Taking a hike around camp is a great way to get your girls active at
camp, explore the great outdoors, and perhaps work on some badgework.
Below are some easy ways to spice up your hikes with girls and really
get them involved in the experience.
**Always watch out for poison ivy at camp whenever you are hiking
along the trails!
Themed Hikes
Color Hike: Bring with you a selection of crayons or paint chip
samples. Have each girl select one or several (avoid greens and browns
for more of a challenge!). For the duration of the hike, girls should
be on the lookout for items that match the color(s) in their hand as
closely as possible.
Scavenger Hunt Hike: Keep it as simple as playing an outdoor
game of “I Spy”. Create your own list of things to find (four shades
of green, something man-made, heart-shaped rock, etc.), or print off a
scavenger hunt bingo (don’t forget pencils!) for girls to use on their hike.
ABC Hike: Pair up girls. Each team must look for items (or
sounds!) that begin with each letter of the alphabet, starting with A.
Each team is competing against each other to get as far through the
alphabet as possible, so they don’t want to shout out what they find!
You cannot move to the next letter until an object is found with the
letter before it.
Macro Hike: Have an adult with a camera or smartphone walk
ahead on the trail and take a macro (super close-up photo) of
something along the trail: a mushroom, knot in a tree, crack in a
rock, etc. The close-up should focus on part of the object rather than
the whole thing (can’t make it too easy!). When the group arrives in
the vicinity, give the girls a boundary (maybe 10-by-10 ft.), show
them the picture, and then it’s a race to see who finds the object
first! Could be played with teams of two for large groups.
Bugs Hike: How many different bugs can you find on your hike?
Looking high and low (even under logs – just make sure to put the log
back in its place), explore the nooks and crannies of the woods.
Adults – even if this makes you squeamish, let the girls have fun
exploring. It’s always amazing what they’ll unearth. And we promise
most of the bugs at camp are harmless!
Sound Hike: Hear and identify all sounds heard along the way.
Homes Hike: Look for nature’s homes, like nests, holes, spider
webs (but make sure not to disturb them!).
Shadow Walk: Walk only in the shadows. This may require some jumping!
Hiking Games/Activities
Fit on a Penny: Bring a penny for each girl. During the hike,
find a spot to stop and give each girl a penny. Give them 5-10 minutes
to find as many things as possible that will fit on the penny. Have
each girl share what she finds.
Sketching or Drawing: Bring notebooks or paper and
pencils/crayons. Have each girl find a comfortable spot along or just
off the trail and draw what she sees – close up and scenery can be
equally beautiful, so let each girl choose what she wants to draw!
Phenology: Phenology is the study of plant and animal cycles
throughout the seasons. If you come to camp multiple times per year
(although you can still do this just once!), find a special place at
camp, and have each girl choose her own special spot within that
space. This could be the base of a tree, next to a big rock, on a log,
etc. Bring notebooks or paper and pencils/crayons. Have each girl
spend several minutes observing and writing down (or draw if she would
prefer!) what she sees/hears/smells/feels from the nature around her.
If you come back multiple times per year, return to the same special
place and do the observations again. Compare observations each time.
Ledgewood
Wanderer Form
