Hi everyone,
I have an expedition starting on 17'th of this month. It's an ethnology expedition to a small village, to gather folklore. We are going around 30 people there and will be staying outdoors most of the time (one week). Maybe you know some games that are nice to play outside while camping or some other attractions from your own experience?
Hi there...I am not sure if my suggestion would be relevant but here are two ideas that you can do, suitable especially if it's a youth group.
1...OBSERVATION WALK
Best to break the group into two as each 'sharing' session may otherwise take too long.
Start by telling everyone that they will be going on a short 'observation' walk around a specific area. It is of utmost importance that no conversation occurs during that walk. It's silence all across until you say otherwise. Line everyone up and with you in front, lead them through a trail. It can be short trail, even if its only 100 meters long. But try to choose a trail that offers a variety of terrain, plants, wildlife (if any) and attractions to see. Returning to the camp, sit everyone down (around a campfire maybe?) in a circle and go in sequence, asking everyone to share their observations during the walk. What he/she has observed, what's his/ her feelings etc. It can be anything. But try to limit each person's 'sharing' to 2 or 3 minutes max.
GENERAL OUTCOME: I have used this with some youth groups. This is a useful activity, especially in helping to break the ice, to get to know each other better as well as to point out the diversity of individuals within the group.
Expect all sorts of responses. Some common responses from the group are 'how silent/ noisy' the jungle is, how weird it is to not able to talk on treks. Some interesting comments I heard before includes...I can see more things by not talking, I realized that particular patch of jungle is clear of any vegetation, why is that etc.
The activity sparks curiosity and it helps people to be more aware of their surrounding. This is especially helpful when the group is going on a trip that has an 'objective' like collecting plant samples etc.
2...CATCH UP
This game is more suitable when on the move, either on a trail or paddling in the water.
Give out 4 pcs of clothes peg to each member of the group. You can also use stickies but after a while they will loose their 'stickiness'.
The objective of the game is to sneak up to someone and place a peg on the person without he/she realizing it. One can place the peg on their pack, their clothing etc.
At the end of the walk/ paddle, the group gets to see who has the most number of pegs on him/her.
This activity is especially useful when the walk/ paddle is long or when morale is low. It keeps people attentive and creative!
Expect to see individuals teaming up to help watch over each other.
WELL, hope the above is useful.
Thanks,
KEONG
see you in a bit!
