Name & Purpose Camp Apprentice is a creative team-building challenge. Each group gets a crate of random materials and must design, build, name, price, advertise, and pitch a product for camp β complete with a jingle and a live commercial. It brings out every type of thinker and gives every personality a meaningful role. This is the revised and updated version of the original Camp Apprentice (ID 10515).
a.k.a. Invent-a-Product; Camp Shark Tank
Age Band / Group Size / Time / Space Ages 8β16. 12β40 players in groups of 3β10. 45β90 minutes. Indoor tables or outdoor flat surfaces β one defined build area per group, spread so groups cannot see each other’s products until presentation.
Materials Per group:
- 1 cardboard box or crate
- Pipe cleaners, rubber bands, cups, paint brushes, stickers, masking tape, markers, string
- Optional additions: fabric scraps, lost-and-found items (fun things), old magazines, foil
- 1 printed instruction sheet listing the roles (see below)
Facilitator:
- Timer
- Judging criteria card (or use group vote)
- Optional: ribbon or certificate for the winning product
Quick-Run Card
- Divide into groups of 3β10. Each group gets a crate of materials.
- Groups read the instruction sheet and assign roles: Banker, Architect, Designer, Advertising Agent (add more for bigger groups).
- Build time: 20β30 minutes. Groups design and build a camp-use product from the materials.
- Prep commercial: 10 minutes to write a jingle and rehearse a 60-second commercial.
- Presentation: each group presents their product β name, what it does, price, where to buy it, demo, jingle, commercial.
- Judge or vote. Display the winning product.
Setup & Boundaries Space groups at tables or on flat ground at least 3 metres apart. Give each group identical amounts of materials. Post the role list and task checklist somewhere visible. Set a hard timer for the build phase β announce time warnings at 10 minutes and 2 minutes remaining. Make clear: the goal is a working demo, not a perfect object.
How to Play Groups read the instruction sheet and immediately assign roles. Everyone must have a job β no observer positions. The Banker manages an imaginary budget and tracks product cost. The Architect designs the build plan. The Designer focuses on branding, name, and look. The Advertising Agent leads the jingle and commercial creation. For larger groups: add a Project Manager, a Spokesperson, or a Quality Inspector. Build time: 20β30 minutes. Commercial prep: 10 minutes to write a jingle (at least 4 lines) and rehearse the commercial (60 seconds max). Presentation round: groups present one at a time. Facilitator or judges ask one question per group after the pitch. Group vote or panel vote selects the best product. Display the winning item prominently at camp.
I-OPt Roles Minimum three simultaneous active roles throughout the activity:
- Builders (Architect + Designer): hands on materials, constructing and decorating.
- Storytellers (Advertising Agent + Spokesperson): writing the script, rehearsing lines, planning the commercial.
- Planners (Banker + Project Manager): tracking time, managing materials, ensuring everyone is on task. All roles are active and interdependent at the same time.
Inclusion Supports
- Players who struggle with verbal presentation can lead the jingle (sung) or the visual product display, keeping focus on the object rather than public speaking.
- Players with physical differences can take on planning and design roles without needing to build physically.
- Groups with mixed literacy levels: allow the instruction sheet to be read aloud by the facilitator or a group member before build time starts.
- Neurodivergent players often thrive in Architect or Quality Inspector roles β offer these directly if a player seems overwhelmed.
- For younger groups (8β10): simplify to three roles and reduce build time to 15 minutes.
Stewardship Every group returns unused materials to the crates. Masking tape off table surfaces. 30-second reflection: “You built something out of random leftovers. Name one place in camp life where you can solve a problem using what is already around you.”
Consent Pre-brief: “You’ll be working closely in a team and then presenting in front of everyone. Presenting is optional β you can hold up the product while a teammate speaks. Tell me privately if you’d prefer that.” Mid-game check-in: At the halfway point of build time: “Is everyone’s role working? If not, now is the time to adjust.” Opt-out/re-entry: Any player steps away from the build space for a break at any time. They re-enter by joining their group’s next task β building, writing, or rehearsing.
Risks & Mitigation
| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| One player dominates the build | High | Explicit role assignment before build starts; facilitator checks in at 10 minutes |
| Shy players disengage during presentation | Medium | Pre-brief non-speaking presentation options clearly |
| Groups run massively over time | Medium | Hard timer with announced warnings; cut build at time regardless |
| Materials run out mid-build | Low | Facilitator keeps a small reserve crate; allow teams to trade materials |
| Judging feels unfair or exclusionary | Medium | Use whole-group vote with categories (Most Creative, Most Useful, Best Jingle) so every group can win something |
Warm-Up Suggestions
- 2-minute junk challenge: each person builds the tallest freestanding structure from 5 pipe cleaners.
- Product pitch game: each person invents a product name in 10 seconds using the word the facilitator shouts.
- Team role speed-assign: shout a role, group points to who does it β builds familiarity with the role list.
Debrief What? “What was your product? What does it do? Who pitched it?” So what? “Which role was hardest to fill? Which person surprised you with what they contributed?” Now what? “You just turned random junk into something useful. Where at camp do you have ‘junk’ β time, people, space β that could become something valuable?”
Cleanup & Reset Return all materials to crates. Tape goes in the bin. Wipe down tables. Winning product displayed; others respectfully dismantled unless groups want to keep them. Reset takes 5 minutes.
