Hive is a hit with scouts
Our backpacking scout camp was a success!
Even though when we ended the journey we were pretty soaked, all the boys had smiles on their faces knowing they’d completed something great. It’s that great feeling of personal achievement when you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Even when you don’t think you can go further, your buddy is there by your side, encouraging you to go on.
And the reward was well worth it.
After strapping 20-25 lbs on their back and hiking 4 miles to a remote lake at 10,000 ft. these 12-13 yr old boys had a great time exploring, fishing, telling stories and just enjoying nature.
While cooking their dehydrated meals Friday night they were busy talking about what they’d do the next morning. And they didn’t like hearing that we’d hike back out after lunch on Saturday.
Scouts love Hive
After dinner, I pulled out Hive and sat down to play a game with one of the fathers that had come along with us on the trip. We were immediately swarmed by the boys anxious to get a chance to play. A few of the boys were familiar with Hive because I had taken it on our week long scout camp last summer and they were some of the first to speak up and call their turn to play. And the boys that hadn’t played it before were anxious to learn.
We’ve also added a couple expansions to our Hive game since the older boys had played – the Mosquito and the Ladybug. My favorite is the Mosquito. It gets to suck the power from the other insects that it touches. So if it’s touching a Beetle and a Grasshopper, on it’s next move it can either move like the Beetle or the Grasshopper. After moving it will most likely be touching a different insect and could then use that power for its next move. It’s a fantastic addition to the game of Hive as its consistent with the game theme and adds more strategic depth.
Insects are a common companion on scout camps which makes Hive a perfect game for the setting. The durable, solid playing pieces and the easy carry case also make it easy to throw in a backpack for a rugged outing. You don’t have to worry about the pieces blowing away or even getting dirty. Or wet…
Just as we were settling into our tents, the rain started falling and continued throughout the night. Of course, that doesn’t stop boys from staying up most of the night talking…
In the morning, they changed their tune and determined that maybe they’d rather just have a quick breakfast and head back home. So amongst the drizzles, we packed up camp, had a quick breakfast and started the hike back down the mountain. We were hit with some hard pockets of rain along the way, but that can’t stop determined boys on a march.
