Girls Camp Resources

Find Direction Using Sun and Stars

2008-04-30T12:32:00.001-06:00

Handout:

Build 2 Types of Fires

2008-04-30T12:10:00.002-06:00

Edible Campfires:
Refer to Page 32 of the YW Camp Manual.

I found it works best to have small items in snack ziplock bags and all placed in a big ziplock bag, saves time in distribution as you go. A little goes a long way - only a few of each ingredient is needed

Have girls bring a bandana or hair elastic and their water bottle.

1. What are the fire regulations in your area?
(find out and discuss with the girls before building any fire)

2. Collect all of your firebuilding supplies before you begin.
(distribute baggie of supplies)

3. Cover or tie back hair, while building or working around fires.

4. Open a napkin full and place the three piles for a proper wood pile in order on half of the napkin so that the other half can be folded over the wood pile to keep the wood dry till ready to use. A good camper never has to search for wood after the fire is lit.

a. Tinder is no thicker than your pinkie finger. Fine twigs, bundles from tops of bushes and weeds, pieces of pine, thin pieces of bark, dried leaves and grass.
(coco-nut or sunflower seeds)

b. Kindling is thicker than your pinkie and no thicker than your thumb. Six to twelve inches in length. Should snap when broken.
(potato stix or small pretzel sticks)

c. Fuel is larger than your thumb.
(cheezies, cheese puffs, tootsie rolls, fat pretzels or bread sticks)

5. Get bucket of water and shovel and rake (optional) to keep close to fire for safety. Before you ever start a fire make sure you have the fire fighting equipment on hand.
(cup of water, spoon and fork. You can also use a cup of granola for Sand if you want)

6. Clear the ground in a 6-foot radius. The edge of your plate is the boundary of the safety area. Mark the safety area by outlining the edge of the plate with your finger. This is the zone where no one moves faster than a slow walk. Inside the zone no one should ever be running or playing while a fire is being built or burning. Clear away the grass, twigs and pine needles, from a good-sized area until only dirt remains. This is the base of the fire. Place your cookie in the center of the plate.
(represented by scraping spoon on 6 in plate to make it safe to build a fire. A big round cookie represents dirt. Use as much detail as you feel you need. Discuss safe places to build fires)

7. Create a fire ring to contain fire. Place a ring of rocks around the edge of the dirt area. This will help keep the fire from drifting into nearby grasses.
(tiny marshmallows, Jelly beans, M&M’s, peanuts, corn pops, cereal, raisins, cheerios or large chocolate chips)

8. Now you are ready to lay your fire. Make an “A” or “V” frame of logs, open end facing the wind.
(break a large pretzel rod into 2 or 3 pieces)

9. Lay tinder in teepee or lean to fashion in the corner of the A or V, remember tinder is smaller than your pinkie finger.
(coco-nut)

10. Add a fire starter to the base of the tinder (Optional if you have enough tinder and kindling). Burns quickly to get fire started.
(hershey kisses, gum drops or small pieces of twizzlers)

11. Light the fire. Of course we are using waterproof matches
(3 inch pieces of rope licorice or full length twizzlers)

Add sparks!
(red hots)

12. When a small fire is started add kindling on top of tinder leaving room for air to flow. Remember kindling is larger than your pinkie and no larger than your thumb.
(potato stix or small pretzel sticks)

13. Watch as the flames build.
(candy corn)

14. Next add fuel on top of kindling. Fuel is larger than your thumb.
(cheezies, cheese puffs, tootsie rolls, or fat pretzel rods)

15. Extinguish fire; let the fire die down.
(eat fire, drink water)

16. Review the method of extinguishing fires:

With dirt

- let the fire die down
- separate the burning pieces but keep them within the fire ring
- pour dirt over coals to smother keep stirring till extinguished
- continue till you can’t feel heat when you hold hand over coals

With water

- wet the area around the fire
- sprinkle water on the fire, do not pour water as you may get burned by steam and immediate hot water
- spread out coals with a stick
- sprinkle again and turn over smoldering sticks or coals, sprinkle again
- continue till only soaking wet ashes remain
- continue till you can’t feel heat when you hold hand over coals

If you have removed sod to make a fire cover the area with dirt, replace the sod, make it look as if no one has been there.

17. Leave no trace!
(put plate, spoon, cup in trash)

For an alternative you can use healthy items ie:

- Salad dressing instead of water
- Broccoli florettes for rocks
- Shredded cabbage for tinder
- Carrot sticks for kindling
- Celery sticks for fuel
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bacon bits
- Etc, etc.

Ready, Aim, FIRE! Relay
You will need matches, pots with lids, grills, water, 1 fire pit area per team.

Divide the group into teams of. The object of the relay is to see which team can be the first to boil a quart of water and then douse their fire. Only one member of each team may be away from the group at any one time. and he can perform one task only.

On GO the first member of each team runs to collect an armful of firewood. When that player has returned the second player may go and collect an armful of firewood. When all players have had a chance to add to the wood pile, the fire building may begin. Player one can set the first round of kindling. Player two can put the larger pieces of wood down. Player three can light the fire. Player four can set up the grill.

The relay proceeds with members taking turns all along the way. Some pours the water in the pot, someone else tends the fire, someone else puts the pot on the grill.

Just remember that only one person from the team can be doing a chore at any one time. Share the load and take turns.

The first team to boil the water and then safely douse their fire wins.

Handouts:
I made up 4x6 handouts for most of the certification items. The idea is that you print them, laminate them and punch a hole in the top. Then with a small metal ring you can attach them to a backpack. This handout has two sides.

Signaling for Help

2008-04-30T12:01:00.000-06:00

Handouts:
(I found this on another site)
I made up 4x6 handouts for most of the certification items. The idea is that you print them, laminate them and punch a hole in the top. Then with a small metal ring you can attach them to a backpack. This handout has two sides.

Shock

2008-04-30T11:57:00.001-06:00

Purifying Water

2008-04-30T11:55:00.001-06:00

Handout:
I made up 4x6 handouts for most of the certification items. The idea is that you print them, laminate them and punch a hole in the top. Then with a small metal ring you can attach them to a backpack.

Poisonous & Edible Plants

2008-04-30T11:52:00.000-06:00

Flag Ceremony/Devotional

2008-04-30T11:49:00.001-06:00

Cloud Formations

2008-04-30T11:40:00.003-06:00

Treat Poisoning & Severe Bleeding

2008-04-30T11:36:00.001-06:00

What To Do When Lost

2008-04-30T11:22:00.001-06:00

Handout:
(give this out with a mini bag of M&M's)

Extinguishing Fires

2008-04-30T11:18:00.005-06:00

Knot Tying (optional)

2008-04-30T11:10:00.005-06:00

Big Beetle Game:

Each beetle needs:

8 short pieces of rope (string)
1 beetle head (cardboard with hole for attaching to body)
2 antennae - 2 pieces of wire in a loop
2 eyes - 2 large circles

Players need:

A bucket
Large dice
Tape and glue
Long piece of rope
Short rope

Provide all items for each patrol. Each girl throws a dice in turn. A 6 must be thrown first to get the body (the bucket). Then when a 5 is thrown, the head is attached with a reef knot. Then when a 4 is thrown, the legs are attached with reef knots. At the 3, the tail is attached, which is a short piece of rope tied in a reef knot. When the next player rolls a 2, the antennae are stuck to head with tape. When a 1 is thrown, glue the eyes into place. When the beetle is complete, a long rope is tied around the neck with a bowline and the beetle is dragged across the finishing line some distance away.

You could also do this on a smaller level, so each girl is competing alone. (for smaller groups)

Handout:
(I found this handout on another site)
I made up 4x6 handouts for most of the certification items. The idea is that you print them, laminate them and punch a hole in the top. Then with a small metal ring you can attach them to a backpack.

Bedrolls

2008-04-30T10:44:00.005-06:00

Cootie Bedroll Game:
(I didn't make this up, but I can't remember where I found it...)

Demonstrate a proper bedroll first. Split the group into teams.

Each team has a dice (I made big ones out of cubes of foam and put the dots on with Sharpie markers)

1 spot = ground sheet

2 spot = sleeping bag

3 spot = p.j.'s and toque

4 spot = extra blanket/pillow

5 spot = roll up

6 spot = rope & tie-off

The girls work as a team and roll the dice. They cannot do a step in bedroll prep until the spot has been rolled i.e. the team MUST roll a one first, then cannot do the next step until a two is rolled, etc. Makes for lots of jumping and screaming when a few teams are trying to win. Of course - acknowledgment of the winner is essential. Then the girls proceed to complete their own if they have brought all the proper gear.

Handouts:

I made up 4x6 handouts for most of the certification items. The idea is that you print them, laminate them and punch a hole in the top. Then with a small metal ring you can attach them to a backpack. This handout has two sides.

How the West was ONE

2008-04-30T10:09:00.000-06:00

Our Stake is Murray West, so we are adding the west: "How the Murray West was ONE!"

I'm the Ward Camp Director, so as a ward, we are the "Sharp Shooters". I found some really cute gun holsters at this site for only 1.50 per set, and water guns at this site for .70 a piece!

Our Stake has 8 wards, so we don't choose colors based on the values, we just pick one. Our color this year is pink. I found this site with cheap cowgirl hats, and I just love the pink ones with the LED tiaras! (Maybe you could use these with a princess theme as well)

We are also going to name all the areas around our camp:
(I'm still going to let the girls vote, but here are the ideas I have)
General Store - Food Tent
Sherriff's Office - Leader's Tent
Boot Hill Bank and Post Office - Our secret sister mailboxes and kindness store
OK Corral - ?
Golden Nugget Inn - Girls Tent
Heartbreak Hotel - Girls Tent
Broken Arrow Blacksmith - Fire Pit
Big Horn Basin - ?
Hole-in-the-wall - ?
Dodge City - ?
Robbers Roost - ?

Also, I found cowprint tablecloths and little pink boot cups for meal time.