Meeting Ideas – Orienteering Challenge
Orienteering Challenge (35–40 minutes)
Setup:
- Divide scouts into patrols
- Create 5–8 checkpoints around the meeting area
- Each checkpoint includes:
- A control marker
- A question, task, or punch card
Challenge Options:
- Follow bearings to each checkpoint
- Map-based navigation (no written directions)
- Combination of compass and map clues
Tasks at Checkpoints:
- Identify a map symbol
- Take a bearing to the next point
- Tie a knot
- Answer a Leave No Trace question
Scoring Ideas:
- Correct checkpoints visited
- Accuracy of answers or tasks
- Time (optional, accuracy first)
Bonus Navigation Games (Optional – 10 minutes)
- Compass Rose Game: Scouts run to correct bearings called out by a leader
- Map Memory: Patrol studies a map briefly, then recreates it from memory
Reflection & Skills Debrief (10 minutes)
Discuss:
- What helped your patrol stay on course?
- What mistakes did you learn from?
- Where would these skills be useful on a real hike or camp?
Closing (5 minutes)
- Announcements
- Scout closing or friendship circle
Materials Needed
- Compasses (one per patrol or scout)
- Maps of the area
- Control markers or flags
- Punch cards or worksheets
- Stopwatches or timers
Leader Tips
- Emphasize navigation accuracy over speed
- Clearly mark boundaries
- Adapt difficulty based on age and experience
- Encourage youth-led decision making
🧠 Variations
- Indoor version: Use floor maps and bearings between stations
- Advanced version: Add back bearings and pace counting
- Night version: Use reflective markers and headlamps (with extra safety)
