Practical resources for Scout leaders, including badge guidance, activity ideas, teaching tips, safety advice and resources to help Scouts develop essential skills.
Activity Type: Outdoor SkillsAge Range: Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and ExplorersDuration: 30 minutesLocation: OutdoorsEquipment: None required, although paper and pencils can be useful Activity Overview How observant are your young people? This simple 30-minute activity encourages them to slow down and notice things they might normally…
Activity Type: Outdoor SkillsAge Range: Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or ExplorersDuration: 30 minutesGroup Size: Small groups or PatrolsLocation: Outdoors or a suitable indoor spaceEquipment: Paper, pens and a selection of basic outdoor equipment appropriate to the group Activity Overview This quick activity gives young people the…
Outdoor cooking is one of those skills that becomes much more interesting when Explorers are given responsibility. Instead of simply following a recipe, they can plan a meal, choose ingredients, organise equipment and work out how to cook everything safely. Camping also introduces challenges that…
Nature provides an endless supply of things for Explorers to discover. A woodland isn’t just somewhere to walk through. It’s a place to investigate wildlife, identify plants, understand habitats, observe changing seasons and learn how human activity affects the natural world. At Explorer level, nature…
Navigation is one of the most valuable outdoor skills an Explorer can develop. At Explorer level, navigation can move beyond simple map-reading exercises. Young people can start making their own route decisions, interpreting more complicated terrain, using different navigation methods and solving realistic problems. The…
Navigation is one of the most useful outdoor skills a Scout can develop. It can turn a walk into an adventure and give Scouts the confidence to explore unfamiliar places safely. But navigation doesn’t have to start with complicated bearings and technical terminology. Scouts can…
Nature is everywhere. A woodland, campsite, park, beach or even the grounds around a Scout meeting place can become an opportunity to explore the outdoors. For Scouts, nature activities can go beyond simply identifying plants and animals. They can involve observation, navigation, photography, conservation, tracking…
Cooking outdoors is one of the most useful skills Scouts can develop. It’s practical, creative and gives young people the chance to take genuine responsibility for planning and preparing food. A Scout cooking activity doesn’t have to mean a complicated recipe or an impressive campfire….
The Chief Scout’s Gold Award is the highest award a Scout can earn. It represents the culmination of a young person’s time in the Scout section and recognises the range of skills, experiences and challenges they’ve taken on. It isn’t intended to be completed in…
The Scouts Challenge Awards encourage young people to step outside their comfort zone, develop skills and take on new experiences. There are nine Challenge Awards for Scouts: Completing all nine is a major part of earning the Chief Scout’s Gold Award, the highest award a…
Cooking is a brilliant outdoor skill for Cubs. It combines practical skills with teamwork, creativity and a little bit of adventure. A Cub who learns how to prepare a simple meal at a campsite is developing skills they can use long after they’ve left Cubs….
Navigation is one of those outdoor skills that becomes much easier when it’s taught through games. Cubs can learn to recognise landmarks, follow routes, understand maps and begin using a compass without needing to start with complicated theory. The key is to make navigation feel…
