Plan engaging 60-minute scouting and outdoor activities with ready-to-use ideas for skills, games, challenges and practical group sessions.
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 60 minutesGroup size: 6-10Best for: CubsSkills: Map reading, observation, navigation, teamwork, communication Turn map-reading practice into a treasure hunt. Cubs learn to recognise common map symbols and use them to find locations around an outdoor area. The activity starts with a short introduction to symbols before the Cubs use a simple…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 60 minutesGroup size: 6-10Best for: BeaversSkills: Shelter building, teamwork, problem solving, communication, outdoor awareness Quick Answer Challenge Beavers to work together to build a small shelter using simple materials such as tarpaulins, rope and natural materials. The aim is not to build a full-size survival shelter. Instead, the activity introduces the…
Activity Overview Difficulty: AdvancedTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Designated axe area or suitable outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and Explorers, with appropriate adult supervisionSkills: Tool safety, woodcraft, cutting techniques, risk management, concentration A hatchet should only be used in a controlled area with suitable supervision, a stable chopping surface and a clear safety zone. Check the hatchet…
A fast-moving Scout campcraft activity made up of short practical challenges rather than one long task. Teams move through a series of campcraft stations, earning points for completing challenges safely, accurately and as a team. The format keeps everyone active and gives young people the chance to practise several different outdoor skills in one session…
A practical lost outdoors activity for Scouts that teaches young people what to do when a walk, hike or outdoor activity doesn’t go according to plan. Rather than turning getting lost into a frightening scenario, this activity focuses on calm decision-making. Teams work through realistic situations, decide what they would do next and learn why…
A practical water safety and outdoor skills activity for Scouts that gets young people thinking about one of the most important outdoor resources: water. Rather than simply teaching that “water is important”, this activity explores where water comes from, how to judge whether a source is suitable for use, how water can become contaminated and…
A practical nature tracking activity for Scouts that gets young people looking closely at the outdoor environment and noticing signs that are easy to miss. Instead of simply identifying plants and animals, teams become trackers. They search for evidence such as footprints, feeding marks, feathers, nibbled leaves, trails and other clues, then try to work…
A practical compass activity for Scouts that turns basic navigation into a team codebreaking mission. Young people use compass directions to follow bearings, locate hidden information and piece together a final message. It combines navigation with problem-solving, so even young people who aren’t naturally enthusiastic about map work have a reason to get involved. Activity…
A hands-on Scout cooking activity where teams plan, prepare and present a simple outdoor meal using a limited selection of ingredients. This session isn’t about producing complicated camp recipes. Instead, it introduces young people to practical outdoor cooking, food hygiene, teamwork, planning and making sensible choices with limited resources. Activity Plan Time: 60 minutesGroup size:…
A practical emergency preparedness activity for Scouts that gets young people thinking about what they might need when an ordinary outdoor plan doesn’t go quite as expected. Teams are given a fictional situation and a collection of equipment. They must decide what belongs in an emergency backpack, explain their choices and then adapt their pack…
