Animal-O — Activity | Navigation Games

Time	15-30 minutes
Space	Gym, schoolyard, or local park
Materials	Animal-picture checkpoints, Clue sheets, Cones to hold the animal pictures (optional)
Vocabulary	Clue sheet, Checkpoint, Course, Boundary, Spatial memory

Learning Goals

Students completing this activity will be able to:

Use a clue sheet to complete an orienteering course in order
Check the animal picture at each checkpoint to confirm they have the right one
Develop spatial memory by repeating courses and tracking where checkpoints are
Manage quick changes of direction while moving through the space

See the Grade 3-5 curriculum for how this activity fits into the lesson sequence.

How to Run It

Setup

Place animal-picture checkpoints around the play area, spread out within the boundary
Set up a start/finish area with a marker or cone
Prepare clue sheets. The Navigation Games teaching kit includes six 5-animal clue sheets (each a different course) and 10-animal clue sheets for a challenge
Optional: set up a whiteboard near start/finish to track times or completions

Steps

Each student or pair picks up a clue sheet at the start
Find the first animal on the clue sheet. Run to that checkpoint and confirm the animal matches
Continue to the next animal on the sheet, visiting each checkpoint in order
Return to the finish after the last checkpoint

Adaptations

Ways to adapt the activity to meet the needs of your students: slow things down, increase the challenge, or adapt for different learners

For speed: repeat the same course and beat your previous time
From memory: put the clue sheet away and try to complete the course
Different sheet: try a new 5-animal sequence. There are six different 5-animal courses in the kit
New locations: move the checkpoints to new spots and start over, so a memorized route stops helping
10-animal clue sheet: for pairs who finish all six 5-animal courses
Solo: if students started in pairs, try it individually
Track times: log course completions or times on a whiteboard for friendly competition and a sense of progress
Animal Relay: in small teams, students take turns running to a named animal checkpoint and back. The caller says an animal name; the runner finds it and returns. Tests spatial memory and adds competitive energy. Good as a closer after students have learned the checkpoint locations.
Draw and guess: as an optional deeper add-on after the courses, each student draws the space and circles the location of one animal (without naming it). A partner reads the drawing and guesses which animal it is. Can a fellow student read your map well enough to know? A first taste of map making and map reading.

Tips

Make sure students check the animal at each checkpoint, not just run to the nearest cone
If students are struggling, start with Explore & Find (see Related Activities tab)
Moving checkpoints to new locations resets the challenge and prevents memorizing a route

Reflection

What do you like most about orienteering so far?
How did the clue sheet help you know what order to visit checkpoints?
Why do you check the animal at each checkpoint instead of just running to the nearest cone?
What was the hardest part of this activity? Why?
How did you remember where the animals are?
What helped you move quickly and safely as you changed direction between checkpoints?
How did you work together? What strategies did you use to be successful as a team?

Script

Visiting Cones Together

"Now we're playing Animal-O. First we'll visit the animal cones together as a group."

(Walk to first cone) "Which animal is this? How does it move?"

"When we find an animal, we move like that animal to get to the next one. Let's go."

Clue Sheets

"Now you each get a clue sheet. What do you see on it, words or pictures?" (Students: "Pictures!")

"Your goal is to find all the animals in order, top to bottom. When you find an animal, check that the picture on the cone matches your clue sheet. Then move to the next one."

(Hold up clue sheet and point to the first animal)

"Start here at the start cone. Look at your first animal. When you find it, check it matches, then move to the next one on your sheet."

Vocabulary

Clue sheet: A list showing the order to visit checkpoints. In Animal-O, the clue sheet shows animal pictures.

Checkpoint: A location marked with a cone or flag. In Animal-O, each checkpoint has an animal picture attached.

Course: A sequence of checkpoints from start to finish.

Boundary: The perimeter of the play area. All checkpoints are inside the boundary.

Spatial memory: The ability to remember where things are in space.

See the Glossary for all curriculum terms.

Related Activities

Before This Activity

Boundary Run: participants should know the boundary before playing Animal-O
Explore & Find (readiness): a less structured warm-up where pairs explore to find animal checkpoints without a set order or clue sheet. Use it if students need to get familiar with the space and checkpoint format first

Leads To

Geometric-O: the next step, reading a simple pattern map instead of following a clue sheet

Animal-O — Activity (Clue Sheet Orienteering)

Learning Goals