SOURCE: /mnt/d/GoogleDrive/Cercetasi/carti-camp-jocuri/How to Run the Amazing Race at Camp.pdf
CONVERTED: 2025-01-11
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--- PAGE 1 ---
HOW TO RUN
THE AMAZING
R A C E
FOR CAMPS AND YOUTH CENTERS
CURT JACKSON

--- PAGE 2 ---
HOW TO RUN THE AMAZING RACE
FOR CAMPS YOUTH CENTERS
By Curt Jackson
Copyright © 2019
Moosehead Publishing, Florida
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording,
without express permission of the author.
Brief quotations may be used in reviews prepared for inclusion in a magazine,
newspaper, or for broadcast.
This book has not been prepared, approved or licensed by any entity that created or
produced the television show The Amazing Race.
Cover Design: Curt Jackson
To contact author, email curt@recreationpros.com.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRO ..................................................................................................................................... 4
BASICS OF THE AMAZING RACE .............................................................................................. 6
SETTING UP YOUR AMAZING RACE ........................................................................................ 11
PLANNING CHECKLIST ............................................................................................................ 15
IN-CAMP EXAMPLE (2-3 HOURS) ............................................................................................ 18
DISCUSSION OF RULES ....................................................................................................................... 19
PRE-RACE ANNOUNCEMENT ............................................................................................................. 20
THE RACE ........................................................................................................................................... 21
IN-CAMP CHALLENGES .......................................................................................................... 25
GENERAL CHALLENGES
TOASTED MALLOWS .......................................................................................................................... 28
IT’S PUZZLING .................................................................................................................................... 29
LEADING THE BLIND .......................................................................................................................... 30
ALL FOR ONE ...................................................................................................................................... 31
WHERE THERE’S A WILL ..................................................................................................................... 32
SHOW ME SOME ID ........................................................................................................................... 33
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED ............................................................................................................. 34
SCAVENGING FOR NATURE ............................................................................................................... 35
CAN YOU HACK IT? ............................................................................................................................ 36
BEANS IN A JAR .................................................................................................................................. 37
FROZEN .............................................................................................................................................. 38
IT’S FREE TO THROW ......................................................................................................................... 39
ABRACADABRA .................................................................................................................................. 40
HUNT EGGSTRAVAGANZA ................................................................................................................. 41
ALL WRAPPED UP .............................................................................................................................. 42
PUTT IT THERE, MY FIREND ............................................................................................................... 43
ALL TIED UP ....................................................................................................................................... 44
CHARADES ......................................................................................................................................... 45
SHIP BUILDERS ................................................................................................................................... 46
TALK TO THE HAND ............................................................................................................................ 47
DO YOU REMEMBER? ........................................................................................................................ 48
ROADBLOCKS
A BIRD’S PARADISE ............................................................................................................................ 50
YOUR NUMBER’S UP .......................................................................................................................... 51
1982 ................................................................................................................................................... 52
HEADS UP .......................................................................................................................................... 53
FLAGS AHOY ...................................................................................................................................... 54
IT’S A TOSS UP ................................................................................................................................... 55
HAWKEYE ........................................................................................................................................... 56
CARD NINJA ....................................................................................................................................... 57
ZIP IT .................................................................................................................................................. 58
RING-A-DING ..................................................................................................................................... 59
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GOO GOO .......................................................................................................................................... 60
A BUG’S LIFE ...................................................................................................................................... 61
MARSHMALLOW ATTACK .................................................................................................................. 62
YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND ............................................................................................................. 63
DETOURS
BRAINS OR BRAWN? .......................................................................................................................... 65
PACK IT OR STACK IT? ........................................................................................................................ 66
TIE IT OR FIND IT? .............................................................................................................................. 67
DOG OR CAT? .................................................................................................................................... 68
HACK OR HUNT? ................................................................................................................................ 69
INTERSECTIONS
HUMAN ALPHABET ............................................................................................................................ 71
TELEPHONE FACE TIME ..................................................................................................................... 72
TEAM JIGSAW .................................................................................................................................... 73
WATER BALLOON TOSS ..................................................................................................................... 74
VARIATIONS
AROUND THE WORLD ........................................................................................................................ 75
OFF-SITE ............................................................................................................................................. 78
OFF-SITE WITH PHOTOS .................................................................................................................... 81
TIME TRAVEL ..................................................................................................................................... 83
COLOR WAR STYLE ............................................................................................................................. 85
OTHER VARIATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 89
SUGGESTED ADDITIONS
TRANSPORTATION HUBS and TOKENS .............................................................................................. 91
USING DICE (WAS THERE A DELAY?) .................................................................................................. 92
SWITCH PASSES ................................................................................................................................. 93
HIDDEN EXPRESS PASS ...................................................................................................................... 94
TRAVELING GNOMES ......................................................................................................................... 95
PENALTY FOR NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR OR CHEATING ........................................................................... 96
ABOUT THE AUTHOR ............................................................................................................. 97
TEMPLATES ......................................................................................................................... 100
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INTRO
The Amazing Race is a reality television competition where teams of two people race
around the world completing tasks. There are usually 12 legs of the race, with each leg
ending in a “Pit Stop”. On each episode, there is usually one team that is eliminated for
getting to the Pit Stop (the end of that leg of the race) last. But you probably know all of
this, because The Amazing Race is a worldwide phenomenon.
It has also been the theme of a lot of birthday parties, adult scavenger hunts and summer
camp programs. As anyone who has put together an Amazing Race party or event knows,
it’s not easy to pull it off. It takes a lot of planning to do it right. This book is meant to
make the planning process much easier and help make your event a total success.
The first time I planned an Amazing Race program was for a summer camp for middle
school aged kids. Each group was chaperoned by a staff member or two and the teams
raced around San Diego using their feet and the city transit system. It took a good amount
of work to set up the one-day competition. It involved planning the route, contacting
businesses that we wanted the teams to visit (restaurants, hotels, a variety of shops, a
movie theater, and a police department), making the clues and envelopes, deciding on
how much we needed for the transit, and more.
There were some hiccups, but overall the kids and staff had a great time, despite being
exhausted at the end of the day. I learned a lot from that first experience.
Since then, I have put together other Amazing Races for camps and have spoken with
many camp and recreation professionals who have done their own Amazing Races. In
my research for new and improved ways of tweaking my own programs, I have come
across some brilliant ideas, variations and warnings that I’ll share with you as well.
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Are you ready to plan your own Amazing race? Then, let’s get started. (You did say “yes”,
right?)
PLEASE NOTE: While this book was written for youth and camp leaders, all of the
information can be used for an adult event as well.
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BASICS OF THE AMAZING RACE
In the television show, teams race around the world via airplanes, taxis, walking/running,
and other, more unique, modes of transportation. Your race will be probably all be on
foot. However, if you take the race off-site, you can incorporate different modes of
transportation like busses, trams, etc.
Along the way, teams receive envelopes from clue boxes, after they complete a task, and
at the beginning of a leg. These envelopes usually contain instructions for a task the team
must complete, or they can contain Route Info, Detours, Roadblocks and more.
During the race teams must complete a series of tasks/challenges during the race. The
tasks can be just about anything, construction related, skill related, memory related,
fear related, eating, etc. In this book I have provided a number of challenges to use for
your Amazing Race.
Let’s take a look at the Route Markers and the different cards teams will come across.
At the end of this book is a web address where I provide downloadable templates for
each of these cards for you to use. Yes, they are in color.
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ROUTE MARKERS
Route Markers are red and yellow colored flags that mark where
the teams must go. They can be on clue boxes, attached to buildings
to show where to go, or even along a path.
ROUTE INFO
This card tells teams where to go next. It gives the location, but
teams must figure out how to get there. It also may give
instructions on how teams must travel (by plane, by foot, etc.). The
destination may be given in a cryptic manner.
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CHALLENGE CARDS
A challenge card contains instructions for a task that must be
completed before moving on. These are usually in a clue box that
is located in front of the area the task takes place.
ROAD BLOCKS
This is a task that only one member of the team can complete. The
other person can usually give encouragement or advice, but they
cannot physically help. Players must take turns performing the
Road Blocks. In other words, teams cannot have the same person
complete all the Road Blocks.
For your event, each team will probably have more than two
people, so a Road Block, in this instance, could be a task that only
one OR two players would complete, but not the whole team.
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DETOURS
This is a choice of two tasks. Teams may choose between the tasks
and can switch tasks at any time. Teams only need to complete
one of them successfully.
INTERSECTION
This is a task where two teams must work together to accomplish
it. Teams can choose which other team they want to work with,
which means they might be able to start on the task right away, or
they may decide to wait for a team they have an alliance with, but
that could be a long wait.
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OTHER CARDS
There are other cards in the show, like Yields, U-Turns, Fast Forwards, and more, but I
don’t like the idea of teams being able to penalize others or being able to jump to first
place simply by completing one task, especially when the teams are made up of young
players. So, I’m leaving those out.
NO ELIMINATIONS
At the end of a leg (around 11 or 12 tasks), one team is usually eliminated. For our
purposes, we will not be eliminating any teams. Besides, I am guessing that most event
planners reading this will not want to create more than 1 leg (12 tasks) for the whole race.
The first team to arrive at the final Pit Stop, wins.
SUGGESTED ADDITIONS
I have included additions specifically for a youth Amazing Race
in the Suggested Additions section at the end of the book. The
inclusion of Transportation Hubs, Tokens, Switch Passes, etc. can
add a lot of excitement to the race.
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SETTING UP YOUR AMAZING RACE
There is a lot that goes into setting up an Amazing Race. Don’t get overwhelmed, though.
Planning and creating the event should be a fun part of the process.
Once you are done with the planning, it’s time to actually set-up the equipment,
decorations, etc. for the race. This should also be enjoyable. Just make sure you give
yourself and your team plenty of time to do everything. Don’t add stress to your life by
doing everything last minute. And make sure to delegate as much as possible.
In this section we’ll go over things you need to think about during your planning. I’ve
included a couple of checklists.
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HOW LONG WILL THE RACE BE?
Begin by determining how long the race will run. Will it be a two-hour program, a day
long race, or will you extend it throughout the week by doing a couple of hours each day?
While I have put together day long races, I prefer shorter ones, maybe half-day. A week-
long race might be similar to a traditional, overnight camp color war program. It’s all up
to you and what you think would work for your program.
WILL THE RACE TAKE PLACE ON-SITE OR WILL IT BE OFF-SITE?
Running an Amazing Race program on-site is much easier than one that takes teams off-
site. However, there is an added sense of excitement when campers get to leave the
property. Still, if I were to take the race off-site with youth it would only be with teens,
and it would need to be an all-day program.
WILL IT BE THEMED?
I don’t think an Amazing Race needs to be themed (except for maybe an Around the
World theme – especially if you have international staff). You’ll have enough to focus on
without the added theme details. That said, if you want to add a theme, you certainly
can, especially if you have a few races under your belt and the general planning has
already been created. Check out the Variations section on page 75 for ideas.
HOW MANY TASKS WILL THERE BE?
Around 11-12 tasks are about right for a 2 to 3 hour race. Of course, it’s going to depend
on the time it takes to do each challenge. As with any new program like this, you should
do a run-through with a few staff or volunteers to work out any potential problems.
ARE THERE ENOUGH SUPPLIES?
The thing here is that you don’t want teams to get to a task and then have to wait. They
need the opportunity to pass other teams. It’s a race, after all. Therefore, you need to have
enough supplies for all the teams to participate at once. At the very least, you should have
enough supplies for half the number of teams.
WHO WILL BE SUPERVISING EACH TASK TO MAKE SURE THE TEAMS
COMPLETE IT?
There are a few ways you can do this.
Activity Staff
Staff who don’t have a team to supervise can run the challenges. Of course, you’ll
need enough staff for this. This option would be my first choice.
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CITs
For summer camps that have a thriving CIT program, you can certainly use your CITs
to supervise the challenges. If this is for a non-camp program, see if you can get some
high school or college volunteers to help.
Camp Counselors
If the counselors who are already supervising each team are brought up to speed with
all the challenges, they can ensure the tasks are being completed. The issue with this
is that there is nobody keeping the counselors from assisting their teams or letting
them skate by without completing the whole task. Even counselors can succumb to
the peer pressure of kids.
HOW MANY PLAYERS WILL BE ON EACH TEAM?
In the Amazing Race it’s teams of two. This is not ideal in a typical summer camp
situation for a few reasons.
1. You would need a lot of staff if you wanted to effectively supervise the campers.
However, if the campers are a bit older, this may be fine.
2. You would need a lot more supplies. More teams equal more challenge materials.
3. Since most camps have a mix of ages, teams of two would pose a problem. You
don’t want a team of 12 year-olds against a team of 7 year-olds. Pairing up different
age groups could get messy as well.
Instead, you’ll most likely want to put together teams of six or more. And if your camp
has a mix of ages, your teams should represent that. While it may be awkward for a 12
and 7 year-old to be a two-person team, it would be fine to have two 12, two 9 and two 7
year-olds on one team. The bigger the team, the easier it is for kids to accept the age
differences of their teammates.
To divide up teams you could have them pick numbers from a “hat” (each age group
would pick from a different hat) or give counselors a sheet to assign their campers to the
different teams. Then read the names out on race day.
Once you’ve answered the questions above, you’ll need to create the route markers, the
clue cards and envelopes, and the clue boxes you’ll be using.
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Route Markers
I have created a variety of bonus files for you. At the end of the book I tell you where to
download them. In the files I have included a PDF with two Route Markers that you can
print off. They are in the folder that accompanied this ebook. Print them out on sticker
paper and stick them around camp or print them on regular paper and tape them up
around camp.
Clue Cards
I have also included Clue Card templates in the same folder.
Envelopes
I have always used (and re-used) the 6”x9” brown clasp envelopes. But if you really want
to go the extra mile, I suggest you check into Tear-ific envelopes. They can be found on
Amazon.
Clue Boxes
Clue boxes aren’t essential for the race, but they are neat to have all
around camp. Imagine a team finishes a challenge and the staff
person gives them their next envelope. The Route Info card tells
them to go to the pool. They get to the pool and there is a black
mailbox with a Route Marker on it. They reach in and pull out an
envelope.
Don’t want to spend the money on black mailboxes? I understand.
You could use containers of any kind, as long as you tape a Route Marker to it.
The photo above is from ChicaAndJo.com. They have some neat ideas for putting on an
Amazing Race. Check them out.
Okay, now it’s time to assign staff to the various challenges and groups. After that, set-
up the challenges and do a walk through to make sure everything is ready to go.
Everything good? Okay, time to decorate with country flags, themed décor or anything
else you have.
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PLANNING CHECKLIST
How long will the Race event last?
_____ 2-3 hours long
_____ All Day
_____ All Week (couple of hours each day)
Where will the Race take place?
_____ Our Own Premises
_____ Off Site
Will the Race be themed?
_____ Yes
_____ No
If yes, the theme will be ____________________
How many challenges will there be? _____
Who will supervise the challenges?
_____ Camp Staff
_____ CITs
_____ Self-supervised by staff with the teams
_____ Volunteers
_____ Teams will video themselves
What will be the size of the teams?
_____ 2-4 people
_____ 5-7 people
_____ 8-10 people
_____ 11+ people
Will the ages of the players be mixed on each team?
_____ Yes
_____ No
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Who will supervise each team?
_____ Staff
_____ CITs
_____ Volunteers
_____ Nobody
General Race Supplies
_____ Route Markers
_____ Route Info Cards
_____ Challenge Cards
_____ Detour Cards
_____ Road Block Cards
_____ Intersection Cards
_____ Switch Passes
_____ Tokens
_____ Gnomes
_____ Express Passes
_____ Clue Boxes
_____ Decoration
Will you have an end of race Pit Stop style mat, or maybe a race ribbon to run through?
_____ Yes
_____ No
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Challenge Name _____________________________
Challenge Type
_____ Normal
_____ Detour
_____ Roadblock
_____ Intersection
_____ Other __________________________
How many of the players from each team need to complete the challenge?
_____ 1 _____2 _____ALL
Description of Challenge
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Supplies Needed
(enough for at least half of the teams to do the challenge at the same time)
__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________
Person Supervising _____________________________
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IN-CAMP EXAMPLE (2-3 HOURS)
In this example, teams will be made up of 10 youth participants of mixed ages supervised
by an adult. I am also using the “suggested addition” of Tokens and Transportation Hubs.
You can find more ideas in the Suggested Additions chapter starting on page 90.
The players have been divided into their teams and assigned an adult (i.e. camp
counselor, youth leader, volunteer, etc.). Allow them to choose a team name. You could
also assign them a color and give each of them strips of cloth in that color to tie around
their head or arm.
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DISCUSSION OF RULES
Before the race, have the adults gather with the team they are supervising to give them
the rules…
“There are a few guidelines that you’ll need to know about so you don’t get penalized
during the race.
1. You must follow the instructions of each clue card exactly. For example, some
challenges require only one or two people and others require the whole team.
2. The adult with you may not help your team in any way. So, do not ask for their
advice or assistance. In fact, they will be the ones to make sure your team is doing
everything correctly. Think of them as the camera person in the Amazing Race
television show that follows the team.
3. Most of the challenges have enough supplies for all the teams to do them at the
same time. However, there are a couple that only have supplies for about half of
the teams. If there are no supplies for your team to do the challenge when you get
there, you must wait patiently. First come, first serve.
4. There will be a reward for EVERY team that completes all 12 challenges. We want
you to have fun. So, don’t stress about what place you’re in. Show everyone that
you don’t give up no matter what and complete the race.
5. Each challenge area will be marked by a Route Marker that looks like this (show
Route Marker).
6. When you complete the challenge successfully, you will receive your next
envelope.
7. Your first envelope is waiting for you in the dining hall. It is under the sign of your
team name (or color). No envelope may be opened until the whole team is
present.”
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PRE-RACE ANNOUNCEMENT
The following was written using the original speech by Phil on the first The Amazing
Race as a template. Change it to suit your camp and race. This can be done live by
someone on the leadership staff or it can be a pre-recorded video.
“We are gathered here at Camp Wally, a camp steeped in tradition and the host to 15
teams full of campers who have decided to take a break from their everyday lives and
embark on a one week journey of summer camp AND a race around that camp for prizes
and glory.
Contestants will be racing without the benefit of adult assistance, computers or
cellphones. Their greatest resource will be each other as they circle the camp in teams of
ten.
[announce each team by their team name]
Can your team withstand the stress of working together for 3 whole hours?
Who will muster the right combination of brains, brawn and teamwork to win bragging
rights and get their team photo posted on the Wall of Champions?
These are the questions weighing most heavily as we get ready to begin...The Amazing
Race!
[Play theme music that you downloaded from iTunes or Amazon. It’s worth the dollar or
two.]
Well, in just a few minutes you'll begin a race that will circle the camp. Along the way,
you'll be required to complete a number of tasks. Now some of these will be physically
challenging, others will challenge your mind. Once you start, you need to complete your
tasks as fast as you can, because the first team to get to the Pit Stop will win.
Does everybody understand that?
When I give you the word, you'll race to the dining hall and find the table with your team
color. Once your whole team is seated, you may open your first envelope.
I want to wish all of you the best of luck…GO!
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THE RACE
The first card says:
Your team has 10 tokens for this race. Use them wisely. Your first challenge is to complete the
puzzle in front of you. When you are finished, raise your hand and you will receive your next clue.
After the team completes the puzzle the supervising staff person checks it and gives them
their next clue card. Inside is a Route Info card.
Route Info Card:
WooHoo! You did it!
Now your team needs to catch a flight, or taxi, or just stay on foot.
Go to the transportation hub and choose your transportation. Where’s
the transportation hub? Where would you find modes of transportation
here at camp?
When the team gets to the transportation hub (in this case, the
parking lot) they must find the clue box for their next clue card.
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Challenge Card:
Choose wisely.
Choose your choice of transportation to receive your next clue card.
Traveling by train costs 4 tokens.
Traveling by taxi costs 2 tokens.
Traveling by foot costs nothing.
Once they have chosen (purchased) their transportation they will
receive their next Route Info Card.
Just to be clear, teams won’t actually travel by train or taxi. They
will receive clues based on their transportation choice. The more
tokens they spend, the easier the clue. They may also incur a waiting period based on
their transportation choice.
By Train
If they choose to travel by “train” there is no wait and their Route Info Card will tell them
exactly where to go.
By Taxi
If they choose to travel by “taxi”, they must wait one minute before receiving their Route
Info Card and solve a fairly easy clue to determine where to go.
By Foot
If they choose to travel by foot, they must wait two minutes for their Route Info Card
and solve a more difficult clue to determine their next location.
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Here is an example of what may be on the Route Info Card.
Train Card: Go to Pool
Taxi Card: When the weather is hot,
We all want to get cool.
Grab some special clothing,
And jump into a _____.
By Foot Card: Red shirts with white crosses,
Worn by those in a specific vocation.
Tiles, board, a hole with water,
Things you’ll see at your next location
Once at the pool, teams must find the clue box to receive their next card telling them
about their challenge.
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After they complete the challenge, teams will receive their next Route Info card. This
goes on for the rest of the game. Here is a quick example overview of the race cards.
1. Challenge Card #1
2. Route Info Card
3. Challenge Card #2
4. Route Info Card
5. Challenge Card #3
6. Route Info Card
7. Detour Card
8. Route Info Card
9. Challenge Card #4
10.Route Info Card
11.Intersection Card
12.Route Info Card
13.Challenge Card #5
14.Route Info Card
15.Challenge Card #6
16.Route Info Card
17.Challenge Card #7
18.Route Info Card
19.Detour Card
20.Route Info Card
21.Challenge Card #8
22.Route Info Card
23.Challenge Card #9
24.Route Info Card
WEEK-LONG RACE
If you want the Race to go throughout the week you may want to “visit” a different
country each day. You could have anywhere between 4-12 challenges daily. For example,
teams would visit China on Monday and complete challenges that you might see in
China. Take a look at the Around the World variation on page 75.
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IN-CAMP CHALLENGES
There are plenty of challenges you can create. It depends on your facilities, program
equipment, staffing and number of participants. When creating your challenges keep the
following thoughts in mind.
The challenges should take some time and be, well, challenging.
If you set up challenges that are quick and easy, the race will not be nearly as fun and the
team that gets the early lead will keep it. You want teams to have a chance to pass each
other and the best way to make that happen is through challenges that take time and/or
are a bit difficult.
Put some distance in between the challenges.
You don’t want teams to know exactly where they place in the race and how far ahead,
or behind, other teams are. The best way to do this is to have the challenges spread
throughout your property. If teams are running back and forth and all around, it becomes
difficult to know who is in first and how far ahead they are. As opposed to having all the
challenges in a row, one after another.
Add some Detours and Roadblocks.
Going from one challenge to the next can be a lot of fun for players, but when you add in
unexpected twists, that takes the game to another level.
On the following pages, I have given you some ideas for challenges. I have written out
the supplies needed and what to write on the clue cards.
The challenges are divided into General Challenges, Roadblocks, Detours and
Intersections.
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PLEASE NOTE: Time penalties are often given if the players are unable to complete their
challenge. This is better than having teams attempt a challenge, that they cannot seem to
complete, over and over again. That would just be frustrating for the players and any
team that may be waiting for their turn to use the equipment.
I have added specific time penalty lengths for those challenges, but you can, of course,
change any of them to a time that best suits your event.
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GENERAL CHALLENGES
The Amazing Race is made up of mostly general tasks/challenges. Later in the book there
are example of roadblocks and detours. Here are some ideas for challenges that you can
do at camp.
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TOASTED MALLOWS
Description:
This challenge has teams build a fire and roast marshmallows. After that, they
must put the fire out before moving on.
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple fire pits
•
Firewood
•
Matches
•
Marshmallows
•
Sticks or rods (to cook marshmallows on)
•
Water
•
Laminated instruction cards on building a fire and putting it out
Instructions to be written on the card:
TOASTED MALLOWS
Roast one marshmallow for each team member. Build a fire, roast the
marshmallows, eat them, and put out the fire correctly. You will find laminated
instruction cards on building a fire and putting it out at the fire pit.
If everything is done correctly, your team will receive the next clue.
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IT’S PUZZLING
Description:
This challenge is pretty straightforward; choose a puzzle and put it together. After
the puzzle is complete, teams must put the puzzle pieces back in the box. They
will want to unhook each piece so that if any other team chooses that puzzle, they
won’t have an advantage with pieces of the puzzle already together.
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple puzzles (with 30-50 pieces – all puzzles should have the same number of
pieces)
Instructions to be written on the card:
IT’S PUZZLING
Complete one of the puzzles to get your next clue. All puzzles have the same
number of pieces. When finished, have it checked by the supervising staff person.
Once checked, take apart the puzzle and return the pieces to the box. Take the box
to the supervising staff person to get your next clue.
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LEADING THE BLIND
Description:
This one takes some good communication, especially if there are multiple teams
going at once.
One person is blindfolded, and the rest of the team must stay behind a designated
rope and verbally give directions to the blindfolded player.
The task is for the blindfolded player to grab one of the garden gnomes and return
it to the team.
To add a little excitement, two of the gnomes have a special mark on the bottom.
If the team gets one of those “prize gnomes” they will receive a small gift (candy,
buttons, first into the dining hall at lunch, etc.). I prefer prizes that are separate
from the game, meaning that it does not affect the game play (i.e. bonus time or
special hints).
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple blindfolds
•
Rope or cones (to create a boundary line for teams)
•
Gnome statues (or other object, like team flags or stuffed animals)
•
Prizes for two teams (the special prizes can be candy, stickers, small toys, etc.)
Instructions to be written on the card:
LEADING THE BLIND
Blindfold one team member. The rest of the team must stay behind the designated
line. Verbally lead the blindfold player to any of the gnome figures, and then guide
them back to the team. They cannot take their blindfold off until they have
returned.
Two of the gnomes have a special prize written on the bottom. Choose carefully,
as you can only retrieve one gnome.
Turn in the gnome to the supervising staff person to get your next clue.
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--- PAGE 32 ---
ALL FOR ONE
Description:
You may or may not want to include fitness-type challenges, but if you do, this is
a simple one. It includes a series of physical exercises. All players can participate,
but only one at a time. If a team has a couple of super fit athletes, they can take a
brunt of the challenge. If the whole team is equally fit, then they can all share the
workload.
Supplies Needed:
•
None
Instructions to be written on the card:
ALL FOR ONE
As a team, you must complete 200 sit-ups, 100 push-ups and 25 burpees. Only one
player may go at a time.
Once completed, your team will receive the next clue.
3 1

--- PAGE 33 ---
WHERE THERE’S A WILL
Description:
Teams are given a compass and some instructions. You can make the instructions
as easy or difficult as you want. You may want to include a card on how to read a
compass, as most players will not know how.
The directions should lead the team to a clue box. Alternatively, you could paint
rocks with different numbers. Then place those rocks around the area. The
directions, if followed properly, will lead the team to a specific rock with a specific
number. The team then tells the supervising staff person the correct number to get
their next clue.
The reason for the multiple rocks with different numbers is to keep teams from
just running around and looking for the rock that has a number on it (or the clue
box).
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple compasses
•
Cards with instructions
o
Example: Go west 100 steps, then southwest another 50 steps
Instructions to be written on the card:
WHERE THERE’S A WILL
Follow the directions on the card with a compass to make your way to the next
clue.
3 2

--- PAGE 34 ---
SHOW ME SOME ID
Description:
If you’d like to add some outdoor education to the race, this is a challenge you’ll
like.
Teams will have to identify which tree is which by using the supplied sheet of
paper. If you don’t have 3-5 different types of trees on your property you could
include shrubs, or you could set up animal tracks and do the same thing.
Supplies Needed:
•
Quiz sheets (paper with the names identifying traits of five different trees. Teams
must put the letter of the tree next to its name on the sheet.)
•
Multiple clipboards
•
Pens or pencils
•
Laminated sheets or wood blocks with letters a-e (place one of the letters in front
of each of the five trees.)
Instructions to be written on the card:
SHOW ME SOME ID
Properly identify each of the five different trees by using the identifying traits on
the quiz sheet. Write down the correct letter next to the tree name on the provided
sheet.
Check with the supervising staff person to see if you’re correct. They will let you
know how many you have correct but not which ones they are.
Once you have correctly identified all five trees, your team will receive the next
clue.
3 3

--- PAGE 35 ---
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
Description:
The idea of setting up a tent seems easy. For anyone that has actually set up a tent,
you know that it can be deceivingly difficult. Of course, some are easier than
others.
Teams must properly set up a tent and then put it away.
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple tents
Instructions to be written on the card:
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
Choose a tent box (or bag). Take out the equipment and set the tent up properly.
Once the set-up has been approved by the supervising staff person, take it down
and put it back in the box (or bag) it came in. When the box has been closed (or the
bag has been zipped up), your team will receive the next clue.
3 4

--- PAGE 36 ---
SCAVENGING FOR NATURE
Description:
Kids love scavenger hunts. Teams must find 15 items to get their next clue. I am
partial to items that are a bit abstract like “something rough” and “something
cool”, but a list of specific items (i.e. a red leaf, a rock, a pinecone, etc.) is good, too.
Supplies Needed:
•
Lists of nature items (for example: acorn, pinecone, something blue, something
smooth, etc.)
•
Paper bags
Instructions to be written on the card:
SCAVENGING FOR NATURE
Get a list of items from the supervising staff person. Gather all 15 items on the list.
Once collected, take the items to the supervising staff person to get your next clue.
3 5

--- PAGE 37 ---
CAN YOU HACK IT?
Description:
This is a team challenge where everyone must kick a footbag at least once.
This can be a very difficult challenge. The larger the team, the more challenging it will
be. You may decide that only half the team must kick the bag before it touches the
ground, or you may allow the bag to touch the ground once without having to start
over. Ages of the kids will play a big role as well.
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple Hacky Sacks
Instructions to be written on the card:
CAN YOU HACK IT?
As a team, juggle the hacky sack. Each team member must kick it at least once
without it hitting the ground or using hands. Begin by kicking it.
Once the task has been accomplished, your team will receive the next clue.
3 6

--- PAGE 38 ---
BEANS IN A JAR
Description:
Fill a jar with jellybeans and let teams guess how many there are. If they get
within 20 of the actual number, they get their next clue. If not, they must wait
one minute before guessing again.
To keep the number secret, have team write their guesses on a piece of paper
rather than saying it out loud.
Supplies Needed:
•
Jar
•
Jellybeans (enough to fill the jar)
•
Pens or pencils
•
Paper
Instructions to be written on the card:
BEANS IN A JAR
Write down a guess on how many jellybeans are in the jar and give it to the
supervising staff member.
If your guess is within 20 jellybeans, your team will receive the next clue. If your
guess is not within 20 jellybeans, you must wait 60 seconds before submitting your
next guess.
3 7

--- PAGE 39 ---
FROZEN
Description:
Teams must free an object from a block of ice. They cannot throw or drop the block.
They will need to use the heat from their hands, and they can use rocks to chip
away at it.
It doesn’t matter what object you freeze in the ice as long as it doesn’t float (you
want the object to freeze in the middle of the ice block). Using milk jugs is good
for creating blocks of ice. Freeze the first half. Add your item. Then add more
water. Now cut away the container. If you use plastic containers, there is a chance
they will crack, and the unfrozen water will spill out all over. Check online for
instructions that best suit you.
Supplies Needed:
•
Small item frozen in a block of ice (one ice block per team)
Instructions to be written on the card:
FROZEN
Choose a block of ice. Free the item from the block of ice. You may not throw or
drop the block of ice. You may not use water to melt the ice.
Once you have freed the item, take it to the supervising staff member for your next
clue.
3 8

--- PAGE 40 ---
IT’S FREE TO THROW
Description:
Each team must make 10 free throws. While not every player must make a free
throw, no player can make more than 3 baskets. This is to make sure that a really
good basketball shooter doesn’t give a team an unfair advantage.
On the flip side, lots of kids are not athletes. That’s why I don’t like making it so
that each player has to sink a free throw. Everybody has their strengths and
weaknesses. There’s no need to embarrass anyone.
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple basketballs
•
Multiple basketball hoops
Instructions to be written on the card:
IT’S FREE TO THROW
As a team, make 10 free throws. No player can make more than 3 free throws.
When your team has finished, you will receive the next clue.
3 9

--- PAGE 41 ---
ABRACADABRA
Description:
Each team will choose one player to learn and perform a magic trick. There are lots
of prop tricks that are really easy to perform. All they need to do is read the
instructions.
Having multiple props available makes this challenge more interesting. You could
also have decks of cards with written instructions for different tricks.
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple magic tricks (beginner’s tricks that come with instructions)
Instructions to be written on the card:
ABRACADABRA
Choose one of the magic tricks before you. Each trick comes with instructions.
After practicing, have one team member perform the illusion for the supervising
staff member. If they are satisfied that you have mastered the trick, your team will
receive the next clue.
4 0

--- PAGE 42 ---
HUNT EGGSTRAVAGANZA
Description:
This is an egg hunt. You will need to have four different colors of eggs and a few
golden eggs. They should be hidden pretty well, not just tossed around and visible.
The idea is to have the teams actually search for eggs.
Teams must find one egg of each of the four colors to move on. Alternatively, they
can turn in a golden egg if they find it. If they find a golden egg, not only do they
not have to find the other colors, they also get a prize. Prizes can be anything from
treats to an advantage in the game.
Supplies Needed:
•
Plastic Easter eggs (varying colors)
•
One golden Easter egg
Instructions to be written on the card:
HUNT EGGSTRAVAGANZA
Search the surrounding area for four Easter eggs, one of each color (blue, red, green
and yellow), or one golden egg. If you find a golden egg you do not have to find
the other colors.
Give the eggs to the supervising staff member to receive your next clue.
4 1

--- PAGE 43 ---
ALL WRAPPED UP
Description:
Provide wrapping paper, bows, ribbon, tape and a bunch of boxes. Each player
must do a decent job in wrapping a box after watching a demonstration. The
demonstration can be on video or given live by a staff member.
Supplies Needed:
•
Wrapping paper
•
Ribbon
•
Bows
•
Scotch tape
Instructions to be written on the card:
ALL WRAPPED UP
After watching a demonstration, each member of your team must properly wrap
a box using wrapping paper, ribbon, a bow and tape.
Once each of the boxes are wrapped correctly, your team will receive its next clue.
4 2

--- PAGE 44 ---
PUTT IT THERE, MY FIREND
Description:
If you have disc golf baskets available, this is a great task to add. Decide on a
putting distance based on the age of the campers and mark it off with cones or
rope. It’s fine to have different distances based on the different ages. As teams
come in, assign them to one particular area to toss from and give them one disc.
Half of the players from each team must make the putt. If a player doesn’t make
it, they can try again until they do.
Supplies Needed:
•
Disc golf basket
•
Multiple discs
•
Rope or cones (to show where to put from)
Instructions to be written on the card:
PUTT IT THERE, MY FRIEND
Half of the players on your team must throw a disc into the basket from the
putting line.
Once all putts have been made, your team will receive the next clue.
4 3

--- PAGE 45 ---
ALL TIED UP
Description:
This task requires all players to learn four knots. Once they all feel as though they
have it, the supervising adult will test each of them by asking them to tie a specific
knot.
Once each player has successfully tied the knot they were asked to tie, they will
get their next clue. For each person that is unsuccessful, a 20 second penalty will
be assessed before they can get their next clue. In other words, if three players
didn’t tie their knot correctly, the wait time would be 60 seconds.
Supplies Needed:
•
Laminated cards with instructions on knot tying
•
Multiple rope pieces to practice and test on
Instructions to be written on the card:
ALL TIED UP
Each team member must learn how to tie four different knots. Once each player is
confident that they know how to tie all four knots, you may take the test.
The supervising staff person will ask each of the players to tie a specific knot. If
everyone does their knot correctly, you’ll receive the next clue. A penalty will be
given for each person that is unsuccessful.
4 4

--- PAGE 46 ---
CHARADES
Description:
Each player chooses a word from a bag and acts it out without talking. When the
team guesses the word, the next player goes until everyone has had a turn.
Supplies Needed:
•
Slips of paper with names of movies, tv shows, food, places, people, etc.
•
Paper bag
Instructions to be written on the card:
CHARADES
Each team member must choose a slip of paper out of the bag and get their team
to say the word on the paper using charades. Clues must be given without talking
or making sounds of any kind.
Once each player has gotten their team to say the correct word, you’ll receive your
next clue.
4 5

--- PAGE 47 ---
SHIP BUILDERS
Description:
Teams are tasked to turn a cardboard box into a boat and row it across a pool. This
is a popular activity at camps, colleges and elsewhere. Hint: the more duct tape
teams use, the better.
Supplies Needed:
•
Large cardboard boxes
•
Lots of duct tape
•
Paddles
Instructions to be written on the card:
DON’T ROCK THE BOAT
Use one cardboard box and make it sturdy enough to carry a team member across
the pool. If the player reaches the other side of the pool without sinking, the team
will receive its next clue. If the boat sinks, however, the team must take a 10-minute
penalty.
4 6

--- PAGE 48 ---
TALK TO THE HAND
Description:
It’s best if you have a staff member that knows sign language for this one.
Each player must learn to sign their name as well as signing “I love the Amazing
Race”.
Supplies Needed:
•
Instruction cards of alphabet in American Sign Language (ASL)
•
Instruction cards of words in ASL needed for the sentence
Instructions to be written on the card:
TALK TO THE HAND
Using the provided materials, each player must learn the letters of their name in
sign language, as well as how to sign, “I love the Amazing Race.”
Once each player can prove to the supervising staff member that they can sign
their name and the sentence, the team will receive the next clue.
4 7

--- PAGE 49 ---
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Description:
A popular task during the last leg of The Amazing Race show is to put the
countries that the teams visited in order. If, in your race, you had the teams “visit”
different countries, you could do the same. If not, simply write each challenge on
a card and have them place those cards in order.
Supplies Needed:
•
Multiple sets of laminated cards representing all the challenges (or countries)
Instructions to be written on the card:
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Put in order the challenges you faced in this Race.
Once the challenges are in the proper order, your team will receive the final clue.
4 8

--- PAGE 50 ---
ROADBLOCKS
Road Blocks are tasks that only one team member (or two in
some cases when the teams are larger) may perform. Once the
player is chosen, teams may not switch, unless they use a
“Switch Pass”. You can read more about Switch Passes on page
93.
On the Road Block cards, you may want to have the details of
the actual challenge on the back or on a separate card. That way,
the teams will choose their player(s) before they know what the
challenge is. This is staying more in line with the show. So, in
this example, the front of the card would say WHO’S A
HAWKEYE? The team would choose their player given that one
clue. Then they would turn the card over to read about the task.
You may also want to add the stipulation that no player may do
more than one Road Block.
4 9
