Session 7, Week 2
Throughout survival camp heroes used survival books to help them accomplish some of their outdoor challenges. Their book included topics such as knot tying, sewing, using knives and axes, starting fires, purifying water and many more. If heroes were to write their own book about how to survive this last week, it would no doubt include some similar knowledge, but perhaps it would also contain far greater wisdom from their experiences over the past week!
If a survival book was written by the Spark Studio heroes it might look a little something like this…
Skill #1: Things aren’t always what they seem. Take a material and transform it into something else. You can use the tools you have to make something new and completely different. Just use your imagination. Get creative.
Skill #2: Learning place value tells us how to read a number correctly. Which number says two hundred twenty-two? It’s good to know how much you have of something. Like how many snacks you have or how much money you have. What if you couldn’t read the price tag and paid way too much money for something?
Skill #3: Division tells us how many water balloons each person can use. When we divide, we can share equally with everyone. I wouldn’t want someone to use all my water balloons. Division helps us make sure it can be fair.
Skill #4: Experiment with simple things. Water is so much fun to play with. We are lucky to have fresh, clean water to play in. When we take time to have fun it makes our bodies happy.
Skill #5: Make friends and listen to one another. Communicate with one another in a respectful way. Take turns listening to each other. Show empathy. It will help you work out problems.
Skill #6: Know when your body needs a break. You need to listen to your body. When I am thirsty my body tells me. When I am hungry my body tells me. When I need to go to the bathroom my body tells me. When I am tired my body tells me. I’m the only one who knows my body best.
If a survival book was written by the Fire Studio and Middle School heroes, it might look a little something like this…
Skill #1 Choose to participate.
No one could eat during Survival Camp without “paying” for it. Every meal cost 1 survival buck. Every dessert and snack cost 2 survival bucks. We all earned survival bucks through participating in individual, squad or tribal challenges. Because no one could bring up extra food or snacks, heroes had to choose to participate in order to survive. There were MANY different options to choose from, the goal was simply to participate in something that interested you. Heroes found that as they participated in challenges, they sincerely enjoyed the challenges (and the food!)
Skill #2 Watch out for the blood circle.
One of the skills learned through the knife and whittling challenge was that there is a semi-circle around a person using a knife called a blood circle; no one should step into the blood circle. Heroes enjoyed that name : ) During individual challenge time heroes also really enjoyed using an axe, learning different sewing stitches, making fires, purifying water, tying knots, lashing, fire making, creating projects such as boot dryers and firewood carriers using their knife and lashing skills, hiking, kayaking, and paddle boarding. Squad challenges included creating a squad flag with meaning, and reading and re-enacting true life survival stories. Many of the flags had beautiful meaning behind them and all of the re-enactments were epic!
Skill #3 Finish, even if you don’t win, and even if it’s pitch black or raining.
Each day we all participated in a tribal challenge together. Tribal challenges included challenges that required teamwork, strength, balance, figuring out puzzles, eating bugs, and even pillow fights on paddle boards. The competitive element was fun, participating in the challenges was even more fun. The first night we were a bit delayed in starting our tribal challenge. Before too long it was totally dark and teams were using lanterns to light the way as they attempted to walk on logs without falling off, hit targets with a sling shot, figure out a puzzle and eat jello and trailmix mixed with bugs! Regardless of the dark, or the fact it took some teams over 10 minutes to hit a single target, not one team gave up. The next day our plans were thrown off with rain at the reservoir. But despite the rain and cold weather, teams still threw one another off paddleboards and kayaked on wet kayaks. Every team finished every challenge and had a glorious time doing so! Many of these pictures were in a format that wouldn’t upload, so check out the Survival Camp picture folder.
Skill #4 Just get on the mountain.
Heroes really enjoyed rock climbing all day on Tuesday. This was a harder climb than where we have climbed the past two years. Many heroes enjoyed the bigger challenge. Some Middle Schoolers found great satisfaction in learning the new skill of belaying. A few heroes were very afraid to rock climb. They were challenged to put on the harness, rope up, and just get on the mountain (just put both hands and feet on the rock). Although these heroes were very nervous and a little afraid, they accepted the invitation and did it! Some went much further than just getting on the mountain.
Skill #5 Use a little elbow grease.
Heroes signed up as squads to be in charge of a meal. They were given a paper listing the food and the necessary preparations. Heroes learned how to turn on camp stoves, make pancakes, cook with dutch ovens, dice, chop, make tin foil dinners, organize a food table and of course were in charge of the clean up as well. During the final lunch clean up one hero was a little less excited to be cleaning up. Her fellow squad member kept calling her back to finish up, encouraged her to scrub harder (we discussed what elbow grease meant), and told her that this was “good preparation for her life”!
Skill #6 You can go without sleep for two nights, but two nights only!
Heroes enjoyed sitting around the campfire, telling stories in their tents, playing night games (Middle Schoolers) and deciding on their own when to go to sleep. It was so much fun… but could have been disastrous had we stayed for longer than two nights!
The Sparks had a great week holding down the fort at school! Survival Camp was a blast! Heroes (and parents) did hard things, tried new experiences, chose to participate, worked together, and laughed a lot. This is not only the recipe for surviving Survival Camp, but also the recipe for thriving in life! Your heroes are truly surviving and thriving!