
What happens at a survival party? Ironically, less "surviving" than at a traditional, indoor party. Why? Because the bright, echoey environment of the party room or softplay (see pic on right) is replaced by trees, leaves and fields. The entertainer is not some guy with a red nose and a creepy voice, but a normal dude who speaks in a normal voice and gets the kids excited, muddy and utterly exhausted. The games are physical, challenging and different. There is team-work, creativity and thrills. But most of all, there is laughter.
Bobby and Minu loved all the games they played, but particularly LOVED:
- Den building. This was timed and done in teams. Each team had to come up with innovative ways of making their den better than the other team, such as providing "toilets", "fire-pits" and even a Christmas tree (see pic above).
- Sniper. This involved the friendly dude getting the kids all giddy and then playing a variation of Grandmother's footsteps. He tricked them, fooled them, made them jump, got so excited they slipped in the mud... The kids were 100 per cent engaged, even loving the bits when they had to be sent back to start over (see pic below).
- Wounded soldier. This one can easily be done in your garden. All you need is a big piece of sturdy fabric on which to place your "wounded soldier". The kids had to carry three "wounded soldiers" to the "hospital" and back in teams. The fastest team won.
- Tug of war. Always a classic, but even more so in the mud.
- Water balloon catapult. Ok so it was beginning of December. It was cold. It was muddy. It was wet on the ground. But when the dudes suggested catapulting water balloons into the air with a giant contraption and said that those who caught it on their chest would win AND be allowed to catapult the next balloon, the kids went for it. Splash after splat after splash.
What you need:
- Outdoor space
- Sticks, logs,
- Sturdy fabric
- Water balloons and a giant catapult
Top tip: Don't be put off by the unpredictability of the weather. In the right clothes you can "survive" in all weather.
Top quote: "Survival can be summed up by three words really - never give up. That's the heart of it really. Just keep trying." Bear Grylls