Hunger Games Camp: Hunger Games Jeopardy!

Back in the summer I posted a bunch about the activities we did at my Hunger Games camp.  These included the Reaping, the Training Center, Target Practice, Remake Center/Opening Ceremonies, Survival Skills and the Mini Bow and Arrow Craft.  Next up is Hunger Games Jeopardy!


This was a really great activity that we spread out over two days as one of our last activities of the day.  After spending the mornings of camp running around like crazy folk (hula hooping in the training center, playing Capture the Flag, etc.), I tried to schedule less physically taxing activities for the afternoon.  Trivia fit the bill.


Our trivia was played in teams of 3-4 and was Jeoprady! style (using all the same point values, rules and daily double opportunities).  In advance I spent way too much time creating two rounds of questions (plus a final wager round) in PowerPoint.  I projected the PowerPoint through an LCD projector onto a large screen.  I had originally purchased little hand-clapper toys for the campers to use to "buzz" in, but that created a crazy loud and almost uncontrollable environment, so we switched to just raising hands.  Just like in Jeopardy, campers had to wait until the question was read aloud in full (though they could see it on the screen too).


Unfortunately, I'm not able to post the PowerPoint with the questions here (because I just don't know how!).  I thought I'd be able to, but it seems not.  If you are interested in having me email you the files, just send me an email.


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Hunger Games Trailer

Uh.Maze.Ing.

This just might inspire me to get back on the blog!

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Newsies Rehearsals on You Tube

Eek!  It's a sneak peek at Newsies, which opens TOMORROW at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ.

Do you have your tickets yet?



If your answer to the ticket question was "no," then what are you waiting for?  Get on it!




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Are YOU the Biggest Newsies Fan?

As I have previously mentioned, the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ will be bringing the 1990s Disney musical Newsies to the big stage this fall.  I've already purchased my tickets.  Have you?

Paper Mill has already announced a "Fan Day" on Sunday, October 2nd, which will cost $25 (plus the cost of a ticket to that night's 7pm show) includes a reception and an opportunity to meet and chat with the stage cast.  But what I found out about today is even cooler: the Newsies Biggest Fan contest!

Here's the skinny:  The contest began YESTERDAY (oops!) and will be run through the Newsies Facebook page.  Each week, contestants will be given two "tasks" which they complete to win up to 100 points.  One task will be social media-related and the other will be creative.  The person with the most points wins!  And here's what they win:

One grand prize winner will receive: two round trip airline tickets courtesy of American Airlines, a two-night stay with breakfast at the Hilton Short Hills, two spa treatments at eforea spa at Hilton Short Hills, two tickets to the “Newsies” opening night performance and after party, a gift card courtesy of Investors Savings Bank ($500) and a “Newsies” gift bag.

Sounds pretty hot, huh? I am contemplating entering the contest, even though I live in VA and traveling up to NJ for the performance already have tickets for will be time-consuming enough.  What about you? Will you enter?


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Hunger Games Camp: Mini Bow & Arrow Craft

So, I've been recapping the activities we did at my recent Hunger Games Camp.  Thus far, I've covered the Reaping, the Training Center, Target Practice, Remake Center/Opening Ceremonies, and Survival Skills.  Next up is our Mini Bow and Arrow Craft*.

We all know that Katniss Everdeen is a force to be reckoned with when she got a bow and arrow.  This craft uses household items to create cool looking and fast/far shooting miniature bow and arrow sets.

Materials:

• Wire hanger
• Needle Nose Pliers (with snip function)
• Rubber Bands
• Coffee-stirrer (I got mine at McDonald's)
• Q-tips/Cotton Swabs
• Elmer's All-Purpose Glue
• Scissors

 Set Up:

• Use pliers to cut a wire hanger into four pieces (bottom of hanger cut in half, “arms” of hanger cut off)
• Use the pliers to curl in the ends of the wire**.  This makes the arrow look cool and protects users from the possibly sharp metal edges.  It also provides a spot for the rubber band to hook into.
• Bracing the center of the wire in two hands, bend it in half about 1/4 of the way.  Again using your hands, bend each half into kind of a rounded moon shape.  The wire should now look kind of like a letter B with no stick/back and curled in ends**.
• Lay out materials for each set.  This should include:
• 1 metal bow
• 1 rubber band
• 6 Q-tips
• 6 coffee stirrers
• glue 

 Procedure:

• Attach one end of the rubber band to one of the curled ends, give the rubber band several twists, then attach it to the other end.  The bow is complete!
• To make the arrows, cut off one end of each cotton swab.  Glue the swabinto the ends of the coffee straws.
• Cut a slight notch into the other ends of the straws.
• Use this miniature bow the same way you would a large one. Be careful where and what you shoot: the arrows will really fly!

*This craft idea was emailed to be by a fantastic librarian who hosted her own Hunger Games event.  I can't seem to find her information, but she found the craft on eHow.  Unfortunately, the link that I used to get to the tutorial just weeks ago doesn't seem to exist anymore.  Luckily, I wrote down, adapted and reorganized/clarified the directions for myself, so I can post it here for you!

**I'm still working on getting pictures.  I know they'll be helpful, and they're coming.

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Too Good Not to Share: Harry Potter as Teen Comedy

Saw this posted over at Bookshelves of Doom this morning, and just had to repost.



Impressive.  And I can always appreciate new ways to extend the Potter legacy, even if Pottermore isn't really my thing.


The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Camp: Survival Skills

While most of the activities for the week-long Hunger Games Camp were active, outdoor, run-around type things where the tributes were earning points in an effort to become the victor of the Hunger Games.  Every once in a while, though, we took some time to do more passive activities just for fun.  One such example was the Survival Skills training.  This 3-hour session was led by Bill (and Nick?) from Ancestral Knowledge, a wilderness education organization located just over the border in Maryland*.  The guys from Ancestral Knowledge definitely know their stuff, and their resourcefulness and know-how would make Katniss Everdeen proud!

During the time they were with us (one ungodly hot morning), they covered the basics for wilderness survival: find/make shelter (and stay warm), locate water, procure food and build a fire.  Because we were limited on time, they briefly went over strategies for staying warm, such as stuffing your clothes full of leaves, and how to use streams and rivers as guides to get one to safety (aka, follow the stream to the river, the river to civilization).  We mainly focused on food-related skills: making cordage (rope) from plants, knot tying, alternatives to knives and making fire!  Most of what we covered might sound a little ho-hum, but the tributes loved it!  Almost everyone was able to quickly catch on with tying the various knots, and campers added their own little spin to the activity by seeing who could not only learn the knot, but also do it with their eyes closed. Whenever someone managed to get the knot without needing to see it, they beamed with pride.

The real hit during this session (aside from seeing fire "made") was cordage.  After Bill demonstrated how to make rope using the innards of a branch of dogbane, the kids got to make their own, using raffia.  And they loved it!  It's fairly easy to do and goes quickly once you get the hang of it.  Boys were competing to see who could make the longest rope.  Girls were making necklaces and bracelets.  When one of the male tributes asked if there was a knife he could use to cut his cordage, an impromptu lesson on how to turn rocks into knives (using only rocks to form and shape other rocks) ensued.  A good time was had by all!

We closed with the Ancestral Knowledge guys showing us a couple of ways to build a fire.  Then it was time for lunch.  But a few kids stayed behind to ask questions and even got to try out throwing a spear using the atlatl.  Definitely a highlight of the day!

I definitely want to bring these guys back next time.  We'll probably mix up the skills taught, dedicating a bit more time to letting the kids try out spear throwing (why not?) and maybe adding some additional skills.

*There are tons of wilderness education organizations, so just Google around to see what's near you.  If all else fails, there may be an accomplished boy scout or boy scout leader who can come in and cover some basic wilderness skills.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.