how do i set up an orienteering course for kids?

by Cleve Toy 9 min read

In general, organize your course in a forest, in a park, through fields or any other natural place. An orienteering race has to be prepared. You must go to the chosen location and inspect the area. Choose the starting point of your activity. The stages where the children will have to find the checkpoints that you will have placed.

Assign each kid a partner. One partner is given a list of directions while the other is given a compass. The directions, different for each pair, lead to a particular hidden object, which you have previously set out. The child with the map must stand behind a line and give his respective partner the list of directions.

Full Answer

How to start orienteering and learn to love it?

Sep 03, 2013 · Essentially, I set up a course with seven checkpoints beneath the trees at a local beach, marking each with a small flag. Next to each checkpoint I placed a rubber stamp and an ink pad. I wrote down the coordinates to navigate from one checkpoint to the next so that the first and last checkpoints were the same (we thereby finished at the same location where we started).

How to start orienteering?

You will need to sign up (for a small fee) for the course you would like to do - if you are not sure which grade of course would be best then just ask. You will be given your map and shown where the starting point is. Although my kids are quite competitive and try to win (sigh!)

How to design an orienteering course?

Mar 26, 2021 · An orienteering race has to be prepared. You must go to the chosen location and inspect the area. Choose the starting point of your activity. The arrival place The stages where the children will have to find the checkpoints that you will have placed. Observe the paths and the type of road that the children will have to follow…

What are the basic skills in orienteering?

Apr 28, 2017 · Firstly, decide where you are going to play the game. Look at the area and set your ‘Base’ up at a location where you will be able to see all the controls – and therefore be able to watch the children to ensure their safety. Hang the controls around the garden. Position your control flags around your search area.

How do I set up a simple orienteering course?

Set up a 100-foot course near your meeting place. As Scouts arrive, have them walk the course and calculate their pace (how far they travel every two steps). Draw a large chalk circle on the parking lot. Place an index card marked “North” at the northernmost point.

How do I set up an indoor orienteering course?

1:277:10Permanent Course Orienteering - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHold the map flat to the ground and lay the compass on top like seen here the aim is to get a redMoreHold the map flat to the ground and lay the compass on top like seen here the aim is to get a red needle on the compass to line up with the red arrows at the top of the map.

How do I create an orienteering map?

What Are the Steps in Making an Orienteering Map?Select a suitable area.Obtain permission to use the area.Prepare a base map.Select the map scale.Do the field work.Draft the map.Print the map.Archive the map.

How do you play orienteering game?

Orienteering involves competitive navigation along a course, using a map and compass. Competitors find their way from checkpoint to checkpoint (called controls) in the shortest time possible. So they must decide on the best route and then make it there without getting lost.Aug 25, 2017

Is orienteering applicable for the elementary kids?

Orienteering can be used with students of any age group. Elementary school students would need a more basic shortened course. With practice in map reading and compass use high school and university aged students can compete on more complex courses. The sport of orienteering utilizes a variety of different skills.Sep 5, 2020

How do you teach the orienteering merit badge?

Orienteering Merit Badge RequirementsExplain how a topographic map shows terrain features. ... Point out and name 10 symbols on a topographic map.Explain the meaning of declination. ... Show a topographic map with magnetic north-south lines.Show how to measure distances on a map using an orienteering compass.More items...•Nov 5, 2020

How do I use orienteering on Google Maps?

0:0021:09Create an orienteering map using Google Maps and Purple PenYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipView and one thing that you might want to do is to disable the labels. You can see here disableMoreView and one thing that you might want to do is to disable the labels. You can see here disable labels off that with will give you a much clearer map with less clutter.

What does Mapper mean?

Definitions of mapper. a clerk who marks data on a chart. synonyms: plotter. type of: clerk. an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

How do you mark a country on a world map?

Create a World Map with Countries in 6 steps: Name Your Map then click “Continue” Upload your Data or Start with a Blank Map. Go to the Boundary Tool and select World Countries. Click “Add Boundary”

How do you make an orienteering scavenger hunt?

Leave your first clue at the starting point. Then go to the place you described in the clue and look around for your next destination. Write a clue for that destination; leave it where you are standing and move on to continue writing clues. If you have multiple teams, have them all end up in the same place.Jun 20, 2020

What is similar to orienteering?

Similar to orienteering, geocaching requires participants to get outside and use their problem- solving skills, but unlike orienteering, smart phones are the tools of the trade for this activity.May 31, 2016

What is the definition for orienteering?

Definition of orienteering : a competitive or noncompetitive recreational activity in which participants use a map and compass to navigate between checkpoints along an unfamiliar course (as in the woods)Mar 5, 2022

What is the sport of orienteering?

Orienteering is a sport that involves a race marked out on a map. In following the course map, the runners have to find a number of checkpoints. The person who finds all the checkpoints, in the right order, in the shortest time, is the winner.

Where did orienteering originate?

The sport originated in Sweden during the 19th century as navigation and fitness training for the military. After the first public competition in 1897 in Norway, the sport spread to Finland and Sweden.

When did orienteering become a sport?

By the middle of the century, orienteering became a recognized sport throughout Europe, and the International Orienteering Federation was established in May 1961. As well as learning to recognise some topographical map symbols, your children will learn to use a compass and to gauge distances with more accuracy.

What is Eva's passion?

Eva is passionate about education. She has extensive experience in both formal and informal settings. She presently homeschools her two young children, teaches professional development courses through the Heritage Institute, and writes a middle level secular science curriculum called Science Logic. In addition to her work in education, she is an athlete, competing in Masters swimming events and marathons. In her spare time she enjoys reading, traveling, learning new languages, and above all spending time with her family. ♥

What Equipment do you Need?

At beginner level you only need a comfortable pair of shoes that you can walk or run in, and whatever else would make you comfortable (such as waterproof clothing and drinks). Maps of the course are provided at the event and the easier graded courses are unlikely to need a compass.

How to Get Started

Many orienteering clubs hold beginners induction courses specifically to introduce people to their sport - this is how we got started.

What are the elements of a compass?

A compass has 3 elements: 1 A movable magnetic needle whose red point always indicates north. 2 A sighting arrow that you have to point in the direction you want to go… 3 The dial will allow you to keep the right direction.

What is orienteering on a map?

Orienteering is a sport that involves a race marked out on a map. Once you have marked on your map the different areas where you will place your markers, you must put them in place. Place your markers in the exact locations you planned. Identify each marker with a number so that they can be clearly separated and identified.

Is orienteering a sport?

By the middle of the century, orienteering became a recognized sport throughout Europe. It can be practiced on foot and takes place in the middle of nature. The goal is to discover the checkpoints in a prescribed order and to navigate in the open air with the help of a map and a compass. This activity can be adapted to children ...

What is the objective of orienteering?

Objectives of an orienteering race. The objective of orienteering is of course to have fun by experiencing a great adventure game. But it also allows children to learn how to use a compass and to orient themselves in space. The children will have to work as a team and coordinate themselves.

What is the goal of the game of chess?

The goal of the game. The goal is to reach a place as quickly as possible. The children will be divided into teams. The team that arrives at the location first, having completed all the steps required in the game, wins. Appoint a captain for each team. You will give the map and the compass to the captain.

Is a compass good?

Having a compass is good, but it is useless if you can’t find your way around with it. A compass is a measuring instrument that allows you to orient yourself by locating north with the help of a mobile and magnetic needle. A compass has 3 elements: A movable magnetic needle whose red point always indicates north.

What do you need to do orienteering?

An appealing aspect of orienteering is that you don’t have to buy a bunch of specialized gear and clothing to do it. At a minimum, you need: 1 Sturdy outdoor footwear: boots if you’re walking and trail runners if you’re starting to get a little competitive 2 Appropriate outdoor clothes and layers for the weather: Being able to stand up to brush, abrasion and mud is important when you start running more difficult courses, where controls are placed in trickier terrain 3 A simple baseplate compass: Lighter is better, so a model with a sighting mirror, or even declination adjustment, is more than you need. Note, too, that you won’t need to bring a map because those are provided at every event. 4 A safety whistle: in case you need to summon help

What is GPS used for?

GPS technology is, however, used by advanced orienteers, not for navigation (a rule violation), but rather to analyze performance. Those orienteers record the precise path of their runs, then download that data after the race to critique route choices.

How many courses are there in a local meet?

Get in line for the course you picked at registration. A local meet might have from three to seven courses set up. To avoid bunching up runners, start times are staggered, though orienteers on different courses often start in the same wave.

When was orienteering invented?

Orienteering’s Birth and Growth. Orienteering was created in the late 1800s as a navigational competition for members of the Swedish military. Civilians soon joined the fun and the sport has spread throughout the world since then.

What to do at the registration area?

At the registration area you sign a waiver, choose a course, pay an event fee and, if you didn’t bring one, rent a compass. (You get the map for your course later.) People at the registration area can also direct you to the newcomer instruction area.

Where is the finish area in a sandbox?

The finish area is often located near the start area . If you have an e-punch, you’ll be able to get a printout of your overall time, and time between each control, at the download station right next to the finish area.

What is orienteering map?

Your orienteering map is a topographic map that’s customized to cover the meet area in rich detail. It includes many symbols unique to orienteering. Declination doesn’t come into play, because all orienteering maps align with magnetic north, not true north. That simplifies map reading when you have to navigate while moving quickly.

How does orienteering help kids?

Leading kids through orienteering games improves their navigational skills, builds teamwork and the ability to communicate and gets them physical exercise. Most orienteering games utilize a course, which you’ll need to set out ahead of time, and the kids compete using a map to navigate their way through the course as fast as they can.

How to teach a child to use a compass?

Older kids, like those of middle and high school age, will enjoy sharpening their orienteering skills with a scavenger hunt. This game will teach them how to use a compass. Separate the kids into teams of two to four, with each team having their own compass. In a large field, wooded area or room, spread out items for the teams to find. Give each team a set of instructions on how to find each hidden item. For example, to find the first item, you can tell them to go 300 degrees for eight steps, then 60 degrees for eight steps and, finally, 180 degrees for eight steps. Teams must write what item they find there and then move onto the next set of directions, which will take them to the next hidden item.

Who is Kim Nunley?

Kim Nunley has been screenwriting and working as an online health and fitness writer since 2005. She’s had multiple short screenplays produced and her feature scripts have placed at the Austin Film Festival. Prior to writing full-time, she worked as a strength coach, athletic coach and college instructor.

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Orienteering Basics

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For those who know little to nothing about this outdoor sport, I’ll share the orienteering basics. Honestly, it’s a great way to get kids outside. Orienteering is like a scavenger hunt in which you hunt for neon-colored checkpoints called “controls” using a paper map and compass. It’s great for all fitness levels, too. At …
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Choosing An Orienteering Course

  • When you find and sign up for an orienteering event, you will need to choose a course to complete. As I noted above, white is very easy and for absolute beginners. White courses are short, no more than 2-3 km. The course we completed at Lake Needwood was 2.3 km. It was also entirely on-trail. A compass was hardly required. On the map, paths and roads are indicated by s…
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Top Tips: Orienteering For Kids

  • It’s a good idea to get your bearings before any family activity, including orienteering. Here are a few tips and advice to get you and your children off on the right foot:
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