Alpha Wolf

Creation for Kids in Church Camps

This is possibly the greatest after dark game ever. This game appeared a few years ago in the ELCA curriculum for use during the day, but the night just adds to the excitement of the game. This game can accommodate almost any number of players, and I often use it at Kirchenwald with multiple groups totaling thirty campers or more. Divide the players into teams of five or more, each accompanied by a staff member. Give each team a clear number for their team and direct them to a unique position from which to begin the game. Explain that the alpha wolf will be hiding somewhere in camp and will howl to indicate his position. Group one must respond with a howl, then group two and so on. After responding, the groups must move towards the alpha wolf’s location. After all the groups howl, the alpha wolf howls again and the search continues. Some groups have fun in this game by moving cross country, in a straight line towards the sound, while others use trails. That decision is best left to counselor discretion.

When playing this game, make sure that the staff members with the campers know roughly where the alpha will be hiding, just in case there happens to be a problem. I often take the role of the alpha wolf and let someone else do the initial explanations, so that I can slip off unseen to the campers. If you do that, make sure to synchronize watches so that you do not start howling until the groups have enough time to reach their starting points.

After all of the groups reach the alpha wolf, take roll by howling through the different groups one last time. Then explain the roll that howling plays in wolf life, and its use for communication between members of the pack and as territorial marker of a pack. The game also provides an opportunity to discuss wolf family life, which centers on one pair of animals at the top who breed and the rest who help to raise the offspring.

Use this lesson in communication as a segue to talk about God’s call for us. Discuss with the campers whether or not it was always clear where the alpha wolf was calling. From a distance, it is difficult to pinpoint the alpha wold but the campers chase in the general direction, sure that the position will become more clear eventually. In the same way, God’s call on our lives is not always terribly clear, but we must still follow as best we can in that direction, trusting that God guides along that way.