The Roosevelt Elk Calves arrived at Lake Padden thankful
that the massive downpour the day before had subsided and the sun was coming
out just in time for some forest exploration. Gathering together we decided to
hike out past the dog park in search of a place to play games like Hungry
Hungry Martin, Eagle Eye, Fire Keeper, and of course Spider’s Web (ask your
Explorer about these games if you don’t know them already!). Because we did
such a great job working on debris shelters and honing our skills on our last
outing, the mentors felt like this group deserved a game day. Getting together
in circle we made a “game plan” for how we wanted to spend our day. Kicking
things off we played a more exciting, explosive game of Hungry Hungry Martin
that requires some sneaking and camouflage followed by explosive bursts of
running to make it to safety before getting eaten by the Martin. After a few
rounds we took a half an hour to explore, eat lunch, and catch up with friends.
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| Gathering up at our base camp for the day to eat lunch and catch up with friends |
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| Preparing for some epic games of Hungry Hungry Martin! |
Gathering back together we decided we wanted some more free
time to goof off, finish up our mini-shelters we worked on, and even have some
extra time to get to know a salamander we found in an old rotting log! With
that out of our system we joined back together and shifted gears to play a
stealth game called Fire Keeper where someone sits blindfolded in the middle of
a circle guarding a set of keys or other noisy item. Everyone on the outside of
the circle takes turns trying to sneak in undetected and snatch the keys. The
Fire Keeper points to any noise he detects and if you get detected you have to
go back out of the circle and let someone else try. You win by successfully
retrieving the keys without the Fire Keeper hearing you! This is a great game
that got us calmed and quiet, tuning into every minute sound, though this
didn’t deter some of us from trying to snack while it wasn’t our turn!
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| Discovering a salamander while exploring our surroundings |
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| Honing shelter building skills using small scale designs |
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| Learning how to move silently during a game of Fire Keeper |
Finally, we wrapped up our day with a game of Eagle Eye and
a quick game of Spider’s Web. Utilizing our freshly tuned sneaking skills we
picked our way through the foliage trying to remain undetected as we played our
games. During our time we heard a Pileated Woodpecker and many other native
birds, had numerous friendly canines run over greet our group, and of course
got lost in play for hours at a time. With the end of our outing drawing near
it was hard for the mentors to call the group in, not because they were acting
out, but because we were just having too much fun and didn’t want to be the
ones who put an end to the playful joy that everyone was reveling in. But alas,
we had to go. With a closing circle of gratitude we had an overwhelming
genuineness and sincerity that warmed the mentor’s hearts. There is nothing
quite like taking a day to play games and explore the forest. The Roosevelt Elk
Calves proved again that they are a tightly knit group that knows how to get
lost in play and exploration while exemplifying how a bunch of awesomely unique
personalities can unite as a one. We played, we explored, shared some laughs,
and even found a salamander! I’d call that a successful outing.
Make sure to check out the rest of our photos from the outing
here!
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