Leave No Trace Campsite Sweep
The teacher scatters a "campsite" with small traces a group might leave behind (clothespins, paper scraps, bottle caps, bits of string), and teams sweep it in an orderly line before leaving. Students practice Leave No Trace principles, systematic searching, and taking responsibility for the environment.
How to play
- Before class, the teacher scatters 60 small items across four 15x15-yard sectors marked with cones, noting how many are in each.
- Intro (3 min): explain the idea of leaving a place better than you found it and give examples of real traces left at a campsite.
- Teams of six with gloves and a bag line up at the edge of their sector, an arm's length apart.
- Sweep (4 min): the team moves slowly in a line, picking up what they see; at the far end they turn and sweep back the other way.
- The teacher announces how many items are missing; the team gets 1 more minute to find them, then rotates sectors (three rotations, 15 min total).
- Debrief (2 min): count the items and discuss which traces are hardest to spot and what other marks a campsite leaves, such as trampled ground or noise.
Rules
- Walk, don't run: the sweep is slow and in a line.
- Everyone wears gloves; if you find glass or anything sharp that wasn't planted, tell the teacher and don't touch it.
- Each team sweeps only its own sector.
Variations
Easier
Use brightly colored items and make the sectors smaller.
Standard
Sixty plain-colored items in four sectors and three sweep rotations.
Harder
Also hide items camouflaged in grass or leaves and shorten the time limit.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student takes the end of the line on the flattest path and uses a long reacher-grabber.
- Autism or shyness: the student keeps the item count on a tally sheet.
- Skill level: students with a sharp eye for detail do a final check of the sector when the team finishes.
Learning goals
- Apply Leave No Trace principles when leaving an outdoor site.
- Organize a systematic line search with the group.
- Recognize the impact our activities have on the environment.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cones: 16
- trash bags: 4
- gloves: 25
- clothespins: 30
Teacher tip
Use items that can't be mistaken for hazardous trash and count exactly how many you plant. If the field has real litter, use it and count it as bonus points.
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