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More adventurous activities

Some activities require qualified and professional instruction because of the level of risk involved. These may be at a residential centre or as part of an organised day’s programme, delivered by an external provider or, if facilities allow, by the organisation’s own staff.

While it may seem unnecessary and somewhat intrusive to the educator to involve themselves in the programme of an external provider, in reality it enhances the programme immeasurably. Many external providers offer a ‘menu’ of programmes that they deliver routinely, but by working with them to develop a more bespoke programme, the educator can develop and strengthen the learning objectives of programmes to which they have been working at the home base. Having an understanding of the games and activities that can be provided, the educator has a greater understanding of the potential and can embed them into their core programme, rather than having an externalised and often discrete set of outcomes from a programme not associated to that with which the participants may have been working for some time.

Using an external provider is a costly alternative to developing a provision in-house. All of the activities in this section can be conducted by a member of staff, as teaching staff leading their own pupils in adventure activities and assuming responsibility for their safety do not have to be licensed. There is a natural duty of care that remains with the governing body of the establishment to ensure that the member of staff is appropriately skilled, qualified and experienced to undertake the proposed activity. The advantage of retaining responsibility for activities in-house is that the school team can work together to develop a programme that encapsulates the ethos of the establishment and builds directly on the objectives of the particular subject fields of learning. In addition, of course, using an in-house provision allows valuable and stretched resources to deliver the maximum provision. The disadvantage of in-house provision is that the alien territory of an external provider and a ‘new face’ in the shape of the instructor can bring an added dimension to the learning.

Canoe and kayak games

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1 All in one

All the group get into one boat and try to get it back to the jetty.

2 Ball into boat

Each boat has a ball and all the other boats are goals. Working as teams or individual boats, each team/boat must score as many goals as possible.

3 Ball juggle

Use small balls to juggle, the same as on land, to learn names. You could have boats paddling a spin if they succeed and a penalty roll if they don’t (or individuals, if they catch or miss the ball).

4 Basketball

Basketball using hoops and buoys can be played the same in boats as on land.

5 Beach ball football

Using the boats to ‘kick’ the ball, participants must score as many goals as they can on a pre-set ‘pitch’ of water.

6 Blindfold pairs

In twos, with one of the pair blindfolded and with the only paddle. The sighted person gives directions around a course.

7 Boat orienteering

An orienteering course is set up around the water, with control points at various locations (under buoys, on trees, on bridges).

8 Fill the other boat with water

Within a given time limit, teams try to get the most water into other boats as they can, while avoiding others putting water into their boat.

9 Gunnel bobbing

One person stands on either gunnel to bob the boat (nervous participants can stand on the seats).

10 Pirates/captains coming

When the facilitator shouts ‘Pirates’, everyone has to lay down in their boat, or ‘Captain on deck’ means everyone must stand up in their boat and salute.

11 Randomator

With boats rafted up, participants change places, first in pairs and then increasing in number until everyone is up and swapping places.

12 Rock the boat

In pairs, each person stands on the gunnel; when the facilitator shouts ‘go’, both start bouncing and rocking the boat to try to make the other person fall in the water, while maintaining their own balance.

13 Submarine hunt

Flip the boats so that there is an air pocket underneath them. One boat is the hunter, the others the prey, the players have to go into the air pocket under their boats so they can’t see where they are going or where the other players are. The person in the hunter shouts ‘Echo!’ and the prey return the shout. The hunter has to swim the boat about and try and bump into the prey to catch them and win, the prey have to avoid the hunter. With this game, it’s best to have a small playing area and set a time limit so that the air in the boats doesn’t run out.

14 Death match

Tie three balloons to the end of a length of rope, about two metres long. Hang these from the back of each boat (or just one if playing tag); each person gets a plastic fork as well as their paddle. The teams chase each other and try to burst the other boat’s balloons with the plastic forks. When all your balloons have been burst, you are out.

15 Greased melon hunt

Grease a melon with margarine or lard and place it in the playing area while the players aren’t looking. The teams then start at the bank and have to search out the watermelon and get it into their boat to win. For rougher games, you can play the winner is the team who gets the melon back to base first and allow boarding and/or tipping.

You need still water for this one or the melon will probably be a couple of miles away before you give up trying to find it!

16 Tag

With a ball, participants try to hit one of the people in a different boat. If you hit the person, then it is their turn to throw the ball. If you miss, than you will need to retrieve the ball and try again.

To play tag without a ball, players will need to actually chase another boat, and touch the back of the boat with a paddle. This version of the game is particularly useful when participants are learning to manoeuvre a boat.

17 Follow the leader

Play a game of follow the leader. To play follow the leader in a boat, the boats simply take turns being the leader. The leader can move fast or slow. The leader can paddle in a zigzag formation, turn around, paddle down the middle of the river, or close to the edge. Wherever and however the leader paddles, the rest have to follow.

18 Bingo

Before leaving, make up cards with pictures of things you may see while travelling. For example, you may include a pine tree, geese, a deer, a fallen tree or a large rock sticking out of the water. Then have the cards laminated, so they won’t be ruined if they get wet. Give the participants the cards and a dry erase marker at the start of the trip, and help them spot items on the cards as they travel.

This can help to occupy participants not paddling and it can be played from just one boat. It keeps participants attentive and watching the area around them.

Another way to make this even more involving is to bring binoculars and/or a camera; binoculars add another dimension of participation and being able to take pictures with the camera allows participants to share with others everything they saw.

19 The boat star

The objective of the game is to have all the players stand up in their boats at the same time. All players get into their boats and steer them until they are in a circle formation. Each player removes their spray deck, moves to the back of their boat and places their feet firmly in the seat. Each player must then use their arms to encircle the players on each side. Once everyone is attached, the players try to stand up at the same time without falling in the water.

20 Boat polo

It is best to play this game on flat water such as in a lake or swimming pool until players are better able to gain control of their boat. There are two teams of players, and all that is needed is a net for each team, one placed at each end of the play area. Players cannot hold other players’ boats, the ball must be in the water while they are moving, and they must help other players who have fallen out of or tipped over their boat. After a ball is thrown into the middle of the play area, teams must use their paddles to try to get the ball into the opposing team’s net. Each time the ball goes into the net, one point is earned. The winning team is the one to reach five points first.

21 Sharks and minnows

Sharks and minnows is a game of tag that teaches paddling, aim and speed. The game begins with one player becoming the shark and the other players becoming the minnows. The shark must paddle around the play area trying to tag the other players. When a player is tagged, they become a shark as well. Play continues until only one minnow is left. The last minnow is the winner and becomes the new shark for the next round. This game prompts boating participants to use different manoeuvres to accomplish their goals.

22 Eskimo kiss game

This is a great game to do to introduce the history of kayaks and canoes. What you do first is explain some of the history of boating, for example, you talk about how the boats were made from seal and other animal skins and then the Inuit’s would stitch them around a framework of whalebone or driftwood. Once they have done that, they would perform this ritual of kissing the nose of their boat with their nose. Therefore, that is what you have to do today. One by one the group stand up, shout the name of their boat and Eskimo kiss their boat. There are different variations you can do such as doing it in pairs, doing it in a long line or doing it individually.

23 Tap tap tag

All you do is set the perimeters and one person is the tagger. The aim is to tap the nose of everyone’s boat. Once you have been tagged, you have to put your paddle down and put your arms in the buoyancy aid.

Raft games

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1 Heads, shoulders, knees and toes

Label the players 1 or 2. Number 1s stand up and sing ‘heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ while the number 2s remain seated, trying to rock the number 1s out of the raft.

2 Cat and mouse

One person is the cat, one is the mouse. The cat has to chase the mouse around the raft before the mouse can get back into their original boat.

3 Evolution

Explain that evolution is going from lower life to a higher form of life and then define what the levels of life will be. All the group starts as the lowest life (they can make the noise(s) they think this lowest form of life (primordial ooze?) might make), and paddles towards evolution. As each paddler encounters another of the same evolutionary stage, they play ‘Rock, paper, scissors’ to see who evolves to the next level of life (rock beats scissors, paper beats rock, and scissors beats paper). The aim is to see if every member of the group can evolve.

4 Randomation

Boats are rafted up and paddlers change places across the whole raft, first singly, then in pairs and finally to everyone moving around the raft and back to their original place.

5 Floating raft

Boats are rafted together upside down. Divide the group into 2 on opposite sides of the raft, with each side having water-filled balloons. Dodgeball begins! If players are hit with a water balloon, they are out

6 Push me pull you

Two canoes or kayaks are rafted lengthways, paddlers face opposite directions and each tries to paddle forwards.

Archery games

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1 Scores (archer darts)

Using targets as a dartboard, with different colours scoring different points (the same as a dartboard and awarding more points towards the centre). The rules are the same as normal darts.

2 Soccer

Each team member has two arrows; the firing archers (one team) stand along a firing line, with the other team behind them, and the ball in the middle of the playing area. The idea is to hit the ball with the arrows and nudge it across the other team’s goal line. After the first team shoots, the opposition takes up position on its firing line, with the first team now standing behind them.

Blunt or wooden arrows are best so the ball is not destroyed.

3 Flight

All the group members stand in a line and fire at the same time to see who can launch their arrow the furthest.

4 Clout

A wooden pole is sunk about 75 to 100 metres out. A rope is tied to the base of the pole, marked at one-metre intervals for each colour (white, black, blue, red, yellow). The idea is to get as close to the pole as possible.

5 Pin-up target shooting

Put some sweets into balloons, blow them up and hang them onto targets. If an archer pops one, they get the sweet. Alternatively, have the participants make balloon animals, hang them on targets and shoot them.

6 Instinct shoot (Robin Hood)

There’s a big difference between target shooting and ‘Robin Hood’ style shooting. Robin Hood and his merry men never really knew how far away the targets were, so they couldn’t aim very well and had to rely on instinct. The two types of shooting require very different skills and sometimes a participant who is poor at target aiming is better at instinct shooting. Remove all the targets and any clues to distance before placing objects around the range, including target mats on the ground, at strange angles, in odd positions and at different distances.

Walk around the area and, when the facilitator shouts ‘fire’, the participants shoot at a set target instinctively (i.e. without stopping and aiming).

7 Field course

Hay bales are placed along a path so that they are visible only from a certain point or perspective and pictures of animals of different sizes are attached to them. Participants march through in single file and from a predetermined spot take it in turns to fire at the target.

8 Marbles

Place tennis balls in a small pyramid surrounded by a rope circle with a two-metre radius. Using blunted arrows, the participants have to try to knock as many of the balls out of the ring as possible in a certain number of shots.

9 V-shoot

A large masking tape ‘V’ is placed on the target. Two archers then compete in trying to hit lower on the ‘V’ than the other.

10 Archery golf

Archery golf can be played on a normal golf course or on one set up by the facilitator. Each ‘shot’ consists of firing an arrow down the fairway towards the hole, with the first one being fired from the tee and subsequent shots being taken from where the previous arrow landed (just as in golf). To finish a hole, the arrow should be fired into a hoop placed on the green.

11 Archery pitch and putt

The rules are the same as for archery golf, but the playing area has obstacles and a smaller course.

12 Archery noughts and crosses

Draw a noughts and crosses grid on the back of an archery face. Participants take turns to fire. An arrow doesn’t count if it lands in a square where there’s already another arrow, but the player does get another shot. The winner is the first person to get arrows in three boxes in a row.

13 Archery pin the tail on the donkey

Draw a picture of a donkey on the back of an old target face, blindfold the participant, spin them around a few times about 50 to 100 metres from the target, and point them in vaguely the right direction. Each archer gets three arrows and the one with the arrow nearest the donkey’s tail is the winner.

14 Archery blind man’s buff

The ‘blind man’ is blindfolded and spun round several times. They fire arrows wherever they think they hear someone, while the other players move out of the way. The first person to hit becomes the next blind man. Use indoor arrows only (the ones with suckers and not points on the end)!

15 Archery water polo

Played according to normal water polo rules, with goals at either end of the water, but using an arrow instead of a ball. All passes and shots must be made underwater (to take the speed out of the arrow); no player may have their feet touching the bottom.

16 Archery relays

Four archers are spread around a square of roughly 100 metres on each side. Each archer has six arrows to fire at a target set up beside the next archer in the team. As soon as an arrow hits the target, the next archer may start firing at their target. The relay is finished when the last archer hits their target.

The facilitator can decide whether archers may move along the line of their side of the square, closer to the target if they miss (but the target must move with them!).

Climbing games

Some of these work equally well as traversing or bouldering games.

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1 Add-on

Players begin by agreeing on the first sequence of three to five moves. The first climber gets on the wall and makes the sequence of moves. The moves can be marked by chalk, tape or memorised. When the first climber finishes, they add the next move and the next climber gets on the wall. Each time a climber completes the sequence, they add another move. To make it easier, ‘hands only’ can be played (where any foot-hold can be used), or both hand-holds and foot-holds can be selected as part of the sequence.

2 Pointer

The person designated as the pointer simply points out the next hold to the climber. This should be timed so that the next hold is tapped just ahead of the person climbing, rather than them holding on and waiting.

3 Memory

The first person points out a sequence of four to ten moves, with no markings placed on the wall. The second person has to climb the route, remembering each hold. On successful completion of the moves, the second person adds on another move, which the first person has to memorise and complete.

4 Take away

A route of about 20 holds is agreed and the holds marked with chalk or tags. Each climber climbs the route and after each successful climb, the finishing climber rubs out a chalk mark. If the next climber cannot climb it without falling, the turn is passed to the next person. If no one can do it, the original climber must prove it can be done. If they cannot make the move, the mark is put back on.

5 Tag

The first person is ‘it’ and tries to climb to another person and touch them. The person being ‘tagged’ then must tag someone else, excluding the person just touched. The previous tagger climbs down until the next person is tagged.

6 Dyno

Agree one or two foot-holds and one or two hand-holds, with a large hold higher above the hand-holds. Each person takes turns ‘dynoing’ (making a dynamic move) to the hold. The dyno can be vertical, off vertical or even horizontal.

7 One arm/one foot

Two or more climbers decide on a sequence and attempt it using one arm and/or one foot only. This can be done as an add-on or take-away game.

8 Quickdraw climbing game

Designate eight to ten ‘goals’ (such as holes in the wall, big holds) and place the same number of quickdraws in a location near them (hanging on another hold). The climber must climb back and forth from the pile of quickdraws, taking one at a time to each goal. (A quickdraw consists of two karabiners connected by a textile sling, as used by climbers to attach their rope to pieces of protection when lead climbing.)

10 Blind climb

Blindfold one climber; they start to climb by feeling with their hands and feet. The spotter may support by calling out directions.

11 Amputee

Other people from a set distance throw a small hoop or beanbag (gently!) at the climber as they climb. If a limb of the climber is hit, the climber can no longer use that limb. If the climber’s head is hit, they lose. If the climber is hit on the back three times, they lose. If the climber falls, they lose. If the climber gets to the end of the climb, they win.

12 Twister

Set out a section of the wall as the ‘twister’ area and play with the same rules as normal twister.

13 Spiderman

One person climbs about a quarter of the way up the wall and selects a hold about two metres away in any direction; they name it and the belayer locks off the rope, telling the climber when they are safe to proceed. The climber yells ‘I’m Spiderman!’ and dynos (jumps) for the hold. If they make it and hold onto it, they go again, if they don’t, they swap with the belayer.

14 Hoarse

The first person chooses a point to begin and a point to end, then they roll a dice to see how many holds they can use (it is the facilitator’s choice whether this includes the starting and ending holds or not). If the first person completes their route then the rest of the players must complete it.

15 Lapping

The first climber climbs the wall to make the most laps of a route that they can; the second climber tries to beat the time of the first climber.

16 Time’s up

Starting with a ten-second time limit, the first climber gets to as many holds as they can before the time is over. The second climber tries to beat that number in the same sequence.

17 Lucky draw

Climbers write down all the climbing moves they can think of (such as lay-back, drop-knee, pinch, dyno) on slips of paper, then put the slips into a hat/chalk-bag. Three slips of paper are drawn out and the climber must make a route using only those movements.

Alternatively, the climber can draw out the slip of paper in secret, make the move and the others in the group have to guess what it is.

18 Add-on choice

Climbers are paired; they devise a route, one climber choosing the first two or three moves and their partner choosing the next two or three.

19 Gladiator

The climbers number themselves 1 and 2. Number 1 ties a short sling around their harness (loosely enough to be pulled off but not too loose, as it will fall off). Number 1 climbs about a quarter of the way up the wall and number 2 chases them. If climber 1 gets to the top without losing their sling, they win.

20 Simon says

‘Simon’ gives the group 15 seconds to get off the ground before calling out various commands (for example, ‘Simon says move your left foot’); everyone must make the move, unless the command is not prefixed with ‘Simon says’. Players are out if they fall or do not obey the command.

21 Wimbledon

On a slab or corner, the climber holds a tennis ball in each hand and climbs the route. The game allows some use of hands for balance and a little pulling on massive holds, but teaches that power comes from the thighs.

22 Tag team

Two people start at the bottom, race up to the top of the wall and back down, ‘tag’ the next person in line, who races up to the top and back down.

23 Taps

Climbers climb as usual but every time they use a hand, they have to first tap their head and then count aloud the number of times they have used it, starting at one (it makes it more fun to have them do it in a foreign language!). The goal is to have the climber try to beat their personal best by trying to lessen the number of times they use their hands.

24 Arch runner

A climber climbs all the way up, across and down the wall, then goes back to the starting point and repeats without re-using moves or holds from before.

25 Tap its

One person chooses a hold for each hand and one foot. With the other foot, they see how many holds they can touch while their partner counts. They then swap places using the same holds, the person that touches the most wins.

Bouldering games

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1 Flag tag

Take two pieces of webbing, cloth or flags approximately a metre in length and have the two players tuck them into their pockets or waistbands. The climbers start at opposite sides and begin to climb towards each other. The object is to steal the flag of the opponent.

2 Follow the leader

Played just as it sounds, a participant begins climbing and once they reach a certain point the next participant in the line begins traversing the wall, using the same holds as the first participant used. If a participant falls, they join the back of the line. If the leader falls, the second climber becomes the leader.

3 Horse

Just as in follow the leader, the first participant to step onto the wall chooses holds that the others must use. Each turn consists of a player following the route that the previous turns have created and then adding on a hold or two of their own. Participants must be able to complete the sequence they choose. If a participant falls during any part of the turn, a letter (H, O, R, S or E) is given to them and once ‘horse’ is spelled out, that climber is out.

4 Mountaineering

When mountaineering, crossing glaciers and on some types of rock climbing, it is common practice to link the team together by a rope, which prevents the team from losing a member if an accident occurs or someone falls. Tie several knots in the rope (one for each participant) about 1.5 metres apart, with one at the beginning and one at the end of the rope, clip the karabiners onto the knots and then clip a karabiner into each climber’s harness. The climbers must negotiate the wall together, making their way from start to finish without the whole group falling.

5 Routes

Choose a sequence of moves and mark all of the holds to be used. Participants climb the routes as set. The routes can have a theme (such as all rounded holds, all crimps, all one colour).

6 Tag

Line participants up as in ‘follow the leader’, and have the first climber start negotiating the wall. Once they reach a designated spot, the second participant starts climbing, chasing the first. Once the second climber reaches the designated spot, start the third, and so on. The object is to tag the climber in front, but participants may only tag those in front of them. If a participant is tagged or falls off the wall, they go to the back of the line.

7 Get dressed!

Hang different items on the wall (such as hats, gloves, trousers, shorts, jackets, shoes). The climber must climb around the wall and whenever they find something, they must put it on, without coming off the wall. The same can then be tried as they undress.

9 Pirates of the karabiner

Give the climbers a foam sword each and, as they boulder around the wall, they chase and fight one another.

10 I went to the wall and used …

One person starts at one end of the wall. Their spotter calls out ‘I went to the wall and used a …’, and the climber has to make that move (such as crimp, undercut, smear). After the move has been completed, the climber steps off and the partner repeats the move. The new spotter calls out the next move to be used, such as ‘I went to the wall and used a crimp and a smear.’ The list gets longer, the climbers have to memorise the moves and the route gets longer.

Traversing games

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1 Addition

The climbers agree the first few moves on the wall; the first climber traverses this sequence and then adds the next (a hold or a particular move). Every time a climber completes the sequence, they add on another move.

2 Blind climb

A blindfolded climber is directed around the wall by the directions of the other group members.

3 Lapping

The first climber traverses across the walls and makes the most laps they can. Then the second climber tries to beat the number of laps the first climber performed.

4 Over and under

One person climbs on to the wall, traverses several moves along, the next person traverses to them and has to go over them. The next person traverses along and goes over the first person and under the second person (between their feet and hands). Once everyone is on the wall, the first person goes over and under everyone and it starts again if you have enough wall! This can be played with as many people as you want and the more people, the longer they have to stay on.

5 Leap frog

The first climber gets onto the wall, the second person must climb past the first, the first climbs past the second, and so on. The leaper cannot use the hand or foot-holds that the person they leap is using.

6 Freeze

All participants traverse at the same time anywhere on the wall, while the facilitator stays on the floor and randomly calls out ‘freeze.’ When that command is given, the climbers must cease all movement, even if in the middle of moving from one hold to the next, while the facilitator counts to 10 (or 20, or 30!). Climbers may not move until the facilitator says ‘go’. If a climber moves while in a ‘freeze’ or falls, they are out until the next round.

7 Limbo

Participants must traverse the wall and make their way under a limbo pole. A broomstick or even a person with long arms will suffice for the limbo pole. Each time participants finish making their way under the pole, move it down and have them try their luck, making their way under the pole again. Since indoor walls have bolt-holes, resting one side of the pole on a hold and moving the pole down one hold (or bolt-hole) every time is easy enough.