Family Camping
THEY’LL SLEEP WELL TONIGHT. PHOTO: ROB FAUBERT
GAME ON [ LITTLE EXPLORERS ] Hot Paddle
You’ll need paddles for this energizing game. Participants should stand in a circle, facing each other with an upright paddle in front of them, one hand on the T-grip to stabilize it. One camper will need to stand aside to lead the game by shouting out one of the follow- ing instructions:
Port: Everyone lets go of their paddle and moves one paddle to the left.
Starboard: Everyone lets go of their paddle and moves one paddle to the right.
Bow: Everyone bows with paddle in hand.
Stern: Everyone lets go of their paddle and spins 360 degrees, catching the paddle before it falls.
If participants confuse the directions or let their paddle fall to the ground, they’re out. Continue until one person is left.
Pterodactyl
The objective of this game is to keep your teeth covered with your lips. Start with ev- eryone in a circle facing one another. One
36 | Canoeroots
FAMILY FUN FOR AROUND THE CAMPFIRE AND ON THE WATER
AFTER YOU’VE TIRED OF GO FISH AND FRISBEE, SPICE UP YOUR SUMMER CAMP-OUTS WITH SOME OF THESE ALL-TIME FAVORITE GAMES.
player starts by saying “pterodactyl,” passing the word on to the person on their right who repeats it and so on. Players can change the direction by imitating a pterodactyl’s screech, passing that sound to the left. If anyone laughs or shows their teeth, they’re out.
Battleship
You’ll need two canoes on the water for this game, perfect for warm summer days. Flip the canoes over, creating an air pocket un- derneath them. One or two people swim under the gunwales and pop up inside each canoe. Decide in advance which canoe is the hunter, and which is the prey. The campers in the hunting canoe shout out Marco and the others shout out Polo. The object of the game is for the hunter canoe to catch the other canoe by bumping into it without peeking. Agree in advance on a small area of play and set a time limit so that air under the canoe doesn’t run out. Have a ref in an up- right canoe to enforce the rules.
Water Warrior
Forget the sandpit; take your next game of tug-of-war to the shallows of the beach to
test balance and strength. Tie a bandana around the midpoint of the rope, get knee- deep in water and line up the midpoint with a landmark on shore that players should try to pull each other past. Pit brother against sister, kids against parents! For a fun varia- tion, everyone must compete with water bal- loons tucked under their arms—don’t break or drop your balloon.
Shout Out
Try to count to 20 by shouting out num- bers without organizing who will speak when. Anytime two people say the same number or speak at the same time, the whole process starts over. Not only is it harder than it sounds, it’s a perfect game to keep every- one close together on the hiking trail.
RPS Olympics
Best for bigger families and groups, have each player partner up to play Rock, Paper, Scissors, playing for best two out of three rounds. The losers become cheerleaders for their winning partners and follow them on to their next round, cheering for them. The next person to win gains the loser and their cheer- leader and so on, until there are only two players, each with their own personal cheer- ing sections for the championship. —KP
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