Heritage Hike & Scavenger Hunt

Tonight was our annual Urban Hike and this year's theme was "Caledonia's Past" (aka "The Heritage Hike"). We met at the church as usual and as the girls arrived they were asked to share their ideas for working on different badges - Science, Outdoor Cooking, Heritage, Plants & Animals, Performing Arts, and Career Awareness.

The Guides split themselves up into groups and each group was given a clipboard, a pen and a scavenger hunt sheet. Before heading outside, each group had to create a Be Prepared Plan explaining what they should take with them on a hike, how they make sure no one got lost, what to do if someone did get lost and what to do if someone needed first aid.

Before leaving, we quickly reviewed appropriate behavior on public and private property and explained how the scavenger hunt would work. As we walked, we would be stopping at different places in town to learn something about their history. In some places there would be a question for the girls to answer based on what they could see. Midway through our outing, we planned to stop in the park where the girls could answer some nature questions and find traditional scavenger hunt items - as well as play on the play structures, before heading back to the Church.

Time was against us and we had to cut out certain parts of the walk, and only had about 15 minutes in the park instead of the planned half-hour.

So, where did we go?



The girls had to find answers specific to different locations (such as the original address of Jones Baker (26 Old Plank Road), the year the Toll House was built (1875), the temperature on the sign outside the Credit Union). A number of the questions in the scavenger hunt could be used anywhere:

• Where is the nearest mailbox to the Church?
• What do you see that is made of wood? List as many items as you can.
• Do you see any living creatures? Note any birds, insects, reptiles or mammals that you see.
• What are people doing? How many different things do you see people doing outdoors? Are these jobs or fun activities?
• Where would be a good place to sell cookies? Find 3 places that would be good cookie selling locations and explain why you chose them.
• Explore the Park and find out what lives here (remember: living things include plants, animals, birds, insects, etc.)
• As a group, choose 5 things in nature that you find interesting and explain why you chose each thing.
• Find 3 different flowers. What do they look like? Where are they found?
• Find each of the following in nature:
• Something soft
• Something smooth
• Something rough
• Something circular
• Something square
• Something triangular
• Something red
• Something brown
• Something yellow

We arrived back at the church just after 8.30 and everyone headed home after turning in their scavenger hunt sheets. 

Geocaching Hike & Night Games

Our third meeting of September was devoted to our annual hike and night games.

We met at Seneca Park and while waiting for everyone to arrive, the Pathfinders led a game of Camouflage (see bottom for game instructions). Once we had everyone together, we reviewed what everyone had in their bag and why each item was important (water bottle, sit-upon, snack, flashlight, etc.). We had a quick overview of what GPS is and how it works and then set out on our hike.

This year, we hiked the portion of the Rotary Trail between Seneca Park and Sims Locks and hunted for geocaches that are part of the Rotary Trail Series. Unfortunately, we were not successful in finding any caches. :(  The girls did learn how to use a GPS-enabled device, what geocaching is, and about carrying their own equipment on a hike.

Upon returning to the park, we had a snack and then the Pathfinders led two night games - Camouflage and Sardines, and some songs before we closed with Taps.

Pathfinders
The Pathfinders had their own geocaching adventure and were more successful than the Guides, finding one cache. The girls led a game of Camouflage for the Guides at the beginning of the meeting while we waited for everyone to arrive. After the hike, they led games of Camouflage and Sardines in the dark and finished the meeting by leading two songs, Funky Chicken and Baby Bumblebee.

Camouflage
One player is the Predator and the rest are Prey. The Predator stands in the centre of the playing area and closes her eyes while counting to 10. The Prey scatter around the playing area to find hiding spaces or spots to freeze on the spot. Anyone moving and seen by the Predator is considered to be “eaten” and is out of the game. Pray that has frozen on the spot in an open area are considered hidden until they move.
Once the predator has looked around and caught anyone moving, she closes her eyes and holds out her hands and shouts “Food and Water, 10 seconds” and begins slowly counting to 10. All of the Prey must run up to the Predator and touch her hand and then return to their hiding spot before she finishes counting.  
Another option is to call out “Fingers” while holding up a chosen number of fingers. The Prey must peek out of their hiding spots to see how many fingers are being held up and shout out the number. Anyone seen moving to peek is out.

Sardines 
One pair of girls goes out into the playing area and hides (the spot chosen must have room for lots of people). Other girls go out in pairs to search for those who are hidden. When they find them. they join them in the hiding spot. The game continues until all the players are hidden in the same spot.

Outdoor Skills

Our second meeting of September was spent outside working on outdoor skills, including compass work, trail signs, map reading, knots and observation.

As the girls arrived, they played tag and worked on the Unit Banner. Following a brief opening, the girls chose an active game to play while the Guiders finished gathering the materials for the evening's activities.

Once we were outside, the girls split up into 4 groups. Each group choose the activity they would start with by picking a number between 1 and 8. As they finished an activity, they returned the card and supplies and received a new one. Some groups spent considerable time on one or two activities, while others moved quickly through all of the options.

Card #1 - What Lives Here?
Choose a tree and with your group look for as many signs of life as you can find. Do you know what kind of tree it is? What plant life is growing around it? Are there signs of bird of animal life? Which birds and animals do you think live here? Is there any moss or lichen? Are there signs of insect activity? Which insects do you think live here?

Card #2 - Compass Directions
Use the compasses provided to follow these directions. Give the compass to one person. She should use the compass to find North and leads the group 5 paces in that direction. The next person finds West and goes 5 paces that way, repeat for South and then East. Where do you end up?

Card #3 - I'm Lost!
With your group make up a short skit showing what you should do if you get lost while hiking or camping.

Card #4 - Maps
Do you know what these symbols mean? (pictures of symbols for Fire Station, Information, Library, Pool, Elementary School, High School, Arena) Find out and then see if you can find them on the map. Find your house and the church on the map. Give directions to another member of your group from your house to the church.

Card #5 - Trail Signs
Look at the trail signs on the card. What do you think they would be made of outdoors? What do they mean? Find materials around the church to make trail signs. Split into two groups and lay short trails for each other to follow.

Card #6 - Triangles
Find 9 sticks on the ground. Lay them all down and see how many triangles you can make at once.

Card #7 - Scavenger Hunt
Can you find everything on the list? Remember not to move natural items. You just need to see the items, not bring them back.

Card #8 - Knots
Using the rope provided, or your scarf, tie a reef knot. If you already know how to tie a reef knot, help other members of your group to learn to tie one.

At the end of the evening we went back inside where each group presented their skit on what to do if they became lost, talked about what they needed to bring for the hike next week, how to stay safe while hiking, and how to behave on public and private property. We ended by learning the song "Pizzaman" and closed with Taps. 

Safety Hike & Night Games

The third week of September was devoted to our annual hike and night games. We met in at Kinsman Park, behind the old Library and started the evening be having each patrol solve a list of clues to create a scavenger hunt list.

We then did our opening in the park and talked about parts of the Hiking Badge - how to behave on public in private property, why we don't go swimming without a lifeguard, what to do if someone gets logs, and why it is important to to leave the details of where you are going and when you will return with someone at home.

Each patrol then looked at the Spot the Hazards sheet from the Girls for Safer Communities Challenge and identified the various hazards in the picture. We reviewed what they had spotted and handed out copies of the GFSC Report Card. (Visit the GGC Website for more information on Girls for Safer Communities.)

During our Safety Hike, the girls noted the different hazards and also positive aspects of our community. The report cards were collected and will be used later in the year.

Back in the park, we held our scavenger hunt by flashlight, played Torch Tag, and Hide and Go Beep. In Torch Tag, the person who is 'it' uses her flashlight beam to tag other players. In Hide and Go Beep, all of the players except the one who is 'it' hide, but they must make a sound ("beep") every 30 seconds. The player who is it locates the other players by their sounds.

(Answers are: Acorns, Car, Dirt, Door, Feathers, Fence, Flowers, Garden, Grass, Nest, Pine Cone, Plant, Rock, Rocks, Spiderweb, Stairs, Tree, Weed, Window)

Urban Hike & Night Games

We ended September with a short hike in town and night games in the park. Before we set out, we had a brief discussion about the importance of leaving details of your plans with someone at home, what to do if you got lost, why we don't go swimming without a lifeguard and how to behave on public and private property (these are all parts of the Hiking Badge).

Our first activity was Find Your Tree. The girls were divided into pairs with one partner blindfolded. The girl who could see guided her partner to a tree that she then had to memorize how it felt. The seeing partner then led her partner away from the tree and took off the blindfold. The girl who was blindfolded then had to find her tree again.

We then headed out on our walk across the bridge and along the river path. Along the way we looked for signs of nature and objects that would fit on your thumb. We found different types of trees, feathers, grasses, wildflowers and moss. On the way back to the park, we did two walking activities. The first was a Blind Guided Walk. All of the girls were blindfolded and the leaders went at the front, middle and end of the line. We all joined hands and then went on our walk with the leader at the front calling out directions and information about the path and the girls trying to avoid any bumps and holes based on what they were told. Our second activity was a Circle Walk. We divided the girls into two groups, and then had each group form a circle with their arms around each others waists - and then they had to walk forward, moving as a group.

Once we arrived back at the park we had time for a quick snack and then started our night games. We had time for 3 games before it was time to go home:

The Bat - One girl is the bat and leaves the group. One of the other players is chosen as the moth, then all of the players spread out and start moving around and making noises of a chosen animal (the moth is silent). The bat then goes around the playing area trying to find the moth by listening to the noises made by the players.

Listen With Your Eyes Closed -Everyone stands in a circle and closes their eyes. Stay quiet for a few minutes and listen to the sounds in the dark. After the time is up, ask the girls what they could hear.

Sneak -  One player stands in the centre with a flashlight. The other players make a wide circle around the player in the centre. One at a time, players try to sneak up on the player in the centre and tap her on the shoulder without being caught in the flashlight's beam.