Indoor activity games

Abstract

Indoor activity games for contests of skill and amusement. A soft, foam ball or cube is suspended by a cord and can be wrapped around a releasable device or temporary pole secured within a doorway. The ball can be struck by the players using their hands or using soft, foam paddles, in order to wrap the cord and the ball around the pole. In one embodiment the game played can be tetherball, and opposing players, on opposite sides of the doorway, attempt to strike the ball and propel it around the pole until the cord is completely wrapped around the pole. In another embodiment tennis or volleyball can be played, and a net is suspended across the open doorway.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An indoor activity game kit having component parts adapted to be easily assembled and reversibly mounted within an open doorway, the kit comprising the combination of:
 a) a releasable device for being reversibly secured substantially in the center of an open doorway;   b) a ball for striking by a player;   c) a cord having a proximal end pivotally attached to the releasable device and a distal end attached to the ball.   
     
     
         2 . The game kit of  claim 1 , further comprising two or more paddles for use by players to strike the ball. 
     
     
         3 . The game kit of  claim 2 , wherein the paddles are soft, foam-type paddles, each paddle having a pair of holes hollowed out at a bottom portion for user's fingers to be placed therein, and an upper portion for use in striking a ball. 
     
     
         4 . The game kit of  claim 1 , wherein the releasable device comprises a scissors-type clamp for reversibly mounting to the opposing walls at the top and center portion of the doorway. 
     
     
         5 . The game kit of  claim 4 , further comprising a net for being suspended across the open doorway. 
     
     
         6 . The game kit of  claim 4 , the releasable device further comprising a rope having a proximal end attached to the clamp and a distal end attached to a weight for causing the rope to hang taut from the clamp to the floor. 
     
     
         7 . The game kit of  claim 4 , wherein the scissors-type clamp is selected from the group consisting of a spring-biased clamp and an elastic-biased clamp. 
     
     
         8 . The game kit of  claim 1 , wherein the releasable device comprises a spring-loaded pole including an inner rod telescopically fitted into an outer rod, and a compression spring for biasing the pole into an extended position between the top of the doorway and the floor. 
     
     
         9 . The game kit of  claim 8 , wherein the compression spring biases the pole into an extended position between the ceiling and the floor. 
     
     
         10 . The game kit of  claim 1 , wherein the ball is made of light weight polyester-urethane foam. 
     
     
         11 . An indoor activity game, comprising:
 a) an open doorway;   b) a releasable device for being reversibly secured substantially in the center of the doorway;   c) a cord having a first end pivotally attached to the releasable device; and   d) a ball attached to a second end of the cord.   
     
     
         12 . The indoor activity game of  claim 11 , wherein the releasable device comprises:
 i) a scissors-type clamp for engaging an overhead door frame; and   ii) a rope having a proximal end attached to the clamp and a distal end attached to a weight for causing the rope to hang taut from the clamp to the floor.   
     
     
         13 . The indoor activity game of  claim 12 , wherein the scissors-type clamp is selected from the group consisting of a spring-biased clamp and an elastic-biased clamp. 
     
     
         14 . The indoor activity game of  claim 11 , wherein the releasable device comprises a spring-loaded pole including an inner rod telescopically fitted into an outer rod, and a compression spring for biasing the pole into an extended position between the top of the doorway and the floor. 
     
     
         15 . The indoor activity game of  claim 11 , further comprising two or more paddles for use by players to strike the ball, the paddles comprising soft, foam-type material, each paddle having a pair of holes hollowed out at a bottom portion for user's fingers to be placed therein, and an upper portion for use in striking a ball. 
     
     
         16 . The indoor activity game of  claim 11 , the indoor activity game further comprising a net for being suspended across the open doorway, wherein the releasable device comprises a scissors-type clamp for engaging an overhead door frame. 
     
     
         17 . An indoor activity game kit having component parts adapted to be easily assembled and reversibly mounted within an open doorway, the kit comprising the combination of:
 a) a releasable device for being reversibly secured substantially in the center of an open doorway, wherein the releasable device comprises:
 i) a scissors-type clamp for engaging an overhead door frame; 
 ii) a rope having a proximal end attached to the clamp; and 
 iii) a weight attached to the distal end of the rope for causing the rope to hang taut from the clamp to the floor; 
   b) a ball for striking by a player; and   c) a cord pivotally attached to the releasable device, the cord having a proximal end attached to the releasable device and a distal end attached to the ball.   
     
     
         18 . The indoor activity game kit of  claim 17 , the kit further comprising a net for being suspended across the open doorway, wherein when the net is used to play tennis or volleyball the rope and the weight of the releasable device are excluded from use. 
     
     
         19 . The indoor activity game kit of  claim 17 , further comprising a second releasable device, wherein the second releasable device comprises a spring-loaded pole including an inner rod telescopically fitted into an outer rod, and a compression spring for biasing the pole into an extended position between the top of the doorway and the floor. 
     
     
         20 . The game kit of  claim 17 , further comprising two or more paddles for use by players to strike the ball, the paddles comprising a soft, foam-type material, each paddle having a pair of holes hollowed out at a bottom portion for user's fingers to be placed therein, and an upper portion for use in striking a ball.