Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Nerf Wars kept kids moving over break
Local father put together activity at Mt. Pleasant REC Center
MT. PLEASANT — Kids around Mt. Pleasant blew off steam at the REC Center between Christmas and New Year's thanks to a Nerf War put together by a dad just wanting to have some fun during the cold days of winter vacation.
Local father and church pastor Trey Hegar says the idea kind of came to him on a whim.
“It’s winter, what else are we going to do?” he said.
According to Hegar, he got his 11-year-old son Hudson a nerf gun for Christmas, and that sparked the whole idea.
After only a week of advertisement on social media, Hegar was pleasantly surprised to see well over 50 kids show up to the REC Center Thursday, Dec. 28 for the first ever Nerf Wars.
Kids showed up armed to the hilt with nerf guns to use and share with others along with extra ammo.
For two hours on a snowy afternoon the REC Center gym filled with kids playing various Nerf Gun games like attack and defend, command point, capture the flag, zombies vs humans, and battle royale.
While it may have looked like chaos most of the time, Hegar says that is part of the fun and it helps kids grow.
Kids used various objects and equipment at the REC Center as shields as they participated in the first ever Nerf War.
Despite a “no headshots” rule, Hegar takes a bullet to the side of the head, and responds with laughter.
Kids raise their guns in the air as Trey Hegar asks for help located a borrowed Nerf gun.
Kids defend their center home base from incoming attacks.
Kids aimed at Trey Hegar’s drone just before successfully shooting it down.
Trey Hegar talks about his drone with sophomore Kaden Bare during the Nerf Wars.
Ruger Strickland (right) runs quickly to try to dodge bullets in a game of sharks and minnows.
“It went really well,” Hegar said. “They regulate themselves and part of learning to be a kid is fighting with other kids when they don’t do something right, you know?”
Certainly, all rules were not followed precisely. There were not referees making calls on good or bad shots. Not every kid appeared to understand exactly what they were doing, but for the most part the event was filled with smiles and laughter.
Whenever Hegar yelled for the kids to listen, he asked them to raise their guns in the air and join him in the center as he gave instructions, asked questions to find borrowed guns, or clarified rules, and the kids followed his lead.
Kids even did a great job cleaning up after themselves when asked to pick up ammo and put away equipment.
“I’m hoping to do it again,” Hegar said.
Many parents watching their kids run around the gym having fun echoed Hegar’s sentiments.
“I wish they’d do it once a month in the winter,” Colby Newman, who brought sophomore Kaeden Bare, and fifth-grader Garret Newman said.
“He is having a blast,” Tiphney Strickland said of her grandson Ruger Strickland. “This really saves parents from having to run around and shoot them themselves! I wish they would do it more often here.”
Hegar commented that he would love to turn Nerf Wars into a repeat event and maybe even a fundraiser for REC Center or animal shelter in the future.
While there aren’t any concrete plans for future Nerf Wars just yet, Hegar suggests keeping an eye on the REC Center Facebook page for information as soon as it becomes available.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
