Pony Farm Session 5A - Eating Chocolate with Socks, and a Dog Worth 200 Points

Dear Camp Families,

If you've followed our daily schedule, you know that we played the Chocolate Game last night.  I often feel like a pit boss during this game.  It is a high energy, fast paced game, similar to what I imagine a casino environment is like.  But instead of dealers calling out, "Changing $100!" I have campers shouting for more chocolate bars!  Does this start to paint the picture for you?

The Chocolate Game moves so fast it's all a blur!

If you wanted to play the Chocolate Game at home, here's how you do it:

Materials:

• A platter (to put the chocolate bars on)
• 2 dice (or 3 dice to make the game harder)
• A fork and a knife (use a spoon instead of a fork if you want to make it more interesting)
• A pair of sock, preferable clean ones (Dirty ones could put an interesting spin on things.  We always use clean ones.)
• Hersey's chocolate bars (freeze them to make the game harder.)

Directions:

Players take turns to roll the dice. The first player to roll doubles gets to put the socks on her hands, pick up the fork (or spoon) and the knife, and start cutting up the chocolate bar. She tries to eat as much as she can until the next camper gets doubles.  Then it is her turn to cut up and eat chocolate with socks on her hands. 

The game goes on until you cry for mercy, you run out of chocolate, or you have to roll the children away from the platters. (I envision a scene from  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.)  At Pony Farm, we usually just run out of chocolate.

Gunner: find him & your
team earns 200 points.
But where did he keep
his ticket?

Last night we also played Counselor Quest, a Pony Farm specialty!  It's hide and seek with some twists.

All the counselors, including honorary counselor, Gunner the Black Lab, hide on the farm. Inside the barns and other buildings, and where there are animals, are off limits for hiding. One counselor always stays in the lodge for safety (no hiding!).

Each counselor carries a ticket with her point value on it. When a team of campers finds a counselor, she hands over her ticket. The game is over when a car horn honks obnoxiously for an extend period of time and everyone comes back to the lodge.  The team with the most points wins. 

Counselor Quest is a fun way for campers to learn their way around the farm. It is also really popular with counselors. Even counselors who have the evening off come in just to play. 

Emma the Great with Thunder;
maybe Thunder knows where
she hides during Counselor Quest.

Emma the Great, also known as Emma Milford, one of our long-time counselors, has never been found.  Just saying!

Today - Friday - we had lessons in the morning, afternoon activities, and then tonight we are going camping, having a ship wreck dinner, and playing personal scavenger hunt.

Never a dull moment here at camp!

Best,
Becky
Co-Camp Director (and Gunner's "Mom")