Leader, Sweep, and Timekeeper: The Patrol on the Move

Patrols of five or six walk a loop around school grounds with hiking roles: leader, sweep, timekeeper, and head count. They practice how a group moves safely on a trip and how to handle small problems.

How to play

1. Hand out roles with pinnies: the leader sets the pace of the slowest walker, the sweep always goes last, the timekeeper tracks time and stops, and the counter counts the group at each junction (4 min).
2. First walk around the loop with a stop at every junction: wait for the last person and count before moving on (8 min).
3. Incidents: the teacher stops someone to tie a shoe or asks them to fall behind; the sweep must alert the group and the patrol must wait (8 min).
4. Second walk with rotated roles and the challenge of arriving on the planned time without the group stretching more than ten meters (7 min).
5. Quick review: which role was hardest and why (3 min).

Rules

• The leader never passes another group or runs.
• No one walks behind the sweep.
• Always stop at junctions, even if it seems unnecessary.
• If someone is missing from the count, the patrol stops and tells the teacher.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair users: can be the leader, since they set a pace that works for everyone, or the timekeeper.
• Deaf students: agree on hand signals for stopping and counting.
• Students with a minor injury: be the timekeeper from a fixed spot on the loop.

Learning goals

• Keep a group together on a walk.
• Take on a role with responsibility.
• Respond calmly to small incidents.

Equipment for a class of 25

• pinnies: 15
• stopwatches: 5
• cones: 10

Teacher tip

If space is tight, use a loop around the edge of the grounds with cones as junctions. Common mistake: the leader speeds up to win; remind them success means arriving together.

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