Orienteering for Single Parents: A DIY Park Adventure

Some Saturdays you just need the kids to run around. You also need them not to moan, not to ask for the tablet every ten minutes, and ideally to be tired enough to sleep at a decent time. A plain “let’s go for a walk” rarely achieves any of that. A treasure map does. Orienteering for single parents is basically a running race with a puzzle attached: you follow a map to find hidden checkpoints as fast as you can. Kids treat it as a game, you get a proper workout chasing after them, and it costs nothing if you build the course yourself.

I coach parents in Archway, and when solo mums and dads tell me they struggle to exercise at weekends because the kids are always with them, this is one of my favourite answers. Here is how to try it, including a DIY course you can set up in your local park.

What is orienteering, in plain English?

In the proper sport, you get a map with a set of numbered circles on it. Each circle marks a “control”, usually an orange and white flag, somewhere in a park or forest. You visit them in order, punch a card or tap a chip at each one to prove you were there, and the fastest time wins. Some people race it, some walk it, many families stroll it with a picnic.

The fitness part sneaks up on you. You are moving for 30 to 60 minutes, mixing jogging, fast walking and the occasional sprint because your child has spotted the flag before you. Meanwhile everyone’s brain is working too: reading the map, choosing a route, counting paths. For kids, it builds independence and confidence outdoors. For you, it is interval training disguised as an adventure.

British Orienteering, the national governing body, and many local clubs run beginner-friendly events and permanent courses around the country, so once your family is hooked, it is worth looking up what is near you.

Orienteering for single parents: build a DIY park course

You do not need to wait for an event. Here is how I suggest setting up a course in a local park in about 20 minutes.

What you need

• A printed or hand-drawn map of the park (sketch the main paths, the playground, the pond, big trees and buildings)
• 6 to 10 “controls”: coloured paper plates, clothes pegs with numbers, or small cards with a letter on each
• A pencil and a control card for each child to write down the letter found at each control
• A stopwatch on your phone

How to set it up

1. Walk the route first with the kids watching the playground, or set it up while they are on the swings if you can see them the whole time.
2. Peg each control somewhere visible but not obvious: a bench leg, a tree trunk at the edge of a path, a fence post.
3. Mark each control on the map with a numbered circle.
4. Hide a letter on each control. When all letters are found they spell a word, like “PIZZA” or the name of the family dog. Kids love the reveal.

Keep every control on open ground within sight of paths. Never put controls near roads, ponds with steep edges or out of view of the main area if young children will be running alone.

Rules by age

• Under 7: you run together, holding the map between you. Point to things on the map and on the ground.
• 8 to 11: they hold the map and choose the route. You follow and only help when asked.
• 12 and up: race against each other. Give them a 2-minute head start, then try to catch them.

Parks that work well around us include Waterlow Park, with its paths, ponds and terraces, and Highgate Wood, where trees and winding paths make it feel like a real forest course. My guide to Highgate Wood with kids has more on visiting with little ones.

Turn it into a proper workout for you

Once the kids know the drill, add a fitness layer for yourself. At each control, do a quick exercise before moving on:

• Control 1: 10 squats
• Control 2: 10 incline push-ups on a bench
• Control 3: 20-second plank
• Control 4: 10 walking lunges
• Control 5: 10 step-ups on a low wall or bench
• Control 6: sprint to the next control

Kids usually want to join in. Let them. Two rounds of a 6-control course with exercises at each stop is a solid 35 to 45 minute session, and you will have spent the whole time together. If you want more outdoor workout ideas, my Waterlow Park outdoor workout is a good next step.

Make it a weekly habit

The NHS physical activity guidelines for children and young people suggest kids aged 5 to 18 aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of activity a day across the week. A weekend orienteering course covers a good chunk of one day. To keep it fresh:

• Let the kids design the course for you every other week.
• Try a “score” version: controls worth different points, 20 minutes to collect as many as possible.
• Do a night version in the garden or a lit park in winter with torches (stay together).
• Keep a family leaderboard on the fridge.

For more ideas in the same spirit, see my post on scavenger hunts for kids outdoors. And for the bigger picture of exercising as a solo parent, read my single parent fitness guide.

Where bootcamp fits in

Orienteering is a lovely weekend activity, but on its own it is not quite enough to build strength. Midweek, a 45-minute small-group class gives you the leg strength and fitness to keep up with your kids when they start beating you to every flag. The SYP Recharge energy and focus class is a good match if you want more running fitness and energy for the weekend.

FAQs

What age can children start orienteering?

With a parent, children as young as 4 or 5 can follow a simple picture map. Most can start reading a basic map with some independence from around 8.

Do you have to run in orienteering?

No. Many people walk the whole course. Running is optional, which makes it great for families with mixed ages and fitness.

Is orienteering good exercise?

Yes. It mixes walking, jogging and short bursts of running over varied ground, which is good for heart fitness, legs and balance, and it keeps the mind busy at the same time.

What do I need to start orienteering?

Comfortable trainers, clothes you do not mind getting muddy and a map. For a DIY course, add some pegs or paper plates and a pencil.

Book your first class

Want the fitness to win your own orienteering race? Join SYP Bootcamp. Classes are 45 minutes, max 10 people, £15 a class, held indoors in a church hall in Archway N19, so the weather never cancels them. Book your £15 class here or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If your weeks are too unpredictable for a fixed class, my online coaching can build a plan around your custody days and the kids’ schedule.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.