Geographical fieldwork is being reinvigorated through pedagogical and methodological innovations. Yet, while there are many good ideas in circulation, there is less evidence of where these ideas are taking us: what students are getting out of them, and what significance they may have for the discipline. These questions are explored through case studies involving playful and multi-sensory fieldwork: collecting sounds, urban climbing, finding "accidental art" and getting lost. Students tend to enjoy this approach to fieldwork, which inspires them to learn actively and creatively, fosters the acquisition of new skills and explores the broader possibilities of playful and multi-sensory geographies.