Choose an appropriate outdoor area for this activity.
If you’re going to meet there (rather than at your usual meeting place), make sure parents and carers know exactly where you’ll be and what time to drop off and collect everyone.
Essentials
- Duration: 20 minutes
- Location: Outdoors
- Cost: £
- Suitable for: Pairs
- You will need: Scarves
How to run this activity
Play the game
- Everyone should gather at the agreed place.
- The person leading the activity should explain any specific safety arrangements for the activity.
For example, does the place you’re using have any hazards people need to be aware of? Are there boundaries on how far people can go? Where will the grown ups be?
- Everyone should get into pairs.
It’s up to you whether you let people choose their partners or whether you choose pairs you know will work well together.
- One people in each pair should tie their scarf over their eyes to make a blindfold.
- The other person in each pair should guide their blindfolded friend somewhere interesting and position them in a way that captures a unique view.
For example, they could ask them to lie down looking up at the base of an oak tree, or they could position them so they’re looking through their legs at a planter that’s behind them.
- Once they’re in position, the blindfolded person should feel, smell, and listen to everything around them. Can they work out what they’re looking at?
- After the blindfolded person has used their senses to explore where they are, they can remove their blindfold and take in the view.
Reflection
This activity gave everyone a chance to think about what makes a great leader. Some people had the chance to give leading a go.
What was it like to guide someone who couldn’t see? Was it a lot of responsibility? If the person leading hadn’t tried their best, others could’ve hurt themselves. It was important for the leaders to be trustworthy.
This activity was also about valuing the outdoors. Ask everyone to say three words about the nature they experienced.
Activity outcomes
Be a team player - learn to work better with others, achieve shared goals, and put the team first.
Value the outdoors - enjoy being outside, feel comfortable in nature, and feel connected to the natural environment.
Safety guidance
All activities must be safely managed. Do a risk assessment and include hazards such as roads, woodland, bodies of water (for example, rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas), plants, and animals. Take appropriate steps to reduce risk.
You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.
You’ll probably need more adult helpers than usual. Your risk assessment should include how many adults you need. The young people to adult ratios are a minimum requirement; when you do your risk assessment, you might decide that you need more adults than the ratio specifies.
Think about extra equipment that you may need to take with you, for example, a first aid kit, water, and waterproofs.
Throughout the activity, watch out for changes in the weather and do regular headcounts.
The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed.
Level up
The person guiding their blindfolded partner could lead them with worded directions only.
Challenge people to rely on their other senses to guess where they are correctly before they remove their blindfold.
Access guidance
People can move at their own pace – this isn’t a competitive game.
No-one has to be blindfolded if they don’t want to be. They could just close their eyes, or they could choose someone else to have their turn.
If it gets too noisy and anyone doesn’t like the noise, the person leading the activity can remind everyone to be quieter.
Other activities
Finding an emotional bond with, and love for, nature is one of five things that can help people build a better relationship with nature.
Explore our free resources for more activity ideas.
