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Tag party

Description
EpervierYou designate a “Tag Man” called “Sparrowhawk” in french, the others are called players.
Everyone has a map, with controls to punch.
At the start, the players set off towards the finish. They have to punch any 5 markers without being touched by the sparrowhawk. The sparrowhawk leaves 5 minutes after the group and must try to hit as many players as possible. Once touched, the player becomes another sparrowhawk.
The sparrowhawk wins if he has hit half of the players.
In order to be able to recognise which players have been hit or not, the players can be given a bandana. As soon as they are hit by the sparrowhawk, they take off their bandana.

Alternative
Many variations can be found:

  • number of sparrowhawks at the start
  • time between the departure of the group and  the sparrowhawk
  • number of controls to be punched before taking refuge at the finish

Comment
This exercise requires participants to remain focused on map reading, while making sure not to be hit by the sparrowhawk.

Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier

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North stories

Description

boussole débutant

The target is to learn to orientate your map with only the compass. Draw a course on paths only and put a control at each intersection.
Make a blank map and extract each leg. At each control, the runner uses the compass to orientate his map and to know which path he should take. 

boussole debutant droit

Alternative

  • boussole debutantTurn the leg extracts so that North is not always at the top of the sheet. The orientation of the map cannot be done with the route just taken
  • BOUSSOLEFollow the route alltogether. Stop in the middle of a path at each change of direction and ask which path you are on (A, B, C, D or E)

Comment

Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier

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Numbered cones

Descriptionplots numéro 2plots numéro 1

Set up a network of 17 cones. Number the cones on the drawing .
Print out cards by shifting the numbers of the cones. You get 16 different cards (see the example beside).
Hand out your cards. Call out a number. Each person has to go to the corresponding cone  ( nobody will be on the same one, except if you have more than 16 runners).

Alternative

  • change the location of the start cone to confuse the runners (the orientation of the map has changed)
  • call out one number, then another one, without returning to the start

Comment
If you have 10 young people, hand out cards with numbers for the first cone, which “are following” each other ( 1,2,3 …). When you call “12” for example,  you will immediately see who made a mistake, because the runners should be on cones next to each other. It is convenient not to have to check that each person is at the right place.

Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier

Posted on

Magic square

Description

You need to set up 9 markers (cones ?), as shown on the right.

Follow the course below on these cones following these instructions:

  • The triangle is the central cone.
  • Featured imageWhen you have made your first move, the orientation of your map is determined
  • Follow the directions indicated without taking into account the distances
  • Keep going and if you are correct, you return to the central cone, the start

File with 7 courses

Alternative

  • you can time the exercice
  • Here is another version. Be careful, the start and the finish are on the outside of the 3 by 3 square ( look at the file that shows the location of the cones). The orientation of the map is given by the start cone and the 3*3 square.
     Magic square

Comment 
It is an easy way to introduce map orientation to beginners

Contributor
Sandra Olivier (Rédaction: Nathalie Rauturier)..et Eric Brassart