Practical resources for Scout leaders, including badge guidance, activity ideas, teaching tips, safety advice and resources to help Scouts develop essential skills.
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….
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 1–3 hours depending on the activityLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts, Explorers, leaders and history enthusiastsSkills: Research, traditional camping skills, pioneering, navigation, signalling, teamwork, historical awareness Recreating historical Scout activities can be a great way to understand how…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 10–30 minutesLocation: Indoors or outdoorsBest for: Small groups, patrols and activity sessionsSkills: Memory, observation, concentration, communication and teamwork Memory and observation games challenge participants to notice information and then recall it accurately. They can involve objects, people, sounds, pictures, surroundings or…
