Activities for Learning Orienteering
Single-Page Listing

Navigation Games is full of fun and educational activities for all ages and ability ranges. Each of these activities are designed to practice specific skills, and present different kinds of challenges for participants to consider. And, of course, they are all tons of fun as well!

Sources include: middle school coaching manual, CRLS PE curriculum, LS outdoor wellness curriculum, NG google site, NG elementary curriculum (v2024), gitbook.

Information for Educators

• Purpose & objectives: Orienteering PD handout p. 2+;  LS curriculum p. 2

• Approach to teaching orienteering; general methods: Orienteering PD handout p. 4; Concepts & Authorship;  CRLS PE p. 3+

• Websites and resources: Concepts & Authorship p. 5;  LS curriculum p. 3

• Learning standards: Orienteering PD handout p. 2+; LS curriculum p. 4; CRLS PE p. 21

• History of orienteering: LS curriculum p. 24

• Vocabulary: LS curriculum p. 26; CRLS PE p. 24

• Orienteering Rules 101: LS curriculum p. 26

• IOF map symbols: LS curriculum p. 27

• Map handling techniques: LS curriculum p. 32

• Orienteering unit reflection: LS curriculum p. 46

• Authors and acknowledgements: Concepts & Authorship p. 4; LS curriculum p. 47

• Copyright: LS curriculum  p. 47

Introductory Activities

• Boundary Run

• Gathering

• Explore and Find

• Animal-O

• Symbol-O

• Clothespin-O

• String-O, Tarzan-O

• Isometric Drawing-O

• Maze-O

• Grid-O

• Geometric-O

• Geometric Symbol-O

• Basketball-O

• Tabletop-O

• Map Maker

• Teambuilding Activities: SF version (standalone or time fillers; generally not orienteering specific, but they develop cooperation and listening skills that are helpful in learning orienteering)

• Warmup Games: SF version (fun physical activity; many involve movement and thinking, just like orienteering)

Intermediate Activities

• Contours / Topographic Map

• Symbol Relay

• Map Discussion

• Map Walk

• Line-O

• Score-O

• Poison-O

• Star-O

• Memory-O

• Compass Basics

• Compass Spider

• Window-O

• Vampire-O

• Poker-O

• Capture the Flag-O

• Scooter-O

• Pacman-O

• Point-to-Point Orienteering Course

• Relay Race

Advanced Activities

These work well in a large park or wooded area

• Attack Points and Clean Sweep: The first half provides intensive practice on navigating from an on-trail attack point to an off-trail control, and the second half uses those skills and team strategy to check in at all the controls. (We did this at Boojum Rock.) 

• Anchor Stream: Teams split up to visit controls, getting points for being the first team to each control (collect first-there streamer). Meet at intermediate locations waiting for all teammates, to strategize the next leg.

• Pop-Up Controls: Teams race to controls and leave streamers at each one. The last team to each control collects all the streamers.

• Satellite-O: Clues at controls are circles; intersect the circles to find the secret controls.

• Catan-O: Collect and trade resources. Build settlements and upgrade to cities.

• Rabbit and Foxes: The rabbit gets a head start and leaves maps along the way for the foxes to follow. Foxes split up based on navigational level and meet up to exchange maps. 

• Network Protection: The attacking team visits a series of controls. The defending team protects the controls by blocking paths and forcing teams to split up and go around to get to the controls and rescue their blocked teammates. 

• Quidditch-O: Chasers, Keepers and Beaters play Network Protection while the Snitch and Seekers play Rabbit and Foxes.

Remote/Zoom Activities

See this part of the NG google drive for our online lesson plans (delivered during the pandemic)