Bränboll

As an activity for all of us to do together, we have either played cards, backgammon, UNO, chatted, gone swimming, eat together, taken walks or played ‘bränboll’. Bränboll is a Swedish ball game that many people associate with American Baseball, however, it is very different. The only similarities is that the game requires a batting team and a catching team, a bat, ball, catcher and bases that the batters run to in the same sequence as baseball players. The ball used, however, is a tennis ball and the bats are wood. Usually there is a flat ‘girly’ paddle bat and a small cylindrical bat (similar to a baseball bat). It is truly a family friendly game that allows all ages to play. It is less dangerous since the ball is soft and bouncy and no pitcher is used. I am not sure what the history of this game is, however, as long as I can remember, we have played this game in Sweden during school PE class, sometimes during recess, and during other family and friend gatherings in parks or on asphalt. The rules are simple and there is much less strategy involved than in baseball. Tony likes to call it, ‘Baseball with a heart’.

This evening we played with just my family and the ages ranged from my youngest son who is almost 18 months and my parents, my Dad who is the oldest at age 74.

We had a lot of fun together and it certainly is a memory building activity as well as a bonding activity. Tony will also do a blog on this topic and give us his American perspective.