Activities
Each activity is one game you can run. The activity page tells you what it is and how to run it. Lesson plans tell you when, why, and in what order.
The activities are organized in two groups:
- Core activities form the main teaching progression, from first boundary awareness to navigating a real course. The school lesson plans are built from these.
- Camp and advanced activities include the camp curriculum activities (compass work, relays, precision map reading) and game variations that build on the core progression.
Related activities (readiness exercises, variations, extensions) live on their parent activity's page under the Related Activities tab.
Core activities
| Activity | Level | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary Run | 1 | Travel the boundary of the play area |
| Gathering | 1 | Return to the teacher on a signal |
| Explore & Find | 1 | In pairs, explore to find animal checkpoints |
| Animal-O | 1 | Find animal checkpoints in order using a clue sheet |
| Clothespin-O | 1 | Find hidden objects and describe their locations |
| Draw the Space | 1 | Draw a map of the play space as seen from above |
| Geometric-O | 1 | Use a simple map to do progressively harder courses |
| Symbol-O | 2 | Understand map symbols and the features they represent |
| Map Walk | 2 | Walk a route together, matching map symbols to real features |
| Score-O | 2 | Visit as many checkpoints as possible in any order |
| Point-to-Point | 2 | Complete a course using an orienteering map |
Camp and advanced activities
| Activity | Summary |
|---|---|
| Map Discussion | Guided group look at an orienteering map and its symbols |
| Symbol Relay | Team relay to learn map symbols competitively |
| Compass Basics | Cardinal directions, setting the map, following a bearing |
| Find Your Way Home | Navigate back to home base from an unfamiliar spot |
| Poison-O | Score-O where wrong checkpoints lose points |
| Line-O | Follow a line drawn on the map; find unmarked checkpoints along it |
| Star Relay | Partners alternate out-and-back legs from the start (also called Star-O) |
| Checkpoint Copy Relay | Relay race to copy checkpoints from one map to another |
| Window-O | Navigate with parts of the map removed |
| Vampire-O | Score-O with a chase; vampires take your punch card |
| Capture the Flag-O | Capture the flag with flags at mapped locations |