The Official 2020 GISH Hunt List
| Item No | Item name | Item points | Item Type |
| 1 | LIVESTREAM. MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 11:45 AM PT: Imposterama with Dr. Knatokie Ford & Justin Guarini CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PANEL! Livestream Challenge: Create a piñata filled with your negative self-talk. Destroy it mightily. | 48 | video |
| 2 | LIVESTREAM. TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 5:00 PM PT: Campfire Sing-A-Long with Misha Collins & Members of Kansas! CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PANEL! Livestream Challenge: COLLABORATIVE. (UP TO ONE MINUTE) Carry on and on and on, wayward son! Using the provided backing track, record yourself singing along to Kansas’ classic anthem “Carry On Wayward Son” while holding a sign with your team name on it. You should have at least 5 physically-distanced people singing along with you — the more singers, the merrier. | 22 | video |
| 3 | LIVESTREAM. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 12:00 PM PT: Escape From 2020 With Travis McElroy, Tanya DePass, Erika Ishii, Rachel Miner, & Tybee Diskin CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PANEL! Livestream Challenge: Recreate Utensio, the Utensil Man from Travis McElroy’s virtual puzzle room, entirely out of kitchen utensils. | 24 | image |
| 4 | LIVESTREAM. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 11:00 AM PT: #WeSowWeGrow with Natasha Nicholes & Gen Padalecki CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PANEL! Livestream Challenge: Plant the seeds of change to end food waste. Grow something from your food scraps or waste in your kitchen. Show us you planting it, then if there is any sprout or progress by the end of the week, show that, too. Oh- and you should upcycle something that’s not typically a planter as your pot (an old shoe, a disused jewelry box, etc.) Post an image of your planter on social media tagged #WeSowWeGrow! | 18 | image |
| 5 | LIVESTREAM. FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 9:00 AM PT: LEGO #RebuildTheWorld: Jackson Rathbone with Chris & Pete, LEGO Master Model Builders CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PANEL! Livestream Challenge: The LEGO Master Model Builders are working to #RebuildtheWorld, which is full of undiscovered creatures. Luckily, Gishers are on the job. Build a hybrid animal or cryptid creature out of the legendary LOCKING BRICKS, then take a forced-perspective picture of it coming after you. Post your creation to social media tagging @LEGO_Group (@LEGO on Instagram), #RebuildTheWorld & #GISH | 59 | image |
| 6 | LIVESTREAM. FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1:00 PM PT:SPN Game Night with Felicia Day, Misha Collins, Alaina Huffman, Rachel Miner, Sam Smith, Osric Chau, Ruth Connell, Adam Fergus & Hayley Erin! CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PANEL! Livestream Challenge: There will be no submission for this Item! Enjoy the show! | 0 | N/A |
| 7 | LIVESTREAM. SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 10:30 AM PT: Kitchen Adventures with Monika Reti WATCH THE PANEL HERE! Livestream Challenge: The kitchen is an adventurous place, and it’s time for a safari. Recreate a National Geographic-WoRTHY image or ANY wildlife, garden, jungle or safari scene — all out of cut vegetables, fruit, and Hipcooks’ “Yummus.” The best images may win a copy of “The Adventurous Eaters Club” COOKBOOK from the Collins family! | 25 | image |
| 8 | LIVESTREAM. SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 12:00 PM PT: Closing Ceremonies with Misha Collins WATCH THE CLOSING CEREMONY HERE! | 0 | N/A |
| 9 | Nail art has reached new levels these days, but it hasn’t forayed much into the fine art of nail signage. Let’s see a miniature protest poster painted on a fingernail. 23 | 23 | image |
| 10 | Don’t you hate being called two-faced? Maybe they meant something different than what you think. Using make-up or body paint, let’s see an exact replica of your face on your belly. Take a pic proudly showing your two faces. | 26 | image |
| 11 | The art of rock balancing is said to open up creative pathways in your brain. But potato balancing has been proven to actually provide a shortcut to enlightenment. That’s why we found you, in nature (or your backyard), meditating near the balanced potatoes. | 17 | image |
| 12 | Carve a piece of soap into something you definitely wouldn’t want near or touching your hands. (Make sure to save and re-use the shavings.) | 19 | image |
| 13 | When “our favorite childhood toy” slams full speed into “things that can be preserved in vinegar” the result is the “Pickle-Me-Elmo”. Show us one. – Dave L. | 39 | image |
| 14 | Tie-dye something that definitely, absolutely, should not be tie-dyed. (You can use homemade vegetable dyes, if you like.) | 33 | image |
| 15 | During a pandemic, it’s important to maintain social distancing, but sometimes we also want to deliver food to loved ones at home. To be safe, GISHCORP has patented a food-delivery system called DineSafe™ wherein the chef simply uses a household electric fan (ceiling or otherwise) to serve meals and snacks to family members from a safe distance. | 36 | video |
| 16 | (UP TO 30 SECONDS) Carry on Wayward Son, performed on a hurdy-gurdy. (If you’ve already submitted a zamphone video, your entry is still valid) | 62 | video |
| 17 | American politics in a nutshell. Literally. – Brio444 | 34 | image |
| 18 | Snack attack! This one was a brutal one. Caption “snack attack” on the image. | 20 | image |
| 19 | (TIMELAPSE) A melted-crayon rainbow “drip painting” portrait of an LGBTQIA icon or message of LGBTQIA inclusion and support. | 41 | video |
| 20 | In some circumstances, blind or visually impaired people can sometimes use a little assistance from sighted people. If you’re a sighted person, sign up for the Be My Eyes app and submit a photo with the app open on your phone. We trust you that you will actually use it and not just download it. Don’t practice bad karma. | 27 | image |
| 21 | Gyms have closed due to the pandemic, but luckily Gishers have innovated “gym workout machines” made from household appliances and objects. Let’s see your workout video set to rockin’ music. | 19 | video |
| 22 | Depict something you struggle with (mental health issues, a personal issue, etc) as a strange cryptid you encountered in the woods. Portray yourself befriending it as a new camp buddy or defeating it powerfully. | 54 | photo |
| 23 | Remember those rubber-band powered balsa-wood airplanes from when you were a kid that you would wind and wind and wind and let loose, and then it would fly into your mom’s lamp because you flew it indoors when you knew you were not supposed to? Make one of those – but really, really big. As big as you are thinking. Yeah, like that, but make it twice that big. – Dave L. | 72 | video |
| 24 | Sophie Prestigiacomo creates mysterious swamp creatures out of mud and moss in the Gulf of Morbihan in France. But these massive mud creatures aren’t only indigenous to this region. The proof: there was one in your yard this morning. | 87 | image |
| 25 | (STOP MOTION) Ever notice that just after the warranty expires, your appliances break? Well, it turns out that after years of diligent service without recognition or reward, your electronics and appliances got fed up and were ready to revolt. In fact, while you were away yesterday, all your home appliances were caught having a conversation in which they were plotting to strike and overthrow you, the homeowners. (Hint: the appliance doors opening and shutting, or levers going up and down could be their mouths opening and closing and you will need to add the voiceover.) | 60 | video |
| 26 | Jensen Apples: Create a shrunken-apple head doll of Jensen Ackles. It should be recognizable. | 44 | image |
| 27 | Thigh-high crocs. | 65 | image |
| 28 | Movies and lore often focus on the everyday scaring and terrorizing that monsters do. Let’s see one of the most mundane things a horror icon has to do in their daily lives. | 29 | Image or Video |
| 29 | LEGOAT. | 17 | image |
| 30 | A physically-distanced, working bicycle built for two. Seats must be AT LEAST 6′ apart. | 180 | video |
| 31 | Know who never has any problem maintaining proper physical-distances? Foosball players. Play a real-life game of foosball, scaled up to work on a real soccer field. Make sure the players are all spaced out along fixed length poles so that it’s impossible for them to get closer than 6 feet to each other, and make sure everyone wears a mask and nobody touches the ball with their hands. Bonus points for making a player “spin.” | 84 | video |
| 32 | (SIDE-BY-SIDE) Your loved ones have merit. There are so many things that are great about them! Create a merit badge for at least one person in your life showcasing a quality about them that you really love, and then present it to them (over Zoom is fine). Submit the close-up of the badge and the image of your friend receiving it, with a footnote describing what it signifies, if it is not obvious. | 41 | image |
| 33 | You have Merit, too! There are so many things you know how to do, and do well — as well as many things that you are just good at naturally, like being a good friend. Create a sash and decorate it with two or more merit badges identifying all the things about yourself that you are proud of. If the badges don’t make it clear, make sure to list their meaning in a footnote at the bottom of the image. | 51 | image |
| 34 | The Ballon d’Or, France’s highest football award, will not be awarded this year due to COVID shutting down the season for so many players. But that never stopped Gishers! So we’re awarding the Balloon d’Or – a contest pitting teams from every cabin against one another. Over Zoom, each team member must attempt to keep a balloon suspended in mid-air without clever edits and without touching it – breath-propulsion only, please. The GISH Team to keep their balloons aloft the longest will win the 2020 GISH Ballon d’Or. Submit your video with a comment stating how long the balloon was held aloft by your best player. | 22 | video |
| 35 | GRID. Instagram influencers everywhere carefully curate their feed to present an idyllic existence, but you’re not about that performative lifestyle. Buck the dramaturgical social mores of modern social media: make an Insta of A Terrible Life. Include all the lowlights of 2020: political arguments, COVID news, images of you failing or burning your toast or stubbing your toes, with at least 6 images all beautifully shot with “plandid” photography. Submit a grid and a link to your Instagram. Make sure it’s public so we can see it! | 34 | image |
| 36 | Cakes that look exactly like inanimate objects are all the rage on social media, but let’s see something that looks exactly like a cake until you cut it open and realize that it’s something else. | 46 | video |
| 37 | What’s something that you’ve never cooked or baked because it just seemed too daunting or difficult? Something you would never even begin to attempt to create no matter how good a chef you were. Cook that thing. Submit a side-by-side image showing what you created in one image; in the other, an example of an expert-level creation of the same food. | 30 | image |
| 38 | Writer’s Block. | 19 | image |
| 39 | A flower petal mandala with a belly button at its center. | 24 | image |
| 40 | Create a message of hope on your mask. Wear it proudly. | 12 | image |
| 41 | Antisocial butterfly. – Trina | 15 | image |
| 42 | What is GISH? We’re not exactly sure, but we sure want to read what you think it is. Write a 250-500 word essay and have it published to medium.com, as an op-ed in your local paper, or on any other curated blogging site (cannot be just a social media post). Your essay must employ the following phrases, “unreasonable pain and suffering,” and “it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Submit a screenshot of your essay and provide a link to your public post in the comments. | 21 | image |
| 43 | Social distancing guidelines tell us to keep a 6-foot distance between ourselves and other people, but how can we know what 6 feet are? Luckily Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are both over 6 feet tall. Show us a new device ensuring you are at least a Jensen or Jared distance away from loved ones. Bonus points if it alerts you when you get too close. – Maayan S. | 46 | Image or Video |
| 44 | (STOP MOTION) Plant a “seed,” and using stop motion, show us something unexpected sprouting from the ground. – Cass | 29 | video |
| 45 | With brutal snack attacks sweeping the globe, it was only a matter of time before the news media picked up on the story. Get a real news reporter or anchor to do a real broadcast of the latest “snack attack.” They MUST include your team name and “GISH” somewhere in the report and it must actually be broadcast during Hunt week. Bonus points if it airs during a national news broadcast. | 87 | video |
| 46 | Halloween is just around the corner, and COVID concerns are likely to interfere. Design a physically-distanced trick-or-treater candy delivery system. You must demonstrate that it can deliver candy into the bags of a trick-or-treater from an impressive distance. You may not use a drone to complete this item. -Dawn T. | 52 | video |
| 47 | It wouldn’t be summer camp without a game of physically-distanced Capture the Flag! Create a team flag and hang it somewhere publicly accessible outdoors that is NOT at your home or yard. Post the GPS coordinates on the GISH App or social media so other teams can locate it. Then go find at least one other team’s flag and “capture” it with a photograph. (No actual touching or taking of the flag allowed.) Make sure to include your victorious self in the picture. – Dana D. | 28 | image |
| 48 | (SIDE-BY-SIDE) This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in the United States. We’ve made a lot of progress since then, but women represent only 25% of the US Senate and 23% of the House of Representatives, so we still have a long way to go. Find a female candidate you support and update a women’s suffrage poster so that instead of being about obtaining the right TO vote for women, it’s about getting votes FOR women — specifically, your candidate. Post the vintage poster and your update on social media, tagging the candidate and @sheshouldrun. Then, submit both the original poster and your updated version as a side-by-side image with the link to your social media post. (Do not submit a screenshot of your post — we want your original artwork.) – Inspired by Jrosebud | 48 | image |
| 49 | (UP TO 30 SECONDS) Laughter is the best medicine; music soothes the soul. Create a 30-second rendition of “So Happy Together” or “Walkin’ on Sunshine” composed entirely of you and your teammates and friends laughing, where laughter is the musical notes. Get creative with the “music video” for your new hit. | 17 | video |
| 50 | Every Gisher has the soul of an epic poet, and we can prove it. Each member of your team should write one line of an epic poem on social media about overcoming hardship so that it flows brilliantly as a cohesive piece.The Captain of your team should post this as the first line of your poem: “We’ve got work to do… #GISHEpicPoems” Then, each active member of your team should chime in with a subsequent line (and ONLY one line) of poetry in a threaded post, each tagging #GISHEpicPoems. At the end, the Captain should post: “But nothing ever really ends… does it? #GISHEpicPoems” and tag another team to continue the thread. If your team is tagged by another team, continue the thread with Step A. Your poem may not be about any fandom or feature any pop culture characters. Submit an image of your finished poem and then also submit it HERE in text. (If any of your teammates cannot access your team’s chosen platform due to censorship or restrictions in their country of origin, and you have no other social media platform options that are fully inclusive, the Team Captain may post the line they have authored in their stead and tag it with the author’s username.) | 37 | image |
| 51 | Present your significant other with a beautifully hand-cut, dramatic, 24-carrot ring. That is not a typo. – Dave L. | 14 | image |
| 52 | (TIMELAPSE) Write the word “VOTE” as land art, at least 100 meters long. The message may be mowed or plowed if it’s land typically used in such a fashion, or you may use found objects or though any other means of land art, but your artwork must not damage the ecosystem or impact protected land. If you want to get creative, your message may be any pro-voting text or image. Take a video filmed from a drone that starts close to the ground and the text only becomes clear when the drone reaches a certain altitude. Post it online tagging @WhenWeAllVote and #GISHOutTheVote, then submit the video and your link to us. | 239 | video |
| 53 | ITEM REMOVED. | 0 | video |
| 54 | Anyone can camp in the middle of the forest, but with wildfire season at a high, that’s just too risky, and campgrounds are too crowded. Pitch your tent underwater to be safe! We want to see it all: a tent, cooler, sleeping bags… and, of course, a lone camper, roasting marshmallows over a “campfire.” | 93 | image |
| 55 | (Up to 30 Seconds) Don’t touch that dial! Make a cheesy, 80’s-style sit-com “opening credits” video of your team. | 41 | video |
| 56 | Mobilize, Gishers! Get at least 10 NEW people to register to vote and pledge to vote in the next election of their respective countries. Submit a video of photos of all the new voters you’ve mobilized each holding a sign that says, “I will vote.” 10 points per new registrant up to a possible 200 points per team, with bonus points for impressive numbers of registrants. On your honor… no cheating! | 200 | video |
| 57 | Spidermannequin. NOT a Spider-man mannequin. A spidermannequin. | 42 | image |
| 58 | (TEAM GRID ITEM) Some people have politicized the wearing of masks as a violation of freedom. Create a stealth mask that people can wear around anti-maskers without stirring controversy: paint a photo-realistic face of YOUR face on a mask so casual observers won’t know that you’re actually a thoughtful citizen. Take a photo of each member of your team wearing their own not-a-mask mask and submit a grid image. You should all be recognizable wearing masks that look like yourselves. (TO BE CLEAR: Nobody is to share masks. That’s just gross and dangerous! Each team member should wear their own mask that looks like their own face and model it.) | 77 | image |
| 59 | The interior roofs of most cars are boring — but not yours. Paint a re-creation of all or part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling on the interior roof of your car. — Inspired by Rebecca T. | 62 | image |
| 60 | They say you shouldn’t bury your feelings, but in this case, we’ll make an exception. Bury your anger or frustration and give it a proper funeral. – Misha’s Mom | 21 | image |
| 61 | The takedown of statues commemorating racist historical figures has been making news lately, and it’s about time. But we still need statues, or where will pigeons roost? Instead of a monument to a person, create a statue that embodies a value (like “Fearless Girl” in New York City or “Dignity” in South Dakota). The statue may be made of any materials, but must be at least 2 feet tall and include a didactic. If it is safe to do so, install it in a public space. Bonus points if it replaces a recently torn-down statue. | 90 | image |
| 62 | Nothing’s more annoying than cracking an egg over the campfire and getting shells in the pan. But now with new, patent-pending GISHCORP Zippable Eggs, it’s no longer a problem! The zipper must go around the circumference of a real eggshell and really work to open and close the shell and release real egg yolk and whites. | 58 | video |
| 63 | “It was the best of times, it was the wurst of times.” Create a working clock with sausages for hands. | 19 | Image or Video |
| 64 | Stonehenge wasn’t a druidic temple, an amphitheater, or a cosmic calendar; it was an unfinished construction project. Create what you think Stonehenge was going to be before funding ran out, using materials found in your kitchen. | 23 | Image or Video |
| 65 | Climate change affects everyone, even the Gingerbread community. The frosting ice-caps are melting and milk storms are wreaking havoc on the cookie lands. Show us how they Gingerbread villagers are coping with (or solving) the issue. | 44 | image |
| 66 | Juggle your “responsibilities.” | 22 | video |
| 67 | Under Pressure! Pressure-wash a portrait of David Bowie or Freddie Mercury into your sidewalk or a wall. | 52 | image |
| 68 | REMOVED. If you’ve already submitted on this Item, you will receive points. | 62 | image |
| 69 | Let’s Tulpa COVID out of existence. Create your own artistic version of the Amabie, a Japanese monster said to cure disease if a picture of it is displayed. You may use any medium. – Laura B | 30 | image |
| 70 | (TIMELAPSE) It’s time for Family Obstacle Course Day. 2.0! Nothing gets the kids more excited about doing household chores than making it a challenge. Design a challenging obstacle course that incorporates no less than 3 chores that must be done and speed run its completion. – Inspired by the Ackles Family | 18 | video |
| 71 | (UP TO 2 MINUTES.) Interview someone who was there for a momentous time in history at least 50 years ago: D-day, the dust bowl, Depression bread lines, Pearl Harbor, Woodstock — you get the idea. Check out StoryCorps for examples, and Story Corps Questions for ideas on conversational prompts. #MyGISHStory | 61 | video |
| 72 | (MONTAGE) Meet up over Zoom and compete in an Olympic event against a real Olympian or pro athlete — first, in the event they excel at, then at whatever YOUR “best” skill is in life. | 33 | video |
| 73 | Create a story quilt about 2020 for future generations. In keeping with the true experience of 2020, it should incorporate some burlap or other really rough material. | 51 | image |
| 74 | ITEM REMOVED. | 0 | video |
| 75 | The United States has been through more downs than ups since we installed the Trumpoline. | 45 | Image or Video |
| 76 | ITEM REMOVED | 68 | image |
| 77 | Some days, you just don’t want to get off the couch. Fortunately, you’re a member of the circus troupe, Cirque Do So Lazy! Show us the most overly-complicated way you can come up with to perform a simple long-distance task without leaving your comfy spot. | 32 | video |
| 78 | The 21st century has brought us so many modern conveniences, from cars with rear mirrors and sensors to help us park, to self-driving cars. Show us what a 19th-century variation of a modern convenience would look like. – Monica D. | 26 | image |
| 79 | (TIMELAPSE) Use bagpipes to inflate three balloons (over the drones). | 74 | video |
| 80 | Gourd your loins. Create a swimsuit out of the exterior of a gourd. Remember: it’s a zero-waste hunt, so find a way to use or consume the interior of the gourd. (Of course, you always wear a fresh gourd, not a dried one, for health & safety reasons.) | 46 | image |
| 81 | A stylish gentleman with luxurious nose-and-ear hair extensions. | 29 | image |
| 82 | Perform exploratory surgery on a Furby. | 47 | Image or Video |
| 83 | They say you can’t get blood from a stone. Prove them wrong: draw blood from a stone. | 38 | video |
| 84 | A lot of people missed commencement, and we won’t have that! Host a long-distance commencement for a recent graduate. Use a drone or other long-distance device to move the tassel from one side of the mortarboard to the other and to drop off a diploma from at least 12 feet away. | 43 | video |
| 85 | (UP TO 60 SECONDS) Over Zoom, hold a talent show at a retirement home — with a catch: this is a Quid Pro Quo talent show. Get a retiree to showcase their talents in exchange for sharing yours. | 65 | video |
| 86 | Jared Plaidalecki. Show us a portrait of everyone’s favorite moose, made all out of plaid. | 44 | image |
| 87 | What does Congressional Recess look like? Show one or more actual members of Congress or Parliament at play with downward slides, see-sawing, or, the swing (votes). You must label your submission with the Congresspeople’s names. Bonus points if you get Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, AOC (Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez), or another top leader to participate in your submission. Double bonus points if they enact it on the Senate Floor. (In keeping with the rules of Congress, you may use a proxy to achieve this.) | 92 | video |
| 88 | In the past, we asked you to Salt and Pepper Iron Man, so it seems only fitting you create a Spice-Art tribute to Iron Man’s creator, the late, great Stan Lee. Whether it is the man himself, or his comic book creations, create a Spicy-Art tribute to Stan. Excelsior! | 69 | image |
| 89 | An interview with any cinematic superhero explaining why they are, and have always been, against fascism. Bonus points if you get Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Scarlett Johannson, or any other recognizable Marvel or DC superhero actor as your interview subject. Double bonus points if they do it in costume and/or in character. Post to social media tagged #SuperheroesAgainstFacism and #GISH. | 40 | video |
| 90 | It’s important not to infantilize elderly people, but in THIS case we’ll make an exception. Re-create a portrait of one or more adults over the age of 60 in the style of an Anne Geddes poster. | 36 | image |
| 91 | Bugs get bored, too. Build a tiny board game for bugs and show them playing. | 23 | image |
| 92 | Clear customs using a parachute. | 170 | image |
| 93 | (TIMELAPSE) Mythbuster and mechanical engineering genius, Grant Imahara, tragically passed away this year. He was slated to be one of our GISH Guests for this year’s Hunt, and we’re heartbroken by his loss so in tribute to him, projectile-paint a portrait of Grant Imahara using slingshots, a mechanized catapult, or other “projectile” or robotic system. This is the Item we had planned to do with Grant, so do your best to honor his memory. | 84 | video |
| 94 | On the set of Supernatural, they often say “don’t pull the thread” of the plot. We say go ahead and pull it! Weave a tapestry of an iconic scene from Supernatural. | 73 | image |
| 95 | (UP TO 1 MINUTE) The Supernatural final episodes got delayed due to COVID. Show us what Dean, Castiel, and Sam are up to while sheltering in place due to the pandemic. | 55 | Image or Video |
| 96 | (STOP MOTION – UP TO 1 MINUTE) We’re too impatient to wait for The End of Supernatural. (Though nothing ever really ends… does it?) Film a “spoiler-free” trailer for the final episode as you imagine it. | 39 | video |
| 97 | In Supernatural, Sam and Dean use salt to fight against the bad guys. Depict a cryptid or monster using only salt. – Ashlynn A. | 28 | image |
| 98 | (UP TO 60 seconds) Every year, I send Gishers to visit my grandmother and the residents of Roland Park Place retirement community in Baltimore, MD, or other retirement communities. But obviously, COVID has put a stop to such drop-in visits. I can’t even send a card! However, she does love serenades. Originally, I was sending people to her balcony to serenade her but for everyone’s safety, she has commanded that we use technology instead, and if Gammy commands it, it must be done: First, dress up in the attire of a bygone era from the 1920s-1970s and perform a sweet and sentimental song from the era for my grandmother and other residents of retirement communities. Then, post this video online tagged #SongsForSeniors & #GISH. Submit your original video to us and also send it to the residents of your local nursing home. One caveat: The singer may not send their serenade to their own relative exclusively. | 55 | video |
| 99 | (UP TO 30 SECONDS) Washer, Texas Ranger. “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us… so we should stay 6 feet apart!” In the style of old Westerns, create a trailer for Jared Padelecki’s new series, prominently featuring his obsession with high-noon, hand-sanitizing duels to take on the baddest villain in town. Bonus points if you get Jared Padalecki to make a cameo appearance. | 58 | video |
| 100 | Submarine sandwiches are delicious, but they can be too filling. Make a tiny sub sandwich so small that you have to use a microscope or magnifying glass to see it. | 40 | image |
| 101 | Epic poems are, well, epic. But they’re also way too long. Re-write a classic epic poem such as Beowulf or the Iliad for modern attention spans — as a tweet-thread of no more than 10 tweets. Submit a screenshot and also a link to your poem. | 22 | image |
| 102 | (UP TO 60 SECONDS) Give Sarah Cooper a run for her money lip-syncing Trump or any other politician you think deserves this presidential treatment. | 17 | video |
| 103 | COVID has affected just about everyone in one way or another, and we need to remind the world how serious this pandemic is. Find someone whose life has been materially impacted by the pandemic – an overworked “essential” worker, someone who has been laid off, etc. Ask them to take a self-portrait holding a sign explaining their story briefly or how COVID has impacted their life. Post it on social media (with their consent) tagged #GISH and #WearAMask. | 22 | image |
| 104 | At GISH summer camp, we don’t make yarn-based “God’s Eyes”, we make Chuck’s eyes, obviously. Make a portrait of Rob Benedict using only craft sticks wrapped with yarn. You are NOT allowed to paint or dye the yarn after the fact. | 50 | image |
| 105 | (UP TO 60 SECONDS) Write and sing an original protest song about police brutality, and the racist foundations of the United States’ criminal justice system. | 33 | video |
| 106 | The Curiosity rover has been driving on Mars since 2012, collecting close-up images of the Mars surface. The rover team uses these images to train the rover how to recognize different types of terrain by itself, to improve the rover’s autonomous driving ability. Help classify some of the Mars images that the rover team will actually use to train the rover. Sign up at AI4Mars, complete the tutorial, and complete at least one image classification exercise. Send us a screenshot of your completed image classification. – Dave L. | 48 | image |
| 107 | One of the best things about summer carnivals is food on a stick, but it’s usually junk food or shish kebabs, and that’s so limiting! Make an upscale 7-course dinner-on-a-stick worthy of a Michelin 4-star restaurant. Every course, from the amuse-bouche to the salad to dessert, should be represented, and it must be beautifully presented. All courses must be served on a single stick. | 46 | image |
| 108 | (GRID) We need to get out the vote in the US, and we need your help to do it! Get at least 50 people to text “ArmyForGood” and “YourTeamName” (whatever that is) to Misha at (323) 405-9939. You may get the help of your team members or any other US or Canadian residents you know. Submit a grid showing all the messages. NOTE: 1. Each person may text “ArmyForGood” ONLY ONCE, and for ONE team only. 2. This number will only work for phone numbers in the US and Canada. 3. If you are international, your team may use a proxy, but again, each person may only text “ArmyForGood” once, and only for one team only (their own or another). Reach out to your extended networks and outside the GISH Community to help you achieve this Item. 4. Misha will later text everyone back about Get Out The Vote initiatives. Not during the Hunt! | 36 | image |
| 109 | (SIDE-BY-SIDE) You’ve heard of friendship bracelets, yes? We’re making Friendship FaceMasks! Using our guide, make a mask for you and your friend. Pose side-by-side and 6 feet apart. | 43 | image |
| 110 | NASA launched the “Perseverance” rover to Mars this week. The rover is carrying “Ingenuity” tucked underneath the rover – the first-ever planetary helicopter. Create your own model version of Ingenuity using only paper and glue, no other materials. – Dave L. | 51 | Image or Video |
| 111 | Give a stump speech about the dangers of deforestation while standing on (or sitting next to) a tree stump, just the way the Lorax would have done. | 21 | video |
| 112 | (GRID) Get at least 50 people to request an absentee or mail-in ballot for the US November election. Submit a grid showing proof of their request with addresses and last names obscured, as well as a total number of ballots you collected. (Don’t cheat: it’s bad karma and also illegal.) You may get more than 50 people to sign up. 100% Bonus points for 10 teams with the most mail-in ballots. | 50 | image |
| 113 | PUZZLE. Something cryptic is out there… | 51 | image |
| 114 | Let’s face it, besides being totally real, Santa Claus is our way of preparing kids for a lifetime of annual performance reviews and merit-based bonuses. But the kids have had enough and now they’ve unionized. Show at least one child under 10 on strike at Kris Kringle’s house, protesting the meritocracy and demanding parity in presents for all children. | 30 | Image or Video |
| 115 | Hand-write a poem about Sam, Dean, Castiel and Jack written in heroic couplet, triadic-line poetry, or quatrains, depending on the number of characters you use. | 28 | image |
| 116 | The members of our community experiencing homelessness are struggling the hardest with lack of access to disinfectants, hand sanitizers, and masks. Set up a physically-distanced donation station in an appropriate area with cloth masks and hand sanitizer, soap, bottled water, pre-wrapped snacks or other survival needs in ziplock bags clipped to a fence or other location. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do this, take the utmost care so you do not transmit the virus in case you’re an asymptomatic carrier: Only handle items with gloved hands and only while wearing a mask yourself, and stay away from others. | 47 | image |
| 117 | Dinner tonight? Mom’s famous feetloaf. We said what we said. – Dave L. | 25 | image |
| 118 | (MONTAGE – UP TO 2 MINUTES) This year marks the 10th year anniversary of GISH! To celebrate, we’re hosting a GISH blowout anniversary celebration: Complete 10 random acts of kindness. And because the 10 year anniversary is commemorated with ‘tin’, we expect you to be wearing your most fashionable tin(foil) hat as you complete your RAOKs. Get creative (Random Acts has some great ideas!) and compile a video of all your acts. (Different team members may complete the 10 items). | 100 | video |
| 119 | My dear friend Darius Marder’s film, The Sound Of Metal, explores life in the d/Deaf community. During the press junket, we realized that not enough video content online is captioned. Let’s do something about that. Find a video that you think is important, valuable, or entertaining that is not captioned and add closed captions. Submit a screenshot of you captioning the video and a link to the completed work. | 58 | image |
| 120 | How does your pet respond to a Musical Jello (Jelly) board? (For safety’s sake, don’t let your pet consume the Jello (Jelly), especially if it’s artificially sweetened.) | 87 | video |
| 121 | Not that we have a strong opinion on the topic, but to be a casual English language grammar prescriptivist is to be complicit and prideful in systems that, by nature, devalue cultural and colloquial flexibility in the use of language (lookin’ at you, AAVE) by maintaining that only those selective demographics who have dominated the academy, or been deemed valuable by the academy, have the license to create language to suit their communicative needs — Big Academia only affords the grace of words to the voices of a specific demographic (generally, in the West, the well-educated, affluent and predominantly white members of society). Perform a mic-dropping slam poem highlighting the value of eschewing prescriptivism and embracing dynamic, evolving forms and dialects of grammar. You may not USE any language variance that’s currently in use (like AAVE) to do this item as it may be appropriative or racially or technically insensitive, depending on the speaker… instead, you must perform it in academic English. Hypocritical? Yup. | 42 | video |
| 122 | We are concerned that our anti-coronavirus face masks are not big enough, and some of the little greebles might be finding their way around the edges. Help solve that problem by creating a new style of face mask, one that covers the entire body. Model your creation while socially distancing yourself from a greeble (No, we don’t know what one looks like either – we leave that up to your imagination). – Dave L. | 74 | image |
| 123 | A person sporting a pink cotton candy beehive hairdo, made of real cotton candy. | 33 | image |
| 124 | Invent LEGO Socks. Not socks made out of LEGO (we already have those). We mean socks that protect your feet when you step on a LEGO brick in the middle of the night. Not shoes. SOCKS. | 50 | Image or Video |
| 125 | Create a physically-distanced show of SUPPORT for hospital workers. If it is safe for you to do so in your area, place a sign outside a hospital wearing a mask and gloves showing your appreciation. Do not come into contact with others. | 56 | image |
| 126 | The littlest kids in your neighborhood miss group story time. Project a children’s book on a large wall, your garage, a sheet, or another large surface for long-distance viewing and, using a bullhorn, read aloud to the neighborhood kids from afar. | 66 | video |
| 127 | Some world leaders are morally corrupt, incompetent, and dangerous, but other leaders are rays of hope and beams of light. Using “pin-prick” art, create a portrait of a world leader or influential figure who you think light up the world, then post to social media and tag them with #YouLightUpTheWorld. | 28 | image |
| 128 | The characters of Supernatural, as ornamental dog busts. | 63 | image |
| 129 | Create a terrorarium, filled with things that go bump in the night. | 48 | image |
| 130 | It’s hard not to be dazzled by your favorite celebrity. Create a bedazzled portrait of them, then post it to social media and tag @GISH and the celebrity with #YouDazzleMe. Then, submit the original image and the social media link to us. | 52 | image |
| 131 | At dusk, seek out one or more real living fireflies somewhere in the US or Canada, document and upload your observations to iNaturalist. Join the Firefly Project and tag your observations to: Fireflies of the USA and Canada. Send us a screenshot. Bonus points: Share a video of yourself or loved ones communicating with the fireflies. – Karina W. | 36 | Image or Video |
| 132 | A velvet painting of Supernatural characters in the Men of Letters Bunker playing poker. | 62 | image |
| 133 | A Rube Goldberg machine that successfully feeds a dog or cat a treat. | 29 | video |
| 134 | Our friends at The Art Department have been collecting futuristic postcard mail art, inspired by postal art of the 1960s and 70s, which was visual, concise, non-commercial, and political. Make a piece of original mail art, featuring your vision of an imagined future. Tell us what kind of world you want to see, including your own variation on “Please imagine a world…” Submit your original postcard art to us and mail your postcard to the address noted on this website. | 43 | image |
| 135 | Make and fly a spectacular kite made from all natural, non paper, sources: leaves, seeds, flowers, twigs, etc. String and glue are allowed. | 33 | image |
| 136 | We’ve seen face masks for humans and even for dogs, but we have yet to see one for your car’s grill. Fix this egregious oversight. | 41 | image |
| 137 | Create a “beaded” curtain out of whatever you can find in your kitchen that is NOT beads or pasta. | 55 | image |
| 138 | Mother loves your macaroni art, and we’d hate to disappoint her. Paint a perfect recreation of Whistler’s Mother on a single piece of elbow macaroni. | 48 | image |
| 139 | Reanimate dead tofu into Frankentofu. Maintain edibility. | 31 | image |
| 140 | You know the old saying: something old, something new, something borrowed and something polyethylene. Create a beautiful wedding gown made out of recycled plastic shopping bags and other plastic refuse. (Recycle afterwards!) | 51 | image |
| 141 | Create a superhero named Cowboy. No not THAT cowboy. Cow Boy. | 25 | Image or Video |
| 142 | Start a new trend: evergreen eyebrows. Post to Instagram tagged #EvergreenEyeLooks and #GISH. Submit your original photo and the link to your public social media post. | 21 | image |
| 143 | Seems like a lot of tech innovation centers around the same stuff — selfies, memes, etc. Create a prototype of your own new device or app using whatever’s handy (cardboard, recycled paper, string, etc.), then make a video explaining your wildly original world-changing technology (for example: a Xerox machine for smells, electronic pants that teach you how to dance; etc); and why investors should fund it. 100% Bonus points if you get a venture capitalist to chip in $5,000 or more to Random Acts for a stake in your idea. 200% bonus points if it’s Jeff Bezos and it’s $10,000 or more. | 63 | video |
| 144 | Look, we get it. Everybody hates wearing masks, even though they’re socially responsible and life-saving. Fortunately, GISHCORP has the solution. Create a prototype for a transparent face mask while still affording you a cool breeze. Don’t worry, we’ll work out the n95-level filtration technology later. Let’s see you smile behind it. | 33 | Image or Video |
| 145 | Lasts: Find an old photo that depicts the last of something for you. For example:The last time I held your hand The last time I saw you The last time we hugged The last time my parent carried me in from the car The last time I felt truly carefree Etc. | 40 | image |
| 146 | It’s time for #GISHBOND 2.0! Using the GISH App, reach out to other Gishers and find one person who has an unconventional commonality with you. (It can’t be fandom related.) Find one thing that each of you could use to get through this rough year and figure out a way to provide it for each other. Submit an image or video of you both illustrating your strange bond and how you helped each other out. (If you participated in the first #GISHBOND challenge, check in with your previous GISHBond-buddy and see how they’re doing, too.) Post to social media tagged #GISHBond. Please submit your original image or video with a link to your social media post. | 31 | Image or Video |
| 147 | (TIMELAPSE) A TikTok-style “process” video of you braiding your hair into a fruit basket. | 18 | video |
| 148 | (SIDE-BY-SIDE) They say you can’t really know someone until you walk in their shoes. We say, “Prove it!” Using the TikTok “floating body parts” challenge, create a synchronized dance routine with a friend, or teammate and, as you dance, have the other person’s body parts float in and snap in place until you’ve swapped places in frame. Post it on TikTok tagged #GISH and send us the video and the link. | 89 | video |
| 149 | Using Zoom backgrounds and clever editing, ride a virtual rollercoaster so convincingly that it appears you’re actually on the ride. | 31 | video |
| 150 | It’s painting night — with a twist, of course. Using Zoom, Google Hangouts or other video conferencing software, each member of your team has to paint a portion of a famous painting. So if it was Van Gogh’s Starry Night, you’d split the painting into a grid of 15 and each person on your team paints their assigned grid piece ONLY. Submit a still of all active team members holding up their pieces in the grid as if it is a completed image. – Kamila B. | 48 | image |
| 151 | (UP TO 60 SECONDS) The Absence of Presence is Kansas’ brand-new album, and with quarantine, so many of us are feeling the absence of presence deeply. Write a song in tribute to someone you miss and perform it for them (over Zoom, if possible, or to a photo of them if not). Post it online and tag @kansasband, @GISH, and #TheAbsenceOfPresence. | 36 | video |
| 152 | Using forced perspective, take a portrait with your pet aligned so that the pet’s nose and mouth become your nose and mouth, as though you are one entity. | 23 | image |
| 153 | At Camp Welaka, the Girl Scouts write wishes on paper airplanes and send them out into the world. But we don’t trust airlines to get our wishes where they need to go. Write your wishes on tiny pieces of hand-made biodegradable confetti made from leaves and cast them into the wind. — Inspired by Katie | 22 | Image or Video |
| 154 | Show us a soldier dancing a beautifully choreographed, physically distanced rendition of the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy or Swan Lake while dressed in full combat fatigues. | 26 | video |
| 155 | Soft-play centers in the UK are facing closures due to COVID, leaving kids no place to jump and scream their energy out while parents have a coffee and think about their life choices. There’s only one solution: turn your living room into an all-ages soft-play center for your inner toddler, using couch cushions and other household supplies. | 18 | image |
| 156 | In our most recent mini-hunt, we wrote letters to Willie Simmons, a man who has been jailed in Alabama for 38 years over a matter of a $9 robbery. He’s still in prison, despite good behavior, a clear victim of the inequities of the for-profit incarceration system in the United States. Let’s do something about that. Send an origami dove to Gov. Kay Ivey (600 Dexter Ave, Montgomery, AL 36130). On it, write a quote about justice and “Uncage Willie Simmons.” | 38 | image |
| 157 | In our April Hunt, our beloved friend, photographer and humanitarian Giles Duley, hosted a ‘storytelling in photography’ panel in which he spoke of the empowering act of turning the camera on yourself (literally or metaphorically) to tell your own story. (If you missed it, you can watch it HERE.) It’s time to take a page out of Giles’ book: create a self-portrait that accurately illustrates some facet of yourself and your story that you would like to reclaim to empower yourself. Caption the portrait in a footnote that explains briefly what your image communicates. | 21 | image |
| 158 | (UP TO 5 MINUTES) Celebrities performed a speed-run of The Princess Bride recently, but they’re not the only ones that can do this! It’s time for GISH Super Short Socially-Distanced Cinema starring Everybody! Collaborate with your teammates to recreate a single scene of your favorite movie (EXCEPT the Princess Bride), 100% at home and 100% socially-distanced. Post it online tagging #GISH with a fundraiser link to the World Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry, or the World Food Programme. Submit your movie to us along with a link to your fundraiser to show how much you raised. | 40 | video |
| 159 | Every 2 minutes, a child dies of malaria as a result of a mosquito bite. But we can help. Get at least 10 people not on your team to chip in at least $1 each to Nothing But Nets (for a total of $10) to provide at least 2 long-lasting insecticidal bed nets to families in impoverished countries. Submit an image with proof of your donation(s). | 33 | image |
| 160 | COVID-related school closures have hit low-income families without access to technology harder than most. In many areas, schools may not reopen in the fall, which will make access to education harder for many. Get a wealthy donor or business (not a team member) to donate one tablet or iPad (or more) to a low-income child-in-need. | 60 | image |
| 161 | CHANGE A LIFE. This year, the Black Lives Matter movement helped cast a spotlight on the United States’ approach to criminal justice, highlighting ugly truths about a prison system badly in need of reform. The US criminal justice system disproportionately targets people of color, subjecting them to brutal, harrowing punishments that would be inhumane regardless of the alleged infraction that brought them behind bars — and many prisoners are detained and denied basic human rights behind bars despite being guilty of minor offenses or of no crime at all. Every year, over 600,000 people enter prison gates. Even more troubling, 10.6 million people cycle through local county jails each year. To complicate matters, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned correctional facilities into death camps. As cases spread through overcrowded prisons and jails, social distancing becomes impossible, masks and other personal protective equipment are scarce, access to alcohol-based hand sanitizer is often banned, and medical care has a long history of neglectful treatment. We’re going to try to do something to protect people at risk of oppression and human rights violations in the United States Criminal Justice System. YOUR MISSION In partnership with Dream Corps (a 501 (c)(3)), we’re setting a goal of raising $100,000 to help close prison doors and open doors of opportunity for people incarcerated in the United States who are being subjected to inhumane and unjust treatment. To be clear, this isn’t an issue of guilt or innocence; it’s a human rights issue. No person should face abuse or risk death due to a lack of adequate resources and proper, humane treatment. WHAT TO DO: Create a fundraiser page here and get at least 10 donations of a minimum of $10 (GoFundMe’s lowest denomination). WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU OR YOUR TEAMMATES TO DONATE. Rather, we ask that you reach out to the global community and your social networks to make a contribution. Then, submit a screenshot of your fundraiser showing 10 donations and the total amount donated to us for your points. WHAT YOUR DONATIONS DO: Your donations will help fund Dream Corps’ efforts to “#cut50” — a bipartisan effort to cut crime and incarceration across all 50 states – while moving the needle toward criminal justice reform on several levels to create a more equitable and just system. Funds from this campaign will go to programs that: (1) create dignity and safety for incarcerated people. (2) provide critically needed policy change that expands life-saving treatment, testing, sanitation gear to protect those behind bars from the pandemic, (3) fight for badly-needed legislative prison reform that reduces incarceration and provides fair chances for people when they return to communities, and (4) support advocacy programs that help formerly incarcerated leaders share their experiences with those empowered to change the system – changing minds, hearts, and laws. We invite you to please join us in achieving our goal of raising 100,000 to help change the lives of people who experienced atrocities and prejudices similar to Pamela Winn. DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE AND 100% OF THE DONATIONS GO TO THESE EFFORTS (for countries other than the U.S., deductions are contingent on your laws). | 313 | image |
| 162 | In an impoverished area, set up a zero-touch delivery system (such as a little free library or school supply resource library) to provide books and school materials to children at home. | 43 | image |
| 163 | In the US, the Trump administration has moved to repeal transgender protections at single-sex homeless shelters. Show us a letter or statement from a top administrative official at a single-gender local homeless shelter that reads “Trans women are women (or “trans men are men”, if it’s a men’s shelter). You are welcome here.” Make sure to label the facility with the date and location. | 33 | image |
| 164 | A hand crank-operated laptop computer, just like your great grandparents had. | 61 | video |
| 165 | With everyone sheltering in place, we’re seeing the positive effects of less fossil fuel consumption almost immediately. Invent a new green mode of transport and build a prototype. (e.g., solar-powered rocket skates, a car driven by a water wheel and reclaimed water, etc…) | 58 | Image or Video |
| 166 | Burning Man has been canceled, but COVID can’t take the festival of radical self-reliance away from us. Introducing Backyard Burning Man! Build a miniature version of “The Man” in your back yard or driveway and burn it in effigy. (You may ONLY set it ablaze if you can do so safely– otherwise, you may submit an image or your unburned work.) And of course, remember: leave no trace when you’re done. | 33 | Image or Video |
| 167 | Fashion has a huge carbon footprint: the textile industry contributes around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions as well as 20% of global waste water, while 85% of textiles end up in landfills or are incinerated when most of these materials could be reused… to say nothing of the “fast fashion” clothing that doesn’t wear well and ends up discarded. But we’re changing that. Go through your closets and remove any clothing or linens that are not even donation-worthy anymore. Make the most fantastical rag-and-scrap-overalls ever created and model it as befits such a magnificent creation–with you hard at work in a garden or garage. You may waste NOTHING. | 82 | image |
| 168 | We often think of ocean pollution as a problem of keeping trash from going into the ocean, but everything’s connected — unrecycled waste on land is often consumed by sea birds that then are consumed by marine life, affecting the entire food chain. Create a majestic sea bird all out of waste plastic to illustrate the point. | 51 | image |
| 169 | (SIDE-BY-SIDE) Last year, we started the #GISH International Forest. (If you played last year, how are your trees doing? Check in on them regularly!) This year, we’re doubling-down on the challenge: plant at LEAST one tree for the #GISH International Forest — in person if you can safely do so, or through an organization like One Tree Planted, if you prefer. Then, from a seed, start a tree in your own home. You can plant seeds from a citrus fruit, an avocado seed, pine cone seeds, etc. Show us a picture of your sapling and your seed being planted. (If you don’t have a way to safely plant a seedling, you can use One Tree Planted or another tree-planting site.) | 48 | image |
| 170 | Bogie and Bacall. Sandy and Danny. Doc and Marty. Turner and Hooch. Some movie duos stand the test of time, and Misha and the Queen are no different. Draw or paint a poster of HRH and Misha as an iconic pairing in a scene from a classic or beloved film. You must digitally (or old-fashioned) paint or draw this. You’re not permitted to simply photoshop their heads on the bodies of actors on a movie poster. For obvious reasons, you may not depict any scene from Titanic or Gone With The Wind. | 62 | image |
| 171 | Battery-operated toothbrushes are popular in some parts of the world, but they’re just not sustainable. Besides, we don’t have time to brush our teeth AND exercise every morning. Create the latest, clean-energy alternative that solves both problems: a bicycle-powered toothbrush. | 84 | video |
| 172 | (UP TO 30 SECONDS) As you may know, last year my family unveiled “The Adventurous Eaters Club Cookbook” to help teach people to be curious, healthy eaters — and to help families in disadvantaged situations to get access to healthy food. (100% of the profits from the book go to charities.) But the most important recipe in the book is the recipe for adventure. Create a 30-second video in the style of Buzzfeed “Tasty” cooking videos showing the most adventurous, irreverent recipe you can come up with using AT LEAST 1 food you have never tried before, then feed it to a quarantine compadre (or if you’re alone, eat it yourself). End it with a title card that says “GISHY.” Our favorite adventurous cooking videos will win a free copy of The Adventurous Eaters Club Cookbook! | 44 | video |
| 173 | You’re watching your carb intake, so skip the pasta today… literally. Create the longest linguine noodle you can and attempt to use it as a jump rope. PS: This is a zero-waste Hunt, so be prepared to eat what you make – make sure to skip your noodles over a clean surface! (Need help learning to make long-guine? @hipcooks has a lesson in the longest linguini-making.) | 70 | video |
| 174 | How are horn players weathering COVID? Show us a pandemic-safe wind instrument, such as a saxophone or other horn modified to be filtered (without muting the instrument.) Hint, the instrument wears the mask, not just the player. | 34 | video |
| 175 | (GRID) Create a set of Pokemon cards for all of the candidates on your ballot for your country’s next major or general election, down the entire ballot for your area. On each card, list the candidate’s positions as their “powers” and assign an overall Points value to the candidate. | 110 | image |
| 176 | There just aren’t enough walls around the White House right now and we’re worried poor Donald Trump just doesn’t feel safe. Build a White House birdfeeder with all the fences, walls, barricades, and barriers that the real White House has. Hang it outside with feed so the birds can feel safe and secure as they snack. | 53 | image |
| 177 | The Black Lives Matter movement inspired a lot of people to take action to address the realities of police brutality and the oppression that people of color live within many parts of the world every day. Thousands of people from all walks of life have been protesting, but with shelter-in-place restrictions and health considerations due to COVID, not everybody who has wanted to attend a rally or protest has been able to do so. We’re changing that. We’re hosting a virtual rally: post an image of yourself holding a poster with a message supporting equality or calling for an end to police brutality. Tag it #GISH4Equality and encourage your friends and teammates to participate, too. Then, submit your photo grid of yourself with your poster as well as the photos of other friends and teammates that joined in. Please submit the original picture grid of yourselves with your posters, NOT a screenshot of your posts. | 48 | image |
| 178 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg is known for her strength, her measured and wise jurisprudence, and her signature lace collars. But as all Gishers know, lacework used to be used to depict historic moments, so clearly you should crochet or knit a lace collar featuring a portrait of RBG or that conveys a message to her. | 78 | image |
| 179 | Starting last week, Italy began debate on Alessandro Zan’s anti-discrimination bill to make hate speech and discrimination against LGBT people a punishable offense. Show your support: draw an Italian landmark in rainbow colors. | 55 | image |
| 180 | A hinged jewelry box, but instead of a spinning ballerina inside, it’s a pole dancer. (no nudity) | 37 | video |
| 181 | If there are Red Vines, there must be licorice wines. Get a certified sommelier to sample the wares of your red and black varietals and give a review. | 46 | video |
| 182 | Where do sock puppets go camping? Boot camp, of course. | 29 | image |
| 183 | Add your voice to the Human Voice Bank at VocalID to help create a diverse resource so that people living with speechlessness can be heard in a voice that is uniquely theirs. Submit a video recording of your voice for this tool. | 39 | video |
| 184 | (UP TO 60 SECONDS) Representative John Lewis once said, “We all recognize the fact that if any radical social, political, and economic changes are to take place in our society, the people, the masses, must bring them about.” He dedicated his life to promoting racial justice and equality and causing “Good Trouble.” Though Rep. Lewis is gone, as proponents of Good Trouble and radical change, we invite Gishers to keep the flame alive. Identify one way that your entire team can agree to help solve the problem of systemic racism or sexism, and formulate a concrete plan to work together to solve it. Then, submit a video of your plan for causing #GoodTrouble — and on your honor, you must actually come together and do the thing. (We will be checking.) | 46 | video |
| 185 | (UP TO 1 MINUTE) Our friend Shoshannah Stern reads children’s stories in ASL with her Operation ASL Storytime. Let’s take a page out of her book: Find your favorite childhood story and read a page from it, all in sign language. (If you aren’t fluent, contact someone who is to verify accuracy. Any dialect is fine.) PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT post it online tagged with Shoshannah’s hashtag. That is a resource to provide linguistic access to children who are at risk of language deprivation. We need to keep that resource protected and accessible, so we’re serious about this: Don’t use her hashtag or you will be penalized! If you have posted with the hashtag, please delete and repost. | 37 | video |
| 186 | Everyone needs a bit of escape. Unfortunately, citizens of some countries can’t go pretty much anywhere right now. Create a quarantine escape portal in your hallway that transports you to another, exotic locale. Show yourself moving through the space and into the new vacation locale. | 42 | video |
| 187 | Oh My Chuck! God hath summoned thee to his… living room? Yes, the almighty Rob Benedict is holding a virtual concert today, Saturday August 1 at NOON PT. Attend (or find someone to attend as your proxy) to get your Item: “As some of you know, I had a stroke in 2013. It made me realize that there’s no time like the present to do all the things you want to do in life. (No Time Like The Present is also one of my album titles, so, shameless plug.) Don’t wait: Do the one thing you always wanted to try, but have never gotten around to doing. Submit a photo or video of you doing the thing, and explain what it is and what took you so long.” But remember: no collaboration allowed, which means you may not share proxies! A proxy may only help ONE team on any given item. NOTE: Live captions for the show will be available here! | 55 | Image or Video |
| 188 | Boris Johnson is looking for a spokesperson, and while I think I’m the natural candidate for the job I know that there are a lot of other qualified candidates out of work as well. Create a statement of suitability for your pet for this position. On your honor, you must mail it to PM BoJo at: The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA United Kingdom before the end of the hunt. | 24 | Image or Video |
| 189 | COLLAGE. No camp experience would be complete without a group sunrise or sunset picture with your besties, and Camp GISH is no different. Each active teammate on your team should take a photo at sunrise or sunset. Collage them together so that you’re all in the “same picture” virtually. | 30 | image |
| 190 | Remember how the United States is holding children, separated from their families, in cages at the border for the “crime” of asking for legal asylum? Yeah, we haven’t forgotten either. Sign up to volunteer remotely with Every Last One, an organization that helps advocate for the children and is guiding them out of detention and into the arms of their families when possible, or screened sponsors when not. Submit a screenshot of your completed volunteer form. (On your honor, follow through!) | 28 | image |
| 191 | Many pet shelters are facing decreased adoptions and donations due to the economic downturn and COVID, but we can help. Remotely contact your local pet shelter and coordinate to get the photo and story of their most at-risk animal. Write a hard-hitting “Washington Pawst” article as though you interviewed this incarcerated friend. Post it publicly on your social media along with their picture and adoption details. Submit an image of your story and photo along with a link to your post. (Keep tabs on the pet and let us know if they get adopted!) | 23 | image |
| 192 | As of May, the Navajo Nation had the highest per capita coronavirus infection rate in the U.S., surpassing New York and New Jersey. The Irish people have been working hard to help the Navajo Nation now, in gratitude for the Choctaw’s assistance during the potato famine 173 years ago, which we think is a pretty impressive showcase of the kind of kindness, solidarity, and community our world needs. Follow their example: pay it forward by doing a long-overdue act of gratitude in honor of someone who helped you years ago. | 29 | Image or Video |
| 193 | People I text with accuse me of being a “bot”, even though I’m not a bot! But in the interest of giving the people what they want, I’ve developed the latest in cutting-edge technology, MishaBot. It’s dispensing nuggets of wisdom the likes of which I have only ever dreamed of and is at least twice as “cognitively there” as Donald Trump. Follow the Twitter account and get it to reply to you or mention your team name. Submit a screenshot of what I’m sure will be a compelling conversation. | 17 | image |
| 194 | Using coffee and tea, paint a Chinese brushstroke painting in the Ma-Xia style (which aims to create a feeling of limitless space) depicting an imaginary vista from the 2020 summer vacation you’re taking someplace fantastic in your mind. | 24 | image |
| 195 | Make a sculpture of Greta Thunberg from ice. Timelapse it melting. | 31 | video |
| 196 | (UP TO 30 SECONDS) No matter where you live, chances are you live on someone’s indigenous land — but unless you are an indigenous person, you may not even know it. One member of your team is to research the region they live in and discover more about whose traditional territory they live on. (Native-land is a good place to start if you’re in North America.) Then, make a territory acknowledgement of the area. If you are an indigenous person, please introduce yourself and your territory. | 17 | video |
| 197 | (COLLAGE – COLLABORATIVE) Anyone that knows the House system, Hogwarts houses, or political partisanship knows that life can be pretty cut-throat. GISH Camp is an escape from most things, but it’s still cut-throat and Cabin Pride is a big deal. Coordinate with as many members of your Cabin (not TEAM) as you can to take a massive “group picture” together. We know group projects are terrible. But we’re confident your cabin can figure it out. | 22 | image |
| 198 | PUZZLE. Face it: Order? It is not of import. | 36 | image |
| 199 | We’re all here because of Steve Wozniak. Why? He’s the co-founder of Apple and spearheaded the creation of the very first Apple personal computer. He was also the first to bring color to personal computers. So clearly without Steve, we wouldn’t have GISH… or at least it would otherwise be played with carrier pigeons for communication (many of which wouldn’t make it over the oceans). So actually, Steve has also saved millions of carrier pigeons from drowning (not sure why that’s not in Wikipedia). Anyway, it’s Steve’s birthday on the 11th of August, so we’ve decided to honor him with a little of the GISH Community’s creativity as a thank you for helping steward in personal computers as well as for saving so many carrier pigeons. He’s a prankster, so he’ll enjoy it. Your first Woz birthday item is: Have you ever heard of Woz’s happiness algorithm? No? Well, we’re about to blow your mind. Here’s his secret to happiness: Happiness = Smiles – Frowns. That’s it. It’s that simple… and it works. We think that algorithm will stand the test of time, but we’ve heard you have a better one! Have one person on your team write out their personal “formula for happiness’ in an equation (simple or complex) on a chalkboard, piece of paper, or artistically using flower petals, twigs, or stones and take a picture of it so we can read it. Post your image on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, and make sure to include the hashtags #GISH and #WozdomDay2! Then upload the original photo to us and include a link to your public post on social media in the comments! | 70 | image |
| 200 | Steve Wozniak’s 70th GISH birthday bash continues! Create a travel brochure for your “Happy Place.” It should exemplify whatever, whoever, or wherever makes you happy. Describe it in the copy of the brochure and post a copy of it on social media tagged #GISH, #HappyPlace & #WozDomDay3 Submit the original image with a link to your post in comments. | 35 | image |
| 201 | (UP TO 30 SECONDS.) Woz is a true philanthropist — from pushing for open source code to establishing the Electronic Frontier Foundation to helping the Inspiring Children Foundation, he never cares about the limelight, he cares about helping others. Take a page out of the book of Wozdom: Create a poster or a short, heartfelt video advertising the EFF (https://www.eff.org/) or the Inspiring Children Foundation (https://www.inspiringchildren.net/) and explain what they do and why they are worthy of support. Post it on social media tagged #WozdomDay4 | 70 | Image or Video |
| 202 | Rocks feel left out… side. Perfectly paint a rock to look exactly like a household tech gadget or kitchen utensil. Then lay it next to the real thing for your submission. | 36 | image |
| 203 | All campers know that there are odd things out there in the woods. Make a life-sized cryptid out of papier-mache and place it in a wooded area — or in a loved one’s bathtub or closet, as a fun surprise. | 60 | image |
| 204 | (60 SECONDS) It’s time for GISH University, Sophomore Year! Every one of your teammates is talented at something unique to them that no one else knows how to do. Find out what your unique talents are and feature those in a cut together video. Video can be no longer than 1 minute so make sure you budget each team member’s time closely. | 38 | video |
| 205 | New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has led her nation to being one of the few to get COVID completely under control. Create a portrait of her, carved into the side of a kiwifruit, in honor of a job well done. | 40 | image |
| 206 | Social distancing can’t quelch our love for a game of Hot Potato. Play Hot Potato over Zoom or other video-conferencing, as though you’re all right in the room together. | 40 | video |
| 207 | We miss museums. Cosplay as your favorite character in your favorite work of art (painting or sculpture that one would find in a museum). You (as this character) can be doing something mundane or majestic. Who wouldn’t want to see the Mona Lisa giving a rousing speech against discrimination or the Statue of David (privates covered of course) ironing clothing? | 33 | image |
| 208 | KIDS MENU! I know that having small Hunters is a joy and sometimes a challenge as you tackle the Item List, so the below List is full of things that little kids can do. It should help you keep them occupied without making too big a mess. Anyone can do these items, which have been created with the youngest Honorary Gishers in mind. The goal of these Items is to have fun participating and they will be judged based on participation, not result. Each Item is worth no more than 10 points, so they won’t make or break any team’s chances of winning, but they will give little ones a chance to be involved. Enjoy! | 0 | N/A |
| 209 | KIDS MENU. Find 10 different things that are all yellow and arrange them into a pretty picture. | 10 | image |
| 210 | KIDS MENU. Line up every item in the door of the refrigerator from shortest to tallest. | 6 | image |
| 211 | KIDS MENU. Find something that looks beautiful, but smells really bad. Take a picture of you smelling it. | 8 | image |
| 212 | KIDS MENU. Your imaginary friend has been up to trouble again. Draw a picture or take a photo showing what they did (and you definitely didn’t do). | 6 | image |
| 213 | KIDS MENU. Draw a picture for someone in your family, showing one thing that makes them special, or something that you love about them. Give it to them. Submit your drawing to us! (Please caption this item submission with an explanation of the drawing). | 10 | image |
| 214 | KIDS MENU It’s time for the Great GISH Leaf Census! How many different kinds of leaves are in your backyard? Count them, then take a photo of one of each leaf arranged on the kitchen table. | 7 | image |
| 215 | KIDS MENU There’s a tiny fairy secretly living in your house! Take a picture of the proof. | 6 | image |
| 216 | KIDS MENU (UP TO ONE MINUTE) Everyone knows you can make a wish upon a star, a birthday cake, a wishing-well coin, or a dandelion. What else can you “wish upon?” Find another magical wishing-object and make a video explaining how it works. | 9 | video |
| 217 | KIDS MENU How many books can you balance on your head? Take a picture to prove it. | 6 | image |
| 218 | KIDS MENU (UP TO ONE MINUTE) Interview your stuffed animals. Find out what they like best about living in your room. | 7 | video |
| 219 | KIDS MENU. Take a beautiful picture of the biggest thing you can find. | 6 | image |
| 220 | KIDS MENU. You are as unique as your fingerprints! Make a picture of yourself all out of your own fingerprints. You can use washable paint if you want to save it forever, or just use chocolate pudding, ketchup, or mustard on a plate. Submit a photo of yourself holding your self-portrait. | 10 | image |
| 221 | KIDS MENU. Make up a dance nobody has ever done before and teach it to an adult. | 8 | video |
| 222 | KIDS MENU. (UP TO 1 MINUTE) Find a bug and secretly video it (without bothering it). Explain a little bit about the bug and what it is doing. | 7 | video |
| 223 | KIDS MENU. Make a special box of 5 little things that make you feel happy. Take a picture of the things. If you can, include a note explaining what you like about each thing. | 10 | image |
| 224 | KIDS MENU. (UP TO ONE MINUTE) My daughter Maison is secretly a superhero named, “SuperBat.” You have a secret superhero identity, too. Dress up as your superhero self and explain your name and your top 3 powers. (If you can’t dress up, you can also draw it.) | 9 | Image or Video |
| 225 | KIDS MENU. Find a photo online of someone that fought for justice. On a note, in your handwriting, write something about who they were. | 10 | image |
| 226 | KIDS MENU. Play a game of duck, duck, Sqroose (you can use stuffed animals or family members). – Kristin L. | 6 | video |
| 227 | KIDS MENU. Make a fancy hat out of construction paper for your pet. (If you don’t have a pet, you can make one for your stuffed animals.) | 7 | image |
| 228 | KIDS MENU. Everybody always asks kids in the United States, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” That’s fine, but what do you want to be RIGHT NOW? Draw a picture of you as your dream-self. | 10 | image |
| 229 | KIDS MENU. Does your family have a “junk drawer?” Clean and organize yours! | 8 | image |
| 230 | KIDS MENU. Makeover time! Draw and cut out (with a grown-up’s help) a paper doll of at least one of your family members. Give it fancy new paper clothes. | 6 | image |
| 231 | KIDS MENU. Call a grandparent or other relative you miss and find out what their favorite game, sport or activity was when they were your age. Draw a picture of you both playing it together. | 10 | Image or Video |
| 232 | KIDS MENU. Find something in nature that is shaped like a heart, but is not a heart. | 5 | image |
| 233 | KIDS MENU. Make an “I Miss You” greeting card for someone you haven’t been able to see lately, all out of things you cut or tear out of old magazines. | 10 | image |
| 234 | KIDS MENU. (UP TO 30 SECONDS) Find an animal or bug that makes a sound. Record it, then tell us what they said. (Because you speak “animal” and “bug.”) | 7 | video |
| 235 | KIDS MENU. Find three things from nature that are naturally shiny. | 5 | image |
| 236 | KIDS MENU. Use play-doh or salt dough to make a small sculpture of your favorite flower or animal. | 9 | image |
| 237 | KIDS MENU. (UP TO 30 SECONDS) Make a video for even littler kids showing the right way to wash your hands. | 10 | video |
| 238 | KIDS MENU. Use chalk to draw a line outside your entire body, then draw in your face and clothing. Lay down beside it and have an adult take a picture of you with your drawing. Submit the photo of you with your drawing! | 10 | image |
| 239 | KIDS MENU. Make a musical instrument nobody’s ever made before out of things you find around the house or yard. Play a song on it to show how it works. | 7 | video |
| 240 | KIDS MENU. (UP TO 30 SECONDS) Talent show time! Show off your weirdest trick. | 7 | Image or Video |
| 241 | KIDS MENU. How many coins or buttons can you stack without them falling over? | 6 | image |
| 242 | KIDS MENU. What did you want to do most this summer? Set up your toys to go on the vacation you wanted to take. | 8 | image |
| 243 | KIDS MENU. The biggest bubble you can make just with soapy water and your hands. | 7 | image |
| 244 | KIDS MENU. Make a beautiful ring or bracelet out of grasses or weeds from your yard. | 6 | image |
| 245 | Aliens from outer space must like to go camping too, right? Of course they do. Show us a photo of a solo alien “glamping it” extraterrestrial style… whatever that means in alien terms. | 51 | image |
| 246 | SLOW MOTION. In a bowl filled almost to overflowing with water, write a message about humanity’s interdependence (e.g., We Are One, Love Each Other, etc. – but not those phrases) using flower petals, leaves, or other materials, by floating them on the surface of the water. Show the message and then, in slow motion, toss the water out so your message gets dispersed. (Like this!) | 41 | video |
| 247 | Where do stormtroopers go in the summer? To summer camp, just like the rest of us. Show us a Stormtrooper engaged in a typical summer-camp activity: canoeing, sailing, archery, making s’mores or playing guitar by a campfire… you get the idea. | 37 | image |
| 248 | Bedazzled, you say? Be-Skittled, we say. Model a beskittled bathing suit. | 43 | image |
| 249 | The Sqroose is loose! Make the largest felted 2020 GISH mascot you can, all out of dryer lint and/or pet hair. Really make it large and menacing, like most moose and squirrels are. Give our Plushie some competition! | 26 | image |
| 250 | The stress of the pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of many, and a lot of people have been spending a lot of extra time in isolation – so it’s important to be our own best friends. Weave a message of hope, strength, or resilience into a friendship bracelet to remind yourself to be kind to yourself and that you are loved. (Then, make a matching one for someone you know who is feeling lonely.) | 17 | image |
| 251 | Camp GISH is hosting a formal party, and you forgot to pack — but you’re nothing if not resourceful. Create a fashionable, rustic evening or cocktail dress or tuxedo all out of materials you’d find in the woods (foliage, pine needles, and pine cones, sticks… you get the idea). and model it in a “campground” or wilderness setting. (If you’re in a place that is in lockdown and you absolutely cannot go outside by law, you may instead fashion your attire out of the detritus of quarantine life: cardboard boxes. But we want to see the campground couture, so ONLY do this if you legally or safely cannot go out, and please note that fact in your comments.) | 73 | image |
| 252 | (LOCATION-BASED) WHAT’S IN THE BOX?! WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!! The Supernatural Post Production team left a box of Supernatural books as a gift for Gishers. Find it & take only one, unless it’s the last one in the box — then take a photo with the book, with your team name on the inside cover and return to the box for the next team to find. Here’s how you find the box of treasures: Find Tex’s creation near where Jensen is taller than Jared and where Jared worked as a teenager… NOTE: Wear a mask and socially distance. Use hand sanitizer before and after touching contents of the box. There is some hand sanitizer with the box right now, but BRING YOUR OWN to be safe. You may take a book or any ONE other item from the box. GO! | 42 | image |
| 253 | Blank item | 0 | N/A |
| 254 | The boogie-woogie bugle Sqroose of Company G. | 23 | image |
| 255 | Make an image of one of these 2020 Calendar Grids (like this) for any #Supernatural actor (or any other celebrity of your choosing). Post it to social media tagging the actor, #GISH & #2020MakesMeFeelLike. | 14 | image |
| 256 | (UP TO 2 MINUTES) Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis recently passed away. At his funeral, former President Obama read his eulogy, and Former Presidents Clinton and Bush also made remarks. Listen to all three memorial speeches, then write a single paragraph about commonalities between the three speeches. | 35 | video |
| 257 | This is the 10th Annual GISH Hunt, as we may have mentioned. So we’re doing a #TBTY (Throw Back Ten Years), to the VERY FIRST GISH Item ever, in 2011: Someone completely covered in cotton candy. The only part of them that can be showing is their face, which has to have lipstick all over it. (NOTE: You must have a sign that says “2020” somewhere in the image.) | 19 | image |
| 258 | We’re not above shameless self-promotion, and it’s our 10th annual Hunt so let’s go out with a bang this year. Get #GISH trending in the Top 10 on Twitter before the Hunt closes. Submit a screenshot of your contribution (a tweet showing the tag, timestamped between 9:30 and 10:30 PM PT) and a link to your tweet. | 10 | image |
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