camp games/activities for 4 Yutes

[Chip]

"Oh, excuse me your honor, four "youths"."

I'm taking my 2 boys and 2 friends, ages 8 1/2 to 10, on an overnight hike this weekend.
We'll have time at the site saturday afternoon and while I'm sure they'll be able to occupy themselves, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for outdoor games or activities that might be more constructive/educational than "hide and seek" or "army". thanks

 

[brianW]

bring a field guide and id things that are around the site. also a pair of bino's and astronmical charts for the night sky. I do not know where you are going but vernal pools are interesting places to explore. Lot of amphibians and invertabrates (insect larva and fairy shrimp) swimming around.

 

[percious]

Bring a map and a compass and do some orienteering. If you understand the basics this is pretty easy. Choose a coordinate on the compass, or a place on the map and go. To return, reverse your direction and get back to camp. Remember declination if you are doing map-work.

-percious

 

[Nessmuk]

bring a field guide and id things that are around the site. also a pair of bino's and astronmical charts for the night sky. I do not know where you are going but vernal pools are interesting places to explore. Lot of amphibians and invertabrates (insect larva and fairy shrimp) swimming around.

The Boy Scout Fieldbook (not the Handbook) is an excellent idea. There's a detailed online overview at http://www.bsafieldbook.org

If you have time in advance for next time and like this sort of thing (outdoor teaching), consider Rick Curtis's "Backpacker's Field Manual". There are extensive exerpts published online at http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/index.shtml