Camping Skills and Adventures

June 10, 2020

Roll-A-Campsite

(Adapted from the Imagination Challenge from the 1st Kingussie Guides in the UK)

Materials Needed: a pair of dice, pencil, piece of paper

Roll a 2: Draw a dining shelter
Roll a 3: Draw a Leader (with a cup of tea or coffee!)
Roll a 4: Draw the weather on your campsite
Roll a 5: Draw a place to sit like some camp chairs or sit-upons
Roll a 6: Draw a favorite camp activity (such as archery, swimming, crafts etc.)
Roll a 7: Draw tents on your campsite
Roll an 8: Draw a campfire
Roll a 9: Draw yourself on your campsite
Roll a 10: Draw some wildlife on your campsite
Roll an 11: Draw a flagpole & a flag from your unit or home country
Roll a 12: Draw your favourite camp meal

Roll the dice and draw that item on your paper. Then roll again. If you roll a number you’ve already drawn you can roll again (or add another one). Keep going until you have at least 6 unique items on your campsite.

You may want to follow this up with a discussion on the proper way to setup a campsite.  IE where to place the tents in relationship to the fire etc.

May 24, 2019

Camp Skills Challenges

New from the BC Camping Department is a series of Camp Skills challenges for every branch (and a special one for Trex). Each challenge includes challenges around being a no trace camper, the camp experience, camp cooking and staying overnight.  They all look great!  This could be a great way to introduce basic camp skills to the younger girls or challenge the older girls to up their game.

March 1, 2019

Happy Trails Challenge

 The Happy Trails Challenge is a new three part challenge from Ontario Girl Guides.

This challenge was designed by Mona J., a 3rd-year Guide in the 2nd Ontario Lone Unit, as part of her Design Your Own Badge project. Mona’s challenge was inspired by the Bruce Trail, a hiking trail going 900 km along the length of the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario.
Mona encourages every girl taking this challenge to find a trail in her community to have fun and explore nature. The Happy Trails crest will be available for purchase online mid-February.
There are places to hike and experience the natural environment pretty much everywhere in Canada! You may discover some of the remarkable hiking routes that cover our country and challenge yourself to explore somewhere new.

The theme of the Chipmunk section is “Get outside and move around!” This part of the challenge is all about learning how to hike safely and have fun.

The theme of the Earthworm section is “Love the earth and get dirty!”. The activities in this part all touch on the rocks and soil, learning about geography, and protecting the environment when you hike.

The final section is the Monarch Butterfly and the theme is “Appreciate the natural beauty of our environment!”. This part of the challenge is all about observing the plants, animals and changes in the seasons.

Challenge patches can be bought though Positive Identity.

February 8, 2019

Land Surveyor Challenge

The Land Surveyor Challenge is a joint project between the Ontario Council and Association of Ontario Land Surveyors (AOLS).  The goal of the challenge introduces girls to the science of Land Surveying and how it impacts us.

The challenge is divided up into four groups of activities:

  • What is Surveying?
  • How GPS Works
  • Measuring and Mapping
  • Finding Your Way

This challenge would be a great way to shake up/modernize Map and Compass work.

Challenge crests are purchases though Positive Identity.

January 23, 2018

Forest Bathing

This is an interesting article on the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing.

Forest bathing—basically just being in the presence of trees—became part of a national public health program in Japan in 1982 when the forestry ministry coined the phrase shinrin-yoku and promoted topiary as therapy. … Just be with trees. No hiking, no counting steps on a Fitbit. You can sit or meander, but the point is to relax rather than accomplish anything.

I don’t think it will be a surprise to anyone in Guiding that being outdoors in nature is good for Mental Health.  But this piece can serve as a good reminder that we don’t always need to be so goal driven when we are in nature.  I’ve given my Guides time to just be with trees while we were on hikes.  Just wonder among the trees.  Smell the forest.  Feel the bark.  Some of the girls really enjoyed it, some didn’t really know what to do.

November 14, 2017

Pre-camp survey

Before each camp I like to run a survey for the girls who are attending.  My current edition has five questions:

Name 3 girls who you would like to share a tent/room with

Name 3 songs you’d like to sing at campfire

What are you excited to do at camp?

What worries you about going to camp?

What should we know about feeding you at camp? (Are you vegetarian?  Are there foods you don’t eat?)

The first question helps me organize the sleeping arrangements.  I try to make sure all the girls get at least one friend in their tent/room.

The second gives the girls an opportunity to help plan campfire.

The third and forth question give me some incite into how the girls are feeling about camp.

And the fifth questions captures a lot of don’t liked foods that won’t show up on the health forms because they aren’t allergic to them.

November 7, 2017

Be Prepared at Camp

These are a series of skits intended to help get the girls to discuss what should be on a camp kit list and why.  These were for a residential camp in November so if you are using this idea at another time of year you may need to adjust the scenarios.  Each scenario was given to a different patrol.

Pretend it is time to go to bed at camp. Create two short skits (no more then 2 minutes each) showing what will happen if you have brought what you need to be prepared for bedtime and if you aren’t prepared for bedtime. What items should be on our kit list to ensure we are prepared to sleep?

Pretend it is time to go to get dressed in the morning at camp. Create two short skits (no more then 2 minutes each) showing what will happen if you have brought what you need to be prepared for the day and if you aren’t prepared for the day. What items should be on our kit list to ensure we are prepared to for the day?

Pretend it is time to go to go for a hike at camp. It is a cold fall afternoon. Light snow is falling from the sky. Create two short skits (no more then 2 minutes each) showing what will happen if you have brought what you need to be prepared for hiking in the cold and if you aren’t prepared for hiking in the cold. What items should be on our kit list to ensure we are prepared to be outside in cold weather?

Pretend it is time to go to play active games outside at camp. It is raining lightly outside. Create two short skits (no more then 2 minutes each) showing what will happen if you have brought what you need to be prepared to be outside in wet weather and if you aren’t prepared to be outside in wet weather. What items should be on our kit list to ensure we are prepared to outside in wet weather?

Pretend it is time to go outside and roast hot dogs. It is unseasonably warm. Create two short skits (no more then 2 minutes each) showing what will happen if you brought what you need to be prepared to roast hot dogs in warm weather and what will happen if you are not prepared. What items should be on our kit list to ensure we are prepared for warm weather and fires?

November 6, 2017

Trail Signs

Trail signs can be a lot of fun for the girls.  Not only do they give them a usable skill to lay a trail but I’ve found that most girls like to play with rocks and sticks and this gives them a good excuse.

When I run a trail sign activity I normally split the girls into two or more groups and have each group lay a trail starting in a different direction.  Ideally, I pick an area where they will be able to find two or more materials to make markers out of.  Once all the girls have returned, we switch trail starting points and they try to follow another groups trail.  If you’d like you can leave some sort of treasure at the end of the trail (camp crests or a snack for example).