You play music as they play ultimate ultimate frisbee, trying to get the frisbee to land in a towel bin on each side, and if the music stops then the frisbee must switch to the opposing team

One person tries to survive everyone in the bunk trying to tag them.

Chanichim must convince their madrichim why their blade of grass is the best blade of grass

A group tries to touch a spot on camp without getting tagged by the guards.

Based on the Parent Trap’s plot line of setting two people back up together, this petzah idea will set two people up in camp through the campers as Jewish matchmakers. Counselors should find sets of people who are comfortable being fake “set up” by campers. Campers will be split up into groups and each group will have a couple to set up. They will be given materials to write fabricated love letters, rose pathways, songs to serenade, etc. Then they will find one person in the couple and give them the love letter that says it’s from the other person and vice versa.

“Prepare” Machon campers for kav by doing silly activities around camp. Helps to get campers excited about kav and less afraid

A twist on Rose, Bud, Thorn

Campers create a visual timeline of their summer, highlighting meaningful moments, funny memories, inside jokes, and standout activities. This activity encourages reflection, storytelling, and a celebration of their personal journey at camp.

In this high-energy, team-based activity, campers are split into three groups and given a series of creative missions to complete, from goofy dance routines to Jewish hero skits to bunk-themed handshakes and chants. Each mission blends Jewish and non-Jewish elements, encouraging campers to be imaginative, collaborative, and just a little bit silly. Teams are scored on creativity, teamwork, and spirit, with a prize for the winners.

Each week, campers collect and share their favorite quotes from around camp. anything from funny one-liners to deep and meaningful reflections. This tradition helps the bunk notice the special things people say, celebrate humor and wisdom, and relive shared moments together. For extra fun, campers can reenact their favorite quotes during the weekly share.

This playful, interactive activity helps campers give and receive compliments while visually showing the group’s progress toward filling the circle with kindness. Through sharing appreciations, every camper will have a chance to both recognize others and be recognized themselves.

Campers will make matching bunk bracelets that are both cute and personal. Each camper will choose a bead that represents their answer to a camp-themed question, turning the bracelets into wearable souvenirs full of memories, inside jokes, and shared meaning.

This reflective yet lighthearted activity encouraged campers to notice and treasure the small, everyday moments at camp — the ones that often become the most special in hindsight. Through storytelling and a little creative twist, the bunk shared and celebrated their own “little moments” together, turning them into funny, heartfelt, and memorable keepsakes.

In this simple yet impactful bonding activity, each camper received a cup, not to fill with water, but to fill with words. Campers turned to the person next to them to share something they appreciated about them and recall a meaningful memory they shared together. This activity created an atmosphere of kindness, vulnerability, and genuine connection.

Campers work together to “cook up” the ultimate recipe for a magical summer as a bunk. They get to reflect on the experiences, values, and relationships that made this summer special.

"Kindness Pranks" are a creative and memorable way for campers to embrace kindness while having fun. By the end of the program, campers will have experienced the joy of making others smile and learned the power of thoughtful gestures.

Self-affirmations boost self-confidence, reduce stress, and improve mental health. They also promote a growth mindset and build emotional resilience.

Campers explore the meaning of kindness and express it creatively through art and inspirational messages, helping to build a more caring camp community.

Campers practice attentive listening through a fun “bird call” game, strengthening empathy, focus, and social connection.

Campers reflect on their personal strengths and create a “molecule” model to represent qualities shaped by family, friends, and self-growth, fostering trust, gratitude, and self-awareness.

Campers work together to flip a tarp while keeping a tennis ball from falling, developing teamwork and problem-solving skills as the challenge escalates.

Certain kindnesses can be easy! Holding a door, helping a friend, etc. Deep kindness requires being kind when it’s not the easy or comfortable thing to do. While confetti kindness is still kindness, deep kindness is where we can make the most impact on others, brighten people’s days, or make them feel great!

A twist on Rose, Bud, Thorn

Playing charades with an emotionally aware twist.

Writing affirmations to the tune of a song

Explain that the goal of the activity is to show how small actions can make the world better, and everyone has the power to make a difference. Give each camper an index card with a different letter. Ask them to think of a word or phrase starting with their letter that represents a positive action or value (e.g., "C" for "Compassion" or "Community Service").

A place to reflect on and share our appreciation

Writing reflective and goal setting letters to our future selves

Campers are to be given different “un-talents” - some Jewish and some funny! Campers then have to put their own spin on it to make it scary (just like monsters inc.) the tzevet will the rank the scariness on a meter.

The craziest cooking challenge ever!

Get your best hashki questions ready!

Like the amazing race except camp chores

A day of camp-past.

A very funny day

iplananamazingyom

Dude... this is a sick yom

Everyone has strong opinions about camp... but who has the better argument?

Checkers but life sized!

Camp + this yom = a love story.

A day of fun and cheer.

Yom Opposite Day but branded as a way kids won't rebel

Whole camp celebrates the ancient journey and top tier holiday of peach

Campers try to get each other out and destroy cup towers in this dodge ball style game!

A yom full of Jolly Cheer

What Do You Meme? with a camp twist. (Great for end of kayitz!)

Maccabiah but tiny!

Berry Picking and Wild Trivia

Celebrated Hanukkah in B'Kayitz!

Chanichim look for "gold pieces" in the sand, collect them, and build a systems to bring the gold to the "quarry".

Write the edah song!

Go around camp playing roof ball on all the bunks

A musical Ice Breaker

Scrabble with an active twist!

Learn more about your tzevet while engaging in a challenging puzzle.

Campers will dress up as elderly people and play bingo.

A cooking competition that forces the chanichim to use their manners (and their best British accents)!

A day that's all about doing things a little backwards

Rain Rain go away, a great petzah or pulat erev to bring out the shemesh

While Kids and staff are here to have lots of fun at camp, camp also teaches a myriad of practical life skills so this yom highlights all the cool amazing skills we can and do learn at camp!

Independence Day always gets so much attention but the other significant events on July 4th often get overlooked. Since we never celebrate Independence Day on July 4th this creates the perfect opportunity to recognize the other great contributions of the 4th of July.

Campers each decorate a folder that they fill throughout the summer and take home at the end of the summer.

Hide and search for treasure all around camp.

Have your kids pick something to change about camp big or small and campaign with signatures and donations around camp.

A fun and active twist on ultimate frisbee!

Since we do July 4th on say July 5th, celebrate July 5th on say, July 6th by commemorating another country’s independence day.

Kids go on a scavenger hunt around camp to try and find Nemo.

Variations of Sharks and Minnows. Make various versions of it - Great for Shark Week!

Get to know each other game by splitting into groups and having them answer questions.

Have kids make coloring books (could be themed, doesn’t have to be), put books together

Yom dedicated to Wall-E

way for campers to get to know you- ask obscure trivia questions about the tzevet and camp (ex what is my dogs middle name, what is my favorite camp meal) and pour water on them when they’re wrong

The campers will write raps and perform them for their bunk mates.

Capture the flag (CTF) is a traditional outdoor sport where two or more teams each have a flag (or other markers) and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base", and bring it safely back to their own base. Enemy players can be "tagged" by players in their home territory and, depending on the rules, they may be out of the game, become members of the opposite team, sent back to their own territory, or frozen in place ("in jail") until freed by a member of their own team.

Yom Petzah, do activities relating to Zootopia

For national fried chicken day we played “chicken fried” by Zach brown band and then had the kids wrote their own songs about food to the tune of songs they already know.

Snow day-esque activities

This game is a twist of Sharks and Minos inspired by Tu B’shvat.

A boats/submarine making relay race based on the four Beatles: George, Ringo, John and Paul.

Pokémon! Have each of your kids come up with their Pokémon name and dress up like it. Have them compete in battles with eachother where they use their funny powers!

Chanichim play knockout acting like dinosaurs.

You’ll match up two to three campers together and give them a stereotype that you might find in middle or high school (goth, hippie, sports, girly girl, country club girl, geek), showing that we all might identify with one stereotype or two more than another, but we can all still be friends.

Play a game of Big Brother! Adapted from the TV show, this game can be adapted to be as short as one perek or even span multiple days.

Creative icebreakers and prompts that can be used on their own, or with the Ice Breaker Icebreaker - the icebreaker where you break the ice by breaking real ice.

Ultimate Frisbee... but a lot more slippery.

American Ninja Warrior with a camp twist!

Re-write a popular song with funnier lyrics

Painting becomes a team activity!

Race all around the machaneh completing fun challenges based on The Amazing Race.

Campers will create and present a new invention out of a random bunk items.

Campers will dress up as their own made up superhero character and walk down the runway!

Campers will tell stories and a guesser will have to guess whether they are lying or not.

A reverse scavenger hunt where you give the campers and item and some clues and they have to figure out who the item belongs to

Have the campers paint and then have the counselors critically/humorously review the paintings.

Using the game “one-word story” to teach about injustice in our society. By using a fun game in which normally everyone is equal, you can teach chanichim about systematic racism and give them a taste of what it feels like to be silenced or to have power over the narrative.

Spread some love and kindness (and keep it on your toes)!

A Stock Market-themed peulat erev about camp.

Twist on normal charades where you have to explain what you are doing rather than doing it!

Fun water activity for a nice day!! Campers will be divided into two teams for some friendly competition.

Play roofball all around camp! The goal is to find unique roofs and unique balls (football, baseball) to make it interesting, and switch roofs every round.

The Icebreaker where you break the ice while breaking REAL ice.

Make a dance to chorus of a song with your twosie partner.

Get the most out of those muddy and rainy camp days.

Give each group a Hebrew song and they will make a lip sync to a related English song.

Use bleach to make black shirts tie-dyed!

Create captions for funny pictures.

How to make galaxy print headbands. Perfect for a space themed petzah, yom, or just for fun!

Create the apples to apples card at the start of the summer. Easy to use and access when it rains. Cabins can be nominated to add/create card for the deck as well.

kids in groups have to use materials provided to create a dish and food presentation - it may require a backstory, a parsha connection, or a specific scene.

It's duck, duck, goose... but with water! A quick, fun, game to play with any sized group.