CUB SCOUT GAMES

FOR DEN AND PACK MEETINGS

 

PHILOSOPHY OF GAMES Games are the sunny side of Cub Scouting.  Running, jumping, climbing, lifting, balancing, creeping, crawling, bending, yelling, and hiding quietly are food for the muscles of growing Cub Scouts.  Games can develop skill and coordination.  Strenuous games must not be overused. A good Cub Scout game must provide an element of excitement, competition or accomplishment.  Games  begin to develop quick thinking, mental alertness, and sometimes strategy. PWOL

Back to Roundtable

Last Update 8/31/05

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

[ The Bear Achievement 15-c requires a Cub Scout to teach and lead a new game. Be a good role model for him.]

 
Den games are designed with a small group of boys in mind.  Quiet games are helpful when weather prohibits outdoor activities.  Den games can be relays or can be played by individual boys.
An active den game is helpful to start a den meeting and to "get the kinks out".  Many den meetings are held immediately after school, when boys have been cooped up for several hours.  A den game can provide an outlet for letting off steam and may make the group easier to handle for the quieter activities you have in store.
Choosing up sides among boys is not always easy.  Drawing straws, going in alphabetical order, or selecting to captains to choose alternately may be fair ways to select teams.  Rotate the method you use.
Remember, games can be used to teach fair play, promote good sportsmanship and build character...but must of all they should be FUN!

Pow Wow Online., http://www.geocities.com/lbth/games/index.htm

RUNAWAY TRAIN This is a den or pack tag game. It may be played by individual dens or the pack. Designate one Cub Scout as the locomotive. He will be IT.
The rest of the boys will be runaway cars. When caught, they hook on behind the locomotive. The game continues with all of the boys trailing along behind until all the boys are caught.

ROOSTER FIGHT

Each Cub Scout hops on one leg, holding the other. To win, he must make opponent lose balance or step out of circle by bumping shoulders.

EXPLORING THE MISTY PLANET

Tell your den members that they have arrived on a planet so shrouded with mists that they cannot see and must depend on their other four senses to gather information. Blindfold each boy and have them sit around a table or in a circle on the floor. Pass four "touch" objects around the circle, cautioning the boys to remain silent. When all have felt the objects, place them out of sight. Have the boys remove their blindfolds and write down in their "data logs" (small booklets of four quarter sheets of paper stapled together and decorated for an alien planet) their guesses of what they have felt. Repeat the process with four sounds, smell, and taste objects.
Suggested sound objects: sandpaper on wood, scissors, a spoon stirring in a ceramic mug, paper tearing
Suggested touch objects: candy gummy worm, seashell, sycamore or sweet gum ball, peanut
Suggested taste objects: small piece of fruit, cheese, vegetable; toothpick dipped in catsup, chocolate syrup, honey, jam
Suggested smell objects (place in small cup or bowl to pass around): cinnamon; lemon; peanut butter; potato chips; bath soap

ASTRONAUT'S GAMES

ASTRONAUT'S TEST.  Divide den into two teams. Each team has a length of broomstick three to four feet long. Line up each team relay style. First Cub Scout has broomstick. At signal he runs to a line about 15 feet away, places broomstick upright, one end touching the floor or ground, the other end touching his forehead. He then supports the stick with his hands and walks around the upright stick five times.  Then he drops the stick, runs back as straight and fast as he can, touches off second team member who repeats the action. That continues until all members have run. Winner is first team to corn plete the course. ASTRONAUT RELAY.  Divide den into two teams. About 15 feet in front of each team, place a beanbag, jump rope and rubber ball. On signal, the first player on each team runs up, jumps rope 10 times, then tosses bean bag over his. head 10 times, and bounces ball 10 times, then runs back to touch off next player, who repeats the action. Continue until all have raced. First team finished wins

 
 
 
 

SPLASHDOWN

Have the boys cut a space capsule outline about 3 inches high from plywood.
Drill a hole in the top and attach a handkerchief parachute. Draw a 6 foot wide bull's-eye on the ground. In turn, the Cub Scouts stand about 25 feet away, fold up the parachute around the capsule, and try to throw it skyward so the "splashdown" hits the bull's-eye.

OXYGEN TANK RELAY

Tell the boys they are on an alien planet and the oxygen in their housing complex is getting dangerously low. Divide the boys into two teams. Line them up with a large bucket of water (liquid oxygen) and cup for each team. At the other end of the field is an empty oxygen reservoir (large .jar) for each team. On a signal, the first boy in each line fills his cup with liquid oxygen, races to empty it into the oxygen reservoir, and returns the cup to the next boy in line, who continues the process. The first team to fill its oxygen reservoir wins.
SPACE GLOVE CHALLENGE Tell the boys they will be collecting rock samples from an alien planet to bring back to study. Divide the boys into two relay teams. A pair of canvas gloves, a jar with a lid, and a plate full of popcorn kernels are at a goal line for each team of astronauts. On a signal, the first boy on each team runs to the goal, puts on the gloves, opens the jar, picks up five kernels one at a time, and puts them in the .jar. He then closes the lid, removes the gloves, and runs back to his team to tag the next player, who repeats the process. The first team whose players complete all the tasks wins.

SCHMERLTZ
A Partners Game

A Schmerltz is made with a long cotton tube sock (athletic sock without a heel) and a solid sponge rubber softball. Drop the ball into the toe of the sock and tie a knot just above the ball. Voila! A Schmerltz!
The official Schmerltz toss is made by holding the end of the sock, twirling the Schmerltz around underhand a few times, and letting it sail to a partner when “critical velocity” has been reached. It will fly, streaming like a comet- The only acceptable way to catch a Schmerltz is to grab it out of the air, one handed, by the tail only. This takes some practice but eventually it will be mastered, as one seemingly grabs the shadow of the leading ball.

Bernie DeKoven has invented a variety of Schmerltz games described in his book Junkyard Sports. Visit his DeepFun website.

 
 
 
 

BACKYARD HOCKEY

Lay out rink as shown with tape on grass or chalk on driveway. Sticks are three-foot broomstick lengths. Puck may be a "dead" tennis ball or dog toy low bounce rubber ball. Players stay outside the rink and defend goal to their right. When the puck goes out of bounds, have a face

AIR-CANNON HOCKEY

This game will demonstrate air pressure. Use round cardboard oatmeal boxes. Cut a hole the size of a penny in the tops.
Fasten the lid back to the box tightly. Use a table for a field, with a goal at either end. Have a boy sit at each end of the 'field' with a cannon (box) and put a ping-pong ball in the middle of the table. By tapping the back of the box and aiming it at the ball, try to score by putting the ball through your opponent's goal. The Webelos leader can demonstrate the effectiveness of his oatmeal box cannon by using it to put out a candle. Fill cannon with smoke, then aim at candle, tap back of box, and flame will be put out. These cannons are effective up to about six feet.

Circle10 PW 2001

SIDEWALK TENNIS

The court is two squares of sidewalk. Ball is a regular tennis ball or a rubber ball. The "racquets" are open hands. The net is the crack or line between the squares. Players try to hit the ball on one bounce into their opponent's square. Score as in tennis or table tennis.

MARBLE GOLF

Bury baby food jars to the rim for holes. Flags are paper triangles glued to Popsicle sticks. Add water hazards and sand traps as desired. All shots are taken knuckles down as in regular marbles. Winner is the player who takes the fewest strokes to go around the course.

HUNKER DOWN

You need two small pedestals,  from six inches to a foot high.

They could be tree stumps, overturned five gallon cans (filled with water or sand), wood blocks, etc. Each player hunkers down on his pedestals, holding the end of a 15 foot rope.  On signal, they begin reeling in the rope, tightening and slackening it in order to unbalance the opponent and make him fall off his pedestal placed about six feet apart.

OCTOPUS RACE Divide the den into two teams of three or four boys each. Team members line up back to back with elbows linked. On signal they race to a turning line and back.
	BLEACH B0TTLE JAI ALAI Make cestas (pitching cups) by cutting 1 gal. plastic bottles as shown on the left. Use heavy shears or tin snips. Tennis balls work great. Make up your own games that suit yor boys and out door play space. Makes a good den or pack camp out activity.

PARK YOUR CAR GAME

The boys in your den can have some fun with their PWD cars. Mark course about 20 feet long on a smooth bare floor. Boys take turns pushing their pinewood derby car toward the target, trying to make them stop in numbered spaces.  Let the boys make up the rules about how to score a car when it straddles a line.

RATTLESNAKE!

The Rattlesnake is paper or plastic milk carton or a grocery bag. Stand it on the floor. Cub Scouts form a circle around it and grasp neighbors’ hands.  On signal, they try to force neighbors to touch the Rattlesnake while avoiding it themselves. When a boy touches the Rattlesnake, a point is scored against him.

Activity Level: Moderate
Needed: Activity room or grassy outdoor area, eight to 12 players

To form a knot, boys stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder extending their hands into the center. Each boy grabs the hand of two different players, taking care that one of the players is not standing adjacent to him. Then the group ‘untangles" the knot, the object being for the group to find itself in one large circle again, or perhaps two or even interconnected circles. No player may let go of any other player's hand (unless to prevent injury!).

Reflecting questions might be related to who, if anyone, became the leader" of the group. Did the "leadership" change from person to person? How and why? How did the group decide how to untangle the knot?

Cub Scout Leader How-To Book

GAMES FROM OTHER LANDS

The Chief stands in front of the other players and gives orders which they must follow if he first says, “The Chief orders.. “If the Chief says, “lie orders you to laugh...” none of the players should laugh because he did not say, “The Chief orders...” A player who makes a mistake is eliminated or a point is scored against him.

Use a badminton shuttlecock or a “Poput” (Cub Scout Leader How-To Book). it is tossed into the air and each boy, in turn, hits it with the palm of his hand to keep it aloft. If it hits the ground, the game starts over. Often the players say the letters of the alphabet as the poput is hit, trying to get to the end before it falls.

In a large playing area, mark the outline of a long, rather narrow lake with many peninsulas and necks of land. One player, the Devil, must stay out of the lake. All other players are Frogs and must stay in the lake. The Devil tries to capture a Frog by tagging him; he may jump from peninsula to peninsula but he may not get in the water. When a Frog is captured, he must get out of the lake. The last Frog tagged becomes Devil for the next round.

The cheetal is a spotted deer that lives in India. The cheetah is a speedy, leopard- like hunter. The game is played exactly like Crows and Cranes (page 2-15 in the How-To book), except that the teams are “Cheetals” and “Cheetahs.”

Divide den into two teams and have each team pair off into two-boy teams. On the word “Rice!” the first pair on each team form a “wheelbarrow” (one boy walks on his hands while the second holds his ankles) and races across the “rice fields” to a “river” (two parallel ropes on the floor). At the edge of the river, one player climbs on the other's back and is carried piggyback across the river. On the other bank, they change places for the return trip across the river and then wheelbarrow back to their team. The next pair then starts.

Draw a line on the floor and divide den into two teams. The teams line up parallel to the center line and about six feet from it. A small rubber ball is tossed back and forth between the teams. After each catch, the catcher claps his hands once and stamps a foot once. Keep the ball moving fast.

“It” is given a pebble, marble, or small ball. The other players stand in a line with hands out and palms up. Establish a goal line 10 to 30 feet away from the line of players. “It” walks along the line of players, pretending to drop the pebble in their hands. Somewhere along the line, he does give the pebble to a player. After a boy gets the pebble, he tries to reach the goal line and get back to his place without being tagged by the player on his right. The boy with the pebble may choose his own time to run, but he must go before “It,” gets to the end of the line. If the boy with the pebble is caught, the one who catches him becomes the new “It.” If the runner makes it back safely, he becomes “It.”

CHERRY CHOP
From France.

   Give each boy from five to 10 pebbles or marbles.  (Cherry pits are used in France.) Players line up about two feet from a shallow bowl with one pebble or marble in it. In turn, players try to knock that pebble out of the bowl, using their own pebbles or  marbles. When a player succeeds, he keeps that pebble and the leader puts another in the bowl. If a player misses, he must put one of his pebbles into the bowl. Winner is the one with the most pebbles.
 
 

SCARICA BARILI
(Unloading Barrels)
From Italy

Boys especially like this vigorous Italian game, whose name means (Unloading barrels) in English. It is played in 'pairs, who stand back to back, hooking elbows. One, then the other bends, lifting his partner who kicks his feet up high. They proceed toward a goal 12 feet or so away, bending and lifting. First pair to reach the goal is the winner.
 
 

In this game, kids sit down in a circle facing each other. One person is "it" and walks around the circle. As they walk around, they tap people's heads and say whether they are a "duck" or a "goose". Once someone is the "goose" they get up and try to chase "it" around the circle.

The goal is to tap that person before they are able sit down in the "goose's" spot. If the goose is not able to do this, they become "it" for the next round and play continues. If they do tap the "it" person, the person tagged has to sit in the center of the circle. Then the goose become it for the next round.

The person in the middle can't leave until another person is tagged and they are replaced.

Games Kids Play

 

Write Your Own Program

Explain to the boys that programming is a very exact (and sometimes tedious) job. A computer does exactly what it is programmed to do. This includes programs that run on desktop PCs as well as computer programs in different kinds of machinery (like robots, for example). If the program doesn't include every command, the machine must do, the task won't be done properly.
For this activity, tell the boys that they are going to write a program to make a robot move an item from one place in the meeting room to another place in the same room. (Pick start and stop points they can see, but that have obstacles between them.) They are to write out the program commands for the robot, which you will have another Cub Scout then follow. After the boys are finished, shuffle all of the "programs" and give them out so that no one has his own. Then take turns reading each program out, having the "robots" follow the exact instructions from the "programs."

York Adams Council

TRIO RACE
Instructions: This variation of the "two legged" race teaches coordination and cooperation. Tie a rope on each end of the broomstick. Have three (or more) boys straddle the stick, while the boys on the end hold it off the ground by the ropes (adjust if necessary). Mark a finish line and have boys race towards the finish, keeping stick parallel to the finish.
 

SARDINES
 - One player hides. The rest go looking for him, and,whoever finds him, instead of revealing the hiding place, hides there with him (being careful not to be seen while doing so) . As the hiding place gets more and more crowded, you will begin to understand why the game is called Sardines.

Two Rivers Cncl. Pow Wow 1979

Enjoy the Seasons

 
Cub Scouting in the outdoors happens all year long, as you can see from these examples:

 
Winter is a fine time for bird watching. Follow and identify bird tracks, look for nests, set out bird feeders. It's a time to identify trees without their leaves. And in some parts of the country it's a time to play in the snow; to build snow people, forts, and igloos; to go ice-skating, sledding, and sleigh riding; and to help others by shoveling sidewalks.

 

The above paragraph was taken from the Cub Scout Leader Book. More Enjoy the Seasons ideas can be found in the Cub Scout Leader Book for sale at the ‘NorWest Scout Shop.

PING PONG FOOTBALL

Divide the den into two teams, kneel on opposite sides of a table. Object is to blow a ping pong ball so that it will fall over the edge of the table on the opponent's side. This scores one point. No one is allowed to touch the ball or the table in any way.
 
 
 

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

AIR ROUTE Players are seated in a circle. Each one is given the name of some city or airport. One player has no chair. He stands inside the circle and calls All aboard for plane from Oklahoma City to Boston. The two players representing these cities must change seats. The caller, tries to get a seat during the scramble. The player left without a seat becomes the new Air Traffic Controller. This is fun when the Controller names a city which has not been assigned to anyone, thus causing confusion and excitement.
GCC Animatics

I'M GOING ON A HIKE

The first Cub Scout says, “I'm going on a hike and in my backpack I put an apple.” ( anything that starts with an “a”.) The next Cub Scout would say, “I'm going on a hike, and in my backpack I put a ball and an apple.” (starts with “b”.) Continue this way, going through the alphabet repeating all the things previously mentioned.
Variation: instead of the alphabet, try word length: ( ax, pen, duck, knife, etc.)

---

TIN CAN STILT RACE Players make stilts by running twine or light rope through tomato cans. [See Wolf Book, Elective 7b]  The players race to a goal on these cans.  Make sure rope or twine is long enough for players to hold it comfortably while standing on can.

BB, Aloha Council

KNOWLEDGE CIRCLE
Have the family sit in a circle. Start some music and pass a button, piece of candy or other item. When the music stops, the person holding the item asks a question about the family. Some examples would be favorite color, hobbies, etc..

WHERE WERE YOU BORN
Display a map of the world. Give each boy a colored flag. Have them place the flags where each member of their family was born. Invite some family members who lived overseas to talk about living in a foreign country. Let them provide food from their culture for the boys to sample, see clothes that they wore, etc..

Circle Ten Council Pow Wow 1998

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

BEAST, BIRD OR FISH

Players sit in a circle, with one player in the center. The player in the center holds a soft ball or sponge which he throws as unexpectedly as possible at one of the circle players while simultaneously calling either "beast" or "bird" or "fish". Then he immediately counts to ten. The person holding the ball must yell out a type of animal in the category named, before the count is completed. no words can be duplicated. If the player cannot name an animal, he must change places with the player in the middle.

To make it easier for younger kids, you could play this game after an activity about animals, so they have more ideas. Also, decide beforehand what type of things fit in the categories -- you can include insects as beasts, and aquatic creatures (shellfish, etc.) as fish to give you a wider range from which to choose.

Marianne "Sunshine" Mitchell  Guide Mailing List!

MULTIPLES (BUZZ)

This is a game from Taiwan. Players sit in a circle and start counting round the circle from "one." If the agreed figure for the game is seven, each time the number being called includes the figure seven or is a multiple of seven, the player keeps quiet and clasps his hands together. If anyone makes a mistake the leader records a point against him.
When the boys become good at this game, add one or two other numbers, so they will have to keep very sharp not to get caught with numbers four, six and eight going on at once.
For one number the player clasps hands. For the second number he will put both hands above his head. For the third number he can nod his head. Most players will find thinking of two numbers at once difficult enough.

From: 'Games Galore', BSC publication

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

RAINY DAY RACQUETBALL A rousing game of balloon racquetball will brighten up a rainy afternoon - or any afternoon!  Make the racquet by bending a wire clothes hanger into a circle.  Slip the wire circle into one leg of a pair of pantyhose.  Tie off the pantyhose at both ends of the circle.  Cut off extra stocking.  Flattening the hook of the hanger makes the handle.  Cover the handle with masking tape.  Make a comfortable grip by building up with strips of cloth or paper, then finish off by wrapping smoothly with tape.  After making two racquets, blow up some round balloons, find a partner and have a ball!

Denver Area Council

LAME CHICKEN  Divide the boys into two teams and give each team 10 sticks about 10 inches  long. The sticks are placed about 10 inches apart like the rungs of a ladder. On  signal the first boy in each team hops on one foot over all 10 sticks. He then  reaches down and picks up the 10th stick and hops back over the other 9 to his  team. The second boy then begins, hopping over the 9 sticks, picking up the  9th and returning. Continue until all have raced. The last boy in line hops over all  remaining sticks and then picks up all of them as he hops back to the finish line.  If a player steps on any stick, he must start over from the starting line. First  team through wins.
PIONEER WENT TO SLEEP  Everyone stands in a circle. The first player begins by saying "Pioneer went to  sleep." The rest of the group answers "How did Pioneer got to sleep?" The  leader then says "Pioneer went to sleep like this, like this," repeating a small  gesture such as nodding the head or twisting the wrist. The rest of the group  mimics the gesture and answers "like this, like this." The entire group continues to repeat the gesture as the next boy in line says "Pioneer went to sleep," and others respond as before. The second boy adds another gesture to the first, so that now there are two movements to keep going. The game continues around the circle, each player adding a gesture. By the
end of the  game, the entire group should be a foot-wiggling, eye-blinking, head-shaking,  nose-twitching mess. Try to add as many gestures as possible before the game  totally falls apart. Since it is difficult to do more than ten gestures at once, you  may not get everyone in the group, but the challenge is to see how far you do  get. Start off slowly with small things, such as toes and fingers, and work up to  the bigger things, such as arms and legs.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

FROGS AND FLIES

(WINK MURDER)

The more participants the better. A detective is chosen. He stands in  the center of a circle of Cub Scouts, all sitting down.
Everyone closes eyes tightly while the leader goes around the  outside of the circle and secretly taps one of them. This person is  the frog. The leader informs everyone to open their eyes.  Now,  the frog's job is to eat the flies; the flies being the others in the circle.
The detective's job is to try to guess which one is the frog. The frog tries to "eat" as many flies by making eye contact with others in the circle and sticking out his tongue at them without the detective seeing him. Once he has stuck his tongue out at someone, they extend their legs straight forward, or they can lie down, indicating that they have been "eaten". The detective watches for the frog, while the frog tries to "eat" as many flies as he can before being discovered. The detective gets 3 chances to guess who the frog is. Then, the frog turns into the detective,  and the leader chooses a new frog.
 
 

TAIL GRAB
• A rope or cloth tail for each team
Each team stands in a line behind their leader. Each man holds the belt or waist of the man in front. The last man has a tail tucked into his trousers. On the word 'GO' the patrol leaders have to move around the room and try to get as many of the other tails as possible. Any team that breaks the chain is disqualified. The winning patrol is the one with the most tails.

STEAL THE BACON
• 1 Hat, scarf or some other 'bacon'
Divide the troop into two halves (not three halves, nor one half). Number off EACH half separately. If there are 30 boys in the troop, then you would have two groups, each numbered from 1-15. Line them up facing each other, about 30-40 feet apart. In numerical order. Place your 'bacon' between the lines at X. Now the field will look kinda like this:

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
 

           X            O  <== Leader
 

 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The idea is for a scout to go out and retrieve the object. The leader calls out a number, and each scout with that number runs out and tries to get the object and go back behind his line.
Once the object is touched, the scout that touched the object can be tagged by the other scout. There are two ways to win a round: Either get the object and bring it behind your line without being tagged, or tag the other scout after he grabs the object and before he makes it past his line.

THE FLYING DOUGHNUT
• 1 rope (length around 15')
• A 'doughnut' tied to one end of the rope to act as a weight. An old cub cap or rolled-up hiking sock is ideal.
This is an old playground game which used to played with a long skipping rope. It works very well both with small groups and large groups. Spectating can also be quite fun so don't worry too much about players which have been hit standing out for a few minutes.
The players stand in a circle with the leader in the middle. The leader swings the rope and doughnut around in a large circle at around foot height. The players must jump over the rope and doughnut each revolution to avoid being hit. If they are hit (or hit several times) they are out of the game. The last people standing in the circle are the winners.
To rotate the doughnut stand up and swing the rope, swapping it from hand-to-hand around you. As you spin the doughnut faster it may rise too high - some players may not be able to jump high enough. You can often help by crouching down or reducing the speed. Look out for players who try to stay back from the circle slightly trying to ensure that the doughnut will never reach them.

GC

RATTLESNAKE
• 1 blindfold
• 1 set of keys or tin filled with pebbles
This is a similar game to 'Whomp'em'. The snake is nominated and must stand within the circle of players. Another player is the hunter. The hunter calls: 'Rattlesnake!' and the snake must 'reply' by jangling the keys or tin. The snake may move within the circle to avoid the hunter but doing so may create enough noise for the hunter to find him.
After the hunter has managed to find the snake (or after 2 minutes) a new hunter is nominated and the old hunter becomes the snake.

BB, C-10

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

 
 

SCAVENGER HUNT

A scavenger hunt is always a lot of fun. Depending on the ages of your participants, you may have to develop different task lists. For instance Tiger Cubs may not yet be able to identify leaves whereas Webelos might be expected to know some of the more common trees and leaves in your area.
You can combine the participants into groups, even mixing the older boys with the younger boys. Just be sure that each boy will have a chance of making a "find." Some suggested items for a scavenger hunt include:

trash item(s),  something red,

a pine cone,  a ball shaped rock,

a twig in the shape of a letter,

a new leaf from tree/bush,

a five pointed leaf,

a man-made object (what & where it is),

an insect (live or dead) etc.

FIVE DOTS

Equipment

· Pencils
· Paper

Game Description

Each player has a piece of paper and a pencil. He/she puts 5 dots anywhere on the paper and passes the paper to another player. The second player has to draw a person with head, both hands and both feet each touching a different dot.
After a set time, e.g.. 3 minutes, all display their drawings. Leader picks out the best, neatest, funniest, cleverest etc.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

TURKEY HUNT

 Basically it goes like this , you divide the boys into two teams . One team is the Native American Indians & Pilgrims and the other team is the Turkeys . The turkeys squat and walk like turkeys back and forth . I did it outside , we just set up borders to limit the turkeys area to walk in . I also decided to make it a little harder and gave each Turkey a red sock "gobbler" to wear from their shirt , hanging down from the neck . If it fell off they were hit as well , it gave them an incentive to pay more attention . Any ways , the other team can pick to be a Native American Indian or a Pilgrim . I used those great nurf arrows . They could choose a bow and arrow or a ball " nurf ) shooter . They each got got three shots , if they hit a Turkey , the Turkey falls and is out . The object is to see which team can get the most Turkeys . They both switch when all scouts have shot their three shots . It was so fun , the boys really got into making Turkey noises .

 Tim Miskell,   Wolf Den Leader,
Pack 562, Naperville , Ill.

---

GET UP

Contestants sit on the ground, back to back with legs extended,

Sit the Cubs in a circle. One Cub walks around the outside of the circle, tapping each boy on the head saying "duck, duck..." At some point he changes the name to "Goose!" The "goose" must get up and chase the caller around the circle. The first of the two of them to get back to the place where the "goose" was sitting gets to sit back down, and the other then must go around the circle again, tapping each boy on the head saying "duck, duck, GOOSE!"
feet together and arms folded. At a signal they try to rise to their feet without unfolding their arms. First one is winner Back to Cub Dens
Back to Index
Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

THE RATTLER Group forms circle around two blindfolded boys, each holding a can containing several pebbles. One is the hunter, the other the hunted. Each must shake his can every 10 seconds. The hunter has 2 minutes to catch his opponent.

MINUTE JUDGING
Everyone is in a seated position. The leader looks at his watch, says "Go," and everyone tries to judge when a minute is up. Each indicates his guess by standing. The closest to the correct time is the winner

TRIBE OF THE BLIND
Blindfold the boys and stand them in a circle with their arms outstretched so that they can just touch the fingers of each other.
In the middle have two Prisoners who are chained together with a neckerchief around the right legs. The prisoners are not blindfolded. The two prisoners try to escape without being caught. The blindfolded boys can not bend their knees and can only try to tag the prisoners when they hear a sound coming toward theme.

Animatics

WE FOUGHT HARD FOR THOSE 50 STARS
Divide the group into equal teams lined up a few feet away from the table. Place a bowl on the table for each team. Lay 50 cutout paper stars (approximately 2 inches in diameter) out on the table beside each bowl. Give each player his own straw. On a signal, the first player in each team runs forward and picks up one star, or as many as he can with one breath, by sucking on the straw, thus holding the star to the end of the straw. No hands! He releases the stars into the bowl, and then runs to tag the next player and gets at the end of the line. (He may need to run again.) The first team to have all 50 stars in the bowl is the winner. (The game could be varied with the original 13 stars tot a smaller group of boys.)

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

 

Team Work Transportation Create a mode of transportation using lengths of PVC pipe and a piece of 2" x 4" plywood.  Lay 4 or 5 pieces of pipe on the floor.  Top with the plywood.  One cub sits on the plywood while the team pushes him, rolling on the PVC.  As the passenger moves, the team must pick up the pipe and lay ahead of the rolling Cub.  This becomes an involved team effort. BB
	Tool Charades Instead of a title or saying, give the boys the names of tools.  Each must then get his team to guess the tool by pantomiming its use. BB San Francisco Bay Area

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

 

The following games are from:  Baden-Powell Games Book CHAPTER IV , INDOOR GAMES.

 KIM'S GAME. HOW TO PLAY IT.
The Scoutmaster should collect on a tray a number of articles: knives, spoons, pencil, pen, stones, book and so on - not more than about fifteen for the first few games, and cover the whole over with a cloth. He then makes the others sit round, where they can see the tray, and uncovers it for one minute. Then each of them must make a list on a piece of paper of all the articles lie can remember - or the Scoutmaster can make a list of the things, with a column of names opposite the list, and lot the boys come in turn and whisper to him, and he must mark off each of the things they remember. The one who remembers most wins the game.

THIMBLE FINDING.
The patrol goes out of the room, leaving one behind who takes a thimble, ring, coin, bit of paper, or any small article, and places it where it is perfectly visible, but in a spot where it is not likely to be noticed. Then the patrol comes in and looks for it. When one of them sees it he should go and quietly sit down without indicating to the others where it is, and the others, if they see it, do the same. After a fair time any one of those sitting down is told to point out the article to those who have not yet found it. The first one to see it is the winner, and he sends the others out again while he hides the thimble.

HOW LONG ?
A good camp practice is to see that all Scouts have a piece of paper and pencil, and to make them write down answers to various questions regarding lengths and heights. For instance: " What is my height when I'm wearing my hat ? " " How long is the camp table ? " Of course that boy wins who most nearly gives the correct number of inches.

BLOW BALL.
The players divide into two sides and take their positions at each end of a wooden table about 6 feet long. A Ping-Pong ball (or any light celluloid ball) is placed in the center, and each side tries to blow it off the table at the other end - if it goes off the sides it does not count, but is put back in the center again. The game soon develops strong lungs, but needs composure just as much - because the best player is the one who can blow without laughing at the faces of those opposite him as they blow. It is best to play kneeling or sitting round the table. A more complicated way for five players a side is to have a goal at each end marked on the table ; then each side has a goalkeeper, two forwards, stationed at the other end to blow into the enemy's goal, and two backs to pass the ball to their forwards.

SPOTTING THE SPOT.
Show a series of photos or sketches of objects in the neighborhood such as would be known to all the Scouts if they kept their eyes open - for instance, cross-roads, curious window, gargoyle or weathercock, tree, reflection in the water (guess the building causing it), and so on, and see who can recognize the greatest number; or else let each Scout contribute a picture or sketch of something remarkable passed during the last outing.

SCOUT'S NOSE.
Prepare a number of paper bags, all alike, and put in each a different smelling article, such as chopped onion in one, coffee in another, rose leaves, leather, aniseed, violet powder, orange peel and so on. Put these packets in a row a couple of feet apart, and let each competitor walk down the line and have five seconds' sniff at each. At the end he has one minute in which to write down or to state to the umpire the names of the different objects smelled, from memory, in their correct order.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

RELAYS

T-SHIRT RELAY

Break your group into two equal teams.  You give an oversized T-shirt to each team, one large enough to fit all the players on each team, (the largest player on any team determines the size of the T-shirt needed).

Have the two teams line up.  The first person in line puts on the T-shirt.  They turn and face the second player in their team's line.

The first and second players both hold each others hands. Then when you say GO, the rest of the team in their line pulls the shirt up and over the first players head, down the first player's arms and up the arms of the second player and over the second player's body (the shirt will be inside out at this point).

Then the second player turns and faces the third player and the team repeats the process. They continue this all the way down their team's line until the last player is wearing the T-shirt.  The team to transfer the T-shirt through their whole team first wins.

If you want to make the game last longer, have them relay the T-shirt all the way to the last player and then back up the line to the first player again.

This could be a funny game to see played on a Cub Scout or Boy Scout Family night or just for fun anytime.  If you have a lot of parents on a family night you could have the adults play the game and the boys could watch.  I think the boys would get a big kick out of watching the adults compete.  Then when the adults are done you could have the boys do it and the parents could get a laugh.

Wendell Brown, wbrown@ARKIE.NET

Wendell's comment:
Now, come on, you don't really think I really came up with that on my own do you?  I found it over the summer in one of the following: Baloo's Bugle, Cub Scout Program Helps or the Cub Scout Roundtable Planning guide.  If I remember correctly, it was suggested to use parent / child pairs (makes it big / little / big / little).

Wendell Brown - Scouting The Net http://www.arkie.net/scouting/

Just wanted to say how much fun my Tigers had at doing the t-shirt relay game. I lined the four boys up and carefully explained it to them and walking them through it. Once they got it, I had the four parents stand up in a row. Then I asked the boys if they could beat their parents. They jumped up and down and yelled YEAH!!!! Oh the look on the parents face was just too funny. I gave the first parent the other shirt and said ready, set, go! The dad stood there for a second until one of the moms said, she's serious, hurry! The boys won by a thread of the shirt. The parents said, we didn't know you would have us do stuff. <big evil grin>

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

BUBBLE BLOWERS RELAY
Make a starting line and a finish line.  Divide boys into 2 or more teams.  Pick a team leader for each team.  His job will be to blow a bubble for the first boy on his team.  The boy will fan it with a paper plate until he gets to the finish line.  If his bubble breaks the boy stops where he is and waits for his team leader to come and blow a new bubble for him.  When everyone on the same team has had a turn and fanned a bubble over the finish line they win.

Viking Council

BACK-TO-BACK RELAY The boys are divided into relay teams of two and take their place behind the starting line.  The two boys stand back-to-back and link arms so that one will walk forward and the other backward.  At the signal, the two pairs head for the goal, when they get there, they reverse direction so that the one who was walking backward is now walking forward.  They continue walking until they get back to the starting line to touch off the next two players on the team.

BB, Trapper Trails Council

ART CONSEQUENCES
The first player in each group walks to the end of the playing area, picks up the pencil and draws the head of a man, woman or child. After he draws the head, he folds the paper so that only the neck shows. He then walks back to his Den and tags the second player in line. The second player walks down and draws the shoulders, folds the paper, walks back and tags the third player. The relay continues on down until the figure is complete with waist, hips, legs and feet. The fun of this relay is opening up the piece of paper and passing around each 'creature' that each Den has created.

DIZZY IZZY
Line up the Dens for a relay race. Have the first player in each line run up to a given point, place one finger on the floor, revolve around his finger seven times, and run back to tag the next player in line. Repeat until all have had a turn. Keep the runners away from the walls and other obstacles.
Variation: Give each team a baseball bat or equivalent. Have the boys run up, put the bat against their forehead, the other end of the bat on the floor and revolve around the bat three or four times.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

ORANGE CHIN CHIN RELAY
A Relay for Two Equal Teams

Equipment: 2 oranges

Divide the players into two teams, and stand each team in a line. Each team leader then tucks an orange under his chin. On the word, "GO!", he must turn around and transfer the orange to under the chin of the next team member without the Use of hands. The winning team will be the one which has successfully transferred the orange right down the line without dropping it. If it drops, the team must start again.

Two Rivers Council Pow Wow Book 1989

 

"HEAVE, HO, THROW!" RELAY
Divide the group into two teams. Take one boy from each team about 20 feet from the rest of the group and have him sit in a designated spot. During the game, he may lean forward slightly and reach, but he cannot move from that spot.
Give the first Scout in each line a coiled rope about 25 feet in length. Each boy makes one throw, holding onto the end. The sitting Cub Scout tries to reach the rope being thrown without moving from his spot. Each boy in the relay line will throw the rope once, and then go to the end of the line.
Teams score whenever the sitting boy can reach the rope thrown to him. One point is given for each throw that the sitting boy catches. The team with the most points when all relay members have thrown is the winner.

WATER DRINKING RELAY
Equipment: Cup of water, Plastic spoons
Divide the boys into teams and give each player a cup of water and plastic spoon.  The first player feeds the second player his cup of water one spoonful at a time.  The second player feeds the third and so on.  The first team finish wins.

Greater St. Louis Area Council

PENNY DROP
Pour water about 6” deep in a bucket and drop in a dime. Each player is given 6 pennies. In turn, players drop their pennies in the water, trying to cover the dime with their penny. The successful player wins the dime.
York Adams Council

RAINY DAY WASH RELAY
First player in each relay team is given a gym towel. Two players from each team hold up a rope at finish line to resemble a clothesline. At signal, the first player runs to the line with his towel, places it over the line so that the bottom edges of towel are even, changes places with one of the line holders. The former line holder runs back touches off next player to runs to the line, removes towel and takes it back to next player. The same players may hold the line throughout the game, but it is more fun If they change each time the towel Is placed on the rope.
Variation: Player fastens 3 articles of clothing to line with clothespins. Next player removes them, etc.

BEANBAG HOBBLE KICK
Each relay team is furnished a beanbag and an inner tube rubber band. The relay is run in pairs. The first pair places the rubber band over the ankles of their adjacent feet, hobbling them together. They kick the beanbag to the goal line and back. Then they remove their hobble and pass it on to the next pair.

CUP AND BOTTLE RELAY
This is an exciting and 'wet' relay which needs to be done outdoors. Form two relay teams with a bucket of water and a cup at the head of each line. At the foot of each line, place a bottle.
At starting signal, the player nearest the bucket dips up a cup of water and passes it down the line. The last player in line pours it into the bottle, runs to the head of the line, and so on, until the bottle is filled.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

SPUD SPEAR RELAY
Provide each relay team with a fork. Potatoes are arranged on a course from four to twenty feet apart, depending on the space available. The first runner on each team runs to the first potato, spears it with his fork, carries It back and drops in in a pall or basket before handing the fork to the next player

EXPLOSION RELAY
Relay teams line up at equal distance from stacks of paper bags. Each player races to the stack in front of his line, blows up a paper bag, breaks it with his hand and races back to touch off the next player.

TIRE ROLLING RELAY
Players roll a tire to a turning line, roll it around a stake or chair, and roll it back to the next player in line who repeats the action

Arrange the players in a circle, call out the names of things that are found above the ground or below it. For example: strawberries grow above the ground and potatoes grow below. When you call something that grows above the ground the players stand up, below they sit down. The players are eliminated when they miss or are extra slow about deciding. It is most helpful if you have a list ahead of time for this ~ so it goes fast and smooth.

MATCH BOX RELAY
Form relay lines. First person in each line sticks a penny match box cover over his nose. He transfers it to the nose of the next person in line without using his hands or feet. Team to finish first wins.

THROUGH THE TIRE RELAY
Each relay team has a tire, held by the first player. At signal, he goes through the tire, !lets it fall to the ground and stands at attention. The next player sets up the tire and repeats the action. Continue until all boys on team are standing at attention.
. The hands must not touch the potato at any time.

TWENTY COUSINS
Players line up in relay formation. At the other end of the room, in front of each relay line, is a pile of 20 clothespins. On a signal, the first boy in each line runs to the pile of clothespins and picks up all 20. He then returns to his line and hands the clothespins, one at a time, to the next boy in line. The second boy then passes the clothespins, one at a time, to the third boy, and so on down the line until the last boy in the line receives all 20 pins. This last boy then runs to the front of the relay line and sits down. All the team members then sit down, too, showing that the entire line is finished. The first team to have all its members sit down is the winner.
If a player drops any clothespins, he must pick them up and play continues by passing them to the next player. No penalties are given and it is not necessary to start over.
[ It is interesting that many boys of this age are not familiar with clothes pins. Try asking your Cub Scouts what they are used for. rtguy ]

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

WET GAMES

WATER BALLOON CATCH
• Ballista or Catapult per team
• Water balloons
• Polythene Sheet per team
Using a large catapult three boys launch water balloons toward the objective.
The objective is three boys holding a large polythene sheet or ground sheet, who will try and catch the water balloons. The team with the most catches wins.

Peter_Van_Houten—Pack 383, Cooper Mountain



WATER BALLOON VOLLEY BALL
• A volleyball net or a rope over which the balloons can be tossed
• An endless supply of balloons a quarter filled with water
This is a very messy game and is therefore ideal for hot days at camp. Your net or rope is stretched between two poles or trees just above head height. You have two teams and one balloon a quarter filled with water. If you put too much water into the balloons then they tend to burst too easily.

The object of the game is to lob the balloon over the net and try and soak the opposing team. There is a lot of strategy in this game on such things as catching the balloon without bursting it and ways of lobbing the balloon to make it difficult to catch. When the balloon bursts on one side then a point is awarded to the other side, and a new balloon is brought into play.

GC

Variation: Each team is equipped with a beach towell, sheet or other piece of fabric. All players on the team hold it. The ballon is placed on the towell and attmpt to loft it over the net. The opposing team tries to catch the balloon in their towell and loft it back.


WATER BALLOON RACE
This race is for the whole family. Give each player a balloon filled with water and a 30 inch long string. The players tie one end of their string to the balloon and the other end to one ankle. On a signal, all players move toward the finish line 20 feet away dragging their balloons behind them. A player whose balloon breaks must step out of the game. The winner is the first player whose intact balloon crosses the finish line.
 


CUP AND BOTTLE RELAY
This is a very wet relay, so play it outside.  Form two teams.  Place a bucket of water and a cup at the head of each line.  At the end of each line is a bottle.  On signal, the first player dips his cup in the water and passes the cup down the line.  The last player pours the water carefully into the bottle.  Then he runs to the head of the line.  Repeat until the bottle is filled to the line marked.

BB, Viking Council


BUCKET RELAY -
Line two or more teams up for a relay. Provide each team with two buckets - one empty and the other half full of water. On signal, the first boy runs to the goal line, pours the water into the other bucket, leaves the empty bucket there, and carries the water to the next boy. The first team to finish with their water mostly intact wins.

Two Rivers Cncl- Pow Wow '79


SPONGE SQUEEZE RELAY
Get 4 buckets or large containers and 6 large sponges. Divide the boys into 2 teams and form 2 single file lines. Put a bucket in front of each team and bucket at the “finish” line of each team.  Put equal amounts of water in the buckets in front of the teams and put 2 or 3 sponges in the water.
On signal, the boy in front of each line gets a sponge and runs to the bucket at the other end of his line, squeezing the water out of the sponge into the bucket at his finish line. He then runs back to put the sponge in the hand of the next person in line. That boy drops the sponge into the water, gets another filled sponge and repeats what the previous boy did. The first team with all of their water out of the first bucket and into the second bucket wins.

BB, C-10

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---


MUG RACE
 • Mug per team member
 • 2 Dixie's per team
Fill one Dixie with water and place the Dixie's at either side of the hall. Distribute a mug to each person. The team must transfer the water from one Dixie to the other passing the water from one mug to the next. Could be marked in several ways: Time to move fixed amount of water with penalty for water dropped, or volume of water moved in fixed time.
Refinement: Thread mug handles through a string and place objects such as chairs or if at camp around trees. This creates some bottlenecks which the team must learn to limit.
Refinement: Give smaller mugs to people at the end of the line. Team must learn not to overfill mugs.
GC

WATER GUN SOCCER
You need a water pistol for each player and one big balloon. Mark off two goal lines about 30 feet apart. Behind each goal line, place a bucket full of water
Divide parents and sons into two teams. Tell all players to fill their pistols from their bucket and line up near the balloon which is placed in the center of the playing area. On a signal, all players begin squirting their pistols at the balloon, trying to propel it past the opponent's goal. Players must run back to their team's bucket to reload.
 


PING PONG POOL
Start with a very small, blow up type pool. Mark the pool bottom across the center with masking tape or, if all right, paint it. It could also be marked by laying something in the bottom that will not float. Have half of the boys go to one side and the rest go to the other. Put a Ping-Pong ball in the center of the pool. Using only their bare feet dangling over their side of the pool to move the water (they may not touch the ball), the boys try to move the ball to their side. Begin playing music and stop the music at irregular intervals. The side the ball is on gets a point. At the end, the side with the most points is the winner.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

Webelos Den Games

Rope Pullover

Provide each player with a 5 foot length of 1/4 in. rope. Divide the group in half, having two parallel lines face each other about three feet apart. On the signal "go"! each player passes his rope around the waist of his opponent. He then ties a predetermined knot in his rope and tries to pull his opponent over the line.

 

Sleeping Sentry

A blindfolded "sentry" sits in the center of the campfire area. In front of him lies a sheathed ax. The players try to creep up and steal the ax without being heard. The sentry points at thieves if he hears them. If a player gets pointed at, he must  return to his starting place. The first person to steal the ax is the next sentry. (Can also be played with ax stuck in a log or with other objects.)

POISON

Equipment: A traffic cone or similar

Game Description: A traffic cone or similar object is placed in the middle of the hall. All the players then form a large ring around it.

The idea is to make all the other players out by making them touch the cone. If anyone does touch it, then they are out. The winner is the last person still in.

This can also be played all holding on to a rope tied into a large circle. Anyone touching the cone or letting go of the rope is out.
Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

BOUNCE BOWLING

Equipment:  Three rubber balls the same size (any size works, from tennis to basketballs). Five or six cardboard boxes of various sizes.

Object: Bounce the balls into the box. Smaller boxes yield higher scores.

Instructions: Decide how many points to award for each size box; mark on boxes in bold numbers. Draw a throwing line for players which players must stay behind. Arrange boxes about 8-10 feet from players. One by one, players bounce balls toward boxes, scoring points as shown on the boxes. Repeat for 5-10 turns; winner is highest score. Alternate: Pick a score (perhaps 101) and players throw balls until they reach goal exactly. Scores which are over the goal are subtracted from the current total.

Grand Canyon Pow Wow

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

MATCH GAMES

NIM

Nim originated thousands of years ago in the orient where it was played with twelve stones, usually placed in heaps of three, four, and five. Today, it is popular in all parts of the world, particularly among travelers appreciative of a game whose complete equipment can be carried in a matchbox. To play, arrange any number of matches into as many piles as you like. A possible arrangement is illustrated above. The piles need not contain an equal number of matches.

Each player in turn takes part or all of any pile of matches. The game is over when the last match, or the remaining pile, is the winner. Or the rules may be reversed, making the player who picks up the last match the loser.

A variation of Nim allows a player to split a pile in two instead of picking up a match or matches. Before beginning the game, the players must agree on how the splitting is to be done. For instance, they could decide to split only piles which contain an even number of matches, or those which contain an odd number. Another possibility is to split any pile into as many sub piles as a player wishes.

---

 

YOUTH VS. AGE QUIZ

A popular radio quiz program in 1939 was NBC's "Youth vs. Age," in which the juvenile team tried to answer questions created by the adults and the adult team tried to answer questions created by the youths. Have a pack committee member compile a list of questions about local attractions or children's culture that have been created by youth members of the pack. Give a copy of the quiz to all the adults at the pack meeting and ask them to answer the questions as best they can.

BLUE AND GOLD PASS

You will need: 12 Clothespins painted gold, 12 clothespins painted blue, two empty bags or boxes

How To Play: Divide boys into two teams.  Each boy holds the hands of his teammates on either side.  On signal, the first boy on each team picks up a clothespin from his pile.  He must pass it to the next without dropping hands.  The last person drops the pin into the box.  If pin drops to the ground players must pick it up without letting go of hands.

FEED THE GUEST

This is a good game to play at a Blue and Gold Banquet.  Each side of the table plays against the other side. Place a napkin, bowl of gumdrops, and a package of toothpicks at the end of the table for each team.  At the signal, the first person on each side ties the napkin around the neck of the person sitting next to him, spears a gumdrop, and feeds it to that person.  This person then unties the napkin from around his neck and repeats the procedure with the next person.  This continues on down the table until everyone has been fed!

Simon Kenton Council

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

 

PACK METING FUN

SUBWAY

Suitable For:	Pack or Large Dens; Active; Indoors; Parents.
Equipment:	12 or more chairs, open floor space.
How to Play:	Arrange the chairs as seats in a NYC subway car: two rows facing each other about ten feet between the rows. Have enough participants to fill all the seats with several more standing between the rows (the Strap Holders.) As the Subway train roars through the tunnel, the leader (the Conductor) calls out the stops: mostly numbered streets and avenues. It helps for the participants to rock back and forth as the car sways and the strap holders to hang onto imaginary straps. At Avenue stops, participants who have seats must cross over to find seats on the opposite side of the car. Strap Holders are free to take any empty seat. Anyone who can't find a seat becomes a Strap Holder. The Conductor can use any creative stop names and does not need to follow the actual NY subway map. Drawing out the number as in "twenty-third" before saying street or avenue makes it more fun. At the stop: GRAND CENTRAL STATION, all riders must change trains: exit the car (run out the end of the rows of chairs) down the platform, (the area outside the rows) and back in the other end to find new seats.

Nature Treasure Hunt-

The nature treasure hunt committee should arrive early to prepare the stations. Use whatever natural features are found in the, area and write the instructions to fit.

Start each den at a different station so that there are no delays. (But remember, the hunt is not a race.) Give each den a scorecard on which judges at each station record their scores.
Here are instructions for typical stations:

START: "Go east to the largest tree you can see and look for a note at its base.”

STATION 1: "Is this tree an oak, pine, maple, or sycamore? Tell the judge and give him your scorecard.” (Score five points for correct answer.) “Then go north to the pond and look for a note along the south bank.”

STATION 2: "Within 10 paces of this spot is an insect cocoon. Find it but do not touch it. Show the judge where it is. If you know what the insect is, tell the judge.” (Score five points for finding the cocoon, 10 more for identifying the insect.) “Then go northwest along the pond to the big rock and find a note.”

STATION 3: "Look around for pussy willows. Show the judge where they are.” (Score five points.) “Look for the tall flagpole and walk to it. Look for a note at its base.”

STATION 4: "Near this flagpole is a large tree. What kind is it?” (Score five points.) “In this tree is a bird's nest. What kind of bird made the nest? Show the judge where the nest is. Do not climb the tree. Do not disturb the nest,” (Score five points.) “Then go back to the pond and look around the south bank.”

STATION 5: "Look carefully in the water. What do you see?” (Mass of frogs’ eggs. Score five points for identifying it.) “Go back to the building near the Start and look for a note at the northwest corner.”

STATION 6: "Look around the ground inside the stakes.” (Have a square meter of grassy ground staked out.) “Tell the judge all the signs of life you see - plants, insects, feathers, seeds, nuts, worms, etc.” (Score one point for each object.) “Take your scorecard to the scorer at the Start.”

The scorer tabulates the results.
Recognitions - The nature treasure hunt chairman announces the results and awards small prizes pr Award Ribbons (Supply No. 17801) to winning dens. Cubmaster presents badges of rank and arrow points to advancing Cub Scouts. Webelos den leaders award activity badges and Webelos badges to eligible Webelos Scouts. If you have graduating Webelos Scouts, use a ceremony from Staging Den and Pack Ceremonies.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

 

The Turtle Derby and Search For Big-foot game committees should arrive early to prepare their courses and lay out equipment. For the Turtle Derby course, see pages 57-58 of the Den Chief Handbook. Turtle Derby - The derby chairman explains how the races will be run (as individual races for groups of boys or as a relay race). If possible, have each boy race his turtle twice. The winning den may be the one finishing first in the relay or the den with the most winners of individual races. Search For Bigfoot - This is an inter den contest in which the boys overcome obstacles while seeking the legendary creature of the high mountains. Adapt the ideas for tests suggested in the ‘Search For Bigfoot” below.

 

THE SEARCH FOR BIGFOOT

This is a series of tests for each den leading to the discovery of Bigfoot. It can be adapted to either indoors or outdoors, but if you have a choice, make it out-doors. The object of the hunt is to complete the tests and find Bigfoot in the shortest time. Station 1 - Climbing the Mountain Build a string trail, with the string leading high and low between tree trunks branches, etc. The den is blindfolded and each member follows the trail by sliding one hand along the string. (If in doors, run the string from chair to table to side of the room and back again.) Station 2 - One member of the den is lost and presumably injured in the mountains. That Cub Scout is sent some distance away and left lying on the ground The other den members must find him apply simple first aid, and bring him back on a stretcher made from two poles and a blanket.

Station 3 - Finding Shelter. On the way up the mountain, a fierce storm stops the den. The boys must build a shelter with a blanket and a few poles that all den members can get under Station 4 - After the storm, the den finds Bigfoot’s footprints near their camp. (The footprints are huge cardboard cut outs of an ape's print and lead toward a wooded area or, indoors, toward another room). Station 5 - As the den follows the foot prints, the boys see Bigfoot (a leader in a fur coat and mask) scurrying off into the woods (or other room). The game ends when the den tags Bigfoot. Start dens at four- or five-minute intervals. Time each start. The winning den is the one which tags Bigfoot in the shortest time.

---

TURTLE DERBY

This is a series of races for turtle figures the boys have cut from such materials as heavy cardboard, plywood, or floor tile material.
The turtles are hung on a 20 foot cord through a hole in the head and raced by “walking” them - alternately tightening and relaxing the cord so that they appear to be walking toward the finish.
All turtles must be the same size so that they can “walk” a line set at the same height for all. The pack committee might suggest that all turtles be seven inches long. The committee must make one pattern for each den by enlarging the figure shown here by the grid method; each square represents one inch. Dens could cut their turtles from any material they wish, or the committee could establish a required material. Of course the turtles can be made almost any size. You might want to involve parent help and make giant sea turtles about 3 or 4 feet high.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

SUITCASE RACE

Each contestant has a suitcase or backpack and an umbrella. In the suit-case are a hat, a coat, gloves, and any other clothing desired, so long as the contents are the same for each player. At a given signal, all contestants run to the goal, open suitcases, put on clothes, close suitcases, open umbrellas, and run back to starting point.

Use of the relay adds excitement.

This is a great game for pack meetings, especially if parents are the contestants.

GIANT STICK FIGURES

This game works best with a large number of boys - 20 or more! The whole group forms a series of circles and lines to make up a stick figure. i.e. a small circle of boys for the head, small line for the neck, longer line for body, 2 arms and 2 legs. When they're assembled, you give them a series of directions, one at a time, and they must act as a group and performs the actions, such as:

• Your head is itchy - scratch it!
• There's a soccer ball at your feet - kick it!
• Your shoe is untied - tie it up!
• Your nose is running - blow it!
• Your pants fell down - bend down and pull them up!

Denice Crook,,  Guiding Mailing List!

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

LEAN-TOO
A good game for the pack meeting to get parents involved.  The boys and parents stand in a circle by dens holding hands.  Everyone numbers off alternately one or two.  On the signal, keeping legs and backs as straight as possible, the players who are "ones" lean forward toward the center of the circled, while the "twos" lean outward.  Players counterbalance each other for support.  Once the group has gotten its balance, slowly reverse the leaners.  Then have the players see how smoothly they can alternate.

Santa Clara County Council

CAPTURE THE FORT • 1 Soccer ball
Divide players into two sides: Attackers and Defenders.
Defenders form a circle, holding hands and facing outward, with their captain in the center. Attackers surround the fort at about eight or ten paces distant. They try to kick a soccer ball into the fort; it may go through the legs of the defenders or over their heads. If it goes over their heads, the captain may catch it and throw it out. But if it touches the ground inside the circle, the fort is captured and the players change sides.

---

CAT AND MOUSE Organize the players into a rectangular grid, or maze, spaced so that they stand two arms lengths away from their partners in all 4 directions. If you have an awkward number of players you may leave out up to 2 players - they will be given roles later in the game. Before the game starts it is best to rehearse changing the maze:
Start with all the players facing in the same direction with their arms spread to their sides - this should create a number of rows. On the command 'Turn' everyone should turn  90° - don't be too worried which way just as long as it is a quarter turn. This changes the maze from rows to columns.
Two players a 'cat' and a 'mouse' will run around the maze, the cat trying to catch and tag the mouse. They may run around the maze and along the lines of arms but must not pass or stretch across them. You can shout 'Turn' at any point during the game to change the maze. Thus you may suddenly prevent the mouse getting caught or put the mouse very close to the cat.
When the mouse is caught start again with another pair or start with a new mouse and allow the old mouse to 'grow' to a cat.

PRE-OPENING ACTIVITY
 

 

FAMOUS SCOUTS
* INDICATES THE SCOUT WAS AN EAGLE SCOUT

Neil Armstrong* Bill Bradley*  James Brady* William C. DeVries,  Gerald Ford*  James Lovell*  J. Willard Marriott*  Ellison Onizuka  H. Ross Perot*  Steven Spielberg*  Henry Aaron  Bill Clinton  Walter Cronkite  Harrison Ford  Bill Gates  Bruce Jenner  Jim Morrison  Merlin Olson  John Ritter  Nolan Ryan  Mark Spitz Joe Theisman Paul Winfield

A- President of the United States B- Actor C- Olympic gold medal swimmer D- Olympic gold medal decathlon E- Journalist, TV commentator F- Baseball superstar G- Film director/producer H- Rock music legend I- Self made billionaire & Presidential Candidate J- President of the US & First Eagle Scout in the White House K- Astronaut & First man on the Moon L- Baseball superstar M- Sportscaster & former NFL star. N- Former Press Secretary to President Reagan O- Challenger astronaut P- Founder of Microsoft Corp Q- Pro Basketball player & U.S. Senator from New Jersey R- President, Marriott Corp. S- Transplanted first artificial heart. T- Astronaut

Answers:  1-K; 2-Q; 3-N; 4-S; 5-J; 6-T; 7-R; 8-O; 9-I; 10-G; 11-L/F; 12-A; 13-E; 14-B; 15-P; 16-D; 17-H; 18-M; 19-B; 20-L/F; 21-C; 22-M; 23-B BB-York Adams Council

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

This test does not measure your intelligence, your fluency with words and certainly not your mathematical ability. It will, however, give you some gauge of your mental flexibility and creativity. In the three years since we developed the test, we have found few people who could solve more than half of the 24 questions on the first try. Many, however, reported getting answers long after the test had been set aside, particularly at unexpected moments when their minds were relaxed; and some reported solving all the question over a period of several days. Take this as our personal challenge.

 

Instructions: Each question below contains the initials of words that will make it correct. Find the missing words.

It is customary to not supply the answers to this puzzle. It took us months to solve it completely even with the help of our local Cub Pack and folks at Roundtable. #12 had us all stumped until a Boy Scout at the Jamboree took one look at it and told us the answer. Good Luck, bill.

 

---

ARE YOU ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE? 1. How many pounds of garbage does the average American produce each year?

 A. 15 pounds
 B. 150 pounds
 C. 1500 pounds
 D. 15,000 pounds

2.  Which of the following items will rapidly biodegrade in today's modern landfills?

 A. Newspapers and paper bags
 B. Carrots
 C. Plastic bottles
 D. None of the above

 3. How much of our garbage is currently going to landfills?

 A. Between 86-100%
 B. Between 70-85%
 C. Between 55-67%
 D. Between 35-54%

 4. Which takes up the most landfill volume?

 A. Paper
 B. Plastic
 C. Metal
 D. Yard wastes

 5. Which of the following is the government's top priority for minimizing waste and disposal costs?

 A. Recycling
 B. Waste to energy incineration
 C. Source reduction

Answers

1. C. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) each man, woman and child generates roughly three quarters of a ton (1,500 lb..) of garbage per year, or about 4 pounds per day!
2.  D. Renowned garbologist, Dr. William Rathje (Univ. of Arizona), whose garbage project has dug through old landfills, says that virtually nothing biodegrades quickly in today's modern landfills, which are designed to keep out the water and air needed for biodegradation. In fact, he has dug up 40-year-old, perfectly readable newspapers; 20-year-old carrots and corn; and lots of other things you would normally consider to be biodegradable. The real issue is sending less to the landfills in the first place.
3. C. According to the EPA, the U.S. sent nearly 60% of its garbage to landfills in 1995, recycled or composted 27% and burned the rest in waste-to-energy facilities.
4.  A. Surprised? According to the EPA, about 30% of the volume in our landfills is paper. Other materials, by volume, include plastic (24%), yard wastes (8%) and metals (10%).
5. The motto Reduce, Reuse and Recycle actually represents the top strategies in the EPA's order of priority. Thus, while we all know how important it is to recycle, we should also find ways to reduce the amount of materials used as well. How did you do? If you knew most or all of the answers, you're at the top of the class! If you didn't, don't worry. We've talked to thousands of educators, most of whom were quite surprised by many of these facts.

BB -The Society of the Plastics Industry

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

PRE-OPENING

WHO COLLECTS WHAT

1.  Rock Hound	A. Stamps
2.  Folk Singer	B. Recipes
3.  Numismatist	C.  Timetables
4.  Ham Radio Operator	D.  Coins
5.  Cook	E.  Old furniture
6.  Lexicographer	F.  Call numbers
7.  Philatelist	G.  First editions
8.  Antique Collector	H.  Ballads
9.  Railroad Buff	I.  Obsidian
10. Book Lover	J.  Words

(Answers: 1. I, 2,H 3,D 4,F 5,B, 6,J, 7,A 8,E 9C,10,G)

BB

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

 

A CORNY GAME

Mix this list all up and give copies to everyone as they arrive.  Instructions should be printed on the paper":
"Corn was the most important food the Indians gave us.  Circle everything you believe to be made from corn."
(The answers is everything on the list, of course, but don't reveal that until all have worked their paper.)
 

Alcohol	Vinegar	Canned/frozen corn
Baby foods	antifreeze	ceramics
Candy	cosmetics	ether
Chewing gun	Dyes	textiles
Hominy and grits	Cooking oil	Corn sugar
paperboard	Salad dressings	Margarine
Solvents	Corn syrup	plastics
Corn flakes	paste and glue	paper
insulating materials	photographic film	safety glass
Cornstarch	medicines	explosives
Yeast	Cookies	soaps
Cornmeal	paints	varnishes

BB

 

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

PUZZLES
 

BLOCK PUZZLES Cut these out of wood or heavy cardboard.

 

WORD PUZZLES

Copy these exactly on large cards.  Show them to the den one at a time and have the boys try to figure out the saying that it represents.
WORD PUZZLES	ANSWERS
1. EGGS      EASY	1. Eggs over easy
2. | R | E | A | D | I | N | G |	2. Reading between the lines
3. FIDDLER      ROOF	3. Fiddler on the roof
4.  WEAR       LONG	4. Long underwear
5. SOMEWHERE      THE RAINBOW	5. Somewhere over the rainbow
6.   0      BS     MS    Ph.D.	6. Three degrees below zero
7.                         A                       E           P                   S                   P                       U          L                              A	7. A round of applause.

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index

---

 

WATER GLASS PUZZLE There are three glasses   on the table - 3, 5, and 8   oz. The first two are empty, the last contains 8  oz of water. By pouring  water from one glass to   another make at least one of them contain exactly 4   oz  of water.

 

GUESS WHO THE GENIUS IS Choose a boy to be "IT" and send him from the room. Then form a circle and choose a "genius" who remains in the circle and originates various action for all to copy. "IT" comes in. The group changed actions only when the "genius" changes. "IT" tries to guess who the "genius" is. When he guesses correctly he joins the circle and the "genius" becomes "IT" and leaves the room. Another "genius" is chosen and the game continues. GC Animatics

Back to Roundtable
Back to Index