Cracks, Crevices and Crawlways

That sounds like it might be a bit treacherous, but it was a day of fun.  I was able to chaperone with Hannah's Girl Scout troop on a trip to the local camp.  The camp offers a caving program for girls who are at least twelve years old.  Each year they put together a day of activities to simulate what the girls might learn or experience when they are old enough to go caving.

Many of the activities start with a cardboard box and black tarps to simulate a cave.  The first one allowed the girls to experience what it is like to army crawl through a tight space in the dark.

Then they were told they might find a cave where they had to navigate over and under things, so ropes were added.

Then they had to work their way around stalagmites and stalactites
. 

 

This poster listed some of the equipment used in caving.

 And, of course, the girls were able to try on headlamps and see what it is like to crawl through a dark cave wearing one.

 

There were several activities that stressed the importance of communication and teamwork in caving.

 

The girls had a great day and they are all certain they will try real caving the first chance they get!