Youth and Recreation Activity Resource Center
Activity and Resource Center
Chapter 8
Outdoor Activities for Fun and Education
Learning in the out-of-doors can be a fun experience. The campers experience what they are studying rather than simply reading about it in a book. Activities in the earth sciences fit into the camping picture very wonderfully. The camping leader has an opportunity to teach the campers about the Creator through his creation. The campers can become more aware of their obligation to be good stewards of God's world and to develop the skills necessary for enjoying God's world. Here are some interesting outdoor activities
Orienteering
This game utilizes the skills of map and compass work. Use commercially printed topographical maps or simple homemade maps in this contest. Layout a course over several miles in area of the campground. Determine the distance by the age and skill of your campers. Place targets or additional instructions on the side of a tree away from which the compass course approaches it so that the teams may "discover" the information for the next leg of their journey. Your course layout should include the starting points, various compass readings necessary to reach the destinations, and landmarks. Judge the contest according to the time each person takes to finish the course or the accuracy of the team. If you use accuracy as a basis, you may want to deduct one point for every five feet the destination is missed if it is a large-area game. Or, deduct more points for a smaller error on a small course.
Log Bucking
This activity has been with us since the days of the lumberjack. It is a contest to see which team can saw through a log the fastest. This game will require a crosscut saw with two handles on it. Keep a record of the diameter of each log and the time it takes to saw through it. You may add your own rules about how many logs to saw and how to score the points.
Log Burling
This water sport may be conducted in a swimming pool, lake, or a protected area in a slow moving river. One person stands on each end of
Forest Fire Putout
Fire fighters in the forest service use shovels in their work. Accuracy is a must. The fire fighters throw dirt on the line of fire to keep it from advancing. This contest is based on fire-fighter skills. The object is to have a relay between two or more teams who seek to fill a bucket or small tub with dirt. Each team wi II stand ten feet from the container (farther if their skills warrant it). Each team member gets three attempts to put shovels full of dirt into the container. After his third try, he passes the shovel to his teammate. If the teams quickly master this skill, you may wish to go to a higher goal. In other words, set the dirt container higher than the heads of those shoveling. The team with the most dirt in their container at the end of their round wins.
Evacuation
This game is based on the practice of first aid skills. Regardless of how many teams are in the contest, each team must have multiples of four. Give each team a stretcher with a bucket of water in the center. Team members are to race through any obstacle course you design. Then they pass their stretcher and bucket of water to the next crew on their team. The team keeping the most water in their bucket wins the contest.
Jousting
This is a contest between two people who stand on a log with jousting poles, trying to knock each other off of the log. The jousting poles need to be extremely well-padded at both ends. You also may conduct this contest in canoes. Jousters stand in the bow of a canoe while teammates paddle from the stern. The winner must take two out of three falls. You will need to make your own rules about swinging the poles and striking below the belt or below the shoulders. Conduct the activity in relatively shallow water in a protected area with lifeguards standing by in boats. Each contestant should wear a life jacket.
Hibernating Bear
One person is the sleeping bear. He is blindfolded and sits on a log, guarding a box or some other object. The others form a circle around him about 100 feet away. The object of the game is to sneak up on the Sleeping bear, take the box, and return it to the starting line without being heard. If the bear points to you, you are out. The successful stalker becomes the next sleeping bear.
Deer Slayer
In the early days of our country, Indians and pioneers had to sneak up (stalk) on the deer to get a good shot with bow and arrow or muzzle-loading rifle. This game is based on the skills of the deer hunt. One person is the deer, and he or she is "it." He or she takes a position in a forest or field. "It" hides his eyes until the others walk away at least 200 feet in different directions. When all players are down on the ground hiding, the deer (it) raises his or her head and begins to look around. On the signal players move toward the deer, using whatever cover is available. When the deer sees a player, he yells for the player to stand and points to him. The person who comes closest without being seen wins.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Campers must locate as many constellations as possible in the night sky. This is an excellent game to follow up an astronomy lesson. If the group is inexperienced at this type activity, let them make a star chart or use one of the commerical models available as an aid in locating the following constellations:
1. Cassiopeia
2. Cepheus
3. Orion
4. Pleiades
5. Cygnus
6. Canis Major
7. Leo
8. Gemini
9. Taurus
10. Any three other constellations
Object Lessons from Camping Experiences
Campcraft - Pocketknife
Object Lesson 1
Leader: (Holding closed pocketknife overhead)
What is this?
Group: It's a pocketknife.
Leader: (Opening pocketknife and holding in front) is this pocketknife a tool or a weapon?
Group: It could be either one.
Leader: This is correct. It can be a weapon, or it can be a tool. What determines whether it is a weapon or a tool?
Group: It depends on who is holding it.
Leader: True! In the hands of a thief or murderer it becomes a weapon. In the hands of a craftsman or a carpenter, it becomes a tool. One uses a pocketknife to tear down, to hurt, or to destroy; the other uses it to design, to build, to create.
Your life is like this pocketknife. It can be a tool to build, to bless, and to create. Or, it can be a weapon to tear down, to destroy, and to ruin our world and those in it. If your life is in the hands of Satan, it will destroy, confuse, and hurt. If your life is placed in the hands of the Lord, it will build up, develop, and strengthen our world.
Object Lesson 2
Leader: (Sharpening pocketknife on oilstone before the group) What am I doing to this knife?
Group: You are sharpening it.
Leader: Why do I have to sharpen this pocketknife?
Group: Because it is dull and not very useful.
Leader: That is right! Did you know that a knife is not really sharp when it comes from the factory unless it is handmade? Most knives are ground by machines at the factory, and they have a rough edge which is not really sharp and ready for service. Knives also get dull when they are used incorrectly. The blade is being sharpened by the stone because the stone is grinding away on the edge with an abrasive action. In reality, the stone is tearing away little bits of metal in an effort to reshape the blade so that it will have a thin, sharp edge. What would this knife say if it could speak during the sharpening process?
Group: Ouch!
Leader: (Still sharpening the knife) You are right! But the knife must endure this rough, abrasive process in order to be reshaped and to become a useful knife - A good pocketknife. If it did not endure the process and hardened so that it could not be sharpened by a stone, the knife would have to be discarded or used only when no other knife was available.
Did you know that your life is like this pocketknife in this respect also? When you come into the world, you have been "roughed out" as far as shape and purpose are concerned. But you have not been honed to a sharp edge. You have not been fully developed. God puts rough circumstances - like an abrasive stone - to rub against you and tear away bits of your personality which might be called bad habits, incorrect attitudes, or lack of wisdom. This is God's way of reshaping you. What abrasive force does God put in your life to shape and to mold you when you first arrive on this earth?
Group: Parents!
Leader: That is true. What do you want to say when your parents are chastising or correcting you and trying to help you do the right thing?
Group: Ouch!
Leader: What if you were like the pocketknife which has been tempered too hard, making the blade brittle, easily broken, and too hard to be sharpened by the stone?
Group: I suppose that we would be stubborn and disobedient to our parents. Maybe even rebellious.
Leader: True again! A knife maker corrects this flaw in a knife by reheating the blade in the forge until it is red-hot. Then he retempers it, removing some of its hard ness and brittleness. Sometimes the Lord has to allow you to go through the fire of a very trying circumstance or of some deep sorrow in order to soften your heart, teach you humility, and give you insight.
The Bible says that you are to "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Ex. 20:12). If you listen to your parents and pray for them to be God's instruments in shaping you, you can have a longer, more meaningful life.
Object Lesson 3
Leader: (Whittling on a board or stick with the new knife) You have heard about the knife being a tool knife and how your life needs to be sharpened by the Lord and by the circumstances he sends you. Now, let's talk about the use of the knife. As I said earlier, a knife can be either a very handy tool or a weapon; but sometimes even a good tool used carelessly can become a weapon accidentally. It can hurt and harm, and I think you need to do some study about this today.
If you handle a knife carelessly in closing it or opening it, you may snap it shut on your fingers and cut yourself very badly. (The leader demonstrates opening and closing the pocketknife by holding the back of the knife in the left hand and opening and closing the blade with the right hand.) If you should pass the knife to a friend in a careless manner, you may accidentally cut him.
(The leader demonstrates how to hold the open pocketknife by the back of the blade and extend the handle to another person who wishes to receive it. The other person grasps the handle firmly and says, "Thank you." When the words are spoken, the person holding the knife by the back of the blade knows that it is being grasped firmly by the other person. He is able to turn loose without dropping the 'knife and cutting the person's foot.)
A good tool, like a knife, may also be harmful if it is used improperly. You have to worry about getting cut with it if you do not know how to whittle with it. •
(Leader gives a whittling demonstration now to show how campers should always move the knife away from them, never pushing it with their thumb, always holding the handle with the hand rather than just one or two fingers. Stress how the pocketknife is made for slicing and never for sticking in anything.)
If you try to puncture something with a pocketknife, the blade may fold. up and cut your fingers. You have to be careful with your life as we seek to use it in the Lord's service. Sometimes, in your zeal to do things right, you do things wrong. Moses illustrated this fact. He was chosen by God to be the leader of the Hebrews; but instead of waiting to do the things at the good time, he did what he thought was the right thing at the wrong time. And, instead of helping, he wound up becoming a murderer and waiting forty years before God could use him again. It is very important that you yield your life to God's will so completely that you do not make this kind of mistake.
Campcraft-Ax and Other Tools
Leader: (Holding an ax in the air before the group) In camping, many tools are used. (Pointing to a display of tools spread out before the group. Pointing to the ax, the leader continues.) Is this ax a tool or a weapon?
Group: It is both a tool and a weapon.
Leader: (Still holding ax before group) All through man's history the ax has been used as both a tool and a weapon. In our early history men used battle-axes against each other in war; at the same time foresters were at work in the woods using their axes as tools. These men used axes to cut down trees, to hew out the rough boards, to build houses, and to get the fireplace wood necessary to warm the houses. (Leader holds ax in one hand, picks up shovel with other hand, end holds it before the group.) Would you like to try to cut a tree down with this shovel?
Group: No, it wasn't made for that purpose.
Leader: Would you try to dig a ditch with this ax?
Group: No. It was not made for that use, and chopping in the dirt and rocks would ruin the blade.
Leader: I have a dinner fork here. (He holds up the table fork.) Would you like to dig a ditch with this?
Group: No, it was not made for that purpose; it could not stand the heavy work.
Leader: (Holding up shovel) Would you like to eat dinner with this?
Group: No, it was not made for that purpose.
Leader: You use a shovel in the dirt, and you use the fork at the table. Each one has its necessary function. The job that has to be done determines which one is used. The fork is just as necessary as the shovel, and the shovel is just as necessary as the fork. It would not be just for you to pay honor to the fork and say, because you are silver, because you are clean and on the table, and because you do the important job of lifting my food to my lips, I am going to hold you in greater honor than the shovel. It would not be just either for me to honor the shovel above the fork by saying that the shovel digs foundations for my home, helps plant beautiful trees in my yard, and helps make the garden from which I get my food.
No, we are not to honor one above the other; both all have their purposes. So, some people are like shovels. They do the dirty work around us. They do the dirty jobs of our world. And some people are like forks; they appear at the banquet times of our lives, or they circulate only in the higher places of our world. Please do not classify people, by their station in life. All things must be done decently and in order. All the stations of life are necessary. This variety is necessary for our world to operate more smoothly.
The apostle Paul compared church members to a body. Some of us are toes; some of us are fingers; some are noses. But all of these parts are important and needed. Each of us has a job to do, and as we do them together we contribute to church unity.
Campcraft-Fire Craft
Object Lesson 1
Leader: (Have the group before a fireplace or in an open area of camp where a campfire is needed.) In order to start a campfire properly you must have fire, fuel, and oxygen. The fuel must be in three categories: (1) Tinder-wood that is no larger in diameter than the match stick (2) kindling which is larger than tinder-wood (up to one or two inches in diameter); (3) the fuel itself (logs and limbs) to add for more light and more heat.
(The leader holds up a match, points to it, and speaks.) This match will not ignite another stick which is larger in diameter than it is. A match will ignite a larger stick only if the larger stick has been splintered or has a small part that is the same size or smaller than the match. (AS the group watches, the leader takes a match and lights the campfire. He first ignites one small piece of tinder and then another.) Isn't this wonderful! This match can light this little piece of tinder, and this little piece of tinder, and this little piece of tinder. (Leader goes on lighting several pieces.) Ah! Look what happens when all the tinder gets together! It can light something that is larger than each individual little piece of tinder. It can light something that is as large as a combination of the
diameters.
(Leader continues to add kindling on top of the tinder and shows how the kindling catches fire from the tinder.) The kindling starts a larger fire; then you can put on larger wood-the fuel-which also begins to burn. You see, just one little match lit that great big log and started this huge fire. But first it had to start with something that was its own size or smaller. When you first start witnessing, you must start person-to-person. As others become Christians, they increase the intensity of the fire of God in our world. Soon the whole world is on fire for Jesus. It will begin to develop this way, when you become a witness where you are.
Object Lesson 2
Leader: (After the fire has been burning awhile and some coals have developed, the leader points to the glowing coals in the heart of the fire.) Look how hot the coals are now. The wood is burning and releasing its potential energy as heat. If you were to stick an iron bar into the coals and leave it there for awhile, it would turn red and become soft. It could be hammered into various shapes such as tools and other useful materials. This is what the blacksmith does. He puts iron into the burning coals in order to soften it and mold it. Sometitnes God introduces into the fellowship of our church certain people whom he wishes to be "softened" by our fellowship. The loving atmosphere of a Christian community frequently will melt the heart of the one who is hardened in his way of sin. Once this person has been softened like the red-hot iron, he can be shaped and molded by God into the wonderful person God wants him to be.
Object Lesson 3
Leader: (Still looking at the glowing coals in the heart of the fire, the leader pulls one out with a stick and lays it beside the fire - at least twelve inches away.) Look at this coal and watch it carefully. A few moments ago it was glowing in the heart of the flame, giving off heat and light, and doing a marvelous job. Watch it now. See what happens to it when it is alone. It begins to cool down, it looses its red rosy qlow, it begins to turn gray, and the fire goes out. This coal is an example of the person who says, "I don't need to go to church. I can worship God here in the woods or here on the lake by myself without the help of others or the fellowship of the local church." God has given us the local church for fellowship and strength. The Christian needs the fellowship of the church in order to maintain a warm-hearted witness as God desires. (Leader pushes the coal back into the fire and asks the group to watch it as it begins to glow again, give off heat, and become
a hot coal.) The coal is now back in the fellowship of the other coals, and it begins to share the same light and heat. It makes a contribution to the fire by using its own energy in connection with the others. We need the fellowship of the church if we are to remain warmhearted Christian witnesses. The coal also demonstrates a method of rekindling the fire of evangelism in the hearts of those who have grown cold. Draw them back into the fellowship of the church.
Witnessing Techniques for Campers
When campers get together, two backpackers meeting on the trail, two camping families meeting at a campground or a group of families camping together in a state park the result is always the same. Campers hardly ever meet a stranger. Neighborliness and openness seem to develop among those of the camping fellowship. In this kind of atmosphere, witnessing can flourish. Camping is an excellent avenue through which to share your faith with others as well as to deepen your own understanding of the Christ life.
The suggestions for witnessing contained here are not unique to camping; these techniques have been successful in other witnessing settings as well. However, the ones mentioned here do fit particularly well in the camping scene.
Personal Attitudes and Attributes of the Witnessing Camper
Prayer is the beginning point for anyone who would be a witness in camping. Prayer is essential. Pray for an opportunity to witness, for the desire to witness, for the ability to witness, and for victory in witnessing.
Commitment is necessary - being fully committed to the Lord and his will for your life, being committed to reaching others for the glory of Christ, and being committed to a faith in the Word of God.
Personal genuineness, being real, is necessary. No one is perfect; and if you attempt to show that you have all the answers and that you live a perfect life. You will not reach the person to whom you are attempting to witness. He will feel that you are a phony. Being human is essential, but this does not mean being "worldly." Being human means relating to others as a genuine person.
Concern is necessary. If your witness is not motivated by genuine love and concern, it will not have the impact it needs to have. Jesus' loving concern for the individual helped him to reach people like Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, and Nicodemus. A genuine concern can overcome a timid spirit. And the person to whom you witness will forgive any mistakes you make in sharing your faith with him - if he is sure of your concern for him.
Understanding is the key to being understood. An understanding and sympathetic attitude will help to put a person at ease to prepare him to receive the truth of the gospel. Your own experience in life and your personal experience of God's grace and forgiveness should help you to be an understanding person.
Being relaxed helps. If you talk to a person in a nervous and tense fashion, you may cause him to have the same response or to reject your witness. One secret of relaxing and being a natural witness is learning to rely on the Holy Spirit. He wants to do the witnessing through you, if you will let him. When you trust the Holy Spirit to move through you and accomplish his purposes, he will. A positive attitude is a strong factor. As a negative attitude tends to drive people away from religion, a positive attitude draws them to Christ. The world is filled with enough negativism. Finding people with a positive outlook on life is most encouraging to non-Christians. Only a Christian in today's world has a reason to be genuinely positive in his attitude and approach to life.
Flexibility is essential. No witnessing opportunity will ever be just as you hoped it would be. So, you must remain flexible. Disruptions will come; unusual questions will be asked; the setting might not be ideal. (Two campers may meet in a ranger's busy office rather than in the quiet, introspective atmosphere of a campfire service.) Regardless of the setting or the circumstances, be flexible and be a witness!
Person-to-Person Witnessing in the Camp Setting
You may make a contact by helping a camper who is having a problem with his equipment or his trip. You may contact a camper in a camping-related activity. No matter how you meet, you should look for an opportunity to share your faith.
You may talk about past experiences. If so, talk about his experiences, not yours. This approach will help you to understand his perspective better and enable you to share your faith more effectively with him. Ask questions about his camping equipment, his vocation, his family, and other things which are important to him. When he shares his own needs or problems, be positive in your responses to his problems.
Being empathetic also helps the non-Christian to be open. Be' genuinely happy about the blessings which have occurred in his life, and be genuinely sad when he shares something of the heartbreak and disappointment of his life.
Using this approach helps you to learn more about your camper friend. And, he may ask you some of the same questions you have been asking him. This process gives you a perfect opening to share your relationship with Jesus. You can contrast your life before and after you became a Christian. This becomes person-to-person sharing, not one person attempting to manipulate another.
When sharing your faith with another, do not rush the opportunity. Don't rush through your witness. Be calm, relaxed, and natural. If you are interrupted with questions, key your witness from the questions and speak to the needs of his life. Don't stick to the outline you have prepared. Being available is important. This availability will keep you from rushing through all of the questions at one time. Be available for the moments when a person is under conviction and ready to listen.
Do not overstay your welcome in another person's camper or campsite. A fellow camper may be glad to see you come; but if you linger and linger when he has work to do, you may not be welcomed on the next visit. Leave while the visit is still exciting. Do not allow it to begin to drag.
In sharing your faith with others, do not present a memorized speech; let your witness be genuine. Also be sure to use illustrations that your camper friend can understand. If his background and life circumstances are totally different from yours, he needs to hear illustrations related to his experiences, not yours.
Leading in Group Worship with Campers
A campsite service is, of necessity, an informal worship service. Most people do not take their "Sunday best" clothes to camp. So, whether your camp worship service is in a public campground, national forest, or wilderness area, you may expect the campers to "come as they are."
Basics for the worship leader are:
1. Be personable.
2. Be a happy Christian who enjoys life.
3. Be friendly and outgoing.
4. Be positive and enthusiastic.
5. Urge others to participate in the service.
6. Use basic Christian doctrine (do not major on denominational differences).
7. Lead, but do not do everything in the service.
8. Keynote the service to a camping theme.
9. Use as many participants as possible for various worship service duties.
10. Present a brief-but unhurried-message.