Jungle Camp Theme

ON SAFARI, SEARCHING FOR HEAVEN Okay, this really dates me, but there used to be a popular story about a Church Authority (can’t remember who) and during a visit to Africa he was told to never step into any size puddle. When he asked why, the guide took a stick and stuck it into a nearby puddle of water and a crocodile bit the stick in half. Sorry that I can’t remember particulars, but you could research it and find the original.

(The story about the crocodile in a footprint is in the Book of Mormon student Manuel that is available through the Distribution Center.)

Other thematic take offs–“the PRIDE of ABC Stake–and that’s no LION” You could also do a take off of the Six Bs where one is “No Cheeta, Be Honest”

Crafts? How about doing masks of the girls faces and letting them decorate them? You could do paper machie, or some latex application. They could makes lances and decorate the shafts. You could use a “roadmap” for the shaft–like one red stripe if they have recited the 13 AoF, a blue stripe if they earned the Duty to God Award in Primary, Yellow stripes for perfect seminary attendance, Orange for each year in seminary, and other “mile stones” that you think of. This is based on an idea for an “Arrow of Light” for Webelos that I saw recently where the shaft of an arrow is painted with the individual boys accomplishments–gold arrows, silver arrows earned.

You could have a face painting day where certain symbols and colors on the face represent certain accomplishments. I’d do this in small groups around a campfire.

Find out different tribal names from Africa and use them for group names–whether you do this by tents, age groups, wards, etc.

What about doing the “typical” line of “It’s a jungle out there” phrase and maybe have jungle vines that represent each of the ways (prayer, testimony, scripture reading, service etc.) we can “swing” ourselves back to living with our Father in Heaven. You could decorate camp with vines and leaves, jungle animals etc. Each tent/cabin could be a different jungle animal group (lion pride, elephant herd, den of bears, etc.) or maybe have them choose a famous jungle explorer, tarzan/jane type to be their mascots. You could also use the line “A Hut above the rest” and talk about ways we can keep our lives (huts) above the strife and turmoil of this world. This would also be a great way to talk about ways to make our family homes more like heaven.

As for games you could do a scavenger hunt on your hike (or anytime else for that matter) where the girls are given clues that lead them on their “Safari” back home to camp (paralleling our finding our way back home to heaven of course!).

For a campfire moment you could list all of the things that you would need on a safari and relate them to gospel principles (i.e. a good pair of hiking shoes = faith, because without good shoes you are going nowhere or to arm yourself with a machete knife to cut away branches/foliage = the scriptures because the word of God gives us the power to dispel temptations or your backpack–your testimony because however much you prepare for the journey ahead is as far as it is going to take you. If you pack only a little water and food in your backpack, you won’t last the trip, but if you strengthen your testimony by going to church, reading scriptures, prayer, etc. your lamp will be full at the time of the Savior’s coming.

It’s a Jungle Out There have each group (ward or age group) have its own animal name or adventurer name Sing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” Wear those explorer hats, necklaces with teeth on it Serve food with jungly sounding names.

Compiled from posts made at the lds-youngwomenfiles Yahoo Group