Times are bad, and we know your budget is tight. Yet your new classmates are acting as frigid as a bunch of Eskimos. The antidote? A class camp organized on the cheap to do wonders for bonding.
At this time of the year, you're probably stuck with a whole bunch of unfamiliar faces. Worse luck; you're going to be with them for a whole year. So rather than sit around and moan and groan, take action! There's nothing like a class camp to forge die-hard friendships and camaraderie. In case there are some classmates who shudder at the thought of sleeping away from home, let them know that: (a) Camps don't necessarily equate to venturing into the wilderness and getting eaten up by some ferocious beast. (b) Neither does it mean getting your blood sucked dry by evil mosquitoes.
The Basics
Unless you're loaded with money, hold the camp in school. Chalets and beach resorts tend to be a tad too expensive. Having it in school also takes a whole load off your parents' minds (at least they know where you are). For more savings, keep the camp duration short. An overnight stay is ideal. Get an adult to supervise your camp too. However, screen your candidates carefully: your favourite teacher or a parent volunteer who's bursting with ideas ir ok. A mini-Hitler who barks and insists on lights out before 9 p.m. is not.
The Main Event
The bottomline is to be creative! Almost all the camps we went to had something to do with singing "I Believe I Can Fly" at 1 a.m. in the morning. While singing makes the atmosphere nice and cosy, you don't want a choir camp taking shape! So do something different for the highlight of the camp. Here are some ideas that won't make anybody cringe and bury their heads in the sand:
1. Watch a midnight movie
How often do you get to troop down to a cineplex in the middle of the night with 40 others?
Tip: Avoid being too rowdy or saying things like "Hey! Stare at me for what?". You don't want your overnight camp to turn into overnight detention at the police station.
2. Make your own home videos
Borrow a video camera and film the whole camp. including candid shots. Then watch it at the end of the camp. We assure you loads of laughter. Warning: People look 30% fatter on television, so advise all to dress "slim".
Tip: Bringing the video camera into the toilet is unethical and strictly prohibited. Besides, you might accidentally drop it into the toilet bowl... yeew!!
3. Test one another's guts
Walk around the school at night in pairs and check out the dark and deserted corners. If you're part of the camp committee, you may want to place some hidden 'ghosts' in different parts of the school to up the "scare" factor.
Tip: Ketchup or dressing up is fine, but don't be too convincing or go overboard. Peeing in the pants or fainting from shock is an embarrassing act for most (especially the guys).
4. Do the boogie-woogie
Revitalise your lethargic classmates with an all-night dance fest of para-para, line-dancing and hip-hop. (Trust me; people are capable of doing it all the way to 4 a.m. It's been proven.) Or make your adult camp supervisor feel useful: ask him or her to teach you ballroom dancing.
Tip: Play "Energizer" ads for inspiration when they show signs of slowing down. Never say die!
5. Have a marathon chit-chat session
Did we hear cheering from the girls> Talking helps in the bonding. But what to talk about? Anything, from your likes, dislikes to "truth or dare" topics like the most attractive senior in the school.
Tips: Guys, this is not the time to practise your listening skills. Do participate actively and contribute to the chat.
Meals To Munch On
Ahh... for some, this is the most important part. If you are fortunate enough to have a barbeque pit on school grounds, do the grilled standards and toast marshmallows over the fire for dessert. Or borrow equipment from the Home Econs/Cookery kitchen and cook up a storm. You can save money by getting everyone to bring along their own cutlery too, and Captain Planet would be so proud of you. However, if you have had traumatic experience with food preparation, leave the cooking to the professionals. Order pizza, sushi or hit the hawker centres. It'll be safer for everyone.
Games To Play
Ice-breakers are necessary before the actual camp commences. Nobody knows why, but have you ever heard of a camp without "Whacko"? Exactly! Neither have I. So roll up some newspapers and start whacking! After the warm-up, move on to Energisers. These are games to get everyone moving and get their adrenaline rushing. They are NOT batteries. An example of an Energizer is an urban hike. For those who are clueless, an urban hike is an excursion, in which the point is to embarrass oneself. You may want to split up into groups of 10. Participants have to report to 'stations' manned by the camp committee along the route. At each station, the I/C (person-in-charge) will issue you a potentially embarrassing challenge, such as asking passers-by to give you a kiss. So you'd better pray that the I/Cs are merciful souls.
But my all-time favourite is the Water Bomb game. It's so simple that no explanation is required. No rules are needed either. Just aim and throw. But here's a point to take note of: try not to waste too much water. Let's hope that all go well and you all get to bond together. It doesn't matter if you guys are stuck together with super glue. Because that's the whole point of having a camp!
Labels: boogie-woogie, camaraderie, camp home videos, cheap class camp, courage testing, die-hard friendships, economical camp, marathon chit-chat session, midnight movie, organising camp, ultimate class camp
