--- title: "Lay a trail with 1911 trail signs" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-15" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "45 min" cost: "$0" ages: "5 and up" where: "A backyard, or a park lawn or path you know well, with no roads or water along the route." topics: ["classic-skills","outdoors"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=lay-a-trail-with-trail-signs" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/lay-a-trail-with-trail-signs/" --- # Lay a trail with 1911 trail signs > Forty-five minutes in a yard or park. Lay a short trail of 1911 trail signs from loose sticks and pebbles, let your kid follow it to a hidden note, then swap and clear every sign away. ## What you need - Loose sticks and pebbles already lying on the ground (free) - A whistle for each of you (have / $3) - A folded note and a small treat for the end of the trail (have) - Sidewalk chalk, for a trail on pavement instead (have / $3) ## Before you start - **Stay within sight of each other** the whole time. Every sign should be visible from the one before it. - **Agree on whistle calls first,** including one that means "come back to me now." - **No route along roads, parking lots or water.** Pick a lawn or a path you already know. - **Loose things only.** Don't break branches, pull plants or lift rocks from streams or park beds. ## Steps 1. **Learn four signs** (Dad shows, Kid copies) Draw four signs from the 1911 book in the dirt or on paper: an arrow for "road to be followed," an X for "this path not to be followed," a square with an arrow for "letter hidden three paces from here this way," and a circle with a dot for "I have gone home," the end of the trail. 2. **Set the boundaries and the whistle** (Together) Walk the edge of the play area together and say where it stops: "The trail never goes past the fence or the big tree." Agree on your whistle calls. The [whistle and hand signals plan](/plans/whistle-and-hand-signals/) has a set to borrow. 3. **Dad lays the trail** (Dad) While the kid counts to 100 with eyes covered, lay 8 to 10 signs from loose sticks and pebbles, each in sight of the last. Put an X across one wrong turn. Near the end, lay a square-and-arrow sign and hide the note three paces that way. Finish with a circle and dot. 4. **Add a water stop** (Dad) The 1911 book also had signs for water: a circle with wavy lines meant "this is good water," and the same circle with an arrow meant "good water not far this way." Scratch one in the dirt or draw it in chalk next to a water bottle halfway along. 5. **Kid follows the trail** (Kid) The kid follows the signs while you walk a few steps behind. Don't point. If they stall, ask "What does that sign say?" At the square-and-arrow sign, they count three paces and find the note. 6. **Take it down, then swap** (Together) Walk the trail back together and undo every sign: scatter the sticks and set pebbles back where they came from. Then the kid lays a trail for you. Take that one down too. ## If it stalls - If the kid loses the trail, the signs are probably too far apart. Stand at the last sign and lay the next one where they can see it. - If sticks are scarce, use chalk on a driveway or path and hose it off after. - Let the kid's note say anything. A younger kid can draw a picture. ## Variations - **Ages 3–5:** Use only the arrow and the end circle, and lay five signs across one small yard. - **Ages 6–9:** The full plan. - **Ages 10+:** Make the trail longer, add a second X at a fork, and have the kid draw a map of the route afterward. - **Cold:** Signs show well in light snow. Draw them with a stick and they melt away on their own. - **Rain:** Chalk washes off. Wait for a dry hour, or lay the signs with sticks on the lawn. ## Sources - **1911 scouting handbook, pp. 209–210.** The 1911 book shows trail signs with their meanings: an arrow for the road to be followed, an X for a path not to be followed, a square with an arrow for a letter hidden three paces away in the direction of the arrow, a circle with a dot for "I have gone home," and circles with wavy lines for good water and which way to find it. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Leave No Trace in parks.** The National Park Service summarizes the Leave No Trace principles: use a map and compass or GPS to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging; leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them; do not build structures; and know the regulations for the area you visit. (checked 2026-10-15)