WACKY WITCH HAUNTED HIKE
From P.J. in
New York:
Wide Games were what we once used to call these camp
treasure hunts. I've been doing them since 1979. It has currently
evolved into something called "The Wacky Witch Haunted Hike." All
camp treasure hunts need some sort of theme to hold them together. We
once used Captain Kidd's hidden treasure and tied it in with other local
legends from the Hudson River Valley. An early version of what we do now had a
theme similar to The Prisoner of Zelda or one of those video games...the theme
was that the wicked witch had captured the beautiful princess and you must help
rescue her by going to various skill stations and following the carefully laid
trail.
After 24 years of doing this, my very best advice is
to ASK THE GIRLS for their input and imagination to come up with a story
line. We usually plan the story out with group participation of what
happens next? The Wacky Witch Haunted Hike uses Cadette and Senior girls
as the witches. These girls arrive in camp the night before the hike.
They have previously met and planned
out each wide game station. The witches are allowed to dress up in any type of
original witch costume, lots of heavy make-up, whatever. The rule is that
they all must have hiking boots suitable for rugged terrain (no high
heels). We usually have about 8 stations. At each station, Brownie
and Junior level girls are taught a skill or craft, except that the Cadette and
Senior skill teachers are supposed to act "wacky" as if they do not
know what they are doing...and get
the girls to do the skill in such a way that they feel they already know what
they are doing. For example:
·
The
wacky witch can't tie a knot to tie up her captives. The girls learn a bowline,
clove hitch, square knot; are rewarded with a small piece of trick or treat
candy and sent on to the next station where
·
the
wacky witch cannot get her cauldron of witches' brew cooking because she
doesn't know how to build a fire; or the wacky witch got lost and needs help
with a compass,
·
the
witch wasn't looking where she was flying and flew into a tree and fell off her
broom, she needs first aid...
·
Sometimes
we add a "Braille trail" and an "unnatural hike" along the
way. Whatever the older girls come up with can always be worked into the
script. The story line usually ends at a campfire with simple snacks
available. My favorite remark that I overheard once was "Wow!
That was so much fun I wish I could put it on instant replay and do it all over
again."