Fun(ny) Consequences

We do a lot of things to keep things seriously fun around Pine Cove, but one favorite among staff has been inspired by a little healthy competition. We’ve all played games where the winner gets a prize. But what about games where the loser has to do a consequence? That’s when things can really get interesting!

We have three favorite games to make these happen, and here’s how they work:

Farkle

Before the competition even begins, the group decides on a consequence, and the games happen in a variety of ways. There’s the traditional dice game of Farkle, which includes just about zero skills, but makes for an energetic (and typically loud!) game.

1 to 10

This is another camp favorite (no materials required). It’s basically a fun way to challenge someone to a dare! Here’s how it works: person A will turn to person B and suggest something such as, “1 to 10 you have to wear your shirt backwards the rest of the day.” Both people, on the count of three, will say a number between 1 and 10, and if they say the same number, person B has to do the consequence! If they say different numbers, then no action is necessary, and person B is relieved. But there’s a twist! If the two numbers add up to 10, then person A has to do his/her own consequence.

The Half Court Shot

Picture this: a few staffers are in the gym, standing behind the half court line, and the one holding the basketball turns to the guy on his left and says, “Okay, if I make this shot, the next first date you take a girl on has to be at Long John Silvers.” Nine times out of ten, he misses the shot, and the other guy only had to endure a few seconds of squirming, but there’s always a chance…

Here were a few of our favorite consequences from this summer:

There were a few staffers who had to serve as “lifeguards during lunch,” overlooking the dining hall from a balcony for the best vantage point.

Or there was the staffer who had to spend a portion of free time playing on the playground with an invisible friend.

Another staffer had a consequence of dragging around a blanket during all of Orientation week (just like Linus from “Charlie Brown”).

Then there was the senior counselor who lost at Farkle, and had to wear a skit costume for a full day—including while going off the blob!

Another got to wear his full opening day attire during the week (with masking tape and sharpie ready to go, of course).

Speaking of full outfits, we also heard of a staffer who had to dress in head-to-toe cowboy attire for a day, and no—he wasn’t a wrangler!

Oh, and when youth camps have “nice night” on Friday nights, one girl staffer had the privilege of wearing outrageously annoying giant false eyelashes for the evening. (We are laughing imagining that one!)

Ever tried to play soccer in jeans? That’s what one Shores staffer had to do at the annual senior soccer game on Friday afternoon. Yikes.

We love how silly these consequences are, and sometimes the best part is hearing potential consequences that never come to fruition because the 1 to 10 is never met, or the half court shot attempt fails miserably. We only play these games among staff of course, and we keep things light and harmless.

That said, if you and your family are looking for a way to spice up your family game night, I think you just found an opportunity! We’d love to hear what you come up with!