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Kitimu says: "Trackers don't just look at the shape of a track — they measure the gaps between them! Your stride and straddle tell a tracker how big you are and how fast you were moving. Time to measure up! Let's go, Cub!"
🎒 What You Need
Soft ground or sand
Measuring tape or string & ruler
Pencil & notebook
A family member or friend
Your worksheet
📋 How To Do It
Learn the terms: Stride is the distance from one footprint to the next (left foot to right foot). Straddle is the width between your left and right foot tracks — how far apart your feet are side to side. Draw a quick diagram so you understand the difference.
Walk and measure: Walk normally across soft ground for about 10 steps. Go back and measure your stride (distance between steps) and your straddle (width between left and right tracks). Write down both numbers.
Jog and measure: Smooth the ground, then jog across the same area. Measure stride and straddle again. What changed? Your stride should be longer and your straddle might change too!
Run and measure: Now sprint across! Measure one more time. How much longer is your running stride compared to walking? Is the straddle wider or narrower at full speed?
Compare with others: Get a family member of a different height to do the same walk-jog-run test. Compare your numbers. Taller people usually have longer strides — trackers use this to estimate an animal's size!
Ranger Tip: In the African bush, trackers can tell if a lion was stalking (short, careful stride, narrow straddle) or charging (huge stride, wide straddle) just by measuring the gaps between paw prints. You're learning the same science!
Safety note: Make sure you have a clear, flat area for running — no holes, rocks, or obstacles. Warm up before sprinting to avoid pulling a muscle.
📸
Take a photo of your stride comparison chart (walk vs jog vs run) and share it in the Junior Rangers WhatsApp group!