The students were stuck. They had a limited number of graham crackers—little rubber mats—on which to walk from one side of the chocolate river to the other, and not enough to complete the journey. “We’re going to have to jump!” said the student at the front of the line. He leapt about five feet, barely crossing the rope that represented the river's edge.
“We can’t all jump that far,” said one of his classmates.
“If it doesn’t work for everyone, it’s not a solution,” said another.
Conclusions like that are the gold standard of teamwork, and exactly why John Jay Middle School’s sixth grade was visiting Putnam | Northern Westchester BOCES’ Challenge Course. “Teamwork is the overall theme of our field trips this year,” said Principal Jeff Swiatowicz.
The following week, John Jay’s seventh grade would head to Mountain Lakes in North Salem, and the eighth grade to the Boys and Girls Club in Ridgefield. Each group would have the opportunity to problem solve through physical obstacles, and find their way, together, when things didn't go to plan.
After playing several lawn challenges and reflecting on the process they took to complete a task, BOCES’ outdoor educators knew the students were ready. They led them through a gap in the rock wall and onto a winding wide path in the forest, stopping at small clearings which held intriguing obstacles made of wood and rope.
A favorite challenge that day was the Whale Watch–a large platform of wood that moves like a seesaw. Students had to all get on the "boat" without letting the sides touch the ground. Each time it did, the game restarted.
After a few rounds of repeating the same mistakes and speaking over each other, a leader emerged. She asked each member of the group for their ideas. Everyone listened, and they created a new plan. “Does everyone know what we are doing?” she asked the team before proceeding.
When everyone boarded the boat, finally, they participated in the tradition of singing “Happy Birthday” quickly and without moving.
Dappled sunlight filtered through the trees as the students figured out how to go over the Water Wheel and walk through the Spider Web. The students built on what they learned at each new challenge, growing in confidence and connectedness.
As they completed the Challenge Course, the woods were filled with bursts of laughter, muffled cheers and, from time to time, other groups singing “Happy Birthday.”