Orienteering

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Age
3-5 years
Equipment
Pictures/photos placed in different areas
Map
Clipboards
Physical Activity

This activity focuses on the fundamental movement skills of locomotion (walking, running).

How to Play

Preparation: Prepare and photocopy maps that show checkpoints; hide pictures or objects at checkpoints.

This activity is best suited for small groups of children.

1. Explain that orienteering is an activity where you use clues on a map to find your way to a sequence of checkpoints.

2. Give each child a map attached to a clipboard. The map can be the same for each child or the sequence of checkpoints can be put in a different order on different maps (to encourage the children to follow their own map rather than each other).

3. Help each child locate where they are on the map. Explain that their task is to read the map to figure out where they need to go first (i.e. checkpoint #1).

4. At the checkpoint, have the child(ren) find the object or picture you previously left or hid there. They then each draw the object or picture on their map sheet at the appropriate checkpoint number.

5. Orientate to the next check point, and so on.

Change it up / Alternatives / Additional Options
  • Play “Clever Clues”: Instead of using a map for orienteering, provide oral cues to the location of the objects or pictures (for example, “behind the smallest bush”). For older children, directions can have multiple cues (for example, “Under the box that’s behind something growing taller than a giraffe”.
  • For children with impairments in flexibility or gross motor skills, ensure that the pictures or objects are placed in locations that everyone can access.
  • For a child with a visual impairment, provide textured objects to provide a tactile sensation for locations on the map (e.g. a cup of sand for the sand box, a leaf for the tree, etc.).
  • If you have a participant who uses a wheelchair, be intentional around the locations that you select to allow them to participate.

If you have a child with another type of disability not mentioned above, they may be able to participate in this activity without adaptations or modifications.

Source: HOP