text:
Put on your sunglasses and sunscreen, jump in and make a BIG splash with fun activities that explore water and waves with a beach party (no beach required). Dive right in and learn about water, our most precious resource. There is an adventure waiting in one of Earth's final frontiers, the depths of the ocean floors. Creatures never imagined before can be found there. What kinds of animals live there? What does the ocean floor look like? What makes a boat float? Learn about different sea vessels, and make boats. Top it off with a raingutter regatta. This is a wonderful opportunity to teach water safety and practice the buddy system.
Sources: Baloo's Bugle (Jun 2001 Wet and Wild; Apr 2004 Fin Fun; Feb 2007 Aloha Cub Scouting; July 2008 H2Ohhhh!; Jul 2015 Under the Sea; Aug 1999 Splish, Splash!; Apr 2005 Waterways of the USA; August 2010 Waves of Fun) and BSA (Jul 2015 Under the Sea). The volunteer committee is working on updating these resources with the most recent advancement changes, including the addition of girls and Lions. If you find any errors, suggestions for changes, improvements, or additional ideas, let us know.
Pack meeting and blue and gold banquet ideas including skits, songs, advancement ceremonies, opening/closing ceremonies and more can be found in our theme ideas:
Beach Theme Ideas (.pdf) .doc version Cheers Placemats
Pack Meetings. The pack meeting brings all of the dens in the pack together for the purposes of recognizing the achievements of the Cub Scouts, communicating information about upcoming events, and providing a program that enriches the Cub Scouting experience. It helps the Cubs realize their den is part of a larger organization. A good pack meeting is well planned and well organized. Packs meet several times during the year – there is no required number. Some packs meet monthly, others less often.
Resources: BSA Pack Meeting Resources, and Pack Meeting Tips
Blue and Gold Banquet: Most packs celebrate Scouting Anniversary Week in February with a birthday party, called the blue and gold banquet; some packs do end-of-the-year banquets. It brings families together for fun and cheer. The purpose of a banquet is to celebrate Scouting, thank leaders and volunteers and inspire the leaders, Scouts, and parents. The banquet can be like a regular pack meeting with songs, skits, stunts and awards, or it can be something different and a little more special. The pack committee may decide to bring in an entertainer, such as a mad scientist or magician, and have a video or slideshow year in review. A good banquet needs lot of careful planning to be successful; start planning at least two months in advance. The pack committee should recruit a banquet chair, who in turn may select others to carry out the responsibilities of the program, such as making physical arrangements, promotions, inviting special guests, decorations, choosing a theme, ordering food, etc. A detailed plan for banquets, including a planning calendar, sample agenda, and suggested program activities, is available in the Cub Scout Leader How-To Book, No. 621165.
Resources: Blue and Gold Theme Ideas
The fliers are in Microsoft Word and should be customized before distributing.
One page flier (black and white) Tri-fold flier (black and white)
Visit our beach-themed Pinterest boards on the council Pinterest page for more ideas.
Beach Theme Pinterest Board
Advancement Ceremony. Recognition is important to Cub Scouts. Each one represents a great amount of time and effort on the part of the Cub Scout, family, and leaders and should be presented in a special ceremony. The presentation should be worthy of the award and the work that went into it. When Cub Scouts are recognized for their accomplishments, they are motivated to achieve more. Memories of meaningful, impressive ceremonies will last years. Depending on the advancements that you have for each month's pack meeting, you'll need to adapt ceremonies. Delete sections that relate to a badge that you are not presenting or change that section to a narrative form in place of the badge presentation. Use your imagination to make the ceremonies work for you. A variety of leaders can be involved in the advancement ceremony (e.g., advancement chair, Cubmaster, assistant Cubmasters, den leaders, den chiefs). Use simple props and costumes to enhance ceremonies. Some ceremonies will be simple (monthly awards) while others are more involved (e.g., rank ceremonies, crossover ceremonies, Arrow of Light ceremonies). Find advancement ceremonies in the Cub Scout Den and Pack Ceremonies, No. 33212.
Set up: Create a beach scene using waves drawn or cut from paper against a wall (if done inside) or a scene with real sand, a backdrop of waves and various items that could be washed up by the waves. (A child's wading pool could be used to contain your scene). It would be really effective to have the sound of the waves crashing, from a tape or CD playing in the background.
Cubmaster: Welcome to the beach. Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts have really been making waves and earning advancements this past month.
Let's check and see what those waves have washed up on our beach!
At the end, with all the items removed, the CM can point out that Scouts always leave everything better than is was when they came.
Audience Participation stories add variety, action, and fun to pack meetings. Some include motions. Some require the audience to be dived into groups that respond to a keyword in a story read by a leader. It's a good idea to let groups practice their motions or phrases first. Find audience participation skits in the Cub Scout Leader How-To Book, No. 621165.
Divide the audience into groups, and assign each group one of the words listed below. Have all members of the group stand up and say the appropriate phrase when their word is said during the story. Alternatively, have a leader for each word, and everyone says the appropriate phrase for each key word.
Summertime had arrived at last. School was out and the KIDS in the Black family were all looking forward to the first trip to the BEACH. All of the chores were done and it was time to pack the car. Mother was trying to pack the FOOD in the picnic basket, but was having trouble getting the sandwiches wrapped before the KIDS could grab them. "Why don't you KIDS go out to the car and help your father while Chad stays here to help me get the FOOD ready?" Mother suggested. As soon as the KIDS had left the kitchen, Chad, a helpful CUB SCOUT, said, "What can I do to help, Mother?" "Get some WATER and ice for the punch, Chad," said Mother. Together Mother and her helpful CUB SCOUT managed to finish packing all the FOOD in less than 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, Father had finished packing the car. "OK, KIDS, it's time to get in the car and drive to the BEACH," Father said. "It will take us about half an hour to drive to the BEACH, so relax and enjoy yourselves, KIDS." When they finally arrived at the BEACH, the KIDS couldn't wait to get in the WATER and SWIM. Chad, the ever-helpful CUB SCOUT, volunteered to watch the younger children while Mother and Father spread the picnic blanket on the BEACH and unpacked the FOOD. "Hold my hand, Jimmy," said Chad, the watchful CUB SCOUT. "Don't get in the WATER over your knees, because you don't know how to SWIM. We'll wade right here in the shallow WATER near the rocks on the BEACH." "Lunch is ready," called Mother. "Come and get your FOOD."
After they had finished the delicious FOOD Mother had packed, the KIDS decided to build a sandcastle on the BEACH, near the WATER. When it was time to leave the BEACH and head for home, Chad, the helpful CUB SCOUT helped gather the toys, while their parents loaded the leftover FOOD. "Thanks for taking us to the BEACH, Mom and Dad!" chorued the KIDS. "We sure had a good time SWIMming and playing on the BEACH." "And thanks for helping us at the BEACH, Chad. We're glad to have a CUB SCOUT in the family," Mother and father told their oldest son.
In this audience participation, the audience will be divided into the necessary number of groups and each group will say the following lines when their name is called:
Once there was a FISHERMAN who went FISHing on a sunny April day. He was hoping to catch a big FISH. He found a nice spot and stopped along the river. The FISHERMAN put the REEL on his rod, and a worm on his hook and started to FISH. He patiently waited and waited, but no FISH came to eat the WORM on the hook. The FISHERMAN decided to leave his hook and WORM in the water and take a little nap. He was awakened by the screeching sound of his REEL; sure enough, he had hooked into a great big FISH.
The FISHERMAN wound in the REEL and to his surprise he found a stick on the end of his hook. The WORM was gone. So the FISHERMAN put another WORM on his hook and tossed his line into the water. Again he was awakened by the sound of the REEL, this time he found a tin can on his hook. "This is getting frustrating," he said, "I really want to catch a FISH before I run out of WORMs".
One last time the FISHERMAN threw this line into the water and set his rod and REEL beside him. The sound of the REEL woke him once again. This time however he could not REEL in his FISH he knew for sure that his WORM was long gone. He REELed and REELed until finally, a large black fin rose out of the water. The FISHERMAN has caught a submarine.
"Riiinnnng" went the alarm clock the FISHERMAN rolled over and said "six-thirty in the morning." The whole trip had only been a dream.
Divide the audience into four groups. Assign a part to each group and have them practice. As narrator, read the story, they respond to the appropriate word.
The day of the summer pack meeting was hot and dry. That was good because it was to be a SWIMMING party. The CUB SCOUTS and their families were to meet at the Miller's house at noon. TIMMY started getting ready at 9 o'clock in the morning. He loved to SWIM. He had just completed SWIMMING lessons at the local SWIMMING pool and had his card stating that TIMMY had passed Advanced Beginners. He knew all his CUB SCOUT friends would be surprised. It was just last year that TIMMY could not SWIM at all.
TIMMY found his SWIMMING suit and towel and even his flip flops without any trouble. But search as he might he could not find his SUNSCREEN. This was terrible. All the CUB SCOUTS had learned the importance of always using SUNSCREEN at one of the den meetings. TIMMY knew that he must protect his skin from the intense summer sun while he was young so that he would not get skin cancer when he got older. Also, he did not want to get a bad sunburn. One of his friends in CUB SCOUTS had fallen asleep in the sun and couldn't sit down or lay in bed comfortably for a week!
"Where are you, SUNSCREEN?" asked TIMMY as he started looking through the house again. It was almost time for the SWIMMING party. He didn't want to be late. That was when he found it. Way in the back of a bathroom drawer, there was the SUNSCREEN. He grabbed it but to his dismay, the tube felt very light. Oh, no! The SUNSCREEN tube was empty. TIMMY could not squeeze out even one little drop. What could he do? There was no time to go to the store before meeting the CUB SCOUTS for the SWIMMING party. And he knew he should never go SWIMMING without his SUNSCREEN.
Just then, TIMMY's big brother Weston came bursting through the kitchen door. "What's the matter", he asked when he saw TIMMY sitting dejectedly in the living room? I'm all out of SUNSCREEN. I can't go SWIMMING with the CUB SCOUTS, was the reply. "Here, you can use mine", said Weston, tossing his little brother a new tube of SUNSCREEN. TIMMY couldn't believe it. Just that fast was his problem solved. "Thanks, Wes!" TIMMY shouted as he headed out the door to the SWIMMING party with the CUB SCOUTS. And for a whole week, he didn't say anything bad about his brother!
Divide the group into four smaller groups and assign each group one of the words listed below. Read the story pausing as each of the key words is read. When one of the words is read the group assigned to that word stands and makes the appropriate response.
JOE had a problem and he didn't know what to do about it. JOE had been a Cub SCOUT for several years and really enjoyed all the fun activities. But now JOE was a Webelos SCOUT. Now, this does not really sound like a problem, does it? But, as a Webelos SCOUT, JOE would soon be working on his Aquanaut Adventure. This meant that JOE would need to go swimming. And JOE was AFRAID of WATER!
Now, this had not always been the case. When JOE was a little boy he was not AFRAID of WATER. He was about 5 years old when it happened. He had been playing in the backyard, splashing in the WATER in his little play pool. WATER was fun to play in. But when JOE was climbing into the WATER one time he slipped and fell. He hit his head on the slide and almost drowned. If his mother had not been close at hand, it could have been much worse. But ever since that time, JOE was AFRAID of WATER.
Now, JOE was a Webelos SCOUT. How could he tell them that he was AFRAID of WATER? How would he ever be able to earn his Aquanaut Adventure? But JOE's SCOUT leader was both smart and understanding. He had talked to JOE's mother and knew about the WATER problem. And he knew what to do. He found a game that could be adapted to help the other boys understand that JOE had good reason to be AFRAID of WATER. Together, the SCOUTs played a game about being AFRAID, and then talked about how they felt. JOE was able to share his feelings without being made to feel ashamed. The other SCOUTs were able to understand how it felt to be AFRAID of WATER, and they did not tease JOE.
When it was time for the Webelos SCOUTs to work on their Aquanaut, JOE's SCOUT leader gently guided him into the WATER. This was not easy for JOE, but with time and support he was gradually able to overcome being AFRAID of WATER and finally even earned his Aquanaut Adventure. None of the SCOUTs make fun of JOE. And when it was time for JOE to receive the award, all the SCOUTs stood and cheered. They had all learned that it's OK to be AFRAID. And how people feel is most important of all.
Ask the audience to provide the words (2 body parts, 3 nouns, 2 verbs) to fill in the blanks in the story. Narrator reads the story, filling in the blanks with the words provided by the audience.
If you want to enjoy yourself at the beach, you should bring your _____ (plural noun). Before exposing your skin to the sun, you should put suntan oil on your
_____ (body part). Rub it on your face; then smear it all over. Be sure that it's rubbed in thoroughly. Then go into the saltwater and_____ (verb). When
you come out of the water, don't dry your _____ (body part). Lie down on a(an) _____ (noun) and soak up the rays. It's fun if you bring a (an)
_____ (noun) to play with at the beach, I like to build_____ (plural noun) with sand. You can _____ (verb) on the beach.
This is a nonsense game that never fails to crack them up – the sillier, the better! Names of objects are written on slips of paper and dropped into a container. As "Mr. Crusoe" reads his diary, each "sailor" takes turns drawing from the container to fill in the blanks.
Print these phrases on slips of paper:
"This morning I woke up early and ate my breakfast, which consisted of _____ and _____. Afterward, I took my saw and hammer and built _____. Since I was shipwrecked and alone, I had to go hunting in the woods to see what I might have for lunch. I forgot my gun, so I had to capture _____ with my bare hands. I also tried to catch _____ to but could not run fast enough. I went home to my cave, sat down in and ate my lunch. Since my clothes were all lost as sea, I decided to make myself something to wear. I made a pretty neat hat from _____ and a coat out of _____. I decided to wrap my feet in _____. Suddenly, I heard a _____ and rushed out and climbed into _____. I looked through _____ just in case I might see _____. I didn't but there on the beach, I saw _____ dancing in wild glee around _____. Running up the trail toward my hideout was _____ crying out and looking very frightened. I hid the poor thing behind _____. I then found my gun, loaded it with _____ and stood guard over _____. When it seemed safe, I got busy and built _____ all around _____. Then I finally lay down in my comfortable bed, made of _____, and slept soundly."
Narrator reads story. When audience hears a "water" word, they do a wave, like at sporting events.
One upon a time, there lived a poor merchant from Botany Bay. He sailed across the Seas to distant lands. He traveled with his dog, Bruno. During Ocean voyages, he missed his family.
On one of these Sea journeys, the poor merchant traveled to the island of Catomania. He heard a loud caterwaul as he entered the Bay. The island had a terrible problem. Too many cats! The king begged him to help. The poor merchant let loose his trusty Bruno. Bruno chased the cats on board the ship in the Bay.
The poor merchant quickly set sail for the high Seas, with a shipload of cats. At the next port, the island of Micea, he found another island with a problem. They had never seen a cat before. The island was run over with seagulls. There was practically not a place to land his ship because the gulls covered the Water's edge. He was able to sell all of the cats to the inhabitants of Micea. The cats who were hungry after the long Ocean journey, gobbled up all of the gulls but two who flew to the topmast of the poor merchant's ship in the BAY.
The merchant sailed for many days in the Ocean. When he reached America, he brought out his caravan of camels. They pulled his ship right to the Rio Grande River in Albuquerque. He found the pioneers wrestling with a plague of locusts. The quick-thinking merchant threw a stone at the giant gulls. They swooped down and hungrily devoured the locusts. The pioneers who were still settling in, didn't have much to trade, so he let his camels have a drink from the River and was on his way again.
The next stop was an island called Waterworld. There was so much Water, the islanders had a hard time eating, sleeping, working or playing. The camels smelled the Water as soon as they made port and stampeded. Soon, the excess Water was gone. The islanders thanked the merchant by presenting him with a cargo hold full of umbrellas. They wouldn't be needing them anymore.
When the merchant arrived home, his family Rained tears of joy. The tears poured for days and days. The wise merchant who knew it never Rains but it pours, sold the cargo hold of umbrellas to the good citizens, and became the now rich merchant from Botany Bay.
from the team's container to its cup. The first team that can fill their cup to the line is the winner.
Cheers. Silly cheers and applauses are a great way to recognize Scouts and Scouters at den or pack meetings for accomplishments and performances. Cheers and applauses add fun to den meetings, pack meetings, and campfire programs. Learn more about cheers and how to make a cheer box.
Backyard Pool Cheer: Don't stand up for this cheer. Lean back in your floating pool chair, take sip of your tall cool drink and say "Ahh, this is the life."
Beach Cheer: Divide the audience into three groups. When you point to group one, they yell "Sand!" When you point to group two, they yell, "Surf!" When you point to group three, they yell, "Sun!"
Big Rain Applause: Start tapping one finger from each hand. Build quickly one finger at a time until you are clapping both hands. Then reverse and have storm fade away.
Big swimmer's Cheer: Swing arms all around, "splash, splash, splash!"
Caught Fish Cheer: Hold out left hand, palm up, and make flopping, gasping motions with the right hand on the palm of the left hand.
Clam Cheer: Fold hands together, interlocking fingers. Make noise by pressing palms together.
Clam Clap Cheer: Ask everyone to roll up their sleeves in preparation for this strenuous applause. Double up your fists with your left arm in front of your face and right arm over-head. Then silently open and close your right fist.
Deep Sea Diver Applause: "Blubb, Blubb, Blubb".
Deep Sea Diver Cheer: Pretend to put on your diving suit, adjust your helmet, pretend to close face door, and screw the locks in place. Then pretend to jump into the water by jumping one step ahead, pretend to be sinking to the ocean floor, mumbling, "BLUG, BLUG, BLUG!!!" VARIATION: Add the following when you reach the "bottom": walk around very stiffly in a circle, then slowly bend over and pick up something and yell: "I found the TREASURE! I found the TREASURE."
Diver's Cheer: Same idea as Surfboarders Cheer, but jump off and say "Kersplash." "Perfect!"
Dog-paddle Cheer: Paw air with hands, kick feet, "bark, bark, bark!"
Fish Cheer: Say "how, how, how, flop, flop, flop" while making flip flop motion with hands.
Fish Yell: Open and close mouth several times without making any sounds.
Fish Cheer: Pucker up lips like you are going to kiss and make kissing sound.
Fisherman Cheer: Pretend to reel out some line, let it drift, yank your pretend pole back and start to reel in the fish. Struggle with it for a short time and say: "I'VE GOT IT!!! I'VE GOT IT!!!"
Guppy Cheer: Suck in both sides of your mouth and make a kissing noise three times.
Hot Feet Cheer: Pretend to take off your flip flops, jog in place "across the sand" while saying, "Hot, hot, hot!"
Hula Cheer: Hula to one side, then the other, using hips and arms.
Jaws (Shark) Cheer: Chomp, Chomp, Chomp.
Jaws Cheer 2: Hold arms to cover face (Hands holding elbows) yell "AAAAAH, HELP!"
Life Guard Cheer: Pinch nose with one hand, other arm is straight up, "I'm coming!"
Little Swimmer's Cheer: Raise hands up but not arms, "splash, splash, splash!"
Rainstorm Applause: Start by gently patting knees alternately to simulate light rain falling. Increase the noise by switching to hand clapping as the storm reaches its height. With a hand signal, have everyone shout "Boom!" to represent thunder. Gradually decrease the hand clapping and then pat the knees as the storm subsides.
Motor Boat Cheer: Pull on starter cord a few times while fluttering tongue on roof of mouth. Then start the sound of a motor boat.
Motorboat Applause: Flutter tongue on roof of mouth.
Ocean Applause: Best done with a large group; have first row sway from side to side; second row swaying in opposite direction; third row same as first, etc. Then have them add sound effect: SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH!!
Popeye Cheer: Divide audience into two parts:
1st group: Where's my spinach! Where's my spinach!
2nd group: Toot, toot! You're Popeye the sailor man! Here's your spinach!
1st group: Well, blow me down, I love my spinach
2nd group: Toot, toot! You're Popeye the sailor man!
Seal Applause: Extend your arm straight out in front of you and clap with stiff arms while saying, "'Arf, arf, arf, arf
Shark Cheer: One elbow up like a fin, "dum, dum, ta, dum!"
Steamboat Cheer: Get group repeating "Chug-a- chug-chug. Then, reach up with your right hand and pull down. Audience responds with "Toot, "Toot."
Surfer Cheer: Pretend to stand on a surf board with your arms to the side to keep balance. Say, "Hang 10."
Surfboarders Cheer: Pretend to be riding a surfboard, run it onto the beach, jump off, spread arms wide, say "Success!"
Swimmer's Belly Cheer: Put both hands out in front of you and slap your hands together once. Look both ways and say,
"Where's the water, where's the water."
Swimming Cheer: Pretend to swim using the breaststroke, clap hands together as you put your arms forward.
Undersea Applause: Hold your nose, bend your knees, and then pretend to sink underwater, saying "Glub, glub, glub."
Water Balloon Relay Applause: Divide the audience in half. The first half acts out the water balloon applause above. Following "Splat" the other half of the audience yells "I'm ALL WET!"
Water Balloon Applause: Leader tells everyone to pick up their water balloon, balance it as it wobbles in their hands, then rear back and throw. Wait a second then everyone yells "SPLAT!"
Wave Cheer: Start with one side and let the wave go around the room twice.
Waves of Sound Applause: Add on sound to the Wave: Leader indicates the soft start, building to a loud noise, then decreasing back down as the wave travels across the room.
Closing: the closing ceremony draws the meeting to an end. It's usually serious and quiet and provides an opportunity to present a brief character lesson, a simple thought. Keep it simple.
Flag Ceremony: Pre-select a den to lead the pledge and have the den leader practice flag etiquette with the Scouts for several meetings prior. The same den that conducted the opening can also conduct the opening ceremony. Consider group recitation of the Scout Law, Scout Oath and Outdoor Code after the pledge. The pocket guide can assist the Scouts: https://shac.org/Data/Sites/1/media/instep/flag-ceremony.pdf.
Personnel: 6 Cub Scouts
Equipment: Poster or cards with A-L-O-H-A printed on each card and the script printed in large font on the back.
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one of the parts and after the last one is read, all Cub Scouts shout "Aloha." Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: 5 Cub Scouts
Equipment: Cards with A-L-O-H-A printed on each card and the script printed in large font on the back.
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one of the parts. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: Cubmaster
Equipment: Picture of a local or famous waterway (e.g. Mississippi, Hudson, or Delaware River or one of the Great Lakes)
The Waterways of the USA are great and beautiful. The Waterways and the rest of America are ours to enjoy. Surely we want to preserve it for the thousands of Cub Scouts who will come after us. Let us close our meeting by standing and repeating in unison a pledge that will remind us to conserve our H2Ohhh! And waterways and other wonderful parts of our country for those who follow us. (Repeat the Outdoor Code.)
Personnel: Cubmaster (CM) and assistant Cubmaster (CA) or den leader, several Cub Scouts
Equipment: gear (e.g., face masks, snorkel gear, a plastic float tube, a body board or surf board, or kayak carried by several Cub Scouts
Use a blue sheet or large piece of fabric or paper for a "sky" backdrop. Now cut out or paint a large half-circle of orange and place it at the bottom of the sky, to make your setting sun. Make a series of waves – you can cut a row of waves out of cardboard by connecting this kind of shape. Have the Cub Scouts paint each row using a variety of blues, greens and whites. http://www.tutorialdash.com/imageuploads/7a484769ccae674b6c5e6317126739e 1.gif
To make your waves look more authentic, give each Cub Scout a paper plate with several drops of various blue/green/gray/white colors – instead of mixing the paint, just sweep the brush through all the colors and let the colors get mixed only as it happens on the wave. After the paint is dried, use a sponge lightly dipped in white to put the finishing touches on the crest, or whitecap. Even if you have used the exact same pattern for all your rows of waves, the varied colors and placing each row slightly offset from the one in front and back will make your waves look good. The setting sun can just be going "into the waves."
Instructions: Cub Scouts can enter the "scene" from the sides wearing various gear as if they were just emerging from the water. Each Cub Scout can talk about some way that Scouts can "make waves" by doing service. Use projects that your unit has done, or share some of the ideas on the Good Turn for America website. www.goodturnforamerica.org.
After several ideas have been shared, all the Cub Scouts line up. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable with presenting. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Form a net by clasping hands in any crisscross design making sure everyone is caught in the net (part of the net). Cub Scouts shake each other's hand that they are holding and say "Do Your Best."
Personnel: 4 Cub Scouts, Cubmaster or den leader
Equpment: Printed script for each Scout
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: Cubmaster, Cub Scouts (enough to make a circle around the pool)
Equpment: Small wading pool filled with water, pool candle meant for floating (purchase at a pool supply store)
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Setting: Make a circle around the wading pool
Cubmaster: Have you ever taken pebbles and thrown them in a quiet stream or lake? If you have, you probably noticed that each wave started by each pebble was influenced by the waves started by other pebbles. Through the ideals of Scouting, the things we do, the friends we make, we can have great influence for good on those with whom we associate (Cubmaster carefully lights a candle and gently places it in the pool. They let everyone stand silent for a minute or two then leads them in the Cub Scout benediction). May the Spirit of Cub Scouting, be with you and me, Until we meet again.
Personnel: 4 Cub Scouts
Equpment: Cub Scout badge, Cub Scout Handbook, candle, printed script for each Scout
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: 8 Cub Scouts
Equpment: Poster or cards with S-M-I-L-E-S printed on each card and the script printed in large font on the back, 2 tug boat pictures for Cub Scout #1 and #8
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: 7 Cub Scouts (parts can be combined)
Equipment: Printed script for each Scout
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Quotations contain the wisdom of the ages and are a great source of inspiration for Cubmaster Minutes, material for an advancement ceremony or an insightful addition to a pack meeting program cover
Cubmaster Minute. At the end of a pack meeting filled with learning, fun, and fellowship comes the grand finale, the Cubmaster Minute. Consider it a closing argument to your Scouts — one last chance to inspire before they head home. Find a message that's relevant, powerful, and memorable that can be crammed into 60 seconds. It's an opportunity to quiet the Cub Scouts and put them in a reflective mood before departing.
Throughout our meeting this evening, this candle, which represents the spirit of Cub Scouting, has burned. Look steadily at it for a moment. (Pause) Now close your eyes. The image remains with you. Now open your eyes. We will blow out the light. As the image of the light remained in our memory, so will the spirit of Cub Scouting stay with us. The evening of fun and good Cub Scouting will not soon be forgotten.
Now may the great Captain of all Scouts
Who created the seas and all things that live therein
And Who gave us dominion over them
Be with us till we meet again.
Why do I say A hui hou to the Cub Scouts in the pack?
It's a salutation and a way to say goodbye in a positive way. A hui hou. Let's all say it together. (Pause while everyone says it.)
And what does it mean? 'Till we meet again. A hui hou, Cub Scouts. I like saying good night this way because I look forward to seeing you all next time.
As we go through life, let us be ever reminded that life is like a river rushing to the sea, flowing sometimes slow, sometimes fast and yet able to go in different directions. As the water flows, it may stumble but yet continue to flow until it eventually finds its way again. The water may run clear and clean or dark and dirty. And so it is in life, except you are given the choice to choose which direction you will go. Choose wisely.
When fog prevents a small-boat sailor from seeing the buoy marking the course they want, they turn their boat rapidly in small circles, knowing that the waves they make will rock the buoy in the vicinity. Then they stop, listen and repeat the procedure until they hear the buoy clang. By making waves, they find where their course lies. Often the price of finding these guides is a willingness to take a few risks, to "make a few waves." A boat which always stays in the harbor never encounters danger, but it also never gets anywhere. I challenge each of you to make waves and diligently seek your goals in life. Set your sails for new and exciting horizons.
Mutiny is a word we hear connected with pirates on the waterways. It is the act of insurrection or a refusal to obey the authority of the captain of the ship. It is often the cause of a disastrous end to all involved.
As Cub Scouts, our promise to obey the Scout Oath and Scout Law can only lead to a better life as a good citizen of this great country of ours. Let us not be mutineers, but strong supporters of Scouting.
In this area, everything we do affects the Galveston Bay and its wildlife. We should remember that we have a lot to be grateful for. Not only Texas' natural resources, but also our families, friends, and neighbors. Please remember this as we leave here tonight and we'll all be in a better world.
Summer is a good time for the family to do many thing together and enjoy the beauty about them. A family that shares a lot of experiences is one that will always be a "together" family, even in later years when you are miles apart. Think about it! There's no better feeling than that of belonging. I am happy to see so many here tonight taking advantage of this summer pack meeting. Good night and see you next month.
"We've had plenty of fun with water tonight, but as we leave, let's take a moment to remember what a precious resource water is, especially in the heat of the summer. We play in it, we bathe in it, and we drink it. We eat the fish that live in it. We use water to irrigate our crops and our lawns. Without water, our earth would be as lifeless as the moon. Let's all do our best this month to help conserve this great natural resource.
We all know that it's lots of fun to play in the waves. But we have also learned that there is a lot of energy in every wave – and that energy can be destructive. Cub Scouts are like that too! So, this next month, remember that each of us has a lot of energy. And lots of power is available to us, especially when we band together as families or Scouts. Let's commit now to use our energy and power to be constructive – to Make Waves in a positive Way.
Tonight, we've had a lot of fun at our "H2Ohhhh!" pack meeting. Here's a thought to take home with you. Work while you work, play while you play; One thing at a time, that is the way. All that you do, do with all your might; Things done halfway are not done right. Now Cub Scouts, go out and do your best!
Equipment: One candle for each den's table
Arrangement: Have the single candle on each den table lit and all house lights out.
Pack Activities. ...
Games can be an outlet for excess energy and teach sportsmanship, skills, life lessons, following rules, turn-taking, fair play, Games selected should be fun to play and fun to watch. Everyone should be able to participate. Consider the age of participants, physical arrangements, equipment, and safety.
Divide den into two teams. Each team has a container of water at the starting line, one spoon, and an empty cup. The cup has a line marked about one-inch from the bottom. Place it about 20 feet away. Each player takes turns carrying a spoonful of water
Use a fishing pole with reel and a two-inch piece of dowel or broomstick at the end of the line as a lure. Mark four or five targets, each about three feet in diameter and about 10 feet apart. Give each player two casts per target. Score one point for each hit.
Players stand in a circle, an arm's length apart. Start passing water balloons quickly around the circle (You may have to toss them). If a balloon breaks, the last person who touched it has to sit down, and pay continues over their head. The last person standing wins.
Have everyone stand around a sheet and hold onto the edge. A bunch of water balloons in the center of the sheet are repeatedly tossed up and then caught in the sheet. The object of the game is to see how long you can keep them bouncing before they all break or fall on the ground.
Divide the group into an appropriate number of relay teams. A member of each team runs to a chair, puts a water balloon on it, and sits on the balloon until it breaks. Then they run back to their team and the next one in line goes.
You may want to combine this with a Raingutter Regatta and/or family picnic.
Preparation: Have two or more beaches, depending on the size of your group. For the pack meeting, each den can have a beach – part of the decorations can be done at the den meetings. If this beach party is for the den only, each family can have a beach, or combine families. Name the beaches like Palm Beach, Santa Cruz Beach, Waikiki Beach, etc.
Have each den decorate its beach – they should use their imaginations. They could choose a theme for their beach, such as palm leaves for Palm Beach. Arrange some chairs, umbrellas. If the meeting is held outside, add benches and picnic tables.
At your planning meeting have dens and leaders and whoever wants) pick games to run on the day of the event. Some ideas for games for a Beachless Beach Party are –
Gather as many softballs as you can to play this wild game. Divide into 2 teams. Make a line down the middle of a swimming pool with a rope or string of floats. Put half the balls on each side of the line. Choose a timekeeper. On "Go!" players throw as many balls as they can to the other side. After three minutes the timekeeper yes "Stop!" Whichever team has the fewest number of balls on their side wins.
Cub Scouts sit in a circle or semi-circle. The leader walks in front of the players and suddenly points at one of them and says, "blub. blub, blub." The person pointed to must say, "blub," before the leader has finished the third "blub." If they fail, a point is counted against him. If the leader points but doesn't say anything, the Cub Scout must not say anything either. If they do say, "blub," a point is counted against them. The Cub Scout with the fewest points against them at the end of the allotted time is the winner.
Maybe you could play this with a Cub Scout doing the pointing, then after a set period of time, the Cub Scout with the fewest points becomes the next pointer.
With a stick for each team, relay teams push an object around two markers and back home. The harder the object is to control, the better. Use spoons, balls, balloons, or lemons or potatoes (they don't roll straight). As a variation, pretend you are the wind and blow the boat around the course.
This is a fun game for swimmers and non-swimmers. Play in chest-deep water. Players line up side-by-side in the water about an arm's length apart, all facing the goal line. Adult leaders (only) will hand each player a small, lit candle. On signal, all swim or walk at once toward the goal, carrying the lighted candle. The object of the game is to complete the race first and keep the candle lit. The player is disqualified if their candle becomes extinguished, except if another player splashes it and extinguishes it, in which case that player is out. Leaders should apply drip guards at the base of each candle to avoid getting wax drippings onto hands or into the water. Afterward, leaders safely handle and extinguish the candles.
Fill a bunch of water balloons and choose someone to be the tosser. The tosser stands about 10 feet in front of the rest of the players. They toss a balloon to the players and shouts out a number between 1 and 5. The player who catches the balloon wins that many points. If a player breaks the balloon, they lose that many points. The first player to 10 wins.
This is a variation on Tag – and one person is "It" The "Wave" is a wet sponge, which must be used to tag the other players. There won't be any doubt about who got "caught by the wave" – they'll have a big, wet spot!
Toss a water balloon straight up, and see how many times you can clap before catching it. Take turns. If you drop the balloon and it doesn't break, you get to go again. If the balloon breaks, you're out. The person who can clap the most times and make a successful catch wins.
Determine the boundaries. Begin at one end, where the player who is "It" stands. The safe zone is at the other end. "It" stands facing away from the water, on the shore. The other players stand in the water or tread water in a line close to "It." Each of the players in the water thinks of a color and whispers it to a neighbor who is on the honor system and keeps it secret. Don't let "It" hear the color. "It" starts by calling out colors: "Red, blue, turquoise..." Those in the water listen for their colors, and when they hear theirs, they have to swim quickly out to the safe zone. As soon as "It" hears someone move in the water, they turn around, jumps in and tries to catch the fleeing player or players. If a player is caught before reaching the safe zone, that player becomes "It." Instead of colors, try cars, baseball teams, animals, etc.
This activity requires a hula-hoop for each group of four Cub Scouts. Have each group of four climb inside a hula-hoop, back to back. The teams must then race to a finish line. The Cub Scouts must keep their hands outside the hula-hoop while they race, holding it up only with their bodies.
With stones or stakes, mark out a 'river' 10 ft. wide. Divide the den into two teams and have both teams on one side of the river. The den leader or den chief puts the ball in play by throwing it high into the air. Whoever catches it before it touches the ground shares its magic properties and is able to walk across the river. From the other side, they throw the ball over to one of their own team while the others try to intercept the ball and gain passage across the river. Anyone stepping into the river in the excitement of the game loses a life. When they have lost three lives, they are considered drowned and is out of the game. The team that gets its members safely across first is the winning team.
Play in waist to chest-deep water. Divide players into two teams. One team forms a large circle, and the other team gets inside. The circle players try to hit their opponents with a beach ball or soft foam or rubber ball. Score one point for each hit. The inside players are allowed to swim in any direction or go under water to avoid being hit, but cannot leave the circle. Outside players cannot advance forward to hit a player. At the end of a specified time, teams change places.
This is a variation of Duck, Duck, Goose. "It" goes around the outside of the circle with a plastic cup or pitcher of water. Whenever they say "Dribble," they just dribble a little water on the head of the other player. But when they say "Drench" – well, you know what happens!
Equipment: Two buckets or tubs and a turkey baster for each team.
Directions: Each team starts with a full bucket of water and an empty bucket at the finish line. Each person in the team takes a turn sucking water out of the full bucket, racing to the finish line, and transferring as much water as they can out of the turkey baster. The winning team is the one that empties their bucket first. You can also use those "Water bombs" or sponges instead of a baster.
Drowning River Object: To be the player that stays out of the stream. Materials: 2 sticks to mark the banks of the stream
How to play: Position the sticks about a foot apart. These become the banks of the "Drowning River." Players agree beforehand whether or not to allow running jumps. Each player then takes a turn leaping over "the stream." Eliminate players who do not successfully make the jump and fall into the stream.
After all the players jump, move the sticks farther apart to widen the banks. Again, any players who fail in their jumps are out. Continue to widen the banks after each round of jumps – the winning player stays out of the stream.
All the players sit in a circle, except for the one who is "it." They must walk around the circle tapping players and saying "Duck, Duck, Duck..." Instead of saying "Goose," they squirt a water gun at a sitting player, who then jumps up and begins the chase. The wet player chases the "it" and tries to tag him before they get to the wet player's place. Alternatively," it" can drip water from a sponge, and say "Drip, drip, drop."
This tag game is fun for even the non-swimmers because it does not require special skills and can help them feel comfortable in the water. Play in water no higher than waist deep and in an area with a level bottom. Play like regular tag, except that a player is safe if they duck completely underwater when "it" tries to tag him. A player does not have to stay underwater more than two seconds, and then can safely come up without being tagged. "It" must go after someone else when their quarry ducks underwater.
Equipment: 1 bean bag
Formation: circle
The pack or den sits in a circle with one Cub Scout in the center holding the bean bag.
The Cub Scout in the center throws the bag at someone and shouts 'Earth!', 'Water!', 'Air!' or 'Fire!'.
If it is 'Earth', the chosen Cub Scout must reply with the name of an animal, before the center Cub Scout counts to ten. If it is 'Water!', they must think of a fish. If 'Air!' – a bird and if 'Fire' – whistle for the Fire Engine.
Note: Once a creature has been named, it may not be called again. If the Cub Scout cannot reply in time, they change places with the thrower.
Choose teams of four. Everyone gets down on hands and knees and the teams line up behind their leader. The second member grasps the leader by their ankles, and the player behind him grabs hold of their ankles, etc. When the starting signal is given the eel's race across the room, turn around and return to the starting point without breaking the hand and ankle hold.
Each Cub Scout hops on one foot carrying a paper cup of water. First one over the finish line with the most water in their cup wins. Use a distance that fits your den.
String a 1-gallon milk jug between trees.
Cub Scouts use garden hoses to try to move jug to opponent's trees.
You will need a big area where all the children can spread out. When the caller (known as the Fish Gobbler) shouts, "Ship," all the children run towards the wall to which they point. On the shout "Shore," they quickly change directions and run toward the opposite wall. On the signal "Fish Gobbler," the kids quickly drop to the floor on their stomachs and link arms, legs, or bodies together with one or more friends. The Fish Gobbler moves around the room with arms outstretched like a big bird swimming toward the other players not touching them. The children are all "safe" as long as they are all physically linked together. Once the Fish Gobbler sees that everyone is linked to someone else, the signal "Rescue" is called. At this moment all the children jump to their feet, joining hands, and yell "Yah," raising their joined hands over their heads. The game ends when the children are ready to move on to another game. Other calls could be added, such as "Sardines" (everyone runs to a central point to make the tightest group possible by either lying on the floor or forming a giant standing hug); "Fishermen All" (everyone sits on someone else's knee or knees).
This game can be adopted for playing in a swimming pool. Instead of running to the wall, they can swim to the wall, and join hands and legs while trying to float on the water.
You will need magnet on a string, metal washers of different sizes and colors for different values. Draw a large circle on the floor. In this circle scatter metal washers. Divide players into equal-sized teams – two or more. One player from each team wears a blindfold, is given a magnet on a string and directed by their team. On signal, the blindfolded players are directed into the circle by their team who try to get them to "catch" one of the more highly valued washers. They return to their team with the washer. Another player is blindfolded and takes their turn. This continues until all have had a turn. The winner is the team with the highest point count as determined by the washers they "caught."
This is probably too simple to be called a craft, but the game is fun. Make a lot of fish and have your fishing derby.
You will need: Fishing Pole: Tie yarn or string to a dowel or stick. Bend a paper clip for a fishing hook. To make fish, it's better to use stiff paper. Fold the paper in half. Draw a fish. Cut a hole close to the head end of the fish.
Play game: Scatter fish on the floor. Go fishing.
Ancient Hawaiians used to hold foot races to see which warrior was the fastest. You can hold single person races, three-legged races, and backward running races.
This is a good game that can be played at a den meeting or in shallow water. Players form a circle around one or more players who sit with their feet crossed. The players in the circle skip (if on land) or walk (if in water) close to the frogs and try to tap them on the head as they repeat the words, "Frog in the sea can't catch me." The frogs try to tag the players without rising or uncrossing their feet. If a player is tagged, they change places with the frog that tagged him.
Scatter pennies or iron washers painted gold in water between knee and waist depth. On signal, players try to get as many "gold nuggets" as they can within a specified time.
Trace six to ten fish on construction paper and cut out. Attach a paper clip to the top of each fish. Draw eyes, mouth, and fins with a marker. Tie a magnet to a 15- foot length of string. Tie the other end of the string to a stick. Place the fish in a box. (An old fish tank is even more fun.) To make the game harder, put the fish in a metal coffee can (the magnet sticks to the sides and the fish drop off). See how many fish you can catch by having the magnet catch on the fish paper clips.
Whoever catches the most fish in a given time limit wins.
Cub Scouts and their partners line up in a single file, holding each other around the waist. The first Cub Scout is the fish's head; the last person is the tail. When all are ready the leader says, "Go." The head tries to catch the tail. The tail tries to avoid being caught. The Cub Scouts must keep hold on each other. The longer you can make this fish, the more fun you will have!
Here's a silly group icebreaker that will cool players off in a hurry.
Materials: Wading Pool, Water, Ice Cubes, Plastic Bowls
How to Play:
Equipment: Sprinkler and Hose; swimsuits for everyone; a hot day
Directions: Hook up your sprinkler, but don't turn it on. Challenge the Cub Scouts to strike funny poses of what they might be doing at the beach. Explain that they must freeze in place when you yell "Here come the waves!" Then quickly turn on the water – who got "caught by the wave?"
Maybe after playing this they will be more able to find pollution (litter) and pick it up on hikes and camping trips.
Equipment: 1 thimble, ring or coin
Formation: Scatter
Send Cub Scouts out of the room. Take a thimble, ring or coin and place it where it is perfectly visible but in a spot where it is not likely to be noticed. Let the Cub Scouts come in and look for it. When one of them sees it, they should quietly sit down without indicating to the others where it is. After awhile, if no one else has found it, have him point it out to the group to make sure they really saw it.
Each team starts with a full cup of water. Each player, in turn, hops to the end and runs back holding the cup of water. The winner is the team with the most water left in the cup.
Play as you would "hot potato", using a whole coconut. Pass the coconut around the circle from person to person quickly, while music is playing. When the music stops, the person holding the coconut sits in the middle or controls the music for one round.
Arrange partners around in a circle. Have the leader, call out "in the sea". When this is done all players are to jump into the circle. When they call "on the beach" all player then jump back out of the circle. Anyone making a mistake is out of the game. The last player is the winner.
Games: Kid Classic: Spray-bottle Capture the Flag
Teams must defend water balloon "flags," while trying to stomp the oppositions!
Materials: Two water-filled balloons, One spray bottle per player, 4 players (or more) divided into two teams
How to Play:
Pick someone to be the move caller- Kimo. This game is played like "Simon Says". When the caller calls out "Kimo says" and a hula move with a description then everyone should do the hula move. If the caller does not say "Kimo says" before the move then anyone who does the move must sit out until the next game. The game continues until only one person remains.
Materials: Stiff cardboard with 8-by-8-in. grid drawn on it, 32 white game pieces, 32 black game pieces
This old Hawaiian games tests the strength of your leg muscles.
Materials: Pairs of players, A referee for each pair.
Scoring: A player wins if they move their partner away from them or out of their sitting position.
Materials: Bucket of water, Two cups with holes in the bottom and sides (equally), and two containers about half gallon size.
Divide into two teams. The first player on each team fills their cup with water from the bucket, then places the leaking cup over their head and runs around a previously marked course. When they get back to the beginning they pour into the empty container, whatever water is left in their cup then hands the empty cup to the next player. The team that fills their container first wins.
Besides the built-in excitement of this timed event, this quirky race comes with a twist. Each Scout must use a stick to roll a lemon to the finish line. Unlike a ball, which rolls true, this fruit has a tendency to wobble and weave. So the key to winning may be simply staying the course.
Supplies: a slopped sidewalk or driveway for this game. Draw start and finish lines with sidewalk chalk. On 'Go' each player places an ice cube on the start line and squirts the cube with a water squirter to help it cross the finish line.
Hawaiians of long ago played this game to develop strong hand and finger muscles.
Materials: Pairs of players, a referee for each pair.
How to Play:
How to score:
Equipment: Parachute or large sheet; a different colored ball, kick sack or even a rolled-up sock for each player.
Directions: Hold your parachute or sheet from the edges at waist height. Add all the "balls" in the middle. Now make "waves" by shaking the parachute or sheet. Everyone shakes the fabric, trying to make the balls or socks fall off. The winner is the one whose ball or sock is left on the sheet.
Divide into pairs. Everyone has to keep one hand behind their back. Each pair gets one ice cube. See which pair can find a way to melt the ice cube first!
Materials needed: Beach towels or mats for each player minus one (carpet squares could be used instead as the beach towels could be too slippery), music to play (preferably Hawaiian).
Both children and adults played this game in old Hawaii. Good players learn to watch faces and motions very carefully.
What you Need:
How to Play:
How to Score:
Materials: A hose with a water source
Directions: One person holds the stream of water very low to the ground and everyone lines up and skips over it. Then the stream gets higher, little by little, as everyone skips over it. When a person touches the stream of water, they are out. Last person wins.
The first person in line passes a water balloon over their head to the second person who passes it through their legs, etc.
This pattern keeps repeating until the balloon reaches the last person in line. The last person in line brings the balloon to the front and starts over.
Divide teams equally and line up in relay formation. The first Cub Scout on each team is given a large ball. On signal, they pass the ball overhead to the second, player who passes it between their legs to the third, who passes it overhead, and so on to the end of the line. The last player runs to the head of the line and passes it as before. The first, team back in its original order wins.
To play this water game you will need at least one foam or plastic kickboard but more boards will allow more Cub Scouts to play at the same time. Pair off, trying to match basic size and strength of the Cub Scouts. Play in waist-deep water.
Opponents grasp opposite ends of a kickboard. On signal, both Cub Scouts start kicking, trying to force the opponent backward. Cub Scouts should not stand and shove the board, but should swim and kick legs to move forward.
Materials: one coconut, music preferably Hawaiian
Directions: Players sit in a circle with one player holding the coconut. The music begins and the coconut is passed around the circle until the music is stopped. The player holding the coconut when the music is stopped is out. The music begins again and the play continues until there is only one player left.
Teams arrange themselves with half their players facing the other half at opposite ends of the pool or swim area. The first racer wears a PFD (Personal Flotation Device). On signal, the Cub Scout and their mate from the other end of the pool race towards each other to meet in the middle where the "dressed" swimmer removes the PFD and their teammate puts it on.
Materials: Brown construction paper, green construction paper, brown felt, scissors, tape
Have the Scouts form 2 teams. For each team, place a gallon jar 2 to 3 feet in front of the line. Fill each jar with water and place a smaller glass jar in the bottom of the gallon jar. Have each Cub Scout try to toss a quarter or iron washer into the jar and into the smaller jar. The team with the most quarters in the smaller jar wins.
Try to pour water from your paper cup to a partner's. The trick? They both have to hold the cups on their head!
Line up the dens for a relay race. The first Cub Scout in each line is the "skipper." They stand with each foot on a large pad of newspapers. The second Cub Scout is the "passenger" and they stand on the same papers with their skipper. On signal, the skipper bends over and grasps the papers with each hand. By shifting their weight and sliding the papers forward, the two Cub Scouts maneuver themselves to the goal line without stepping off of the pads. On reaching the goal line, the passenger runs back to their team with the newspapers and brings the next Cub Scout across the river. The first team to cross the river wins.
This ancient Hawaiian game is played similar to horseshoes. Set up a small stick post in the ground. Each person chooses a stone and tosses it at the post. The player whose stone stops closest to the stick wins!
This is a practice game for the "throw" rescue method. Divide into 2 teams. Teams select their strongest swimmer, and with leader approval these Cub Scouts represent their teams by competing against each other. In chest-deep water about 25 feet from the edge, weight and sink an over-size tee shirt (one for each team). Give each team a 30-foot rope. On signal, each team's best swimmer swims to the shirt, retrieves it from the bottom, and puts it on. They then call to teammates, "Save me!" whereupon the other den members cast their coiled rope to him. The swimmer must act like a non-swimmer, and not swim or walk to reach it. The team must keep trying to cast the rope directly within reach of the swimmer. When they grab the rope, the other team members pull them to shore. First team to "save" its "victim" wins.
Each player gets 3 sponges and an empty 2- liter soda bottle. Set up the bottles on the ground. Each player tries to protect their own bottle while trying to knock down the other players' bottles with the sponges. The player with the last standing bottle wins!
When you unscramble the following words, you will know eight kinds of bodies of water.
Answers: lake, ocean, bayou, fjord, gulf, lagoon, pond, river
Play in waist to chest-deep water. Divide group into two teams, the "sharks" and the "whales." The teams line up facing each other about 10 feet apart. Behind each other is its home base – the side of the pool or a rope tied to buoys, or other designated area. When the leader calls "sharks" they swim or run after the whales, trying to tag them before they reach their base. If a whale is caught, they must join the sharks for the next round. Leaders should alternate the calls of "sharks" and "whales". The team with the most players after a specified time is the winner.
Provide a bucket filled with water and float a small pie plate on it. Have Cub Scouts stand back about 5 feet and give them 5 small balls made of aluminum foil. (Foil is easy to retrieve because it floats.) Cub Scouts take turns throwing 5 balls. Give points for each ball that lands in the pie plate and stays there when thrown from the starting line.
Have a large bowl full of water set on a table in the room. In the bowl place a small plastic boat. If you don't have a boat, a Styrofoam bowl or other suitable container can be used. Next to the large bowl have a smaller bowl full of marbles. You could also use small rocks, or other suitable small heavy objects. The object is to guess how many marbles (rocks, etc.) it will take to sink the ship. Have pieces of paper and pencils available for people to record their guesses. After everyone has had a chance to guess, gather everyone around and put the marbles into the ship one at a time. Keep count and determine how many it took to sink the ship. Determine whose guess was the closest and award an appropriate prize.
Fill a kiddie pool with soapy water. Dump in a bunch of marbles. Set up chairs around the pool and dip in your feet. See who can fish out the most marbles with their toes!
See which "warriors" can toss their spear or darts and hit a watermelon target. Materials: Pool noodles and hula hoops
Directions: Warriors have contests to see how many spears (pool noodles) each can toss into the pool of fish (hula hoop) accurately. Obviously the warrior with the most hits wins.
Materials: 2 sponges, 2 buckets, 2 bowls and water.
Have Cub Scouts line up in two teams and the Cub Scouts at the front of each row hold a bucket of water with the sponges in it and the Cub Scouts at the end of each row hold a bowl. The first Cub Scout takes a wet sponge out of the bucket and hand it to the next Cub Scout and so on till it reaches the last Cub Scout in their row who squeezes the water out of the sponge and into bowl. They then race it back to the front and puts it back into the bucket starts over again. Play continues until the water is gone or a certain time is up. The team, who has the most water in the bowl at the end, wins the game.
Fill two five-gallon buckets with water. Place 30 sponges – the number of sponges is up to the pack – in each bucket. Divide the Cub Scouts and adults into two teams. Mark a dividing line between the teams. Put one bucket of sponges on each side of the line about five to six feet back. When you yell "Sponge Wars!" the teams begin throwing the wet sponges across the line onto the other teams territory.
This is an indoor water game. Players sit in a large circle; "it" stands in the middle of the circle with a squirt bottle of water. "It" chooses a category and writes one choice from that category on a piece of paper (not seen by the other players). "It" goes around the circle, pointing the squirt bottle at each player, who in turn makes a guess from the chosen category. The person who guesses the right one gets a squirt in the face and becomes the new "it".
Sample categories: Kinds of soup, colors, kinds of pie, kinds of cars, sports teams, Cub Scouts' names, girls' names, states in the U.S., countries in the world, vegetables, fruits, T.V. shows, sports celebrities, kinds of ice cream, etc.
Materials: 2 garden hoses or 2 water guns.
The first player in each line squirts a balloon (or light ball) to a line several feet away and then brings the equipment back to the next player.
Make a tic-tac-toe board on the sidewalk with sticks or chalk. Each player usesa water to make the X's and O's. Work quickly, because when an X or O dries up, it doesn't count! The hotter the day, the quicker you have to be.
This is a fun backyard game. Have the Scouts stand against a brick wall (the side of a house or building). Spray water from a water hose on them and all around them. When they move away from the wall, it will have the outlines of their bodies on it. Stand back and try to guess what the shapes look like. Make up a story to go along with the shapes.
Play in waist-deep water. Divide Cub Scouts into two equal teams that line up facing each other 20 feet apart. Each team member is given a number. A leader tosses a large rubber ball in the middle of the play area and calls out a number. The opposing players with that number race for the ball. The player who gets it and returns to their place without being tagged by the opposing player scores one point. When both Cub Scouts are back at their places, the leader calls out another number. For a real scramble, call all numbers at once.
Draw ahead of time a number of 18" circles with sidewalk chalk. These are submarines. There should be one less submarine than the number of the Cub Scouts. The Cub Scouts hop, walk or run around the play area according to the directions given by the leader. When they call "Submarine Dive," each Cub Scout tries to get into a submarine. The one Cub Scout who is left out stays on a submarine for the next game and so gradually, the submarines become occupied. The winner is the one who gains the last vacant submarine.
Materials: Two Grass skirts, 2 pairs of Bermuda shorts, 2 pairs sunglasses, 2 Straw Hats, 2 lei necklaces, 2 Beach bags, 2 Beach chairs
Directions: Divide the group into two teams. Each team lines up in a row. Place chairs a reasonable running distance in front of each team or any distance your space will allow. The objects listed above are placed into the beach bags and located with each team. The first player on each team, puts on ALL of the items, runs to the chair, then returns to their team, removes the items, and passes the bag to the next player. The next players continue until the entire team has had a turn.
Divide the group into pairs with each set having a water balloon. Start throwing and catching close together. Move a step back each time. The winners are the partners that made it the farthest apart before their balloon broke.
Divide group into two equal teams and line them up in parallel lines about 6' apart. The leader calls out the name of an object that is the same distance from both teams–a ball, diving board, edge of the pool, etc. In a relay fashion, all players swim or run to touch the object and return to their places. First team back gets one point.
Divide the group into two teams. Have a large T-shirt for each team. Each team member must put on the shirt before swimming their lap in a relay race. It doesn't matter if the shirt is on inside out.
Play in water that is chest deep for Cub Scouts. If playing with adults, divide them equally between the teams. Use a sturdy rope, with a colored ribbon tied to the center of the rope. Anchor a float or other permanent marker to show the center of the play area. Play like standard tug-of-war with the winner being the team that pulls the other team past the center float.
Two players stand one each side of a volleyball net, holding a towel between them. Serve a water balloon to the other side by placing it in the towel and launching it over the net. The players on the other side must catch the balloon in their towel and then launch it back. If the balloon breaks on your side, the other team gets a point. If a team launches the ball out-of-bounds, the other team gets a point. Play to 10 points.
You will need a tarp, sheet or blanket for each team, or teams can take turns. Players hold the tarp at the edges. 3 water balloons are placed in the center of the tarp. By quickly snapping the edges of the tarp outward the balloons are tossed into the air. A point is scored each time the balloons are successfully tossed and re-caught. Balloons must go up at least 8 feet in order to score a point. The game ends when a balloon breaks or is dropped. The team that makes the greatest number of successful tosses is the winner.
This is a simple variation using plastic milk cartons. Just cut the bottom off the carton, turn it upside down, and you have your "catcher." Now, to make this a "cool" possibly WET game, blow up a water balloon to use as your ball! Want even more fun? Fill a lot of water balloons, and have them going all at once! Someone is sure to get wet!
Play volleyball except use a water balloon for the ball and have the teams use a bath towel to catch and throw the balloon. Have two Cub Scouts to a towel. Play outside!!!
Equipment: 2 – 6-oz or 12-oz bottles; 2 – 1-gallon plastic jugs; 2 – large water buckets filled with water; 2 – small funnels; 2 – paper, plastic or tin cups.
The rules are the same as regular kickball, but use a small wading pool at each base and a "Slip n' Slide" from third base to home plate.
Baseball Variation: Batter uses a Nerf bat and the pitcher uses sponges dipped in a bucket of water.
Make a simple backyard water slide by laying a sheet of plastic down a gentle slope. Use giant staples made from hangers or stiff wire to fasten the edges, and make sure there is a safe way to stop at the end (bumpers of hay or a big, level grassy area). Run a sprinkler at the top, get it good and wet, and you are ready to slide! For safety sake, only slide lying down feet first.
Variation: Do this on level ground and do running slides, or play tug-o-war!
Cut a large rubber band in half. Tie one end to a filled water balloon. Hold the other end and yo!
Using a spray bottle, squirt water at a balloon moving it upwards through the air and into a trash can.
Equipment: Container with three inflated balloons, 39-gallon trash can, high power spray bottle filled with water (plus a backup)
Pass around a bucket of water while music plays. When the music stops, whoever has the bucket dumps it on their head!
Object: To get your whale across the finish line alive.
Materials: Teams of 4 to 8 Cub Scouts, one adult "whale" for each team, a blanket or tarp for each team, a spray bottle for each team, water, markers for start and finish lines
How to play: Explain that in order to keep their whale alive, the Cub Scouts must be gentle and quick. They must place the whale on the blanket or tarp, leaving its hands and ankles over the edge, wetting those areas with the spray bottle to keep the whale moist. When moving the whale they must keep it only 4 to 6 inches off the ground, (in order to reduce injury if dropped). Remind them that the faster they go, the more apt they are to injure the whale.
When the signal is given, the whales should become limp, not helping the Cub Scouts move him. It is up to the individual whale to decide if it survived based upon the Cub Scout's actions.
Gathering Activities. As the Cub Scouts begin to arrive, they join in an informal activity (e.g., activity sheet) or game, often conducted by the den chief to keep everyone interested and active until the entire group has arrived. The gathering activity must be done prior to the formal start of the meeting as it encourages everyone to arrive on time so the meeting can start on time. Consider assigning greeters at the door to welcome Cub Scouts, guests, and families to the pack meeting.
Beach Word Searches Placemats
Place a dishpan with many plastic or rubber items in the bottom, on the floor in the middle of the room. Provide a fishing pole consisting of a stick about two feet long, on one end of which is fastened a string with a hook. Velcro works great. Be sure you put Velcro on the items in the sea. As they arrive, give each Cub Scout three minutes to snag as many "fish" as they can, and award a small prize when finished.
Have each person reach into a large tub covered with Blue saran wrap (slit cut in middle for hand to go in) and catch one fish. Write the names of several different fish on the back of the fish cutouts " bass, swordfish, tuna, catfish, trout, flounder, squid, rockfish, salmon. Tell everyone to find other "fish" of the same kind. Have each "school" create an applause about their fish, to be performed at appropriate times during the pack meeting.
Have a bowl of water and a needle and challenge Cub Scouts to try to make the needle float. After they have tried and failed, place a small piece of tissue on water and the needle on top of that. As the tissue gets wet, it will sink to the bottom. The surface tension of the water will allow the needle to remain afloat.
As they enter, have participants guess the number of "fish eggs" (small jelly beans) in a jar. The winner is awarded the jar during the closing ceremony.
Use teams made up of dens or families. Have the following "events" set up around the room, and have a "judge" keep track of each team's scores:
Pin pictures of fish on people as they arrive. Have cutouts of swordfish, tuna, trout, catfish, etc. On a signal, they are to see which "school of fish" can assemble first.
Using a squirt gun, try to squirt a ping pong ball off the top of a water bottle. Cub Scout with fewest squirts wins.
If your pack or den is meeting at a park or swim center, plan for all kinds of water fun. Check the Games section of Baloo or the Program Helps ideas. Or just set out all buckets, sponges, hula hoops, containers, spoons, cups and bowls and have a contest to see who invents the best game!
As the folks arrive, pair them off for the great showdown. Take them outside where you have enough water pistols handy to run water pistol duels. Each person gets up to five squirts at the "bad guy."
Right-click on the graphic, click Open Image in New Tab, then right-click to save the graphic to the desktop.
Invocations. (Source) When present, members of the clergy, other religious leaders, or the chaplain aide may be asked to lead the unit in prayer. If the group consists of members with mixed beliefs, or if the beliefs of the group are unknown, then prayers should be of an interfaith content. However, if the group is of like belief or the unit is chartered to a religious organization, then it is entirely appropriate to offer belief specific prayer.
Some basic guidelines: • The word God generally is accepted by most faith groups and is the term used in all phases of Scouting. Note that this term represents the creator or divine spirit, as it is used in the Scout Oath. It is not intended to be a limiting term—there are many names that individual religions use to represent God. • Other than God, specific names should be avoided (such as Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, or Holy Spirit) since they are religion-specific. Likewise, male pronouns (such as Father God, Heavenly Father, or His) should be avoided if possible as they may be disrespectful in some religions.
Invocations, benedictions, and devotions with interfaith content are available in the pamphlet A Scout Is Reverent: A Resource for Interfaith, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Worship at Scouting Events, No. 34248.
"Help us to become better stewards in our outdoor adventures and to guide and protect us as we do our best to protect the environment. May we always remember that to show true courage is to do what is right regardless of its difficulty or its consequences."
Leader Recognition (for banquets and other meetings as appropriate). When working with volunteers, thanks is the only payment we can really give them. Public recognition is the most valued form of payback for volunteers – so remember to recognize parents, leaders and others who help the program! Consider a handwritten thank you note, homemade award, certificate of appreciation, or gift from the Scout Shop. Consider submitting pack leaders for adult awards and recognitions (e.g., training awards) or district awards that they qualify for and presenting them at the blue and gold banquet.
Opening: The opening ceremony is the official start of the meeting and sets the stage. It can reinforce the purpose of Scouting and help make the Scouting ideals meaningful through the words and pictures of the ceremony. One of the points of the Scout Law can be highlighted each month. Be aware of physical and/or mental disability challenges. Be sensitive that not all youth may be able to read or talk in front of a group. Adapt ceremonies in a sensitive way to involve everyone at the level they will feel comfortably involved. Pre-select a den to lead the opening ceremony and have the den leader practice with the Scouts for several meetings prior. Have posters with a picture on one side and the script printed with large letters on the back. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room. Find opening ceremonies in the Cub Scout Den and Pack Ceremonies, No. 33212.
Flag Ceremony: Pre-select a den to lead the pledge and have the den leader practice flag etiquette with the Scouts for several meetings prior. The same den that conducted the opening can also conduct the opening ceremony. Consider group recitation of the Scout Law, Scout Oath and Outdoor Code after the pledge. The pocket guide can assist the Scouts: https://shac.org/Data/Sites/1/media/instep/flag-ceremony.pdf.
Personnel: 8 Cub Scouts
Equipment: Eight poster or cards that when held together show a long fish with C-U-B-S-C-O-U-T printed on each card (C on the head and T on the tail) and the script printed in large font on the back.
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: Cubmaster
Equipment: Modeling clay or paper-mache volcano
Prepare volcano beforehand so that it will erupt when you are ready for it. Base is a sheet of plywood about 2 feet square. Using modeling clay of various colors, build a small "mountain" in the center; make it about 8 inches in diameter and 4 or 5 inches high. Make a crate on top with a hole large enough to insert a small metal can. In the can put a few crystals of ammonium dichromate (available at drug stores and hobby shops.) Mix in a few match heads with the chemical and drop in a burning match. When the dichromate burns, it forms a dark green ash which tumbles over the cone in the same way as lava flows in a real volcano. Note: MUST be performed outdoors in fire-safe area (see below) or use baking soda and vinegar volcano. See pack and den Activities for instructions on a model volcano using baking soda and vinegar.
Cubmaster: You see before you a volcano. Volcanoes are among the oldest and most powerful forces known to man. This one is small, but even the world's largest volcanoes began as small hills or mounds of earth, and grew larger over long periods of time until they erupted!
In the beginning, volcanoes helped to shape and form the surface of the earth, and were a force for good. There are probably many mountains in the world today that conceal volcanoes beneath their surfaces. Someday they will surprise the nearby inhabitants, like Mount St. Helens did in the State of Washington, and explode with forces greater than the strongest hurricanes and earthquakes.
As Cub Scouts, you started small like this volcano, and are growing into mature adults. Beneath your surfaces lie many powerful forces. The purpose of the Cub Scout program is to shape you and help you learn how to understand and control those powers within you so that you will be a force for good in the world as the early volcanoes were, instead of for destruction as the volcanoes of today. Many of you will become leaders of your fellow men, successful businessmen, and men with great influence in the world.
Remember the volcano, and the skills and the teachings of this great Scouting program you are learning. Be a mountain of strength, instead of a volcano of destruction." (Ignite the volcano---watch until the reaction ceases.)
Personnel: 5 Cub Scouts, Cubmaster or leader
Equipment: Eight poster or cards with O-C-E-A-N printed on each card and the script printed in large font on the back.
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: 6 or 7 Cub Scouts
Equipment: Printed script for each Cub Scout. Octopus puppet for each Scout. Make the puppet out of gray or black poster board with eyes and mouth cut out of white construction paper and glued to face. Place tentacles made of braided yarn on the bottom of the octopus and glue or tape a strip of poster board on back with enough room for the Cub Scout to place their hand and hold up the octopus.
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. As they speak, each Cub Scout stands and wiggles their octopus puppet. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Set Up - Have the boatswain (a good whistler) give a long, drawn-out note, dropping to a lower tone near the end, to welcome the Skipper (Cubmaster) aboard.
Cubmaster then calls for each ship's crew section (den) to give its den yell. The entire crew (pack) then stands, pledges allegiance to the flag.
Personnel: 8 or 9 Cub Scouts
Equipment: Eight poster or cards with S-A-F-E-S-W-I-M printed on each card and the script printed in large font on the back. Water toys for each Scout (e.g., inner tube, beach ball, snorkeling mask)
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: Cubmaster
Equipment: candle and match or battery-operated candle
Personnel: Adult acting as a boatswain, 2+ Cub Scouts for flag closing ceremony
Materials: Flag closing ceremony script, slide whistle, pennywhistle, or just someone that can whistle loudly. Attention whistle: starting note, up three notes, then back down to the first note. Optional ship hat.
Personnel: 6 Cub Scouts
Equipment: large cardboard cutouts of ships with the following words: SCHOLAR-SHIP; FELLOW-SHIP; FRIEND-SHIP; SPORTSMAN-SHIP; WORKMAN-SHIP; STATESMAN-SHIP on the front and the script printed in large font on the back.
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Personnel: Den of Cub Scouts, Cubmaster
Equipment: Cub Scouts dressed in pirate costumes, container with a sign that says "seawater waves" to indicate they are out at sea, spyglasses, pirate flag
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
One Cub Scout is carrying a spyglass and one Cub is carrying a pirate flag. The pirate flag is held high to show that they are proud of it. The Cub Scout with the spyglass points it toward the audience and looks around. At the rear of the room, a color guard is waiting to present the American and pack flags. The Cub Scout gets a look of surprise on their face as they look through the spyglass and sees the color guard. They excitedly shows some of the other pirates and they take turns passing around the spyglass.
Personnel: Cubmaster, assistant Cubmaster
This opening is for use if you are having your pack event at a swimming facility. Have all the Cub Scouts stand around the edge of the shallow end of the pool or the side of the beach.
On signal, they are to jump or wade into the water and make a circle in the pool.
Personnel: 5 Cub Scouts
Equipment: Eight poster or cards with W-A-T-E-R printed on each card and the script printed in large font on the back.
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
If you have more than five Cub Scouts, you might have the rest stand at the end of the line, one could hold up a big glass of water for drinking, one might hold up a water balloon, one might have a spray bottle and mist the audience, all are showing how water refreshes us.)
Personnel: 8 Cub Scouts
Equipment: 1 small wading pool filled with water, plastic letters cut from milk containers to spell out Water Fun and 1 small fishing pole with an over-sized hook attached.
Setting: Have each Cub Scout come up and hook letter, then proceed to get in order to spell out "Water Fun."
Cub Scouts say in unison:
Now that special time of year is here.
What we want to do is very clear!
Cub Scout games out in the sun,
Cub Scout Day Camp should be fun!
But you could make our day so fine.
Just give us little water and lots of time!
Personnel: Cubmaster and committee chair or leader
Equipment: lab coat, clipboard, phone or calendar, briefcase with beach items inside (e.g., beach towel, snorkel, fins, sandals or flip flops, beach hat), beach shirt
Instructions: Each Cub Scout reads one or more lines. Practice ahead of time and make sure each Scout is comfortable reading the words. Teach the Scouts how to talk with their head up and project their voice to the people in the back of the room.
Placemats. Themed placemats are ideal to use as a gathering activity before pack or den meetings and to help promote day camp.
Before printing the placemat: insert the date, time, location and web page of your district day camp on page 2.
Beach Placemat
Skits Run-ons Jokes
Skits appeal to Cub Scouts. Acting comes naturally to many Cub Scouts, and help channel youth imagination. Skits give a chance for creative expression, gaining self-confidence, and teamwork and cooperation. Some shy kids may not want to take part in skits and might be given responsibilities for handling props or "directing." Have a den leader select a skit and practice for several meetings prior. The Cub Scouts should be taught how to talk clearly, slowly, loudly and to the back row of the audience (or speaking into the microphone correctly). Skits can be found in the Cub Scout Leader How-To Book, No. 621165.
Characters: Professor, 2 people holding up the sheet, Person hiding behind the sheet.
Props: Blanket (held up by two people) small rock, large rock, small spoon, large spoon, stick, other big and small versions of the same object as needed, bucket of water.
Set Up: Set up a sheet as a backdrop, and hide a Scout behind it with the large objects, and a bucket of water(or crumpled paper. sponges, or other non-harmful substance. The Professor will be in front of the sheet with the small objects. The Professor walks out and announces that he has developed a wonderful Enlarging Machine that will make anything - anything - bigger. As the Scout behind the machine makes 'machine' noises, he explains that simply tossing an object over the sheet operates the machine. The machine will then return the object in a much larger form. The Professor will demonstrate his fantastic invention, but he needs volunteers to help. One by one, the volunteers come forward. The Professor hands them an object which they throw over the sheet. The machine then makes noises, and the larger object is tossed back. Each time, the Professor exclaims about the value and capability of the machine. At this point the accomplice stands up and claims the machine is a fake and proceeds to pretend to spit over the machine. He is instantly drenched by a bucket of water. The person who gets wet needs to know that this will happen in advance. This person is part of the skit and no one is embarrassed.
Characters: 6 Cub Scouts
Props: Buckets of water the Scouts can hold while speaking.
Characters: Customer and merchant
Setting: A fish market
Characters: 2 Cub Scouts
Setting: Two Cub Scouts are rowing an imaginary boat
Characters: 4 to 8 Cub Scouts.
Props: Fishing gear, a small rowboat or cardboard silhouette of a boat, and a sign that says "boat dock".
Setting: The scene starts with the boat about 10 feet away from the boat dock. The Cub Scouts and their den chief are on their way to go fishing. The first Cub Scout stops at the dock then walks out across the water and gets in the boat.
Characters: Dad, Mom, Jimmy, Johnny and Jerry.
Props: A large box containing: fishing gear, tackle box, waders, etc.
Characters: The skit is introduced by saying, that "many different kinds of ships were used by the people that helped settle America. Any number of Cub Scouts can be used for this skit either by dividing the lines accordingly or creating new ones.
A man was fishing and catching fish like crazy. Two men were watching him and wondering what their secret was. They asked him what their secret is and he, just mumbles. They keep watching him reel in the fish and they again ask him what his secret is and he just mumbles. They ask a third time. He spits something into their hand and answers "Keep the worms warm."
Characters: teacher, 2+students
Materials: chalkboard, chalk
Characters: policeman; police chief, 3 Cub Scouts;
Props: 2 police costumes
Characters: 3 Cub Scouts (Mr. Niffy, Mr. Tiffy, Steward)
Scene: Aboard an ocean liner. A small table with a chair on each side. Mr. Niffy, who is very unhappy, sits in the right-hand chair. He picks up a book, signs, puts down the book. Looks around. Taps the table with their finger tips. Tries to read again. Mr. Tiffy enters left.
Characters: 5 Cub Scouts
Props: Handicraft sign, doctor outfit, graduation cap and gown, "get out to vote" sign, barber outfit, showboat dancer outfit
Characters: ringmaster and six seals
Props: A cardboard ring, about 2 – 4 feet in diameter, large enough for seals to stand inside. Paint it to resemble a pool.
Scene: As the curtain opens, all seals are in the pool, flapping their arms.
Ringmaster: Ladies and gentlemen, we are now presenting those barking aquanauts, those super swimmers of the deep, our very own,
"Safety Seals!"
(Tune of Clementine)
In the ocean, in a home pool, In a lake or in a tub;
Where there's water, there is danger Even in a shower scrub.
If you plunge down to the bottom, Of the ocean, cool and green,
You must take some swimming lessons, For you're not a submarine!
Seal #1: (Flapping flippers) Arf! Arf! Arf! You'll get a glad hand from us seals if you'll only swim where there is a lifeguard on duty.
Seal #2: Arf! Arf! Arf! We'll applaud you if you always swim with a buddy. Never swim alone! (Claps flippers)
Seal #3: Arf! Arf! Arf! Encore! Encore! Learn to swim well, then learn some simple reaching rescues. Learn to give rescue breathing. You don't have to be a Webelos Scouts to be a ready man.
Seal #4: We seals say, by all means enjoy your swim!
Seal #5: But be a smart seal! Stay away and out of the water during thunderstorms!
Seal #6: Avoid heavy meals before going into the water. Save the grub for after your swim!
All: When you're in trouble, call for help, but only if you really need it.
(Seals flap arms and sing)
If you plunge down to the bottom Of the Ocean, cool and green,
You must take some swimming lessons, For you're not a submarine!
Characters: 7 Cub Scouts
Props: Pictures (lake, sailboat, barge on Mississipi, Niagara Falls, whitewater rapids, cruise ship, barge on canal) with script on back in large font.
Characters: 5 Cub Scouts
Props: (Cub Scouts enter wearing different paraphernalia (big glasses, binoculars, magnifying glass, goggles) to wear as they climb into a boat.
Set Up: This is a spin off from Family Feud. The teams play the game for real. Respond to answer for the MC means for him to say something witty about the response. The Master of Ceremonies (MC) enters first.
MC: Welcome to our show. Tonight our two teams are back stage, ready and anxious to begin. So lets bring out the first team… The CUBBIES! (Cub Scouts run out and take their place on one side of stage. As they run out the Master of Ceremony's assistant holds up a sign that says "CHEER"; This sign is to be held up each time the audience is to participate with a cheer).
Now, let's bring out the second team… The C. P.'s – The Cubbies ' Parents. (Cheer) The captain of each team has a bell, if you know the answer to the question – ring the bell. The team to get the most correct answers of course is the winner. Now, if you are ready we will begin. (Teams both answer "READY")
We have celebrities here to ask the questions. Do not ring your bell until the entire question has been asked. First Celebrity, please step forward. By the way, just a little clue, each of the Celebrities has something to do with water.
1st Celebrity: (Wearing a hat to depicting Columbus) I sailed the ocean blue in 1492
. . . Who am I?
MC: (Respond to answer) Now for the second Celebrity.
2nd Celebrity: (Wearing hat to depict John Paul Jones) On many ships I did sail, in battle I must not fail! I fought hard through the night. You can quote my words, "I've just begun to fight."
MC: (Respond to answer) Will the third Celebrity please come out?
3rd Celebrity: (Wearing hat to depict Popeye) I love to sail, it is true. To make me strong I eat my spinach too!…Who am I?
MC: (Respond to answer) As our next celebrity comes out, listen very carefully as they whistle a tune to tell you who they are.
4th Celebrity: (Wearing hat to depict Gilligan from Gilligan's Island) Enters whistling Gilligan's theme song.
MC: (Respond to answer)
MC: Both teams have done your best, however, the winner is (name team). (Cheer) (To the losers) You have tried hard, and you are a winner, too. So, here's a refresher for you, (assistant runs out with a bucket and it looks like they are going to throw water on the losers. (Ham this up) But when they finally go to throw the contents only some confetti (or another gag item) comes out.
Run-ons are similar to skits but are much shorter and require only one or two people. Run-ons are good for a change of pace during pack meetings and campfires – something to make everyone laugh and relax. They come in handy as fill-ins between acts to fill dead time or to enliven the program.
#1: What do you call someone who is allergic to water?
#2: I give up. What?
#1: Dirty.
#1: What do you call a baby whale?
#2: A little squirt.
#1: I've eaten beef all my life and now I'm as strong as an ox.
#2: That's funny. I've eaten fish all my life and I can't swim a stroke.
#1: My mother does bird imitations.
#2: Really? How does she do that?
#1: She watches me like a hawk.
#1: Why did the cantaloupe jump into the water?
#2: Why?
#1: It wanted to be a watermelon.
#1: Why can't you get two elephants into a pool at the same time?
#2: They only have one pair of trunks.
#1: What is the first thing the fisherman caught after running to the river?
#2: His breath!
Child: How many fish have you caught?
Fisherman: None yet. But I've only been fishing for an hour.
Child: That's better than the man who was fishing here yesterday.
Fisherman: How's it better?
Child: It took him five hours to do what you've done in just one!
Teacher: What is the formula for water?
Student: H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O
Teacher: Whoever told you that?
Student: You did! You said it was H to O
Scout #1: I've eaten beef all my life and now I'm as strong as an ox.
Scout #2: That's funny. I've eaten fish all my life and I can't swim a stroke.
#1: What ship is always managed by more than one person?
#2: A partnership
#1: Where do rivers keep their money?
#2: In their banks!
#1: Do you know what sea monsters eat?
#2: Sure. Submarine sandwiches!
#1: What ship is always managed by more than one person?
#2: A partnership
Leader: Where did you take your bath?
Scout: In the spring!
Leader: I didn't ask you when . . . I asked you where!!!
#1: Are there any athletes in your family?
#2: My brother has been swimming for five years.
#1: He must be pretty tired.
#1: Why do you keep doing the backstroke?
#2: I just had lunch and I don't want to swim on a full stomach.
#1: They say that swimming is one of the best exercises for keeping the body slim and trim.
#2: Yeah. Right!
#1: Why do you say that?
#2: Well, did you ever see a whale?
CUB SCOUT 1: Do you know what time it is when 12 sharks chase one tuna? CUB SCOUT 2: No, what time is it? CUB SCOUT 1: Why, it is 12 after 1 of course. CUB SCOUT 1: Do you know what you get when you cross an electric eel and a sponge? CUB SCOUT 2: No, what do you get when you cross an electric eel and a sponge? CUB SCOUT 1: Why, a shock absorber of course. CUB SCOUT 1: Do you know what fish lights up the sky? CUB SCOUT 2: No, what fish lights up the sky? CUB SCOUT 1: A STARfish. CUB SCOUT 1: Do you know which bus crossed the ocean? CUB SCOUT 2: No, which bus crossed the ocean? CUB SCOUT 1: Why, Christopher ColumBUS of course
Parent: How are your test scores?
Child: Underwater.
Parent: What do you mean, underwater?
Child: You know, below C level.
They then begin to go through the motions of casting a line and reeling it in.
After a while the audience is watching what the group is doing and then the "speaker" looks over and asks, "What are you doing?"
"We're fishing!" is the reply of the fishermen after which they go back to their motions and the speaker resumes talking.
After a short time the speaker looks over and says - "But you can't fish here!" "Why not?" asks another fisherman.
"Because there's no water here!" (speaker)
"Oh, well, they weren't biting anyway!" (fisherman)
The fishermen then turn their chairs so that they are lined up in a single line, facing in the same direction. They go through the motions of putting their gear away, and then, acting as if they are rowing a boat, slide their chairs backwards across the stage.
Jokes can make meetings more entertaining. Kids love really funny clean jokes whether they are silly, gross, or dumb. Find appropriate jokes in Boys' Life.
Did you hear about the pelican that switched from sardines to herring? The smaller fish just didn't fill the bill.
Why do fish live in saltwater? Because pepper makes them sneeze!
What does not get any wetter no matter how much it rains? A lake.
What do sea monsters have for dinner? Fish and ships.
What do sharks like to eat with peanut butter sandwiches? Jellyfish
What do you call a thing that sits on the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A nervous wreck.
What fish can play in a band? Drumfish
What fish is the best fish of all? Angelfish
What fish might chase a mouse? Catfish
What fish may be found on a boat? Sailfish
What fish might say, 'Bow wow"? Dogfish
What fish should wear a crown? Kingfish
What fish would an actor like to be? Starfish
What gets wetter the more it dries? A towel.
What kind of cat lives in the ocean? An octopus
What kind of lights did Noah's ark have? Floodlights.
What fish helps musicians? A tuna fish
What part of a fish weighs the most? The scales
What stays in bed most of the day and sometimes goes to the bank? A stream.
What's a shark's favorite food? A submarine sandwich.
When is a ship like snow? When it's a-drift.
Where do ships go when they are ill? To the docks
Where can you find an ocean without water? On a map.
Where is the ocean the deepest? On the bottom.
Which vegetable would you never want in your boat? That's easy – a leek!
Why didn't the man swim on an empty stomach? Because it is easier to swim in water.
Q: I am found in the sea and on land but I do not walk or swim. I travel by foot but I am toe-less. I'm never far from home. What am I?
A: A snail
Q: I run but never walk. I have a mouth but never talk. I have a bed but never lie. What am I?
A: A river
Q: I am a river 1000 times bigger than the Mississippi, but I have no banks. Ships use me to increase their speed. I change the climate in England. What am I?
A: The Gulf Stream Current
Q: I travel the ocean, but don't need a boat. I am often found by the beach. I give milk but don't eat grain. What am I?
A: A coconut
Songs. Singing builds pack spirit and enthusiasm. Singing gives Cub Scouts a chance to let off steam. Singing is fun! Use a song or two to set the mood for meetings, to get the audience moving and get rid of those wiggles or to quiet and calm the group when it's time to go. Have a few songs ready to use as fillers during transition times. Pre-select a den to lead a song in the meeting handout. Songs can be found in the Cub Scout Leader How-To Book, No. 621165 and Cub Scout Songbook, No. 33222.
Tune: Row, Row, Row your Boat
Blow, Blow, Blow your boat,
Fast along the waves.
Do your best, do your best,
We're the Cub Scout braves.
Blow, Blow, Blow your sail,
Passing others by
Do your best, do your best,
Tune: Do Re Mi
JAWS a mouth, a great big mouth
TEETH the things that make a crunch
BITE the friendly shark's "Hello"
US his favorite juicy lunch
BLOOD that turns the ocean red
CHOMP oh what a tasty treat
GULP that means the shark's been fed
That will bring us back to
Five little tunafish Swimmin' near the shore,
One got caught, And then there were four.
Tunafish, tunafish, Happy all day,
Tunafish, tunafish, Swim, swim away
Four little tunafish Swimmin' in the sea,
One met a shark, And then there were three.
Three little tunafish In the ocean blue, One went for lunch,
And then there were two.
Two little tunafish Soakin' in the sun, One got fried,
And then there was one.
One little tunafish Found himself a job, He got canned,
And then there were none.
Tune – Monster Mash
I was down by the ocean late one night
When my eyes beheld an unusual sight Hoards of lobsters began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise
(they did the mash) They did the lobster mash (they did the mash) It was a seaside smash (they did the mash) It caught on in a flash (they did the mash) They did the lobster mash
From my front-row seat at sandcastle west To the briny deep, beyond the wave crests The fish all came from their humble abodes To share in the dance and twinkle their toes
The dolphins were having fun, the party had just begun The guests included Marlin and Nemo, his only son.
The scene was rocking, all were digging the sound Of the lobster claws clicking as all twirled around. The whales and jellyfish were starting to scream
When a wave crashed loudly, and I awoke from my dream
(of the mash) It was the lobster mash (oh yes the mash) It was a seaside smash
(you know the mash) It was gone in a flash (it was the mash) My dream lobster mash.
Start out softly as if the canoes are at a great distance. Each time, get a little louder as the canoes pass you, then gradually get soft again as the canoes disappear from sight.
Our paddles keen and bright, Flashing like silver.
Swift as the wild goose flight, Dip, dip, and swing.
Dip, dip, and swing them back, Flashing like silver.
Swift as the wild goose flight, Dip, dip, and swing.
Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean
We're having a Cub Scout regatta.
We've sanded and painted our boats.
I put on so much decoration,
I sure hope that my boat still floats.
Sail on, sail on,
Sail on little sailboat, sail on, sail on. Sail on, sail on,
Sail on little boat 'til you've won.
My boat sails along the raingutter.
I blow it with all of my might.
But I can't steer the sail for the rudder,
So it bounces first left and then right.
It got to the end of the gutter,
But somebody pulled out the plug.
The water is rapidly draining.
My little boat goes down - glug, glug!
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.
Blub blub blub your sub
Gently 'neath the stream
Ha ha fooled you all
I'm a submarine.
Propel, propel. propel your craft
Smoothly through the liquidy solution,
Ecstatically, ecstatically. ecstatically, ecstatically
Existence is but an illusion.
Sailing, sailing over the bounding main Where many a stormy wind shall blow 'Ere Jack comes home again
Diving, diving, into the deep blue sea,
And many a fish we've scared away On that you will agree.
Diving, diving, into the ocean blue,
With flippers, and mask and oxygen gas We'll have adventures true!
Tune: Gilligan's Island Theme
Our pack set sail on the sea one day,
In search of coins of gold.
A group of hearty Cub Scouts,
And leaders true and bold.
The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed.
If not for the courage of our Cubmaster,
The whole pack would be lost.
Our boat touched ground on a rocky isle,
And up walked a tall old man.
He tossed a towel to dry us off,
And raised high their right hand.
He said, "You're a sharp pack of Cub Scouts,
Your courage brave and sure,
To sail out on a sea like this
On a Scouting adventure."
He gave directions to get home.
We set sail with good cheer.
We reached home with the setting sun,
And tied up to the pier.
We looked in the bottom of the boat
And saw the old man's towel.
His name was stitched along the hem,
The name was Baden-Powell.
Tune: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Even though most of them don't use suntan lotion.
When they hit the waves too hard,
They sure do cause commotion. SuperCalifornianExpertSurferOfTheOcean,
Hum, diddle, diddle, diddle Hum, diddle, I (up half-tone)
Hum, diddle, diddle, diddle Hum, diddle, I
Because I was afraid to surf When I was just a lad,
My father took my board away And told me I was bad,
But then one day I learned a word That every surfer knows,
The biggest word you ever heard And this is how it goes:
Tune: Take me out to the Ballgame
Take me out to the ocean,
Let me play in the waves,
I'll follow that wave to the top of the crest,
Then watch it collapse – I'll jump in with the best!
Or I'll bob, bob, bob in the ocean,
The current will move underneath
And I'll spend the day at the beach – In my floating "wreath."
Tune: Three Blind Mice (Sing in a round)
Three Blind Sharks,
Three Blind Sharks,
See how they swim,
See how they swim
They all swam after the Chieftains wife
She hit them in the nose with all her might
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life
As Three Blind Sharks
Tune: Three Blind Mice
Three Tiger Fish, Three Tiger Fish
See how they swim, see how they swim
Their tails go left And their tails go right
Their gills breathe in And their gills breathe out Did you ever see such a slippery sight as Three Tiger Fish?
Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Water, water everywhere,
But not a drop to drink.
Pull the plug and watch it swirl,
Slowly down the sink.
Water, water everywhere,
There are puddles on the floor.
Watch the crazy Cubmaster, Go sliding out the door.
Water, water everywhere,
Make a regatta boat.
Put it in the rain gutter,
And watch it float and float.
Water, water everywhere,
Rain is falling down.
Catch some raindrops in your mouth,
And watch your tonsils drown.
Water, water everywhere,
And now our song is done.
Hit us with water balloons,
Getting wet is really fun!
In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed the sea.
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines.
So we sailed up to the sun
Till we found the sea of green.
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine.
We all live in a yellow submarine, Yellow submarine, yellow submarine. We all live in a yellow submarine, Yellow submarine, yellow submarine.
And our friends are all aboard, Many more of them live next door. And the band begins to play.
As we live a life of ease,
Every one of us has all we need.
Sky of blue and sea of green,
In our yellow submarine!
Protect your skin: Sunlight contains two kinds of UV rays -- UVA increases the risk of skin cancer, skin aging, and other skin diseases. UVB causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor containing a high rating such as 15.
Drink plenty of water regularly and often even if you do not feel thirsty. Your body needs water to keep cool. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly but make the heat's effects on your body worse. This is especially true with beer, which dehydrates the body.
Watch for signs of heat stroke: Heat stroke is life threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. Signals include hot, red, and dry skin; changes in consciousness, rapid, weak pulse, and rapid, shallow breathing. Call 9-1- 1 or your local EMS number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body by wrapping wet sheets around the body and fan it. If you have ice packs or cold packs, place them on each of the victim's wrists and ankles, in the armpits and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels. Watch for signals of breathing problems and make sure the airway is clear. Keep the person lying down.
Wear eye protection: Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes and protect against damage that can occur from UV rays. Be sure to wear sunglasses with labels that indicate that they absorb at least 90 percent of UV sunlight.
Wear foot protection: Many times, people's feet can get burned from the sand or cut from glass in the sand.
Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, and bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water.
Don't rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air, or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation.
Enroll children in a water safety course or Learn to Swim program. Your decision to provide your child with an early aquatic experience is a gift that will have infinite rewards. These courses encourage safe practices. You can also purchase a Community Water Safety manual at your local Red Cross.
Parents should take a CPR course. Knowing these skills can be important around the water and you will expand your capabilities in providing care for your child.
Home Pool: Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability.
Lakes and Rivers: Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. Select a supervised area. A trained lifeguard who can help in an emergency is the best safety factor. Even good swimmers can have an unexpected medical emergency in the water. Never swim alone.
Ocean Safety: Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability.
Water Parks: Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability.
Here's a list of some water sayings from around the world. See how many you have heard and how many you can explain.
ALOHA! This word has many meanings: love, affection, kindness, hello, and good- bye are just a few. Right now, Hello and welcome to our luau!! Hawaii is a state of many islands where the weather is warm and volcanoes rise above beautiful beaches. How exciting to be exploring our 50th state, its peoples and culture. Now let's capture that "Aloha spirit!!"
The hibiscus, all colors and varieties, was the official Territorial Flower, adopted in the early 1920s. At statehood in 1959, the first state legislature adopted many of Hawaii's symbols as part of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS, state laws). It wasn't until 1988, however, that the yellow hibiscus which is native to the islands was selected to represent Hawaii. For this reason, you will see many older photos and postcards with the red hibiscus, or any other color for that matter, as the state flower. These were correct at the time.
Hawaii was once an independent kingdom. (1810 - 1893) The flag was designed at the request of King Kamehameha I. It has eight stripes of white, red and blue that represent the eight main islands. The flag of Great Britain is emblazoned in the upper left corner to honor Hawaii's friendship with
the British. The combination of the stripes of the United States flag and the Union Jack of Great Britain is said to have pleased the merchant shippers of both nations. Flag adopted for official state use in 1959.
For more facts and trivia, visit www.50states.com
For feedback on our pack meeting ideas, leader resources, and program planning resources, contact firstname.lastname@example.com.