What is this site

I am a camp program director and am using this blog to store my ideas and games. It also provides a way to share this information with others and I trust you will find it useful and adaptable to your particular situation. If you would like to post some ideas, please email me under the Contact Me page. For specific items, simply enter the information in the search bar to the right (e.g. "field 100 rope" in the search bar will bring up posts that contain "field, 100, and rope" for activities that can be done in a field with 100 people, and a rope).

If you would like to add additional information to a post, please leave a comment at the bottom. It will not show until it has been approved. Any comment that does not add to the post or is argumentative or nonsense discussion will be removed. This will enable the site to be applicable and relevant.

The Most Recent Posts In All Categories

What the King Wants

Posted by admin on March 20th, 2007

Description:
This is a offshoot of indoor scavenger hunt (30-100+ people)

Time:
15-20 min

Material:
Nothing

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Posted in Games, Rainy Day Activities, Big Field Games, Quick Games, Age Group, 7-9 Years, 9-12 Years, 12-14 Years, 5-7 Years | No Comments »

Building Staff Unity

Posted by admin on March 16th, 2007

One thing that I have learned over the years that I have worked at camp is that the best thing for the campers is if the staff can get along, or at least look like they get along. Any time that there is a problem with the staff in front of the campers it makes the staff members lose credibility. The campers can pick up on the feelings of the staff, so the answer is to make sure your staff all get along because a unified staff is a happier and more fun environment for everyone, the director, other staff and most important the campers. A unified staff does not mean that there are no disagreements and everyone is best friends but that if there are differences they are dealt with maturely and appropriately, and everyone is heading for the common goal. There are several ways to do this, here are a few ideas:
-Spend time during counselor training talking about the common goals of the camp for the summer
-Have a specific person on staff that the staff can come that talk with to help deal with the issues
-Every so often on a day off, plan a camp staff activity at the camp that is optional the attend, do these will create shared experiences where the staff will then have something in common and a connecting point to talk about and remember later, like:
— a pool party
— a BBQ camp out
— burning of on old outhouse
— a canoe trip and picnic on the other side of the lake
— a staff trail ride if you have horses
— movie night (a drive in style)
— if you have a city nearby, plan a staff trip go to the park for the night and play games in the park and have a picnic there or something
— anything to have an experience that is shared by all and look back and laugh at later
-Have staff help plan activities, get them involved in minor decisions. Let them have a say they could have a good idea that the leader never thought of
-To have a happy worker try to find places were the leader can give the staff member ownership of something, either it be how their skill is taught, how they run the cabin and activity time, or cabin devo’s. Anything where they have control and the say. This does not mean that they run wild and unsupervised, but that their ideas my work better for them or their situation. This will help them feel like a team player
-one area where people disagree, is on theology. It is good to focus on the similarities and the base beliefs, but whether cats go to heaven is something that they can discuss on their own time off. it is not appropriate to discuss/fight about in front of campers

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Posted in Other, Program Ideas | No Comments »

Pool Noodle Ideas

Posted by admin on March 12th, 2007

Pool Noodles are great things. They can fill in the spot for many different objects. Here a a few ideas:

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Posted in Games, Rainy Day Activities, Big Field Games, Quick Games, Beach Games, Water Games, Age Group, 7-9 Years, 9-12 Years, 12-14 Years, 14-17 Years, 5-7 Years | No Comments »

Handcuff Meal

Posted by admin on March 12th, 2007

Take all the campers and tie there hands together as a table creating a circle of all their hands around the table. Then they must all eat, figuring out the best and most efficient way to eat while being all tied together. A few objects that can be used to tie hands together:
-String
-Thin rope
-A cut up 6 pack can holder (3 pairs of 2)
-Tape

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Posted in Other, Program Ideas | No Comments »

Ladders

Posted by admin on March 12th, 2007

Description:
This is a game that is fast and easy to play (20-30+ people)

Time:
10-15 min

Material:
Nothing

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Posted in Games, Rainy Day Activities, Age Group, 9-12 Years, 12-14 Years, 14-17 Years | No Comments »

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