The Four Elements Quest
A station-based wide game where teams beat water, earth, air and fire challenges to collect the four pieces of an amulet. Fills a whole morning.
- Age
- 8–14 yrs
- Players
- 20–80
- Duration
- 2–2.5 h
- Setting
- Outdoors
- Equipment
- Equipment needed
- Prep
- 1.5 h
- Energy
- High
A quest with a story is much more than a string of challenges: it gives the route a purpose and makes the ending memorable. In this one no team goes home empty-handed and the finale is shared, so the morning doesn't end with one winner and lots of losers.
You can reuse the structure with any theme: the four elements, the four compass points or the four seasons.
Step by step
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Set up the story - the camp's wise elder broke an amulet into four pieces and hid them in the temples of the elements. Only those who gather all four can light the final bonfire (or an LED "bonfire").
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Set up four stations at least 100 m (330 ft) apart, each run by a counselor in costume. Give each team a different rotation so they don't overlap.
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Water station - using cups with holes, the team passes water along a chain to fill a bottle. Fill it within 6 minutes to win the piece.
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Earth station - half the team, blindfolded, walks through a cone maze guided only by their teammates' voices.
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Air station - the team must keep 5 balloons in the air for 1 minute using only paper plates, without any touching the ground.
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Fire station - the team solves a riddle to work out the order in which to switch on the lights inside the box. Each mistake adds 30 seconds.
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After each station the counselor hands over the piece (even if the team didn't succeed, with one fewer hint). Once all four are done, the teams meet up, assemble their amulets and place them on the final bonfire to "light" it.
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End with a joint celebration - the amulet only works with every team's pieces.
Variations & adaptations
Short version (60 minutes)
Use only two stations and have every team go through both.
With printable clues
Replace the map with clue cards that lead from one station to the next. Our pirate treasure clue cards work well with a new storyline.
Inclusion
Every station should be beatable in several ways (strength, wit, communication). Assign roles so every team member has a key task.
