after all those mashed potatoes and stuffing? Organize a wacky all-ages flag football match, like the one we heard about from reader Jodi Imler of Orefield, Pennsylvania. In Jodi's "NFL" (Neighborhood Football League), the event borrows the best aspects of traditional Thanksgiving Day games -- they even use a homemade PVC pipe goalpost and put on a halftime show. "We let the kids march around with musical instruments," she says.

In our version, we foster team spirit with personalized football flags. They're a cinch to make, and they prevent disputes about who tagged whom and where it happened; the opposing player just tugs off a ribbon and throws it down to mark the spot.

HOMEMADE GOALPOSTS This kid-friendly set of uprights, easily assembled from PVC pipes, is perfect for field-goal-kicking contests, says reader Jodi Imler. For construction diagrams and instructions, print this sheet.

FOOTBALL FLAGS

1. Measure a length of 1 1/2-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon to fit each player's waist and attach adhesive-backed Velcro closures to each end.
   
2. Make 2 or 3 flags for each belt by cutting 12-inch lengths of ribbon. Let each player decorate his or her own flag belt with fabric markers.
   
3. Affix a bit of adhesive-backed Velcro to one end of each flag and the belt, then press the flags in place.