PIONEERING and SURVIVAL ACTIVITIES

Everyone on the Tripod       Catch the Snapper       String Burning       Rescue Relay Race        Desert Survivor        Hot Isotope Transport

EVERYONE ON THE TRIPOD

Pre-activity Instruction: Training session in Tripod and Square Lashing techniques.

Materials: For each team, three 8-foot spars, three 6-foot spars, six 15-foot lashing ropes, one 20-foot lashing rope.

Method:

1) On signal, team members lash the three spars into a tripod, using the 20-foot rope.  

2) When finished, they set up the tripod and using six square lashings, lash a 6-foot spar between each of the legs.

3) When all lashings are completed and the tripod is strong and secure, all the team members stand on the 6-foot spars, making sure their weight is evenly distributed.

Scoring: (Optional) The first team with all its members off the ground receives 100 points. 2nd place, 50 points, all other teams completing the challenge receive 25 points.  Back to Top

STRING BURNING

Pre-activity Instruction: Training in firebuilding techniques and use of hot spark kit.

Materials: For each team, one 2”x4”x8” piece of yellow pine, one hand axe, two knives, one hot spark kit, two cotton balls, one string suspended between two upright sticks 10” above the ground.

Method: On signal, using the hand axe, each team will split their wood into kindling and immediately start making tinder shavings using the knives. When ready, they will build a small fire under their string, igniting the tinder shavings using the hot spark kit and a cotton ball.

Scoring: (Optional) The team whose fire burns through the string first scores 100 points. The other teams who succeed in burning through the string within a fifteen minute time limit score 50 points each.  Back to Top


RESCUE RELAY RACE
Each team is given a 50' length of rope. Certain members of each team are selected to serve as "victims." Each "victim" in turn sits on a plastic snow disc 35' feet from the team. On signal, each team coils and throws their rope to the victim who must catch the rope while sitting on their disc. A bowline MUST be tied at the "victim's" end of the rope. When the victim catches the rope, they position it around their waist, and are then pulled to their team mates (rescued) while holding onto the snow disc's handles. Back to Top

DESERT SURVIVOR
A Group Decision-Making Exercise on Resource Management
11 items:

• map of desert
• salt tablets
• parachute   
• rain coats
• mirror
• compass
• book (edible plants of the desert)
• flashlight
• pistol (loaded)   
• canteen of water
• hunting knife
  

"You have been a passenger on a plane that has crashed in the desert. These are the items that you have retrieved from the plane before it burned up. The pilot and copilot have been killed and the only survivors are the people in your group. On a scale of 1-11, number these in the order of importance to survival."

The following instructions are given to each group:

• Work individually for a few minutes   
• Appoint a chair person to facilitate the process   
• Decide as a group on the correct survival order
  

NASA uses this group decision-making exercise with the Astronauts.

THE POINT: as each group starts to discuss, they'll find out that the priorities vary depending on the GOAL or PURPOSE they come up with. For example, the biggest issue is, are they going to stay by the plane (air force pilots, unless in enemy territory and in danger are told to stay with the plane) or leave. If they are going to stay, then the compass and map aren't much of a priority. The group needs to establish the FRAME in which every other decision is made, or discussion is useless. Back to Top

BEACH OLYMPICS

Water Balloon Volleyball     Bucket Filling Relay     Coconut Bowling     Floating Duck     Ride the Dolphin 

WATER BALLOON VOLLEYBALL

Materials: Appropriate supply of  9” water balloons, two 70" round tablecloths, volleyball net.

Method: Each team spaces itself around the edges of tablecloth as evenly as possible. The tablecloth serves to launch and catch the water balloon.  Flip a coin to see who serves first.

A water balloon is placed in the center of the tablecloth held by the serving team. The serving team tries to propel the water balloon over the net onto the other team’s side. The receiving team tries to catch the balloon in their tablecloth. If they can, it is then their turn to propel the balloon back over the net onto the serving team’s side. The serving team scores a point every time the water balloon breaks on the other team’s side. If it breaks on their side, they lose the serve. Just like in regular volleyball, only the serving team can score a point. The water balloon is propelled back and forth over the net as much as possible until it breaks, at which time a new balloon is provided. The game continues until a predetermined amount of points is reached, or until there are no more water balloons.  Back to Top

COCONUT BOWLING
A large hula hoop is positioned twenty feet from a starting line. Behind the hoop are six plastic bottles. One at a time, team members try to roll their coconut into the hoop without knocking over any bottles. Back to Top

RIDE THE DOLPHIN
All members of each team line up in single file behind a starting line. On signal the first straddles a large, inflated dolphin and races to a turn around line and back to his team, handing off the dolphin to the next in line. The dolphin must stay between each team member’s legs the entire time while racing. Back to Top

FLOATING DUCK
For each team plastic duck is placed in the bottom of an empty bucket. The object is to fill the bucket with water so that the duck rises and eventually floats out of the bucket. To do this players have to walk between a source of water and the bucket but those carrying the water to the bucket are not allowed to touch their feet on the ground. Back to Top

BUCKET FILLING RELAY
On signal, 4 team members run to the ocean fill up their cup with water, and run back emptying the cup’s contents into their team’s bucket. Whenever a team member is done, they hand their cup to another team member who repeats the process until either the bucket is filled or time is called. Back to Top

 MISCELLANEOUS CHALLENGE ACTIVITIES

Amoeba Race    Balloon Frantic    Balloon Shuffle    Blind Square    Blind Train    Centipede Race    Flip It    Handicap Obstacle Course    Helium Stick    Human Knots    Lift Chair Race    Sky High    Welded Ankle

HANDICAP OBSTACLE COURSE
Shuffle a normal 52 playing card pack. Each person takes a card from the pack which denotes which disability they will have for the task:

• Clubs = Not able to use their legs
• Spades = not able to use their arms
• Hearts = not able to speak
• Diamonds = not able to see

All players are instructed to complete an obstacle course as a team—working together and helping one another. Back to Top

SKY HIGH
Each team is given a pile of newspaper and two rolls of scotch tape The challenge is for each team to build the highest freestanding structure they can using only those materials they have been given. All structures have to be able to stand upright without help for more than one minute. Back to Top

HUMAN KNOTS
Each team stands in a tight circle and grabs the hand of two different people NOT standing next to them. They must not let go of either of these peoples' hands. On signal, they attempt to untangle the complicated looking jumble of hands and arms. (It’s possible.) Back to Top

WELDED ANKLE
Teams assemble in a horizontal formation behind a starting line. A 3 foot length of cord joins the ankles of team members standing next to each other. On signal, they carefully travel to the finish line while maintaining continuous contact with the feet of their team mates. Back to Top

BLIND SQUARE
All team members are blindfolded and a 50’ rope is thrown on the ground next to them. They are then instructed to make a square, using the full length of the rope lying on the ground next to them. No other instructions are given (There is no trick and it’s revealing to see who takes charge, how they organize the corners, if one person facilitates from the middle, etc.) Back to Top

BLIND TRAIN
A winding, 4’ wide track is laid out and roped off for each team. Teams line up in single file at the start of their track, with each player grasping the waist of the one in front of him. All players except one are blindfolded. That team mate serves as his team's guide. On signal, the guide must direct his team through their course, without touching anyone, giving only verbal instructions. Back to Top

BALLOON SHUFFLE
Each team member is given one balloon of different colors. One color is assigned to each team. On signal, all team members must keep tapping their balloon, whatever color, in the air, without letting it hit the ground, and exchange it with a member of another team who is tapping their color balloon. The object of the event is to have every team member tapping only balloons of his team’s color. Back to Top

AMOEBA RACE
An activity using the basic biology concept of a cell requiring cooperation and close physical interaction. There are 3 parts to the amoeba: a lot of protoplasm made up of people who don't mind being close, gather together, a cell wall consisting of people who like to contain themselves & others, surrounding the protoplasm, facing outward and linking elbows, a nucleus who is someone with good eyesight and the ability to keep on top of things, seated on the shoulders of some of the protoplasm. Once the amoeba is formed, it makes its way through a field or around a course. If there are a sufficient number, then each team can form an amoeba and race. Back to Top

HELIUM STICK
Deceptively simple but powerful exercise for learning how to work together and communicate in small to medium sized groups. Teams line up in two rows facing each other. The Helium Stick, a long, thin, light rod is introduced, and participants are asked to point their index fingers and hold their arms out. The Helium Stick is laid down on their fingers. The group needs to adjust their finger heights until the Helium Stick is horizontal and everyone's index fingers are touching the stick. The challenge is to lower the Helium Stick to the ground. The catch is, each person's fingers must be in contact with the Helium Stick at all times. Pinching or grabbing the pole in not allowed - it must rest on top of fingers. Warning: Particularly in the early stages, the Helium Stick has a habit of mysteriously 'floating' up rather than coming down, causing much laughter. Eventually the group needs to calm down, concentrate, and very slowly and patiently lower the Helium Stick - easier said than done. The stick does not contain helium.  The secret is that the collective upwards pressure created by everyone's fingers tends to be greater than the weight of the stick.  As a result, the more a group tries, the more the stick tends to 'float' upwards. Back to Top

BALLOON FRANTIC
Two to three inflated balloons per person are needed and a stopwatch.  Each person has a balloon, with the rest in a nearby pile.  Everyone begins bouncing their balloons in the air.  Every five seconds, another balloon is added.  The object is for the team to see how long they can keep the balloons bouncing before receiving six penalties.  A penalty is announced by the facilitator when a balloon hits the floor. When the team gets six penalties, the total time is recorded. Back to Top

CENTIPEDE RACE
Each team is given a 5’ wooden stick. Three members straddle the stick with their left hands grasping it. On signal, they run to a designated line, return, and give the stick to the next three players in their line. If any player releases his hold on the stick, he must regain it before his team may progress further. Back to Top

LIFT CHAIR RACE
Each team is given a chair and on signal must carry one team mate to a turning-line and back again, and then repeat the process twice more with two other team mates. Back to Top

FLIP IT
All team members stand on a cloth. On signal, they must flip the cloth over and all stand on the flipped over side. No one's feet are allowed to touch the ground outside of the cloth. Back to Top