Theme: Explore the Sacrament of Baptism
Virtue: Courage (to be brave; to face fear, danger or difficulties with strength in the Lord)
WILDERNESS WORKOUT
Theme Connection:
Welcome campers! My name is ______ and I will be your Wilderness Games Guide.
We need to make sure we are all ready for our wilderness games by doing our Wilderness Workout.
Have kids and leaders follow along to each command as you demonstrate it. Run through the commands a couple times and say them faster each round. Begin your session with this workout at different times throughout the week.
- When I call out the word campers, I need everyone to stand up tall, hands on your hips and say: “We are ready for adventure!”
- When I call out campfire, sit cross-legged and rub your hands by the fire.
- Mountain climbers: Reach up high with your hands and knees.
- Chop wood: Put your hands together and swing them over your head in a chopping motion.
- Skunk: Squeeze your nose and say: “Yikes...stinky!”
- Avalance: Curl up in a ball and put your hands over your head.
- Mosquitoes: Quickly scratch your legs, arms and back!
- Canoe ride: Sit on the ground and paddle left and right.
- Sleep: Lay down, close your eyes and snore.
- Back to camp: Run on the spot.
SCOOP AND PASS
Theme Connection:
We will be using water in the following games to remind us of the sacrament of Baptism. Water is used in Baptism as a sign that all our sins are washed away. You become a new person in Christ. Did you know that the word ‘Baptism’ comes from a Greek word that means to plunge or immerse? Don’t worry: no one will be getting plunged into the water, but you might get a little wet!
You’ll need:
- Equal size buckets (2/team)
- Small plastic cup (1/child)
Set up:
- Place each team’s bucket of water on a start line and their empty bucket about 20 ft. away.
- Give each player a small plastic cup.
Activity:
- Get into equal teams. (approx. 4-5 players/team)
- One player from each team will line up on the start line beside their team’s bucket of water. Another player from each team will stand beside their team’s empty bucket. The remaining players will spread out in a line between their two team buckets.
- The first person from each team fills his cup from the bucket of water, runs and pours it into the empty cup of the next player in line. The second player pours the water into the cup of the third player in line, etc.
- Play continues until all the water is passed down the line and into the bucket on the finish line. Important to remember: The first person from each team should always be pouring water down the line to keep the game moving along.
- The team with the most water in their bucket at the finish line after a few minutes, wins!
SPONGE FUN
You’ll need:
- 1-3 plastic wading pools
- Equal size buckets (1/team)
- Sponges (1/child)
Set up:
- Place the pools in the center of the games area and fill them with water.
- Spread out the team buckets in a circle formation. (15-20 feet from the wading pool)
- Divide kids into equal teams and have them gather near their team bucket.
Activity:
- Each person will get a sponge.
- Soak your sponge in the pool then squeeze it into your team bucket.
- Everyone plays at the same time.
- After a few minutes of play, the team with the most water in their team bucket wins. Use a ruler for measuring.
OBSTACLE WATER RACE
You’ll need:
- Equal size buckets (2/team)
Obstacles:
- Plastic cups
- Small table
- Large box
- Traffic cone
- Long piece of rope
Set up:
- Set up an obstacle course. Each team should have the same obstacles to conquer: fill their cup with water from a bucket, crawl under a table, hop over a box, run around a traffic cone, walk backwards on a string, dump their water into a bucket (or splash a leader at the finish line), etc.
Activity:
- Get into equal teams.
- The first person on each team fills their cup with water from a bucket on the start line and then completes the obstacle course without trying to spill water from their cup. Their cup of water is dumped into the bucket at the finishing line (or splashed onto a group leader at the finish line).
- The player runs back to their team and passes the empty cup to the next player in line.
- Play continues until everyone has played the Obstacle Water Race. The players may have another turn if there is still water or time left.
THE NAME GAME
Theme Connection:
When you were baptized, you became part of God’s family. This game will help us remember that we are all children of God and that He knows each of us by name. Isn’t it amazing that God knows every single person’s name in the whole world!? That’s about 6.8 billion names. Wow!
You’ll need:
- Index cards (1-2/child)
- Small box (1/team)
- Markers
Activity:
- Divide into equal teams.
- Write your first name on one index card. Older kids can write their last name on a second card.
- Place the first (and last name cards) in your team box.
- When you hear GO, have the first player from each team try to find the card with their first name and return to their team line-up. The next player in line will do the same until every team player has found the card with their name.
- The first team to have all the players find their cards wins!
FOLLOW THE WILDERNESS GUIDE
Theme Connection:
Whenever we’re in the wilderness, we need to trust our wilderness guide to show us the right way to go. In a similar way, we need to follow Jesus and trust Him as He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Ages: 4-6 year olds
You’ll need:
- Small obstacles such as logs, lawn chairs, boxes, rope, etc.
Set up:
- Place obstacles in the games area.
Activity:
- Line up behind the leader and try and do exactly what they do. After a few rounds, choose a child to lead the group.
- crawl under a bush (under a chair)
- jump over a log
- hop like a rabbit in the wilderness
- stomp and clap to chase the bears away
- walk along an old bridge (walk on a rope)
- march up a high mountain
- wave to other hikers in the wilderness
- jump on rocks to cross the river
- lie down like a deer in the meadow
I WANT YOUR AUTOGRAPH
Ages: 7 and up
You’ll need:
- I Want Your Autograph game sheets
- Colored marker (1/child)
Activity:
- Everyone will get a marker and a game sheet.
- Try to get an autograph from as many different people that best fit the description of each box on your game sheet.
- For example, Joey will ask Kylie if she has gone camping. Kylie says: “Yes”, so Kylie will sign that box on Joey’s game sheet. Then, Kylie will ask Joey something from her game sheet for Joey to sign his autograph. Joey and Kylie will continue to ask other players for their autograph.
The person with the most autographs after a few minutes of play wins.
