Switch

Name and Purpose

Switch builds quick thinking, spatial awareness, and playful connection to the natural environment.
Players learn to identify local tree species while practising movement, strategy, and cooperation.

a.k.a.

Age / Group / Time / Space

Ages 8-16 | 10-30 players | 15-25 minutes | Wooded area with at least one tree per player within a defined boundary

Materials

Quick-Run Card

Walk the boundary with players; assign each player a tree type (Sugar Maple, Beech, Yellow Birch, Ironwood).
Each player stands at a tree of their type; one player volunteers as ‘It’ in the centre.
‘It’ calls a tree type; those players swap trees while ‘It’ tries to claim one.
The player left without a tree becomes the new ‘It’. If ‘It’ calls ‘Forest!’, everyone swaps.
No elimination: play continues until time is up. Debrief connects the game to real forest ecology.

Setup and Boundaries

Walk the boundary with players before play starts; point out roots, low branches, and uneven ground
Signal: one whistle = pause; two whistles = stop and gather
Mark boundary with cones if the treeline is unclear
Each player stands at a tree of their assigned type before the first round

How to Play

Walk the play area together. Staff assign tree types: roughly equal numbers of Sugar Maple, Beech, Yellow Birch, and Ironwood (or local equivalents).
Players each stand at a tree of their type. One player volunteers to be ‘It’ and stands in the centre.
‘It’ calls a tree type: ‘Beeches!’ All Beech players must move to a different Beech tree. ‘It’ tries to claim a Beech tree.
The player left without a tree becomes the new ‘It’.
‘It’ can call ‘Forest!’ at any time, which sends all players to a new tree of their type.
No player is eliminated. Every player always has a role: moving, searching, or stepping in as ‘It’.
Play continues until the whistle blows. Debrief on what players noticed about the trees and the forest.

I-OPt Options

A (Active): Run to claim trees and volunteer as ‘It’
S (Support): Count how many swaps happen per round; call out when a round ends fairly
Q (Quiet): Walk between trees at a steady pace; focus on noticing the differences between tree types
O (Observer): Stand at the boundary for one round, noting patterns in how players move; join the next round

Inclusion Adaptations

Players who cannot run can walk; the game works at mixed speeds across a large enough space
Players with mobility aids can be assigned trees clustered in a smaller, accessible zone

Stewardship Moment

‘In a real forest, when one tree species disappears, the whole forest changes. Which tree type in our game felt hardest to replace when it was called out?’
After the game, walk through the play area and notice any difference in ground cover, light, or moisture near different tree types

Consent

Pre-brief: ‘This activity involves moving quickly between trees. For those who prefer not to run, walking between trees is another option. All movement speeds are welcome.’
Mid-game check: After 5 minutes, pause. ‘Thumbs up, sideways, or down. How is everyone feeling?’
Opt-out/re-entry: Any player can step to the boundary and observe. Raise a hand to re-enter as the next ‘It’ or as a tree-holder.

Risks and Mitigation

Collisions when multiple players rush the same tree: remind players that there is always another tree; no contact allowed in claiming
Roots and uneven ground: staff walk the area beforehand; remind players before each round
‘It’ stays as ‘It’ for too long: staff can intervene with a soft rule (‘If you have been ‘It’ for three calls, you may tap out and another player steps in’)

Warm-Up Suggestions

‘Tree ID’: stand in front of one tree for 60 seconds and find three things that identify it (bark texture, leaf shape, smell)
‘Slow Race’: see who can walk between two trees the most slowly without stopping

Debrief Questions

What? ‘Which tree type got called most? Which felt hardest to find a new tree for?’
So What? ‘What does it feel like when your ‘type’ disappears from the forest? How is that like what happens in real ecosystems?’
Now What? ‘What is one way you could support the real trees in your community?’

Cleanup and Reset