Survival Tag
In this game, campers explore
the difficulties that birds (and animals overall) face when trying to pass on
genes. Explanation is a little bit long
for this game, so use it with groups that can concentrate to hear how the game
is played.
Set up for the game in a large
area with multiple habitats. Lay out
nests for the birds in this area, perhaps using old grain sacks or carpet
squares. Place some in the open and some
in more sheltered areas. Also spread
copious amounts of bottle caps of different colors to represent food resources
in the game.
Explain that the campers form
family groups for this game and try to collect enough food to fledge a baby and
return it successfully to home base, all the while avoiding predators. Families consist of one baby, a mom and
dad. A baby is safe when on the nest
with one parent in contact with the nest.
The parents are safe whenever touching the nest. The baby is a sitting duck if alone and can
be "eaten" unless another family or parent comes and saves it.
Families may move to a different nest if it is open or only has a chick on
it.
Parents must bring food back
to the nest one peice at a time as birds in the wild
can only carry so much in their beak or crop.
When all the food is brought back, the baby then is a flighted immature bird and can fly. Whatever family remains must then migrate
down to the given site of saftey. Those birds are done and have SURVIVED.
Predators must use associated
predator noise and facial expressions and try to tag parents or
newly
grown birds trying to collect food or "survive." If a bird is tagged, it then becomes a
predator and must act like one. A bird
is not allowed to become a predator in disguise and trick other birds into
being tagged. Predators can't harrass one nest unduly
or play unfairly.
Parents, new adults, or groups
of roaming birds may mob the predators by holding hands in
groups
of 3 or more. If a predator is tagged by
the mob, the predator must sit down and count slowly out loud to 20. If a predator is tagged a second time by a
mob it then becomes a bird again and must go to a nest, either empty, or
substituting for another deceased parent.
Allow the game to continue
until all of the birds have either become predators or returned successfully to
the home base. Discuss the different
complexities of the game, including th
location of the nests, the availability of food, and the use of mobbing. Ask the campers if it is easy to survive and
raise young in the wild. Ask if any
families used other nests to survive or adopt other birds. Explain that adoption is rare but not unknown
in the wild as birds try to raise young in the nest. In conclusion, mention Christ's words that
God provides for all of the little birds (Matthew 6.25), but yet the birds must
still go out and collect the food which God has given to them. In the same way
God provides for all of our needs but we still work in participation with God.