Navigation Education For All Ages and Spaces

Navigation Games was fortunate enough to present at the 2026 Boston Harbor Environmental Education Workshop hosted by the Stone Living Lab. During this 3-minute lightning presentation, we outlined the benefits of introducing orienteering to environmental education programs and the first steps in getting started. Read below to learn about our work and how you can start your orienteering journey!

Navigation Games is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that partners with schools and youth-serving organizations to bring orienteering into their programming.

So, what is orienteering?

Orienteering is an international sport where participants use a map to find checkpoints, either in a set order or by visiting as many as possible within a time limit in any order. You can do it solo or in groups, recreationally or competitively. It’s often called the “thinking sport” because it challenges both your body and your brain, requiring quick decision-making and close attention to your surroundings.

One of the best things about orienteering is how flexible it is. It can happen almost anywhere, on a school playground, in local parks or forests, in urban neighborhoods, or even indoors (when there’s no alternative!).

Why does orienteering matter?

In a world full of screens, it gets kids active and engaged outdoors, builds map-reading and problem-solving skills, and helps develop confidence and resilience by encouraging learning through mistakes. It also fosters environmental awareness through focused exploration of spaces, and through team-based activities, it strengthens communication and collaboration. These skills carry over directly into the classroom and everyday life. Its flexibility goes beyond location. You can tailor activities to emphasize your program’s goals, whether that is adding ecosystem information at each checkpoint, or adding geometry and mathematics into route choice. 

At Navigation Games, we’ve broken orienteering down into accessible, age appropriate, fun lessons for students from pre-K through 12th grade. Our six-lesson progression is currently taught in all Cambridge Public Schools as part of the third-grade PE curriculum, and all of our lessons are available for free online.

Getting started is simple.

Orienteering requires minimal equipment—mainly a map and checkpoints. A detailed orienteering map is ideal, and we can help create one for your school or a nearby public space, but even a basic map like Google Maps works well for introductory activities. We also offer an Intro Orienteering Kit with materials and lesson plans, though everything is available for free if you want to build your own.

Navigation Games can support you in a variety of ways. We offer staff-led programming, from single-session experiences to multi-week lesson series and off-site field trips. We also help with long-term implementation through educator trainings, virtual consultations, and free online curriculum resources.

Spring Training Opportunity

This spring, we’re especially excited to offer two free educator training events at Blue Hills Reservation and Franklin Park. These hands-on trainings will introduce beginner navigation skills, walk through our lesson progression, and explore how to run orienteering activities in different environments. Participants leave with ready-to-use lesson plans and the confidence to run a program on their own.

Our goal is simple: to get you and your students orienteering.

Next steps are easy—visit navigationgames.org, email us to schedule a free call, register for a training, or join us at a public orienteering event to see it in action.

Contact us:  🌐 www.navigationgames.org     ✉️ admin@navigationgames.org