The camp concept is based on the two stories "Not Like Robbers" and "Jolima and the Road to Evergreen". Together as robbers, you are still robbers at the beginning, but are on your way to the kingdom.
Idea
The camp on the theme of "robber stories", or robbers in general, is all about finding your way out of being a robber together. Instead, you set off into the kingdom as a group of youngsters.
At the beginning of the camp, everyone is a robber and goes on a raid. Here the leaders can behave accordingly and use rough language. Important: Do not become physically aggressive towards the participants. Even if it fits in with the story, it can reduce the children's motivation.
During the course of the camp, you hear about the kingdom. You decide to rob it, but over time you learn what the kingdom is really about.
Evangelization
The theme is ideal for holding an evangelistic devotion at the end of the camp. Everyone is accepted and can come to God. Just like the robbers who are allowed to come to the king despite their deeds.
Picasso
You can use this Picasso (weekly plan) as a reference for a summer camp on the theme of "Robber's Tale". The date, details specific to this camp, participating groups and leader names have been removed from the schedule.
The camp was run in this way and is therefore already tried and tested.
Spiritual concept
The spiritual concept helps to ensure that a common thread runs through the camp. This allows you to coordinate the main messages of the theater, devotions and group times. The spiritual concept complements the Picasso. Based on the concept, you can write your own theater, or take what has already been worked out and adapt it for you.
Theater
Here is the theater for the summer camp.
The overview shows the theater blocks for each day, with the rough content. The theater is worked out for the first three days. However, the whole thing can also be interpreted freely, without a precise text.
NOTE: The theater is designed for two groups to meet at a separate location (e.g. two youth groups) and then meet at the camp location for the first night.
Camp song
The camp was held once in 2025 and a camp song was written for the camp. The camp song is also tailored to the spiritual concept. At the beginning, the children only learn the chorus and every day a verse is added to match the current theater / main message of the devotion.
The song can be accompanied with easy chords. In the audio sample you can get an idea of how the song should sound.
Tips
Disguises
You can use cloths, scraps of fabric or old clothes as disguises and decorate them with patches. Or you can deliberately make holes in the clothes. Improvised weapons such as sack knives, an axe, a specially shaped stick or a simple bow and arrow also work well.
You can also encourage the children to come to camp dressed up themselves.
Camp atmosphere
As leaders, you can address each other as robbers. If a leader wants to say something, you can shout "robber" instead of "fist up" or "shhh". The tone can also be a little rougher at the beginning.
Pictures for the flyer / camp booklet, etc.
If you are looking for good pictures for the camp flyer, your camp booklet or anything else, you can write to the publisher D&D Medien. They publish the books "Nicht wie bei Räubers". If they give you permission, you can use the covers of the books / radio plays.
Credits
The entire spiritual concept, including theater and camp song, was developed and provided by Touchdown, Jungschar Birr for the summer camp 2025 of the Jungscharen Birr, Schinznach and Wettingen. The files were edited and put online by Winnetou, Jungschar Schinznach.
