Ready-to-use scouting and outdoor activity plans for leaders, with ideas organised by duration, setting and activity type for easy session planning.
When something goes wrong outdoors, the first instinct can be to rush in and try to fix it. Good decision-making means stopping first, working out what has happened and deciding what help is actually needed. The Rescue Relay is a fictional team challenge that introduces Scouts to this way of thinking. Rather than carrying out…
Being outdoors isn’t always about having perfect weather. A good Scout learns how to prepare for conditions that are cold, wet or windy and, just as importantly, recognises when their clothing or equipment isn’t suitable. This activity gives Scouts a series of practical situations to solve. They’ll examine different clothing and equipment choices, identify potential…
A good survival activity isn’t always about having the right equipment. It’s also about being able to look around, notice what is available and make sensible decisions about how it could be used. The Survival Scavenger Hunt turns this idea into a simple team challenge. Scouts explore their surroundings, identify useful resources and decide how…
Knot tying is one of those traditional outdoor skills that becomes much more useful when Scouts understand why they are tying a particular knot rather than simply trying to memorise its name. This activity turns knot practice into a series of short challenges. Scouts work individually and in teams to choose, tie and test simple…
Knowing how to attract attention can be just as important as knowing where to go. In an emergency, shouting may not always work. A person might be too far away to hear, visibility might be poor, or the environment might make communication difficult. This activity introduces Scouts to some simple ways of signalling for help…
Sometimes the best way to test teamwork is to take away the talking. The Silent Scout Challenge is a simple, energetic activity that gets Scouts working together without using their voices. They’ll need to communicate through gestures, eye contact and careful observation to complete a series of small challenges. It works particularly well when you…
Activity Type: Fire Safety & Outdoor SkillsAge Range: Scouts and ExplorersDuration: 30 minutesLocation: Indoors or a suitable outdoor areaEquipment: Scenario cards, paper and pens Activity Overview This activity teaches young people to recognise when a fire is becoming unsafe and make sensible decisions before a situation becomes an emergency. Rather than lighting a fire, the…
Activity Type: Camping & CampcraftAge Range: Cubs, Scouts and ExplorersDuration: 30 minutesLocation: Indoors or outdoorsEquipment: A selection of camping equipment, or printed pictures/cards of equipment Activity Overview This activity challenges young people to decide what they actually need for a camping trip. The objective isn’t to see who can pack the most. It’s to teach…
Activity Type: Teamwork & Outdoor SkillsAge Range: Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and ExplorersDuration: 30 minutesLocation: Suitable outdoor areaEquipment: Rope, a few natural or safe everyday objects, paper and pencils Activity Overview This activity gives young people a series of short outdoor problems to solve as a team. The challenges are deliberately simple. The aim isn’t to…
Activity Type: NavigationAge Range: Scouts and ExplorersDuration: 30 minutesLocation: Suitable outdoor areaEquipment: Maps, compasses and pencils Activity Overview This activity gets young people thinking about navigation rather than simply following instructions. The challenge is to give them a destination and let them decide how they are going to get there. They’ll need to consider the…
