Play is such an important aspect of ourselves and one that is often overlooked; particularly true the older you get. Having a full day with Explorers Club to dive into the art of play with laughter and a healthy sense of competition was such a treat. The day greeted us with cold temperatures but clear sunny skies that shown through the gaps in the forest canopy.
After gathering at the trailhead we turned our backs on the open sunshine and headed into the woods in favor of the lush sword fern and spongy nurse logs that provide great hiding spots and challenges for our games. The upper horse trails of lake padden led us into the towering hemlocks, giant sword ferns and open clearings where the sunlight hit devils club and huckleberry. The land had all the signs of spring; budding huckleberry plants, short nettles just emerging, new growth on the salmon berries and the complex notes of the Winter Wren. Our first game was an impromptu game involving being a pig and snorting at one another. This game brought us to laughter verging on tears for many and broke the ice between explorers that did not know each other.
As we wandered deeper into the forest the boys began to talk about what games they wanted to play and what kind of landscape we needed to play these games. The unanimous decision was to start with a game of spiders web (a program favorite). In search of a suitable spot for spiders web we veered of trail and found a giant downed hemlock tree. We walked down the length of the trunk marveling at its length and wondering how long it had been downed; one year? Two? Ten years? The tip of the fallen tree pointed us to the perfect location to spiders web.
After gathering at the trailhead we turned our backs on the open sunshine and headed into the woods in favor of the lush sword fern and spongy nurse logs that provide great hiding spots and challenges for our games. The upper horse trails of lake padden led us into the towering hemlocks, giant sword ferns and open clearings where the sunlight hit devils club and huckleberry. The land had all the signs of spring; budding huckleberry plants, short nettles just emerging, new growth on the salmon berries and the complex notes of the Winter Wren. Our first game was an impromptu game involving being a pig and snorting at one another. This game brought us to laughter verging on tears for many and broke the ice between explorers that did not know each other.
As we wandered deeper into the forest the boys began to talk about what games they wanted to play and what kind of landscape we needed to play these games. The unanimous decision was to start with a game of spiders web (a program favorite). In search of a suitable spot for spiders web we veered of trail and found a giant downed hemlock tree. We walked down the length of the trunk marveling at its length and wondering how long it had been downed; one year? Two? Ten years? The tip of the fallen tree pointed us to the perfect location to spiders web.
The Explorers spread out with brightly colored bandanas to mark the food source, web, and fly home. After marking these locations and refreshing some of the rules we started with Peter as our first spider. The explorers hid as Peter counted to fifty. The thick fern cover and contours of valleys and small hills made for excellent spiders web terrain. Stalking through the forest, hiding, being caught, sitting still, running, hunting, adrenaline, being tired, pushing your edge. These are all aspects to the game and make it such a rewarding experience. After a lengthy game the food source was brought back to the spiders home ending the game. We circle up to discuss the game and eat some food.
These games that we play are a great and fun way to explore the land as well as an interactive way to bring our attention toward many of the natural history phenomena that happen in these forests. They are also a great platform for bringing up honesty, competition, what it means to win or lose, and how to resolve conflicts. The boys stretched their edge with these topics and embraced Explorers Club mottos such as; Collaborate and Compromise and Challenge by Choice.
We ate lunch in a small depression next to our packs and reflected on the game. It was so nice to have a small group and be able to just relax and catch up with one another. Laughter and conversation filled the air as we joked around and finished our lunches. Soon the forest beckoned us onwards. We packed our things and headed to a new location.
We ate lunch in a small depression next to our packs and reflected on the game. It was so nice to have a small group and be able to just relax and catch up with one another. Laughter and conversation filled the air as we joked around and finished our lunches. Soon the forest beckoned us onwards. We packed our things and headed to a new location.
After balancing on logs and jumping into the undergrowth we found a location to play a game of stealing a deer kill from an old cougar. The cougar was blindfolded and the coyotes stalked up to try and steal a deer leg (water bottle) from the cougar without being detected. This game brought immense concentration and really focused everyone. We played for a solid hour and wood have played more, but our time was running out. We had a closing circle and took the time to express our gratitude for the day and each others company. The day ended with big smiles and tired bodies from playing in the woods all day.
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