Lake ideas

[troop251scout]

This summer i am going to be lake director at a boy scout camp. Just trying to rework the lake program and put fun games and activites into the program.

 

Does anyone have and fun ideas to do at the lake such as games, activites, or anything else?

 

Thanks

 

-251scout

[SSScout]

Works at the pool: Try a "Steal the Bacon" variation amongst the 'swimmers'. Use a volley ball. Use personal topics instead of numbers("everyone who was born in January" " ... if you normally wear glasses" " If you have a sister who's a Girl Scout" etc. ). Use your magination for topics!

 

YiS

[LauraT7]

Hope this isn't too late for your camp.....

 

We used to do a 'water olympics' every year with girl scouts in our council.... some of the events were....

 

 

Drown the counselor

 

( not really) however, this is good for non- swimmer participation in shallow water. 2 ( or more) teams - you put a counselor in a a canoe in knee-deep to waist deep water - and give the kids buckets, teaspoons, whatever. the first to 'sink' their counselor wins! you can make it a group with buckets or a relay, or whatever.

 

CANOE TUG_O WAR

 

tie the sterns of two canoes together, about 6' - 10 ft apart with a bright bandana marking the center of the rope. lay a line of rope in the water between two buoys. Ready, set, GO! the first canoe to pull their oponent over the line is the winner!

 

Hint - do not tie the rope to the canoe - you will never get the knots undone again, they will be too tight and wet after pulling. attach them with a clip or with a rope you can cut away later.

 

CAnoe obstacle course.

 

Set up obstacles and manuvers to test canoe ( or sailing, rowboating, etc) skills. time the course - best time wins - or have a point system for each obstacle - best score wins. Ideas we have used depend on the terrain of your lake and facilities.

 

examples for 'obstacles'

 

- string a rope across the water with two free hanging ropes hanging down into the water about 4 or 5' apart. paddlers must go thru the ropes without touching them

 

- manuver a figure 8 around two buoys or anchored floating hula hoops.

 

- have someplace they have to portage the canoe.

 

- have a spot they have to 'rescue' and empty a sunk canoe

 

- have them change positions without dumping - bow person to stern position and vice-versa.

 

- think up any other manuver you might do with a boat and have them do it.

 

Blindman's paddle -

 

Setup - two hula hoops, or buoys, anchored in the water about two or three canoe lengths apart - straight out from shore or dock starting point, preferably in water that the boys can stand up in if they happen to dunk. 1 canoe, two paddles, three life jackets, and two bandana blindfolds.

 

this takes a team of 3 people. the paddlers are blindfolded and they climb into the canoe. the non blindfolded 'captain' pushes off and rides in the middle with NO paddle. He has to direct the paddlers how to steer the canoe in a figure 8 around the hoops or buoys and back to the same landing spot.

 

Scoring is by time and points/ penalties can be awarded for skill, teamwork, accuracy, etc.

 

It is HILARIOUS to watch! and even funnier when you make the SM do it!

 

lastly - a game of canoe hockey -

 

Can get a little wild, and very wet!

 

2 - 4 teams, can be set up with more rules, or less, however you wish to structure it. Basic idea is to use a large FLOATING sponge or piece of foamboard (like a chunk of a swimming kickboard, but not the whole kickboard) as a hockey puck and your paddles as hocky sticks. you must have at least two hula hoops, or rope / buoy marked areas for 'goals'

 

Points are gained for each time a team manages to toss the 'puck' into their goal - points are taken away anytime a canoe bumps another canoe or for other 'fouls' as determined by the referrees.

 

works best with two teams, designated areas (marked with buoys)for goalie, etc. and if you have two paddlers in each canoe and allow one or two 'riders' to try and scoop out the 'puck' and toss it. must use paddles to fish out the puck - no hands.

 

Could also be done with a beach ball ( use hands) or a smaller ball and a long handled fishing net to scoop it up and throw it.

 

have fun~!

 

 

 

 

 

[funscout]

LauraT7,

 

Great ideas! Every summer my family spends a few weeks at my parents' cabin in Minnesota, and I'm going to try some of these activities with my boys and their friends.

 

When I was a kid, we had races and obstacle courses with small sailboats. We used milk jugs with anchors, for our buoys. One time we didn't get all the buoys brought back in, and the next day, we saw some people fishing near our buoy, thinking that it marked a good fishing spot!