Building a bivouac - ATSEGS – Adventure Therapy for Your Class

Building a bivouac

Age groups:

13-14, 15-16, 17-19

Activity duration:

Short activities (15-45 min. Approx. 30 mins)

Skills worked on:

Self-awareness, Self-management, Responsible decision-making

Type of terrain:

Woods or similar natural/rural areas, Forest, mountains or nature areas with uneven terrain, Coastal or lake areas

Preparation

Divide participants into teams of 3 to 5 members. Each team will create their own shelter using the provided materials and select the best location within the designated area. Before starting, participants will take a few minutes to observe and interact with their surroundings, considering how natural elements like trees and rocks can aid in construction.

Teams will have 15 minutes to complete the task. They are encouraged to incorporate naturally found materials, such as fallen branches, leaves, or stones, while being mindful not to disturb the environment.

Once time is up, each group will present their shelter and explain its features.

Variations

The difficulty can be adjusted by introducing handicaps, such as prohibiting talking. Individual handicaps can also be assigned—half the group may be blindfolded and allowed to interact with materials, while the other half can see but not touch. To enhance the challenge and connection to nature, teams can be required to use only naturally found materials alongside the provided tarp and rope.

Materials

Tarp (1 per group)
Jute rope (at least 6 pieces of varying sizes per group)
Extra materials: Walking sticks, tent pegs, and any naturally collected materials like fallen branches, stones, or leaves.