Want to be the next Katniss Everdeen of the famed Hunger Games series? May the odds be ever in your favour with this archery activity for kids. Created by the Ministry of Cricket & Other Homeless Sports, which is a centre that rents out indoor turf fields and batting cages, Extreme Archery Games is a cross between The Hunger Games and paintball, but is safe with no mess or pain.

In the battle, players run around the field wearing paintball masks, hiding behind inflatable castle walls and boulders. They use bows and foam tipped arrows (to avoid injuries) that flash and whistle as they fly through the air. Contestants can test their aim by shooting at targets or other players.

The adult version of this combat archery game originates from Germany and has recently grown in popularity in Canada. Since the younger ones wanted to participate, the Ministry of Cricket created sessions just for them. “There were so many soccer kids coming in to our centre asking to try archery, we decided to create the kids’ version,” says Angus Bell, owner of the multi-sport centre.

Available for kids age 8-11, there is a minimum number of players required and the activity lasts 60 minutes. For ages 12 and up, they have Extreme Archery Games — a more advanced, faster-paced form of combat archery that lasts 75 minutes.

The Ministry of Cricket & Other Homeless Sports also hosts parties and family activities. Reserve your own turf sports field of every size and choose to play one of the 20 sporting activities, including soccer, floor hockey, Nerf battle, Quidditch, ping pong, bubble soccer, ultimate frisbee, and much more.

For more information, visit ministryofcricket.ca.
(This story was updated in 2022)