Practical resources for Scout leaders, including badge guidance, activity ideas, teaching tips, safety advice and resources to help Scouts develop essential skills.
Activity Overview Can you build a safe little home for solitary bees? 👦 Age: 6–18👥 Group size: 2–30⏱️ Duration: 45–60 minutes📍 Location: Outdoors or indoors⭐ Difficulty: 2/5 Bees aren’t just busy making honey. They’re also incredibly important pollinators, helping plants produce fruits, seeds and new growth. In this hands-on nature activity, you’ll learn a little…
Activity Overview Can your team plan and complete a mountain rescue? 👦 Age: 8–18👥 Group size: 6–30⏱️ Duration: 45–60 minutes📍 Location: Indoors or outdoors⭐ Difficulty: 3/5 Imagine you’re part of a mountain rescue team. Your group has received an emergency call: an explorer has become injured while travelling through the mountains and needs help getting…
A hazard is something that could cause harm, while a risk is the chance that someone could actually be harmed by that hazard. For example, a campfire is a hazard because it can cause burns. The risk depends on things such as how close people are standing, whether the fire is supervised and whether there…
A simple activity risk assessment is a way of identifying what could go wrong during an activity and deciding what you can do to reduce the chance of it happening. You do not need a complicated form or pages of paperwork. Start by looking at the activity, identifying the main hazards, considering who could be…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 15–30 minutesGroup size: 6-20Best for: Beavers, Cubs, ScoutsSkills: Communication, teamwork, listening, problem-solving, concentration The Silent Line-Up Challenge is a simple teamwork game where the group must arrange themselves in a particular order without speaking. The leader chooses the rule for the line-up, such as height, birthday month or first name alphabetically….
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 20–30 minutesGroup size: 6-20Best for: Squirrels, Beavers, CubsSkills: Communication, confidence, teamwork, observation, creativity Survival Charades is a simple team game where young people act out outdoor and survival activities without speaking while their teammates try to guess what they are doing. It needs no equipment and can be adapted for different…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 15-30 minutesGroup size: 6-20Best for: Squirrels, Beavers, CubsSkills: Memory, confidence, communication, concentration The Name and Action Circle Game is a quick icebreaker where each young person says their name and performs an action. The rest of the group repeats the name and action before the next person takes a turn. It…
Setting up camp properly can make the difference between a relaxed, organised camping trip and a campsite full of forgotten equipment and unnecessary problems. Whether you’re camping with your family, heading out with a Scout group or setting up an outdoor base for a weekend adventure, having a simple camp setup checklist helps make sure…
Activity Overview Difficulty: AdvancedTime: 90 minutesGroup size: 6-10Best for: ExplorersSkills: Problem-solving, teamwork, decision-making, survival, communication Explorers work through a series of outdoor survival problems with limited equipment and time. Each challenge requires them to discuss the situation, agree on a solution and explain why they chose it. What You’ll Learn Explorers will practise: 🟡 SAFETY…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 60 minutesGroup size: 11-20Best for: ScoutsSkills: Survival, teamwork, decision-making, navigation, communication Scouts are given a realistic lost-in-the-woods scenario and must work as a team to decide what to do, what equipment to use and how to attract attention. The challenge focuses on good decisions rather than speed. What You’ll Learn Scouts…
