Trust & Leadership Challenges
•Year 7
•Outdoor Adventurous Activities
•Use to mark rectangular play areas (approximately 10m x 5m per team) and create boundaries for navigation challenges
Alternative: Markers, spot markers, or chalk lines
Ensure blindfolds are clean, comfortable, and completely block vision; have spares available
Alternative: Clean PE bibs, fabric strips, or students can close eyes with adult supervision
Position within play area as target destinations for navigation tasks
Alternative: Hoops, boxes, or marked zones on the floor
Place at various positions within play area for collection tasks
Alternative: Bean bags, small foam balls, or quoits
Used for dribbling or bouncing tasks within navigation challenges
Alternative: Playground balls or foam balls
Use to identify teams and as objects to collect during challenges
Alternative: Coloured bands or sashes
Prepare with success criteria and space for peer/self-assessment notes
Alternative: Digital assessment on tablets or verbal feedback recorded by teacher
Essential for timing competitive navigation challenges
Alternative: Mobile phone timer or visible countdown clock
Set up low (30cm high) for crawling under challenges
Alternative: Cones to represent tunnel or barrier
Create obstacles for rolling balls under during advanced scenarios
Alternative: Cones laid on side or taped lines
To share information, ideas, or instructions with others through words, gestures, or actions
Communication without using words, such as through gestures, mime, or body language
To work together with others towards a common goal
To guide or direct someone or yourself through a space or towards a destination
The confidence and reliance you place in your teammates to keep you safe and help you succeed
To assess or judge the quality, success, or effectiveness of something
To create or produce ideas, solutions, or strategies
Understanding where pupils are coming from and where they're going
Verbal communication skills - giving clear, concise instructions; active listening when receiving instructions; vocabulary development using technical terms (navigate, collaborate, non-verbal); evaluating and reflecting using descriptive language during plenary discussions
Directional language and angles - giving instructions using left, right, 90-degree turns; measuring and estimating distances within play area; timing challenges and comparing completion times across rounds; spatial reasoning when navigating blindfolded through three-dimensional space
Sensory systems - understanding how we rely on vision and what happens when it's removed; proprioception and balance when navigating without sight; communication systems in nature (how animals communicate non-verbally); forces when bouncing balls during tasks
Non-verbal communication techniques through mime and gesture; performance skills when acting out scenarios for Navigators; using body language to convey meaning clearly; understanding importance of exaggeration and clarity in physical performance
Directional vocabulary (north, south, east, west can be introduced); navigation concepts and wayfinding; spatial awareness and mental mapping of play area; understanding of coordinates and relative positioning
Teamwork and collaboration essential throughout lesson; building trust with peers through vulnerable blindfold activities; resilience and managing frustration when challenges are difficult; empathy for teammates in different roles with different challenges; emotional regulation under pressure
Stand centrally in activity space to maintain visual oversight of all team zones. Circulate systematically between zones during activities, spending approximately 30-45 seconds observing each team. Position yourself where you can see all blindfolded students simultaneously - this is the priority supervision point.
Primary focus: safety of blindfolded students (movement speed, orientation, proximity to boundaries). Secondary focus: quality of communication strategies (clarity of mime from Actors, specificity of Navigator instructions, trust shown by blindfolded students). Tertiary focus: team dynamics (encouragement, frustration management, collaboration).
Intervene immediately if: 1) Any safety rule is broken (running while blindfolded, Navigator peeking, students leaving zones), 2) Blindfolded student appears distressed or disoriented, 3) Communication completely breaks down and team becomes frustrated, 4) Students are unkind or negative toward teammates. Use FREEZE command for safety issues; use positive redirection for communication issues.
Demonstrate: During setup, show clear examples of each role with exaggerated movements so all students can see from distance. For Actor role, mime picking up ball with very obvious reaching, grasping, lifting movements. For Navigator role, model giving directions using clear vocabulary: 'Walk forward 3 steps, turn left, reach down low, pick up the ball.' For blindfolded role, demonstrate slow, cautious movement with arms slightly out for safety and balance.
Large space required: minimum 60m x 40m to accommodate 6-8 team zones (each 10m x 5m) with 2m spacing between zones. Indoor hall or outdoor playground suitable. Clear of obstacles and hazards.
Dry, even surface essential due to blindfold activities. Check for: no wet patches, no uneven areas, no loose objects, no protruding equipment. Indoor: check hall floor is clean and not slippery. Outdoor: check for stones, holes, or debris.
Use FREEZE command for immediate stop if unsafe behaviour observed. Remove blindfolds immediately in any emergency situation. First aid kit accessible for minor injuries (bumps, scrapes). If student becomes distressed with blindfold: immediate removal, calm reassurance, option to participate without blindfold or in observer role. If collision occurs: stop all activities, assess injury, apply appropriate first aid, complete accident form if necessary. Emergency exits kept clear at all times.
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