Unreliable Idea # 32 CAMP ACTIVITIES brainstormed

I hastily asked colleagues to help jog my creative memory and suggest some activities which could well be used at an all age Camp where young people had little or no introduction to 'church' or discipleship outside a High Scholl aged Youth Group.

Here's what we came up with in a hurry:

1. MySPACE page on A4 paper…. Have a look at myspace and see what questions they are answering and set up an A4 sheet with some of those questions, opportunity to draw pics they’d post if they could and then use that in the big group and smaller groups to share… tape the pages to the wall at the end so they can read each others more fully and leaders and other campers can read about them and see the names in big letters!!
2. PHOTO LANGUAGE… either the Catholic Education Office series, St Lukes Innovative Resources or make your own in B&w or colour. Circulate around pics on the floor or wall and engage in choosing pictures to represent answers to a given question, or how people are feeling/reacting to the input or do some creative writing in response to a chosen picture/s.
3. BEACH BALL get to know you Just like Group Books pre made inflatables, buy a cheap beach ball and CD ROM marking pen. ADD questions, story prompts and ice breakers by writing on the ball. Toss it around and on ‘stop’ ask people to share a response to the prompt near one thumb or the other!
4. BIG GROUP GAME Have the groups build a track out of toilet rolls and masking tape, tables and chairs....a ball is fed into the tubes and allowed to roll freely down the track... the idea is to create the most intricate track to create the longest run time of the ball
5. CARDBOARD BOXES
Take cardboard boxes and have the groups set up "houses".
Have a series of "rounds"

5. - round 1- build a house to fit 1 person in
   - round 2- build a garage to fit a cardboard car in
   - round 3- build a garden
   - round 4- interior decorate (paint and wall paper etc.)
   - round 5 a devastating storm destroys the houses (kids swap houses and on the word, take the opportunity to smash the houses)
   Each round is judged and points awarded
   We used this to open the opportunity to talk about the wise and foolish men and their houses...
   not only that, it was a great opportunity to allow leaders to gain relationships during the building of the houses.

6. MISCELLANEOUS
Groups have used junk sculptures or recycling bottles, newspapers etc with tape and textas or paint to invite young people to construct a model of a world lived according to the values of God [with some biblical passages to help them think about that… they design it and build it in small groups and then present to each other
7. PICTURE OF JESUS
Song by Ben Harper
Play the song with lyrics in hand and give the groups a sheet of stories where Jesus is meeting those he did in Luke for example….
ASK young people to listen, then read then draw their picture and/or write descriptive words around the picture and then discuss… its really important to affirm all sharing… while discussing any weird views!!
8. NOOMA AND OTHER FILMS
The LUMP Nooma DVD affirms God’s love for all of us. Other film scenes depicting helpful imagery are ‘the opening of ‘Love Actually’ and the love discussion and song in ‘Moulin Rouge.’
9. OTHER GROUP STUFF
The activity where young people STAND ON THE LINE and you ask questions and if they think it’s true they stay on the line or false they move off.

The variation would be the SPECTRUM LINE where you move from one end to the other depending on your view on the question or issue. Issues like war, bullying, fashion and current affairs might get them moving!! Encouraging people to voice ‘where they stand’ in a less confronting way.

STORYTELLING by having people write or tell stories in relation to prompt questions or stories. LIFE MAPS and other identifiable ways of talking about perceived GOD moments in life might open up a great conversation and be a real gift to the Camp in terms of setting the sharing standard as high and affirming.

What about MATCHING BIBLICAL STORYLINES WITH MOVIES, 30 SECOND TV ADVERT WRITING OR making STORIES into MOVIES… i.e. how would we shoot this story?

MOVIE maybe watch a movie early on and lead into discussion where it’s easy to take off from the film, Like “Pursuit of Happyness”

“M” Rated PEOPLE BINGO

Find someone who…

Is younger than you	Watches ‘The OC’	Has been on TV	You would go out with	Doesn’t like chocolate
Doesn’t swear	Loves black jelly beans	Is the same height as you	Can tell a joke	Has the same sized hands as you
Is wearing black underwear	Has seen the movie “Saved”	Dislikes sport	Reads ‘raunchy novels’	Dislikes pizza
Is wearing odd socks	Can’t swim	Has been in a fist fight	Is studying at Uni	Hasn’t signed any squares for anyone else
Can name [4] Sharon Stone movies	Wears the same sized shirt as you	Has no middle name	Has been skinny dipping	Can do a handstand

Change and update these squares… given a time limit the group circulate and ask each other if they fit the bill and sign if they do… bingo equals a line or diagonal of signatures and then second prize is most squares in the time limit….

EXTRA GROUP BUILDING ACTIVITIES

in case your group needs them [from an old Easter Camp Guide]

1. Name Game

Ask each person to think of a word, which says something about them and starts with the same letter as

they’re first name eg. tennis tony, laughing leanna, stumpy simon

Choose someone in the circle to say their word & name, then the next person clockwise repeats that plus

their own, next person says the first two & their own and so on… last person does all the words/names…

pick someone else to do them all… IT’S a great way to learn and remember…

2. Memorable Share around the group about memorable scars or illnesses

3. Test Your Skills in the Speed Trap

In pairs or a three, each point the index finger on one hand and hold out a flat palm on the other… place

your finger on the open flat palm of the other person/s

When the Leader says ‘go’ try to grab the other person’s finger in your hand without them grabbing your

finger… try again!

4. Name Bop

With someone it in the middle holding a pillow… say your name and someone else’s around the circle and

then they say theirs and someone else’s attempting to do so before being hit on the head with the pillow. Be

hit and you become it.

5. Knots

If everyone is suitably dressed and equally abled… invite your group members to stand, reach out with both

arms, close eyes and hold onto two other hands. Open your eyes and try to untangle without letting go

hands.

6. J File

J File is the regular weekly history and discography of a band on Radio Triple J. It’s about gathering answers

to background questions from another punter. A blank sheet for each person to research the background of

another punter and can be used to introduce the other person to the group

7. Scary Sharing

Share: memorable scar; worst throwing up experience; best disease; biggest accident

8. Ball Talking [ball not supplied]

Whoever has the ball determines who is speaking and this can be used in various other activities. Good for

groups that tend to be noisy or talk over each other!!

9. Small Group Name

Brainstorm and choose a name/identity for your Small Group.

If you have a number of suggestions…. Use a process of encouraging members to vote for UP TO half the

number plus one until one suggestion is a clear winner [might take several rounds]. This voting method

produces the name MOST group members can live with…

Get to Know You Questions:

There are thousands of questions you could come up with and use. The trick is to deepen your sharing over

the weekend at the pace of the group.

Ø Favourite: food; colour; TV; movie; music; holiday spot; school subject; hat etc

Ø One wish you’d make…

Ø Favourite Day of the week and regular schedule

Ø Best room in your house

Ø Peanut Butter… smooth or crunchy

Ø Six dinner guests [currently alive or dead] you’d invite

Ø Time you were most embarrassed

Ø Two bands you’d book for your birthday

Ø Something you’d print on a t-shirt front

Ø Who would play you in a movie about you

Ø What makes you happy

Ø What’s one thing you wish you could do

Ø Who would you like to sit next to on a flight to London

Ø Favourite saying of yours

Ø Nickname of yours or best one you’ve heard and why

Ø Hollywood Name: First Pets Name/Name of first street you lived in

Ø What makes you mad, bad, sad, glad

Ø Most interesting thing about you

A comprehensive activity called 'The Bomb' focused on 'gifts' wa salso sent in and passed along!!


Thanks to all those who had time to help the group out. I sent them the ideas and they will work with some of those this weekend with their Speaker and Leaders!!