Camp Secret...

Since I'm using this site as a repository of good ideas (in some form or other), I wish to share some incredibly hush-hush secrets about camp...

One such *fun* idea was the "Weather Coconut." Prepare yourself... this next one is super-secret.







BEADS.








Yes, beads are one of the most important items at camp... They are used as a way to mark a campers progression > through a day / week / summer / lifetime.

To put it succinctly, beads are a reward, motivation and currency. Each area gives a different colored bead every time the camper visits (such as Nature or Arts and Crafts). This is a normal bead - think of it as a second-hand on a clock or another day on the calendar. Normal beads show the passage of time... We used to throw in attendance beads as well - just for showing up that morning.

Then there are "special" beads. These are a little more fancy, but still achievable on a semi-daily basis. If you were to get 10 normal beads a day, you should get 1 or 2 special beads a day. That's a fine way of splitting it up - and of course, I'm talking averages here. Once the campers (or kids) are really addicted to beads, they go out of their way for special beads...

Following this progression, there are "rare" beads which are the hardest to get. Rare beads are (in fact) rare by nature. Each camper should get at least one rare bead while at camp, but the rarity is really derived on how many other people have them...

You see, the beads need to be displayed in a place where everyone can see them. This way, campers compare and contrast their collections. If everything works out, everyone has a bead just rare enough to be satisfied by their personal collection.

There are a good deal of problems associated with beads, such as kids leaving their totems at home or kids finding beads on the ground. Every problem should have a workable answer - as we collected the totems at the end of the day or secured them to the camper's backpack and I gave out special "honesty" beads at the end of the day for kids who found beads on the ground (they would only get 1 bead regardless of how many they turned in, but this didn't seem to phase them).

If you need more information on the BEAD game ;-) let me know. It is an incredibly powerful tool that I'd love to develop more!