The summer holidays are already starting in some federal states and the weather is also slowly getting ready for summer. High time for your Bound in nature, right? In an increasingly digital world, it's not easy to find ways to utilise the benefits of technology without losing touch with nature. Actionbound can help you and show you how to create exciting experiences for adults and/or children.

The advantages of learning in nature

Learning in nature has many benefits: It promotes physical activity, increases well-being and strengthens understanding and appreciation of the environment. These benefits can be further enhanced by combining digital learning with nature experiences. Gamification increases the motivation to learn in nature. Can tree leaves be correctly categorised? What does a birch tree look like? Can you spot one and take a photo of it? Your players can collect points for correctly answering questions. At the end of the Bound, you can see who has collected the most points. Who ends up in 1st place?

Scientific experiments & creative tasks

Integrate simple scientific experiments into your Bounds that can be carried out on site. This makes learning hands-on and practical. Or encourage creativity through tasks that encourage participants to look at and interpret their surroundings in new ways. Have the participants take and analyse soil samples or carry out simple weather observations. With the "creative task" element, the things collected can be photographed and recorded for the future.

Learning stations in nature (GPS and code scanning)

You can organise exciting nature explorations with Actionbound. Children and adults can navigate through the forest, parks or nature reserves while solving tasks that develop their observation skills and knowledge of nature. One task could be to identify different tree species by their leaves or to find certain bird species and record their calls.

With the help of GPS coordinates, your players won't get lost either. It's best to create several sections where your players can check their location. Maybe you can also work together with the city or town nearby and hide permanently installed QR codes. You can also check the locations by scanning the QR codes. Here is a small example: In a botanical garden, stations could provide information about different plant families and their characteristics, with tasks to identify and describe the plants.

Curious now? Why not give it a try and create your next Bound in nature right now?

Exercise, fresh air and a touch of adventure - bike tours are a great way to explore nature while staying active. With Actionbound, you can add a new dimension to these activities by creating interactive and fun tours. In this blog post, you will find out how to create cycle tours with Actionbound and which important aspects you should consider.

Step 1: Develop the main idea

Before you start with the technical implementation, think about what should make your cycle tour special. Would you like to introduce historical sights, challenge the participants to a puzzle or perhaps stage an entertaining scavenger hunt? The main idea determines the character of your tour and makes it unique. It is also important to consider who the tour is intended for. Is there a specific target group? Here is a small example of a basic idea: Get to know the nature in your neighbourhood. Plant tour by bike!

Step 2: Route planning

Careful route planning is crucial. Make sure that the cycle tour is safe and enjoyable and mark the individual stops at prominent points. Also consider how much time the participants will need for each stop and whether there are enough opportunities to rest in between. Be sure to cycle the tour once beforehand and take a watch with you. Are the cycle paths safe, where is a good place to take a break and which things are easy to spot from the bike? To stay with the plant tour: Is there perhaps a particular tree that plays an important role in your tour? Or does a little fictitious raven guide you from station to station?

Step 3: Create Bound and add interactive elements

Actionbound is a user-friendly platform that allows you to create interactive tours. Register on the website en.actionbound.com and start creating a new tour. For each stop, you can add questions, tasks or quizzes to encourage interaction. But be careful: If you are creating a tour for your family and friends, you don't need to do anything else, but if you want to develop a tour for teaching purposes or as a tourist offer, you will need a corresponding licence. Simply contact our sales team. Just send an email to sales@actionbound.de. Make your cycle tour interactive with Actionbound. Add photos, videos or audio recordings to tell the story of the stations. Games, puzzles and quizzes add fun and variety to the tour. Don't forget to also include rewards or points for certain actions to awaken the ambition of the participants. Let's stick to the nature route again: how about our raven from the Bound getting to know different animals, trees and bushes at each station, for example. He makes new friends at each station. For instance, an earthworm that lives under a deciduous tree or a blackbird that likes to peck the sunflower seeds. If questions are answered correctly, the raven collects friends and food.

Step 4: Consider technical aspects

Make sure that the participants have access to the internet during the tour so that they can use the Actionbound app, or ask them to download the Bound once beforehand. This way, the Bound can also be played offline. Test the tour in advance to make sure that everything works smoothly. Inform the participants about technical requirements before the start and give clear instructions on how to use the app. And important: Please do not hold the smartphone in your hand while cycling. This could be dangerous. Explain the routes clearly beforehand and possibly put up signs to show the way.

Step 5: Do not neglect safety

The safety of the players comes first. Point out that they should follow the traffic rules and be aware that the environment may not be barrier-free. Encourage them to wear protective equipment such as helmets, especially if the tour takes them along busy roads.

With Actionbound, bike tours can become exciting adventures. The combination of movement and interactive elements creates a unique experience for participants of all ages. Careful planning, creative ideas and consideration of important aspects will turn your Actionbound bike tour into an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Use the diversity of the platform to explore nature in a new, fun way and keep moving.

Are you planning an Actionbound bike tour this year? If so, please feel free to link us on our social media channels. We are always happy to receive links!

We are already very excited that Actionbound will be represented at two important trade fair events this summer: at the Copetri Convention in Offenbach and at the Learntec in Karlsruhe. The team is really looking forward to meeting customers (and of course those who want to become customers) and we might even have a "little" surprise prepared for you. Stay tuned!

Copetri Convention 14.-15.05.24 in Offenbach (Germany): Innovation on the move

The Copetri Convention, known for its focus on innovative technologies and creative approaches, is the ideal forum to come together around the focus topics of "People, Community, Transformation and Innovation". The Fredenhagen site in Offenbach is the perfect location for a new kind of trade fair event, where you will gain insights into our latest developments, among other things. We are also looking forward to accompanying the event with a Bound that will guide you around the entire site. And whether you are already an experienced user or just discovering Actionbound - at the Copetri Convention you will have the opportunity to experience your trade fair visit in a different way!

Learntec 03.06.24-06.06.24 in Karlsruhe (Germany): Shaping the future of learning

Every year, the Learntec is the epicentre for digital learning and offers the perfect stage to find out about the latest trends in the education sector. We have been a regular guest in Karlsruhe for years - as always, you will find us where the popcorn smells best and the couch invites you to linger and play a Bound - in Hall 2 at Stand L3 to be precise :). We therefore cordially invite you to visit us at these events this year, where we will also be involved with live talks, among other exciting interactions. It's also the perfect opportunity to get in contact at our stand, exchange ideas and reflect together on the future of digital learning and experience!

Stay tuned for more updates and news ahead of the events and also check out our Instagram channel, where you will find a little competition to win tickets to the events!

You probably know about “escape rooms” where you are locked in a room and have about an hour time to puzzle your way out together. With Actionbound, you can also create location-independent escape games for teams or yourself. Whether it is a corporate event or for educational use – everything is possible 💪.

Here are our tips on how to create customised escape games for your friends, family, colleagues, and whoever you would like to entertain!

Let's start with the story

It is all about exciting storytelling which is the basis for the whole game. There are almost no limits to your creativity but examples like a secret agent mission, a mysterious treasure hunt or a space station that needs to be evacuated could be an inspiration! You can find your escape game theme almost anywhere, e.g. in board games, cities, books - just keep your eyes and ears open but remember that less is more when it comes to the goal of the game. Think of a specific major obstacle that the players have to overcome!

Play your way from level to level

Escape games consist of several levels. For this example here, we will create three levels, an introduction and a conclusion. Players progress by collecting keys that open doors to enter the next level. Tip: Work with section elements in the Bound Creator - preferably one section per level. This will help you to structure your game (for you as the creator and the players).

Intro

Introduce your players to the game by welcoming them in a way that fits the story. What is the aim of the game, what is it about and how does it work? Does the end of the world need to be prevented or is the group locked up somewhere and needs to find the keys to free themselves? We suggest having a maximum of five elements for the Intro. Let your players introduce themselves, for example with a photo or a funny video. Also explain the rules of the game and give initial hints on how to find the keys, for example. Then start with the first level.

Level 1

Once the basics have all been explained, the team has introduced itself and the rules are clear, you can get started with the first level. Create a new section in the Bound Creator and name it Level 1 so that you, as the creator, can keep a better overview. The puzzles and tasks in the first level shouldn't be that difficult yet. Start simple and give your players the chance to gain motivation. You may have to find one key in the first level and several in the following levels. Complete the first level with an information element and explain to your players that the first level is now complete and another one is about to begin

Level 2

Your tasks can get a little more difficult in this part. A certain information from the first level might be needed to solve a puzzle (this could be the first team-task). But keep in mind to create a more simple story if you just start with Actionbound. The more games you create the more challenging they get for sure!

Level 3

Now it gets tricky and the story reaches its climax. Here you can add puzzles that can be a bit more difficult than in the first two levels. Start a new section in the Bound Creator and name it Level 3, after which it's best to add an information element. Explain exactly what the upcoming level is about and what needs to be achieved. If we stick with our example from above, you could have them find the matching doors for the collected keys and arrange them in the correct order. To increase the motivation of the players, it is a good idea to put a “time switch” on the element. For example, they only have one minute to put all the keys into the right locks in the right order. Can you solve the puzzle? Will the final "door" open?

Outro

Of course, every story and every escape game needs an ending. Answer the puzzle and thank your players for taking part - e.g. they contributed to preventing the end of the world and so on. You can also suggest taking a souvenir photo at the end or give the players direct access to their results and media which would happen through the Bound challenge.

Combining knowledge with fun

Of course, you can create a Bound without imparting any specific knowledge and simply for fun. However, escape games can also be used to present content of all kinds in a fun and exciting way. EduBreakouts are particularly popular in the classroom nowadays - e.g. puzzles that have to be solved within one lesson - regardless of whether a lock has to be picked or an object has to be found. The players collect the necessary keys or clues, for example, by answering questions on specific topics correctly.

But such games are not only very popular in the education sector. Escape games can also be used to get to know your company better - e.g. as an onboarding game for new employees. You hide the keys and clues in certain places in the company building. At the end, the password in the Bound can be used to unlock your own computer in the office - including a welcome gift, of course.

Motivation increases with excitement

Why don't you try it out yourself and tell us about your experiences? You don't have an account yet, but fancy giving it a try? Actionbound is free of charge for private users. You can simply create an account and create your Bound straight away. If your Bound is for the education or business sector, you will need a corresponding licence. Please contact our sales team directly (sales@actionbound.de).

We are very excited to see your Bound ideas!

Note: These are all tips and tricks. Of course you can also build an escape game with many more levels, decisions and switches. There are no limits to your imagination.

Get your inspiration by playing the following Bound: