Trust & Leadership Challenges
•Year 8
•Outdoor Adventurous Activities
•Arrange in 3x3 grid formation with approximately 50cm between hoops
Alternative: Chalk circles, rope circles, or marked floor squares
Laminated cards attached with string or adhesive number stickers
Alternative: Write numbers on bibs, use playing cards Ace-8
Ensure comfortable fit and complete vision obstruction, check hygiene
Alternative: Sleep masks, bandanas, or scarves tied securely
Standard spring-loaded clothes pegs, attached to clothing at waist/shoulders
Alternative: Velcro strips, ribbon tags, or flag tags
Ensure soft foam material to prevent injury during tagging
Alternative: Pool noodles cut to 50cm lengths, soft foam tubes
Bright colours for visibility, stable base to prevent tripping
Alternative: Markers, spots, or chalk lines
Must be easily visible and retrievable from designated zones
Alternative: Bean bags, tennis balls in cones, coloured bands
Ensure clear colour differentiation between teams
Alternative: Coloured bands, wristbands, or hair ties
The ability to guide, motivate and organise a team towards achieving a common goal
An overall plan or approach designed to achieve success in a competitive situation
Specific actions or methods used to implement a strategy during gameplay
Specific responsibilities assigned to team members to maximise team effectiveness
A situation where individuals or teams strive to outperform opponents within agreed rules
The drive and enthusiasm to participate fully and encourage others to perform their best
Working collaboratively with others, combining individual strengths to achieve shared objectives
Understanding where pupils are coming from and where they're going
Verbal communication skills - clear instructions, persuasive suggestions during strategy planning, explanatory descriptions during reflection. Active listening - understanding teammates' ideas, responding appropriately to tactical suggestions. Vocabulary development - technical terms (strategy, tactics, roles, leadership, motivation) used in context. Articulating thinking - explaining strategies, justifying decisions, reflecting on performance. Group discussion skills - turn-taking, building on others' ideas, respectful challenge of suggestions.
Strategic spatial reasoning when positioning defenders along gauntlet (equal spacing, optimal coverage). Calculating optimal attack/defence ratios (e.g., sending 1/3 of team as attackers vs 2/3). Time-based decision making (5-second flag zone rule requires mental counting and estimation). Probability thinking - assessing likelihood of successful flag capture based on defender positioning.
Understanding body systems response to exercise - heart rate elevation during warm-up and high-intensity games, cardiovascular fitness impact on sustained performance. Physics concepts of forces, speed, and direction in tactical gameplay - angles of approach, speed variations for stealth vs. quick attacks. Sound and hearing in blindfold activities - how ears locate direction and distance of sounds. Recovery and cool-down - physiological need for gradual reduction in activity intensity.
Algorithmic thinking during Square Shuffle Puzzle - sequential steps to reach goal state, logical problem-solving, troubleshooting when sequences fail. Systems thinking - understanding how individual roles interconnect to create team system, how changes in one part affect the whole. Debugging mindset - trying strategies, identifying what doesn't work, making iterative improvements.
Spatial awareness and mapping - understanding territory divisions, positioning in space, visualising playing area from different perspectives. Directions and navigation - especially during gauntlet activity, using directional language (forward, back, left, right) to guide teammates. Tactical geography - terrain advantages, boundary awareness, zoning in Capture the Flag (attack zones, defence zones, jail areas).
Leadership qualities and development - what makes effective leaders, different leadership styles, shared leadership in teams. Resilience and dealing with setbacks - maintaining motivation when strategies fail or team is losing. Communication skills - clarity, assertiveness, active listening, non-verbal communication. Teamwork and cooperation - balancing individual contributions with collective goals. Managing emotions in competitive situations - staying calm under pressure, handling disappointment. Building positive relationships - trust development in blindfold activities, appreciation and respect for peers.
During small-group activities: circulate continuously between groups, never static. During Capture the Flag: position along halfway line with mobile movement for clear visibility of both territories, flag zones, and jail areas. During demonstrations: central location where all students have clear sightlines. During discussions: within the circle at student level to facilitate inclusive participation.
Leadership behaviours: who initiates strategic discussions, who facilitates team agreement, who motivates during setbacks, who adapts roles. Communication: clarity of instructions, supportiveness of language, effectiveness in coordinating team actions. Strategic thinking: quality of planning, tactical adaptations, problem-solving under pressure. Physical engagement: full participation in competitive situations, confidence in movement, self-motivation to contribute. Social dynamics: inclusion of all team members, respect for opponents, sportsmanship in success and failure.
Step in immediately if: physical safety concerns arise (rough play, collisions, unsafe equipment use); blindfold activities causing distress for any student; conflicts between students escalating; rules violations occurring repeatedly; one student dominating team decisions excluding others; students disengaging or being excluded from participation; competitive intensity overriding sportsmanship and respect. For learning interventions: when groups stuck during problem-solving - provide prompt questions not solutions; when strategies clearly ineffective - pause for strategic review; when excellent leadership moments occur - highlight them immediately to class as teaching examples.
Always demonstrate new activities with volunteer students not just verbal explanation - Year 8 students learn effectively through visual modelling. Exaggerate key aspects for visibility (e.g., two-handed tagging technique, 5-second flag zone timing, jail break high-five). Demonstrate both correct execution and common mistakes to prevent errors. Use students as demonstrators where possible to increase engagement and show that activities are achievable by peers. Provide commentary during demonstrations explaining what to observe. For complex activities like Capture the Flag, demonstrate in stages - objective first, then tagging rules, then jail system, then full game scenario - building understanding progressively.
Large sports hall or outdoor space minimum 30m x 20m to accommodate full-class team games with multiple activity zones. Adequate space between different group activities (minimum 3-4 metres) to prevent cross-group interference and collisions.
Indoor: clean, dry, non-slip hall floor free from water, dust, or debris. Outdoor: level grass or tarmac surface without holes, rocks, or obstacles. Check before each activity section as conditions may change.
FREEZE command stops all activity immediately. Assess situation: minor issue (bump, scrape, equipment problem) - deal with quickly and continue; significant injury - send responsible student for first aid support, keep injured student still and calm, reassure other students and continue lesson with modified activity if appropriate; serious injury - emergency services protocol, supervising adult stays with injured student while another supervises class. First aid kit location known and accessible. Contact details for medical support available. Accident reporting procedures followed for all incidents requiring first aid or beyond.
Sign up free to access 3 complete units per month, unlimited activity library, and your personal locker.