Using Feats of Skill in Games

Completing the requirements for Achievement One is fun!  Because it is so hard for boys to sit still and have a lecture, I love to use the feats of skill in other teaching situations.

Whenever there are lists to make or discussion points to cover, you can use the feats of skills.  Here are two easy suggestions:


1.  Taking turns, have each boy go from point A to point B and back again doing one of the requirements from Achievement 1.  When he gets back, he identifies a meaning to the Pledge or a safety rule, or how to protect our environment, etc.

Example:  have the boy elephant walk to the corner of the room and back to the table then identify whatever it is you're talking about.

2.  Number different feats of skills one through six.  Have each boy roll a dice.  The number it lands on determines the feat they perform.  I have even created three different sheets that can be rotated with the dice game.  Feel free to use them if you would like (Numbered Feats of Skills for Dice Game).

Health Habits Chart

Here is a chart I created called Health Habits Chart to help make tracking the health habits more fun.  My son put his on the fridge.  He used washable markers to fill in the boxes.  The colors were not color coded, but whatever he felt like at the time.  By the time he was finished, most of it was simple orange.

At round table, it was suggested that you could laminate the charts and turn them into place mats. Then while the boys are eating, they can color in the appropriate square.

Bike and Street Safety Bingo

Playing Bingo is a fun way to to discuss both street safety and bike safety.

Don't be put off by the thought of creating a Safety Bingo game.  The best trick to this game is to have the boys create it themselves.

Preparation

Create a 4 x 4 grid on a sheet of paper with blank squares, one for each boy

How to Play

1.  Ask a boy to identify one rule for street or bike safety.
2.  Have each boy either draw a picture of the rule just identified or write the words.
3.  The den leader writes or draws a picture of the same rule on a card or small square of paper.
4.  Repeat steps 1-3 with a different boy identifying a rule until all 16 rules squares are full.
5.  The den leader mixes up the  cards and calls out a rule.
6.  Each boy places a marker on the rule that was called out until Bingo or Blackout is achieved.

To make it more fun, whenever a boy got a bingo, I gave him a small piece of candy (like one MnM).  When I did this, we only identified 16 rules, so all boys reached Blackout at the same time.  Then they all got another piece of candy.

Food Pyramid Go Fish Game

Recently the government has changed the food pyramid to "My Plate."  At some point in time, the Cub Scouts may change their book to My Plate instead of the food pyramid.  Either way, a fun way to teach the different healthy food groups is to play "Go Fish."  This game is all done and ready to print.  It was put together by the USDA for classrooms.

Treasure Hunt

6 boys + 1 yard + 1 hot muggy afternoon = 6 completely different treasure maps and an over an hour of great entertainment!

One of the Treasure Maps

Before scouts began, I took brown lunch sacks and cut the bottom out.  Then I burned the edges and wrinkled the paper to give it an aged look.

Each boy scouted out the front and back yard.  With crayons or markers he drew his own treasure map, complete with treasure at the end.  Six small containers safely nestled 8 whoppers each.  (The whoppers came out of one box of candy from the dollar store!) When the maps were draw, each boy came and got a container and placed it at the end of his treasure hunt.

We started with the first boy who was finished, then the second boy, etc.  The next boy in line was the boy who held the map for the current hunt.  The creator was supposed to hang back and let the others figure out his map.  That was just too hard for the excited boy to accomplish, which was a good thing, because most maps were indecipherable without help!

Throughout the activity we even talked about a great classic "Treasure Island" and a name that all should be familiar with:  Long John Silver.

After it was over, some of the boys wanted to take home extra blank maps and create a treasure hunt for their family.

Summer Hot Dog Roast

This summer I have been working with both Wolf and Bear dens.  Most of the time we have met separately, but not always.  With some creativity, I can plan activities that meet achievements for both dens.  Holding a hot dog roast was just one of those activities.

Before we actually started the meal, we planned what we should eat (most of which I had already purchased; I had planned on taking them to the store, but that fell through), where we should have the fire, and how we were going to do it.

We have a portable fire pit that I put on the driveway.  The boys brought the little twigs and other pieces of wood to the driveway and eagerly helped prepare the fire.  First each one had to crumple one or two newspaper pages each.  Then all the left over pine needles and small twigs from our Christmas tree were put on top followed by thicker pieces of wood.

One match.  That's all it took.

We stirred and poked and watched the flames.  After they started to die down, each boy took a turn roasting a hot dog over the dying flames.  A few minutes later, marshmallows were toasted to perfection over the coals.

My favorite comment was from one boy who didn't like his toasted marshmallow because it was squishy.

The boys all loved the opportunity to "play" with fire--what an adult thing to do!  Cooking the food was secondary.  That night I asked my son what was the best part of his day.  "Having a hot dog roast!" topped swimming and other activities.

Game with a purpose.  That's what Baden Powell promoted.

Faith in God and Cub Scouts

With a little planning, you can help your boys earn the religious knot from Scouting while they are in the Bear program.  The Faith in God requirements meet the requirements for achievements and electives. (Click here for a link Faith in God online.)

Faith in God guidelines are to do two requirements each year from each section.  This fits nicely with the Wolf and Bear requirements and allows the boy to earn Bear Achievement 2.  I've put together a tracking chart that lists each requirement and what Wolf, Bear, an Weblos achievements and electives each item fits with.  Feel free to download this chart and use it.  The chart can be passed along to each scout leader when the boy moves to another program as well as copied and given to the parents.

Faith in God Requirements

Learning the Gospel (do two as a Wolf and two as a Bear)


* Teach the First Vision in family home evening and discuss prayer
* Give opening and closing prayer in primary or family home evening
* Share story from Book of Mormon that teaches faith in Christ
* Make a pedigree chart and family group sheet; discuss temple work

Serving Others

* Write letter to parents, grandparents or teacher express thanks and respect
* Read the 12th Article of Faith and discuss your actions.

Developing Talents

* Write poem, story, or short play about Gospel principle or one of God's creations