Lost in the Park: Safety Protocol Drill
Before park outings, students practice in pairs what to do if they get lost: stop, relocate on the map, use whistle signals, and reach the meeting point along a safe line. They learn outdoor safety in an active, hands-on way.
How to play
- Spend 3 minutes explaining the protocol: 1) stop; 2) find two features on the map you can see; 3) if still lost, go to the safety line, such as a path or fence, that leads to the meeting point; 4) three whistle blasts mean "I need help."
- Give each pair a map with the safety line and meeting point marked, plus a whistle; the teacher wears a bright pinnie.
- Drill 1, 5 minutes: each pair heads to a control and finds a card there that says "You are lost"; they apply the protocol and come back along the safety line.
- Drill 2, 5 minutes: on one long blast from the teacher, every pair stops what it is doing and goes to the meeting point; time how long it takes.
- Drill 3, 4 minutes: one pair in each group gives three blasts, and the others must alert the teacher instead of searching on their own.
- In the final 3 minutes, review the protocol and fix whatever went wrong in the drills.
Rules
- Partners never split up, not even to look for others.
- Use the whistle only in the drills or a real emergency.
- Safety: nobody leaves the map boundaries, and anyone who runs into a real hazard reports it right away.
Variations
Easier
Put the "You are lost" cards close to the safety line and within the teacher's view.
Standard
Three drills in the park with pairs and whistles.
Harder
In drill 1, the pair must relocate on the map and name the exact spot where they were before heading back.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the pair's safety line is an accessible path with the meeting point right next to it.
- Hearing impairment: agree on a visual signal, such as waving a pinnie, to match the whistle blasts.
- Autism: explain the protocol with a picture card and give a heads-up before each drill.
Learning goals
- Apply a lost-in-the-woods protocol outdoors.
- Relocate on the map using visible features.
- Respond quickly and calmly to safety signals.
Equipment for a class of 25
- maps: 13
- whistles: 14
- control markers: 6
- pinnies: 1
Teacher tip
Run this before the first orienteering trip to the park and review the protocol on every outing. Pick a meeting point visible from most of the park and count students as they arrive.
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