Hunger Games Camp: The Training Center - Target Practice

If you're just joining us, I'm recapping the week-long Hunger Games Camp that I ran at my middle school.  I've already covered the Reaping and the Training Center Obstacle Course.  Now it's time for Katniss' favorite activity - Target Practice!

Target Practice

Katniss Everdeen is an expert hunter.  Her weapon of choice is the bow and arrow, but she also uses other weapons that require great amounts of hand/eye coordination.  In this activity, campers will take target practice using a variety of projectiles, including a bow & arrow, slingshot and rocket spears. Points will be awarded for every “hit” arrow and slingshot hit.  For the rocket spears, points will be awarded to all participants, the camper shooting the farthest receiving 24 points (or however many campers there are) and the closest receiving 1 point.

Materials:

• 2 Junior Bow & Arrow Sets (with rubber suctions at end)
• 2 Bullseye Targets (included in above set)
• 2 Slingshots
• Several smallish rocks to use with slingshots (shooting BBs is a bit too difficult)
• 20 Empty Soda Cans
• 4 Foam Finger Flyer Rockets
• 24 Cone Discs

 Set Up:

• Bow and Arrow: Hang the bullseye targets on trees and position the shooting station (bow and arrows) a few yards back.  (Do a test with campers to see how far they are able to shoot the arrows and adjust as necessary to ensure that everyone has a chance to hit the targets)
• Slingshot: Stack the soda cans into two separate pyramids (4,3,2,1) and position the shooting station (slingshots) a few yards back. (Do a test with campers to see how far they are able to shoot the arrows and adjust as necessary to ensure that everyone has a chance to hit the targets)
• Rocket Spears: Place two cones to designate the area from behind which campers should shoot the rocket spears.  Each camper will have 4 tries.  Use the cone discs (or send out the tribute, as getting hit with a foam rocket doesn't hurt) to mark the spot on the ground each tribute's farthest travelling spear landed.
• For each station (especially slingshot), ensure that there is an area where campers who are not shooting must stay.  Safety first!

 Procedure:

• Read the following excerpt from the Hunger Games:

(page 100-101) “I walk to the archery station. Oh, the weapons! I've been itching to get my hands on them for days! Bows made of wood and plastic and metal and materials I can't even name. Arrows with feathers cut in flawless uniform lines. I choose a bow, string it, and sling the matching quiver of arrows over my shoulder. There's a shooting range, but it's much too limited.  Standard bull's-eyes and human silhouettes. I walk to the center of the gymnasium and pick my first target. The dummy used for knife practice...I take my initial position and skewer the dummy right through the heart. Then I sever the rope that holds the sandbag for boxing, and the bag splits open as it slams to the ground. Without pausing, I shoulder-roll forward, come up on one knee, and send an arrow into one of the hanging lights high above the gymnasium floor. A shower of sparks bursts from the fixture. It's excellent shooting. I turn to the Gamemakers. A few are nodding approval, but the majority of them are fixated on a roast pig that has just arrived at their banquet table. Suddenly I am furious, that with my life on the line, they don't even have the decency to pay attention to me. That I'm being upstaged by a dead pig. My heart starts to pound and I can feel my face burning. Without thinking, I pull an arrow from my quiver and send it straight at the Gamemaker's table. I hear shouts of alarm as people stumble back. The arrow skewers the apple in the pig's mouth and pins it to the wall behind it. Everyone stares at me in disbelief. "Thank you for your consideration," I say. Then I give a slight bow and walk straight toward the exit without being dismissed.”

• Break campers up into three groups and take each group to a different section. A leader should go with each group to ensure safety.
• After the group completes one activity, they will rotate to the next activity
• Points are awarded as described in introduction. 

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