Fun, games and some crazy ideas see the UK leading the way in wacky activities, both outdoors and indoors. These out-of-the-ordinary pursuits are cropping up across the country and there are plenty to choose from, whatever your aspirations and especially if you are organising a group get-together.
Whether you’re organising a day (and night) out with your mates in Manchester, or you’re in charge of arranging a “tidy” Cardiff hen weekend, then read on. We’ve cast our eyes around the UK for whacky activities to rival the best of them.
Hilarious outdoor activities
If you like dressing up, spending time in the great outdoors and laughing a lot, then Welsh Games is a great way to have some fun with your friends if you’re doing a hen party in Cardiff. With nine Welsh-themed games involving dragons, rugby and sheep, there’s hours of inflatable fun to be had.
Along a similar vein but “just over the bridge” why not get down to the farm for a Bristol hen weekend and some inflatable craziness. But this time there’s a West Country theme. Think cider, mangold dangling and a whole lot of farm animals. It’s a perfect activity for hen and stag dos with a difference.
For more inflatable fun, without the dressing up, there’s zorbing, which involves being strapped into a see-through blow-up ball and rolling down a hill. For more fun, you can try aqua zorbing, where around 30 litres of water will be added to your ball and your straps will be removed. It’s described as “just like being inside a huge washing machine”!
If it’s high octane activities you’re after how about speeding through a city at more than 30mph attached to nothing but a thin wire? That’s zipwire riding London style. Starting from 100ft, riders enjoy views of Big Ben and the London Eye on the way down, if they’re brave enough to keep their eyes open. After this zipwire’s popularity, we predict other cities will follow suit.
Enter a crazy competition
Have you noticed the surge in the popularity of races, and more specifically obstacle courses? They’ve been popping up all over social media feeds – and usually seem to involve a large amount of mud. If you think this sounds like your cup of tea, check out Nuclear Races or Tough Mudder for events around the country.
For a more eccentric kind of competition, why not become a birdman? Anyone can enter the annual Birdman contests in Bognor or Ilfracombe. You just need a human-powered flying machine to propel you off of a pier further than anyone else.
Yes, there are those that take it very seriously and are in it for the prizes, but you’ll be pleased to know there’s always the odd duck costume thrown in for good measure. Quackers the lot of ’em!
Man v Horse is an annual multi-terrain race over 24 miles through the Welsh countryside. The Man v Horse Marathon began in June 1980 following a chat over a pint in the back bar of Neuadd Arms Hotel.
The then landlord, Gordon Green overheard two men discussing the relative merits of men and horses running over mountainous terrain. He decided to put the idea to the test – and so began Green Events and its first now internationally acclaimed event.
The course was changed in 1982 to provide a more even match between the man and the horse resulting year on year in very close finishes, sometimes with the horse winning by only a few seconds. It took 25 years before a man finally beat a horse.
Unusual indoor activities
What happens when they weather is not so hot or sunny? Well you canned indoors for some unusual activities.
One indoor craze sweeping the country, thanks to its popularity at Glastonbury and some of the other festivals, is the silent disco. Put on your wireless headphones, choose your tunes and rock out like there’s no one watching.
There are loads of regular gigs in London, including one on 19th century tea clipper the Cutty Sark, but you’ll be able to find organised events in most areas.
Or what about indulging in a little putting with your pint? That’s right, there’s a new trend for combining crazy golf with cocktails. Emerging from London, there are now a number of venues across the country that encourage you to “play a round” with your mates on an evening out. If we remember rightly, those little obstacles are hard enough to conquer at the best of times, without a few beers inside you.
But if that’s all a bit sedentary, it’s worth remembering that Welsh Games and West Country Games take their inflatables indoors for the winter months. Still high energy, still hilarious, just without the need to worry about the winter weather.
So which crazy activity will you try first?
