Ready-to-use scouting and outdoor activity plans for leaders, with ideas organised by duration, setting and activity type for easy session planning.
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 60 minutesGroup size: 11-20Best for: ScoutsSkills: Compass use, navigation, bearings, teamwork, communication, distance estimation Turn compass practice into a team relay. Scouts take turns navigating between marked points using simple compass bearings, then pass the challenge to the next team member. The focus is on accurate navigation and teamwork rather than…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 60 minutesGroup size: 11-20Best for: Beavers, CubsSkills: Fire safety, hazard awareness, decision making, communication, outdoor safety Teach young people how to behave safely around a campfire without needing to light one. Through a series of simple scenarios, demonstrations and team challenges, they identify hazards and decide what should and should not…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 60 minutesGroup size: 2-5Best for: ScoutsSkills: Compass use, navigation, bearings, direction finding, teamwork Give Scouts a practical introduction to using a compass by setting a series of simple direction-finding challenges. They will learn how to identify directions, take and follow basic bearings, and use a compass to navigate between points. What…
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: 30 minutesGroup size: 11-20Best for: CubsSkills: Knot tying, teamwork, communication, coordination, practical campcraft Turn basic knot practice into a fast-paced team relay. Teams race against each other to correctly tie a series of simple knots. The emphasis is on getting the knot right rather than simply being the fastest. What You’ll…
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: BeginnerTime: 30 minutesGroup Size: 11-20Best for: SquirrelsSkills: Observation, teamwork, nature awareness, communication, listening Take the Squirrels outside and challenge them to find a series of natural objects or signs without damaging the environment. They can work in small teams or as one large group, looking for things such as a feather, a…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 30 minutesGroup Size: 6-10Best for: Cubs, ScoutsSkills: Survival awareness, teamwork, decision-making, prioritisation, problem-solving Give each team a list of survival equipment and ask them to choose the items they would take if they had to spend a night outdoors with limited equipment. The challenge is not simply about choosing the “right”…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts, Explorers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Communication, signalling, observation, Morse code, semaphore, teamwork, concentration Before mobile phones, digital radios and satellite communications, people had to find other ways of sending information over distance. Historical signalling methods included semaphore, Morse code, flags, whistles, mirrors,…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 1–3 hours depending on the activities selectedLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts, Explorers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Survival skills, historical awareness, fire lighting, shelter building, navigation, signalling, resourcefulness Long before modern tents, GPS devices, synthetic clothing and lightweight camping equipment, people developed practical ways to survive outdoors using the…
