All the Hunger Games hype did not escape all the kids and while the older boys had read the book, the younger kids had only head of it, but figured they knew all about it. The older nephews spent hours planning a mock Hunger Games in the Jensen's lower 40. They built a cornucopia and spent hours fashioning weapons out of bows, arrows, stumps of trees, and swimming pool noodles. They had big plans, VERY big plans. The cornucopia contained sleeping bags, matches, bits of food, the homemade weapons and shields, water, and of course duct tape.
The older boys had grand plans of getting rid of the little kids early on in the game and then spending the night in the woods, picking off one another as the night wore on. The mothers vetoed the idea of spending the night in the woods filled with wildlife and dry as tinder after a summer of little rain. The boys pushed back, complaining that we were turning them into the "Mom Games" and that we were no fun at all. We told them to just play it out and see what happens. If it got dark, we would pick them up. Karli and I were allowed in the "arena" for a limited time to photograph the Hunger Games. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time!
Each boy had a backpack, prepacked with a little food and water and nothing else - they had to be checked to ensure there was no contraband. When the whistle blew they were to grab their backpacks and whatever else they could and get out of the cornucopia area before they were killed. It was mas chaos as the boys grabbed what they could and ran after those that they had made alliances with.
The Cornucopia
Even warriors need a little break.
Gage got his backpack and a hulk hand - little good it did him.
Ethan fared pretty well out of the cornucopia - swords, bow and arrow, shields, etc.
This little tribe thought they could hide in the bear den and escape detection. It was the first place the older boys looked!
They were filthy!
They ran like mad men and wore themselves out.
In the end, it only took about an hour and 15 minutes before there was a victor. Coleson was crowned the Hunger Games champion. We didn't need to worry about sleeping in the woods and lighting fires, etc. We celebrated with a hot dog roast and they headed out for round two. It was the highlight of my boys summer - they have yet to read a book or watch a movie, but they feel like they have lived the Hunger Games!
