If you're planning an outdoor birthday celebration, here's an idea that allows guests to have fun while learning basic survival skills.
Planning an outdoor birthday celebration doesn't have to include an expensive bounce house, professional clown or pony ride to keep the guests entertained. If you live close to a public park or have a nice wooded area on your property, this is a party your kids will rave about for years.
When the Guests Arrive
Everyone will receive a number from 1 to 3. The entire group of partygoers will then be divided into three teams.The premise of the game is simple. Each team appoints a leader, decides where to build a Debris Shelter, and must work together to complete the task in thirty minutes. Before the game begins, the host parents can deliver a short but necessary brief on:
- what a Debris Shelter is and how it can be made
- what building materials can be used (branches, leaves, sticks already on the ground)
- how to identify poisonous plants, insects or snakes in the area
What You'll Need
- easy-to-transport deli sandwiches
- large cooler filled with juice boxes, bottled water
- cupcakes
- picnic tables
- football, soccer ball, volley ball for free play
- goodie bag ideas: hand wipes, mini first aid kit, sunglasses, trail mix, toy snakes and insects
- prizes from the dollar store can include: compass, rain poncho, flashlight, plastic water bottle, disposable camera, candy worms, survival skills handbook or leaflet
- Survival skills handbook (see below for choices)
Let the Games Begin
Once the shelters have been completed, each team should have their photos taken beside their shelter. The host parents will decide on the winning shelter and award a prize to each winning team member. Each guest will go home with a goodie bag and a prize if they were on the winning team.
Food should be served after the game is over and if there is still free time left, the football or soccer ball can be put into play.
Survival Guides and Resources
For information on survival skills, go here to find an emergency survival pocket guide for outdoor safety. You will spend approximately $3.50 per guidebook. Another great choice is the SAS Survival Handbook Mini, which has comprehensive survival information along with photographs of plants that are:
- edible
- poisonous
- healing
Another all-time great survival guide you don't want to miss is the US Army Survival Manual FM 21-76, written by the Dept. of Defense, which can be found here. Once on the site, search for the manual by name. This complete guide covers survival skills from A to Z. Some that you might be interested in reading include:
- basic survival medicine
- shelters
- water procurement
- poisonous plants, snakes, lizards and insects
- dangerous animals
- tropical survival
- desert survival
This outdoor party can be a valuable tool for your kids to learn more about survival skills. If your group of partygoers happen to be Boy Scouts, the level of knowledge may be quite a bit higher than if you have newbies on the outdoor front. Girls love this challenge as much as boys do.
This party challenge is not only fun, but it allows each partygoer experience in team building, creativity, basic survival skills and a newfound knowledge and respect for the outdoors that can last a lifetime.
