First Aid Orienteering Course

In pairs, using a campus map, students find ten control markers, each with a first aid case and three answers. Each correct answer gives one letter of a secret word. It combines orienteering, running, and decision-making.

How to play

1. Before class, place ten markers around campus, each with a scenario card (for example, 'A classmate burned a hand: A cool water, B ointment, C ice') and a letter next to each option.
2. Briefing (4 min): reading the map, campus boundaries, return time, and the whistle signal to come back.
3. Each pair gets a map with the markers and an answer sheet. Pairs start 20 seconds apart from different points.
4. At each marker the pair reads the case, agrees on an answer, and writes down its letter. They have 20 minutes to visit as many as possible in any order.
5. Back at base, pairs unscramble the letters: if all are correct they spell the secret word. One point is lost per minute late.
6. Wrap-up (4 min): review the cases most pairs got wrong.

Rules

• Partners stay together and stay inside the marked boundaries.
• Don't move or hide the markers.
• Walk on stairs, in hallways, and near other groups.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a course with markers in accessible areas, scored on cases solved rather than speed.
• Visual impairment: a tactile or high-contrast map and a guiding partner.
• Fitness level: pairs choose a short or long course with a different number of markers.

Learning goals

• Navigate the campus independently with a map.
• Solve first aid cases under time pressure.
• Make shared decisions with a partner.

Equipment for a class of 25

• maps: 13
• control markers: 10
• scenario cards: 10
• worksheets: 13

Teacher tip

Design the cards so the secret word is on theme, such as LIFESAVERS. Station an adult in blind spots and count pairs out and back in.

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