Orienteering

We had Tim’s birthday party this weekend. 

14 kids ranging between 5 and 8 years of age, a thunderstorm looming in the distance for extra excitement and lots of green grass to run on.

“We’re all different. Some of you are fantastic climbers, great readers of maps, fast runners or great puzzle makers. They’re all important, you’re all special. But you have to work as a team to win the game.” Those were my last words while trying to hold 14 kids in 3 teams, like race horses ready at the starting line. “Help each other, stay together and have fun. GO!!!”

A map and a bag is all they got. 

The map to find the 15 different stations scattered through the garden, 

the bag to collect the 25 blocks that they could earn at them. 

Scoring 10 points at the basket, would earn each team two blocks. 

Climbing into the tree house via the net, finding their block, then sliding down again. Making a puzzle, building a bridge, jumping a pattern on the trampoline, fishing it out of the pond, riding bikes and off they would run to the next station.

Each team had it’s own coloured (duplo)block to collect: green, red, or yellow. A couple of white bonus blocks were to be found at some stations, high up into the climbing wall, on the top of the stump, hidden between bricks in the zig-zag run.

45 minutes later, they got to build a tower with all their blocks. The team with the highest tower won.

They all had a ball and a healthy glow on their faces.

And we all slept well that night...