Jurassic Creek
Jurassic Creek: A Prehistoric Saturday Worth Remembering
Every day at Falling Creek is filled with adventure. But some days have their own unique energy.
Theme Days are full-camp celebrations built around a single idea—like superheroes, pirates, or holidays. Some campers bring a costume or small prop from home, while others join in with something simple they put together with cabinmates. Some days you’ll see elaborate outfits and group themes, and other times it might just be a favorite T-shirt that fits the theme. Either way, it’s a chance to have fun and add something different to the day.
Saturdays at Camp
Saturdays already have a different rhythm. This one started with an early game of Deep Woods Capture the Flag, moving it to the morning to work around the weather. Afterward, some boys headed to tournaments like disc golf, chess, or soccer, while others chose from a variety of free choice activities. The day continued with lunch, rest hour, Staff Shakeups, another round of free choice, and dinner before the evening wrapped up with the Stegosaurus Smack Down games.
Some activities tied into the day’s dinosaur theme, while others were simply for fun. Either way, the goal was to try something new, get creative, and enjoy a change of pace before the next big day.
Starting the Day: Deep Woods Capture the Flag
Saturday’s big game was one of camp’s favorites, played Jurassic Creek style. The base was set at the Landsports field, and the game stretched across campus. The Green Team wore green and blue belts. The Gold Team wore gold and red belts.
The goal was simple: find your team’s hidden flags in the other team’s territory and get them safely back to your side. Green was hunting for the green and blue flags. Gold was after the gold and red flags.
Each flag was worth 100 points. Pulling an opponent’s belt and turning it in to your base earned your team 1 point. That meant campers could make an impact on the scoreboard even if they weren’t the ones running the flags.
There was strategy, too. Guards had to stand at least two arm lengths from a flag until someone touched it. If a player carrying a flag got tagged, they had to drop it where they were captured. Flags could be handed off to teammates, but not thrown. And if you lost your belt, you had to head back to your team’s “bank” to respawn before rejoining the action.
The best part about theme days is watching the counselors get dressed up and play the games with campers. Watching grown up ‘kids’ have fun gives everyone permission to really go for it.
Ford Layman, Asst. Program Director, Baltimore, MD
Theme music helped set the mood. Just like Western tunes during Wild Wild West, Jurassic Creek had a prehistoric soundtrack that kept the game’s energy high. Some campers stayed in their dino costumes from the day, making the forest look like a scene from a movie.
Closing It Out: Stegosaurus Smack Down
After dinner, the evening wrapped up with Stegosaurus Smack Down, a series of dinosaur-themed minute-to-win-it games. Campers rotated through quick-fire challenges that tested both skill and silliness.
One game had boys balancing “dino eggs” (easter eggs) on spoons while navigating a short course. Another had campers using only their “dino tails” (trying to get a plate off the floor using only their mouth). Laughter carried across the basketball court as cabins cheered each other on and tried to set the fastest times.
Why It Matters
Theme Days like Jurassic Creek give campers a chance to step out of their routine and try something new. It might be joining in a costume, taking on a leadership role during a game, or simply laughing alongside friends. These moments build confidence, strengthen friendships, and create memories that last well beyond the summer.
We only had one Saturday together this session, and Jurassic Creek made the most of it. Between the early-morning Capture the Flag game, tournaments, Shakeups, and Stegosaurus Smack Down, it was a full day of play, laughter, and imagination.