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Build the World — Activity

Build an indoor world with everyday equipment, then map it and run courses

Time30-60 minutes
SpaceGym or other large indoor room
MaterialsGym mats, tables, chairs, jump ropes, or other equipment on hand, Checkpoints, Clue sheets or blank cards (for recording courses), Paper and pencils (for map making)
VocabularyObstacle, Feature, Course, Map

"Any space can become a world worth mapping"

Using whatever equipment is on hand, students build an indoor world full of obstacles and features. Gym mats become walls you cannot cross, ropes become rivers you must go around, tables and chairs become buildings or caves. Once the teacher explains the rules of the world, everyone plays an Animal-O style course through it. Then the world gets mapped, new courses get drawn and recorded, and students run what they, or a partner, designed. This activity flips the usual order of orienteering. Instead of mapping a real place, students build a place first and then represent it on paper afterward. It also works in reverse: bring in a finished map, and have students build the physical world to match it.

How to Run It

Setup​

  1. Gather equipment that can represent obstacles and features: mats for walls, ropes for rivers or fences, tables and chairs for buildings, caves, or towers
  2. Decide your world's rules before class: which pieces are impassable, which can be climbed over or gone around, where the gaps or "doors" are
  3. Build the world, or if using the Match the World to the Map variation, prepare a finished map of the intended layout instead
  4. Set out animal or numbered checkpoints within and around the built world
  5. Have paper and pencils ready for map making

Steps​

  1. Using equipment on hand, build obstacles, walls, and features that represent a world: mats for walls, ropes for uncrossable rivers, tables and chairs for buildings or caves
  2. The teacher explains where you can go and which obstacles cannot be crossed
  3. Run an Animal-O style course through the built world, finding checkpoints in order using a clue sheet
  4. Students or the teacher draw a map of the world, including its obstacles and checkpoints
  5. Draw new courses on the map and record the checkpoint sequence for each one, so it can be checked
  6. Students run the courses using the map, confirming checkpoints in the recorded order

Adaptations​

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

Who builds the world?​

  1. Students build it (most ownership; recommended for older or more independent groups). In small groups, students decide what obstacles to build and where, then explain their rules to the class
  2. Teacher builds it, students help place pieces. The teacher decides the layout; students carry and place the equipment
  3. Teacher builds it alone, in advance of class. Fastest option; keeps class time for playing and mapping

Who makes the map?​

  1. Students draw it (most map-making practice). After playing in the world, students draw their own map of the obstacles and checkpoints, then compare maps
  2. Class draws it together. One student at a time adds a feature to a shared whiteboard map, as in Draw the Space
  3. Teacher provides the map, and the class skips straight to running courses. Good for younger students, or as a first pass before students draw their own

Other adaptations​

  • No map (younger students): skip map making entirely. Build the world, explain the rules, and play Animal-O style clue sheet courses through it
  • Multiple worlds: build several small worlds at different stations so groups rotate rather than sharing one
  • Timed courses: once courses are drawn and recorded, time students running them and try to beat their own time
  • Course design for a partner: students design and record a course for a partner to run, then check the partner's checkpoint sequence against what they recorded
  • Match the World to the Map: see the variation below; the teacher brings a finished map and students build the world to match it

Tips​

  • Decide your obstacle rules before class and stay consistent. Students will test the edges of what counts as "crossing"
  • Keep the first world simple: a few walls and one river is enough. Add more features once students understand the rules
  • If space is tight, build a smaller world and run more, shorter courses rather than one large sprawling one
  • Mats, tables, and chairs can go right back to their normal use after class; there is no dedicated equipment to buy or store