Playing with Pathfinders: Zoom Call Camping RPG

As we continue to meet over zoom, our group needed a lesson plan to work on some leadership skills and to do the second class first aid skills. This meeting outline could also work in person, just make appropriate adjustments to assign roles.  As written, the plan requires 4 adults, but can be adapted.

Leader 1: Okay pathfinders, today we are going to do a role playing game, where we are going to pretend to be on a camping trip. Your job, is to be yourself, but to deal with the situation you are told.  We have all arrived at our campsite. The tents are set up and the camp fire is burning.  We are going to send our patrol leaders off into the woods to gather fire wood for a few minutes. Patrol leaders, when you return, you will need to asses what has happened while you are gone and take charge of the camp.

Patrol leaders and 2 adult leaders go to a break out room. One adult knows the plan.

Leader 1: Oh no! A rabid squirrel is running through camp! Scout leader Richard is so startled he spills his coffee on the fire and puts it out! Ike jumps back out of the way of the squirrel, only to knock down Trent who falls on Anna, both of whom fall on her tent and collapse it! The squirrel runs all through camp knocking people aside and then grabs our hot dog buns and runs away up a tree!  (Be sure all scouts in the group understand the story).  Next- our patrol leaders return!

Leader 2: Yells at kids for putting out fire and destroying camp. May assign extra chores or punishments like “no marshmallows tonight!” Storm to their tent.  (This is done to demonstrate what NOT to do).

Leader 1:Well, that wasn’t good. Let’s hope  a nap helps them regroup.  Patrol leaders you must ask your scouts questions to find out what happened.

**Leaders and scouts may need some coaching to ask and answer questions.

Leader 1: Okay, now that we know what happened, we realize that there are some injuries we have to deal with!

*Over private message, leader assigns scouts to have injuries such as: sprained ankle from falling, deep cut from tent pole when falling on tent, nose bleed from bumping into another scout, burn from falling near fire (can assign 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree scouts), bee sting, shallow scratches, etc. until all Second Class injuries are assigned.

Each scout states their injury and the group reviews how to treat the injury.  Adults should help as needed, but wait to see if scouts know first what to do.

Once scouts have all been “treated” it is worth discussing how in a real emergency you would have chosen to treat the worst injuries first, though in the game  they may have had to wait.

Leader 1: Okay scouts, now that everyone is bandaged up, we have to keep camping. Our fire ring is soaked! What are we going to do about lighting a new fire?  (Let scouts debate what they think the options might be).

Leader 1: Okay, now that you’ve started a new fire, Patrol Leader, instruct your scouts in what to do about dinner.

This simple role playing allows patrol leaders to pretend to give orders, and for scouts to encourage them to give clear direction and ask questions when real dinner isn’t waiting and everyone is not in fact hungry, injured and cranky.

Once you’ve solved the problems presented, be sure to review with your scouts the good and bad example (Leader 2) of how to deal with a difficult situation.

This game took our group about an hour. Your mileage may vary. Your scouts may ask less questions about how a squirrel could go rabid, for example. But overall, this was a fun meeting with good leaning and a bit of silly game play.