LATEST OUTDOOR GUIDES
Keep up to date with the latest guides, activities and resources from Survival Guides UK. Explore new articles covering outdoor skills, survival, Scout activities, camping, navigation, knots, fire safety and practical skills.
Our latest posts are designed to help Scouts, youth groups, leaders and anyone interested in outdoor learning develop practical knowledge and confidence. From new activity ideas and survival skills to useful how-to guides, check back regularly for the latest resources.
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Make a Survival Signal
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 60 minutesGroup size: 6-10Best for: ScoutsSkills: Signalling, creativity, teamwork, problem solving, survival awareness Scouts work in small teams to design and build a visible emergency signal using simple materials. They then test how easy their signal is to spot from a distance and improve it. What You’ll Learn Scouts will practise:…
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Emergency Signal Challenge
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 60 minutesGroup size: 11-20Best for: ScoutsSkills: Signalling, communication, teamwork, emergency awareness, problem-solving Scouts learn how to attract attention and communicate for help using a range of emergency signals. Teams then complete practical challenges where they must choose and create an appropriate signal for different situations. What You’ll Learn Scouts will practise:…
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Follow the Bearing
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 90 minutesGroup size: 6-10Best for: ScoutsSkills: Compass use, navigation, bearings, distance estimation, teamwork, communication, problem solving Give each team a compass, a starting point and a sequence of bearings with approximate distances. Teams must follow each bearing accurately, estimate the distance travelled and locate the next marker or instruction. The winning…
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Compass Relay
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…
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Fire Safety Challenge
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…
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Compass Basics Challenge
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…
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Map Symbol Treasure Hunt
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…
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Knot Relay Challenge
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…
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Mini Shelter Challenge
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…
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Nature Scavenger Hunt
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…
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