Stone Cairn Challenge

What you need

• A collection of 10–15 flat and rounded stones per builder
• A flat starting surface (a picnic table, a large flat rock, or packed dirt)

How to play

1. 1.Spend 5 minutes collecting stones of mixed sizes near camp. A variety of flat and irregular shapes builds more interesting towers.
2. 2.Start with the largest, flattest stone as a base.
3. 3.Stack one stone at a time, finding the balance point before adding the next.
4. 4.The tower must stand on its own — no hands allowed after each stone is placed.
5. 5.Count the stones when the tower falls. Try to beat your count on the next attempt.

What success looks like

Tallest standing tower after 15 minutes wins.

Variations

• Timed speed: who can stack 10 stones fastest without toppling?
• Sculpture mode: build a shape, not just a tower — arch, spiral, row.
• Group mega-cairn: all players take turns adding one stone to a single shared tower.

Safety notes

• Only collect loose surface rocks. Do not dismantle existing trail cairns — they serve as navigation markers.
• Scatter your stones after the activity to restore the area.