Pacific Islands Day / Ocean Wayfinding Challenge
Ocean Wayfinding Challenge
Teams 'sail' a canoe across the yard using wayfinding clues, learning how Pacific voyagers crossed vast ocean distances by reading stars, swells, winds and birds.
How to run it
- Explain that Pacific navigators travelled thousands of kilometres without instruments by reading stars, ocean swells, wind, clouds and the flight of birds.
- Mark a start 'island' and several destination islands with cones, and set clue cards along the way, such as 'birds fly towards land at dusk' or 'keep the swell on your left side'.
- Teams link arms or hold a rope as a canoe, read each clue together and decide which way to travel.
- The first team to reach the correct island explains how the clues helped, then teams swap routes.
You will need
- cones
- clue cards
- skipping ropes or pool noodles for canoes
- star chart picture
Make it easier or harderYounger children follow picture clues; older children make their own clue route for another team.
SafetyClear the course of hazards and make sure teams move at a walking pace when linked together.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 4, Outcome 2Children solve problems as a team while learning about Pacific navigation knowledge.
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