Family broomball is a fun outdoor winter activity that pleases kids of all ages (especially teens!).
This game has become our traditional family activity when everyone gathers for the Christmas holiday.
The game is so-named because the sticks are designed after an old-style broom that you could cover in duct tape.
But as you can see, in the picture below of our motley collection of sticks, you can now buy sticks specially made for broomball.
And the official broomball ball is relatively large to accommodate the small size of the stick’s hitting surface.
See further down in this post for complete specs on assembling the goals.
Rules of the Game
The rules are pretty straightforward. Divide into two teams. Each team’s objective is to hit the ball at the goal. As in hockey or soccer, one team is shooting at a goal on one end of the rink, while the other is shooting at the opposite end. When the ball strikes any front surface of the goal, that team gets a point. First team to 5 points wins; then reshuffle the teams and play again.
Tip for choosing teams: Throw your sticks in the center of the rink or field. Then, have someone close their eyes and toss half the sticks right and half left. Players locate their sticks, and the team is automatically chosen!
What to Use as Your Field or Rink
We have access to a lake that is usually frozen enough around Christmastime to serve as our rink. As you can see in the picture below, the ice is far from perfect. It doesn’t need to be!
But you don’t need a lake to play broomball.
Many a year when the lake isn’t frozen enough or has too much snow to shovel, we play in the street. Other options would be a public rink, driveway, or any open space.
You don’t even need ice to play.
If you live in a warm climate, take this game to a lawn or field at the park. As you can see, we play in our boots or tennis shoes, so that’s transferable to a grassy field.
Regarding boundaries, we do have an area of play, but we have
no out-of-bounds area.
No matter how far the ball goes and in which direction, we chase it down and keep playing.
Equipment Needed for Family Broomball
Regarding the goals, you could always get a couple ready-made small nets. But if you’re game, then throw together some wood pieces like we did. Our goals are not equal in size–one is longer and shorter; the other is taller and less wide.
Here are all the dimensions of goal number 1:
In case you can’t see, it’s 40 inches long.
And it has a short support piece on the back to help it stand up.
Nine inches tall!
And now the dimensions for goal number 2, the wider one:
It’s 52 1/2 inches long.
This one is 7 inches tall.
And 3 inches thick.
They’re obviously makeshift goals, so see what random pieces of wood you might have in your garage and try your hand at creating something similar.
I hope this fun game becomes a new tradition for your family!
If you are better equipped with hockey sticks than broomball sticks, try boot hockey, a similar version of the same game.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.