Team Adventure Race Around Campus
Teams of five complete a race that links orienteering, a knot challenge, a cooperative carry and a first-aid challenge around campus. It mirrors the adventure racing format and requires planning, task sharing and a common pace.
How to play
- Set a 1.5–2 km (1–1.25 mi) course with 6 controls and 3 stations: knots (bowline and figure eight), carry (two-hand seat carry for 20 m) and first aid (recovery position).
- Form 5 teams of 5 and give each a map, a compass and a challenge card showing their course order; each team starts at a different station.
- Give teams 3 minutes to plan the route and decide who navigates, who carries the card and who sets the pace.
- Everyone starts on the whistle; at each control and station the team must arrive together and the station monitor signs the card if the task is done correctly (about 20 minutes).
- A failed challenge can be retried once or taken as a 2-minute penalty.
- At the finish, add up time and penalties; close with 3 minutes on which team decision made the difference.
Rules
- In the carry challenge, walk only and set your teammate down gently.
- Nobody crosses open streets or leaves the marked boundary.
- The first-aid kit stays at the finish with the teacher, which is the meeting point for any problem.
Variations
Easier
Cut to 4 controls and 2 stations with written instructions at each.
Standard
Six controls and three challenge stations on a 1.5–2 km course.
Harder
Add a hidden bonus control that teams find only by solving a compass bearing.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: design an accessible course and give that student the team's navigation and time management.
- Visual impairment: include hands-on challenges like the knots, and have teammates describe the map.
- Mixed fitness: the slowest member sets the pace, and finishing together counts more than time.
Learning goals
- Combine orienteering, knot tying and first-aid skills in one continuous activity.
- Plan and share tasks within the team.
- Keep a common pace and support teammates who need it.
Equipment for a class of 25
- maps: 10
- control markers: 6
- compasses: 5
- ropes: 5
- challenge cards: 5
- first-aid kit: 1
Teacher tip
Staff each station with an injured student or a volunteer from another class holding the answer key. Give every team a different course order to avoid bottlenecks.
PatioLab has "Team Adventure Race Around Campus" and 2499 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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