Use sticks and stones to show the way

Trail Signs

Better than a scavenger hunt, trail signs will keep kids busy for hour, both placing the signs and following them.

The objectives are to learn how to: give directions through symbols, follow directions through symbols.

Background:	There are times when you need to give directions without speaking to a person and writing them down would be impractical.
Skills:	The children should be able to interpret symbols. They should also have a large area that they could move through, preferably trails in a park or woodland.
Age:	Grades 1 - adult
Materials:	Sticks or stones.
Activity:	Talk about different ways that people leave a sign for others. Some families keep their front door open when they are home; other people may flash their car lights to say "good-bye" when they leave a friend’s house. In this activity, one group of children will lay a trail that another group will follow. I find it best if there is an adequate time lag between the trail being laid and the trail being followed. The group that is laying the trail will use agreed upon signs for the group that is following the trail. They should try to make the trail challenging but not impossible to follow. The typical signs can be printed in the adobe version.
Discussion:	Once each group has had the opportunity to lay and follow the trail signs, ask them how easy or difficult it was. Did any of the signs confuse them? Did they end up where they were supposed to? Where could they use this type of activity? Think about the animals. What signs do they look for when they are looking for food and water?
Adaptations:	Encourage the children to use the "look at" sign to point out things like plants, trees, nests, etc. along the trail. Then see if the children that followed the trail were able to find everything. Have the children devise their own signs to lay and follow.
Brownie Try-it:	Outdoor Fun
Junior Badge	Outdoor Fun #5

----> turn right	<------- Turn left	X Y Don’t take the left fork
----------------- ----------------- ----------------- Danger – three sticks; three rocks on top of each other.	<==> Stop and go back	-------------- -------------- keep going – two sticks or rocks

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