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Hikes

The Footsteps Graphic courtesy of Hoxie High School - Excellent Free Seasonal Graphics

Take your troop on a specialty hike, and get them involved in what they see. Both of you will enjoy it more.

Alphabet Hike

Find objects with names that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Go in order from A to Z.

Ball of String Trail

Lay a string trail in a very safe area & follow blindfolded.

Bird Hike
Go early in the morning to see lots of birds. Refer to a Bird book to identify the various species, and to get tips on bird watching. How many can you identify?

Bo Peep Trail
Lay a trail using bits of cotton, then give the girls small cardboard sheep on which to attach the wool.

Green Hike
How many different shades of green can you find?

Hold the Front
Leader asks a question about things observed, such as "What is the name of that tree?" If #1 in line answers correctly she stays there; otherwise she goes to the back of the line.

Humpty Dumpty Trail
Cut a picture of a large cardboard egg into 20 broken pieces. Find all the pieces & put him back together.

Jigsaw Trail
Cut directions of something to do & drop them along a trail. Put the jigsaw puzzle together...It might give directions to a treat!!

Nature Clue Game
Cut a hole in a piece of paper (about the size of a nickel). Through this hole show the girls a small part of a leaf, animal track, or other natural object. See how many the girls can identify.

Observation Lotto
Make up a lotto card with 4 squares across and 4 squares down. Enter things to look for such as: stream, animal tracks, eroded land, berries, dead tree, squirrel, wild flower, trash, pine cone, vine, poison ivy, moss, bird, magnolia, persimmon, pine tree (use things likely to be seen on your hike). When a person sees an object she marks it on her card. First to fill a row wins.

Pebble Cribbage
Start with 10 pebbles. Leader point to an object. Each person to identify it drops a pebble. First to drop all her stones is the winner.

Penny Hike
Give each girl a penny. She is to find as many items as she can that will fit on the penny with out hanging off the edges.

Puppy Hike
Walk on your hands & knees for a short distance & see what a puppy or baby would see. How is this world different from yours?

Rainbow Hike
Have an envelope containing 20 or so different-colored squares of construction paper (not just browns and greens either, some yellows, a purple, etc.). Have the girls find something in nature the same color as each one of the squares.

Rhyming Hike
The first person in line sees something-anything- and calls it out, "I see an ant". Somebody replies with a rhyme, "Its sitting on a Plant". That girl now moves to the front and names a new object. "I see...

Sentinel
Leader stops at object to be identified and each person walking by whispers answer or goes to end. Then new leader stops, etc.

Silent Hike
The purpose of this hike is to listen. This is hard for some girls who want to giggle etc. Try it late at night or early in the morning when the surroundings strange & mysterious... How about at 5 a.m.?

Nature Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are fun, but do require some absolute rules: Set Boundaries, hunt with a buddy or group, and do not destroy (when the hunt is over, let there be no sign that it took place). Return all materials to where you found them or dispose of properly (dry leaves, twigs, etc.). Make up a list for the girls to find or Let them make a list of what they think they will find...& then let them go find it. Make your list imaginative.... Below are some ideas for all ages. You may be surprised what older girls might like to do.... Challenge their ingenuity. Give each team or group a list of the following items to find: 3" length of twine made from natural material blade of grass dark green & light green leaf pebble smaller than a pea pinch of dust seed smooth rock smooth-edge leaf someone or something's food something alive something gardens hate something prickly something that "clicks" or "crackles" something that feels nice something with 4 legs something you can pick things up with (a natural spoon) teaspoon of mud Y-shaped twig

Camera Scavenger Hunt
This is a really neat project for Older Girls. You could plan it as an overnight or all day event. Divide the girls in groups with a parent (driver) for each group. The group is free to find the items where ever they choose. The groups are to meet back at a designated time (maybe your next meeting), to share photos & stories. (A small, inexpensive camera works best.) Using a camera instead of "picking up" is one of the more sophisticated concepts of collecting & a marvelous way to keep a memory forever. Find and Photograph: blossom clouds dew on flowers insect snails eye-view of something something dry something funny something green something huge something out of place something peaceful something sad something tiny something wet something you have never seen before splash of color straight, curved or crossed lines sunlight coming through trees sunrise sunset texture

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