PACK/DEN ACTIVITIES

$ Slide
Trapper Trails Council

Make a  Dollar  sign or a piggy bank out of fun foam, attach a pipe cleaner to the back.

Find fake money and put it to good use.  A big plastic coin can have a ring glued to the back for a slide.

National Capital Area Council

Managing your Money:

Learning to manage money is a skill that has become more important, and more difficult, then it was 10 or 15 years ago.  Today’s parents and grandparents probably had less money as youth than many children do today.  There were also lots less things to spend money on.  The choices that face many of today’s youth are more complicated than ones faced as little as 10 to 15 years ago.  And because people today have more choices, they also have more chances to make financial mistakes, such as getting too deeply into debt.

Of course, money isn’t and shouldn’t be everything in life.  There are far more important things, like family, friends, helping others, and achieving personal growth.  But money is a major part of life for most people.  How a person manages money is critical to his or her personal, and perhaps even family’s, well being.  The main purpose of responsible money management is not to make more money, although that can sometimes be helpful and necessary.  Rather, the goal is to wisely and effectively manage the money you do have.

It is important then that the skill of managing money should be developed from a young age.  Starting with Tiger Scouts, boys are capable of learning the basics of money management.  The key is to provide guidance that is age appropriate.  Tiger Scouts can understand the nee to save towards purchasing something that they would like to have.  As Cub Scouts grow toward Webelos, they are more able to understand the need to save, not only for things that they want as an individual, but also for group items.  They are also very capable of understanding the concept of donating to charities.  Keep I n mind that through out their Scouting years, boys are consistently encouraged to provide services to others.  Although most of the service ideas are geared toward making a project or giving of time, these also require budgeting (of either time or money to make and deliver the projects).

One thing that you can do to tie this theme in with other monthly themes is to use the activities you will be doing over the next several months as a cornerstone for developing budgets for each months activity.  For example: if you plan on doing a magic show in March, then your den/pack could use this months theme as a way to develop the budget needed to make sure that the materials and resources are available for the magic show.

Meeting a Den Financial Goal:

Few dens have an unlimited source of income.  Most dens must make important decisions about how to spend the money they do have.  A good way to make decisions about spending money is to develop goals and objectives. 

A goal is a specific purpose or destination.  Goals are dreams and wishes brought to reality.  “Gee, I hope our den can travel to Washington DC to tour the Federal Mint” is a wish or dream.  “Our den is going to travel to Washington DC to tour the Federal Mint in October” is a goal.  It has a specific destination and time.  It is something that everyone in the den can work toward.

Achieving a goal requires setting objectives.  Objectives are the details or tasks and steps required to accomplish the goal.  Going to Washington DC and touring the Federal mint will require money.  After setting a specific goal, your den should discuss how it would save enough money to reach that goal.  How will the den obtain the money?  Will the money come out of weekly dues?  Will the den members need to increase their dues to cover the cost of this trip?  If so, by how much and over how many weeks?

Sometimes, despite a den’s best efforts, it won’t be able to save enough money to pay for the goal as planned.  In that case your den might want to reconsider where it wants to go, how it will get there, how long to stay, what to do while there or when to take the trip.

Budgeting:

Both before and after your den has decided how they are going to obtain the funds for paying for the outing, they must set up a budget.  A budget must be set up before planning the outing so the den will know how much money they will need to fund the trip.  After the trip, the den should revisit the budget.  They should record the actual expenses using the same categories that were used in the budget.  This will allow them to compare how the actual expenses matched up with the amounts that were budgeted.  This will also show two things (1) how each line item in the budget was compared to the actual costs (for example: if you budgeted $2.00 per person for lunch and the actual cost was $2.25 per person, you will know that this item needs to be adjusted next time) and (2) how the total budget compares to the total expenses.

Each member of your den should help with developing the budget both before and after the trip.  If this becomes too onerous, have each den member identify a personal goal (something that they want to buy or do) using the same approach as you would for the den trip.  During the month, each Cub Scout can then follow the guidelines that are used for the den’s goal to reach his own.

Fun Facts about Money:

§         On the Canadian two-dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American Flag.

§         All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

§         A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

§         On an American one-dollar bill, there is an owl in the upper left-hand corner of the “1” encased in the “Shield” and a spider hidden in the front upper right-hand corner.

Making Banks
National Capital Area Council

Pringles Can Bank

Materials:  a large or small Pringles can with lid for each Cub Scout.  Scraps of materials and items to decorate the cans with; glue or tape.

Directions:

(1)     Cut a slit in the top of each lid

(2)     cover the Pringles can with material and secure it with glue or tape

(3)     decorate

Drum Bank
National Capital Area Council

Materials: Empty coffee can with a plastic lid or oatmeal box; masking tape; paper and crayons; yarn or string.

Directions: 

1.  Cut a slit in the top of each lid.

2.  Secure the lid of your box or can with tape. 

3.  Cover with paper and decorate with crayons. 

4.  Tie or tape on some yarn or string so you can hang the drum bank up or let it stand.

Kleenex Box Bank
National Capital Area Council

Materials:  Empty Kleenex box; paint, colored paper or old fabric; pictures from magazines, crayons or markers, glue or tape

Directions:

1.  Paint or cover the outside of the box

2.  Decorate with pictures from magazines

3.   Crayons or markers.  (You can do each side differently!)

Fireman’s Hat Bank
National Capital Area Council

Materials:  a plastic container, with lid, from non-dairy whipped topping, cardboard (size 9” by 7”), pipe cleaners, paint, yarn or string, glue.

Directions:

1.  Place the lid on the container and invert for the crown of the hat. Then cut a slit in the top of the crown for inserting the coins. 

2.  Cut the brim from the cardboard so the length of the hat is along the 9” side of the cardboard and the back of the rim is the 7” width.

3.  For the ridges on the hat, glue pieces of yarn or pipe cleaners from the coin slot to the brim;

4.  Paint the hat.

5.  Cut a shield from extra piece of cardboard.  Paint it any color you want, adding number of the Engine Company when the paint is dry.  Glue the shield in place on the front of the crown.

6.  Assemble the hat by gluing the lid of the crown onto the brim. 

7.  To remove coins lift the crown from the brim.

“Piggy” Bank
York Adams Area Council

Here is a fun and very messy craft to make.  Make sure to wear old clothing and cover your working area with lots of newspaper.

Supplies:

Homemade paste (see paste recipe)

Newspaper

Scissors

A balloon

Masking tape

Cardboard or box board

One cup from an egg carton

Pipe cleaner

Paint

Paint brushes

Varnish or Hodge Podge.

Paste Recipe: Ask a grownup to help. Combine six cups of water with 3 cups of flour and heat until mixture is like thick cream. Allow mixture to cool.

Directions:

1. Blow up the balloon and tie a knot at end. This will be the pig's body.

2. Cut or tear newspaper into strips.

3. Tape the cup from the egg carton on knot end of the balloon.

4. Cut two ears from the box board or cardboard and tape onto the balloon.

5. To make the legs:

A. Cut two circles from the box board or cardboard.

B. Cut circles in half.

C. Take each half circle and form cones.

D. Attach the legs with tape to the underside of your pig.

6. Cut and bend pipe cleaner into a curly tail and tape onto the large end of the balloon.

7. Paste on approximately 4 layers of newspaper strips over the entire pig.

8. Allow to dry for at least two days.

9. Ask a grownup to cut a rectangular coin slot in the top of your pig, then burst the balloon with a pin.

10. Decorate with paints and allow to dry.

11. Apply at least one coat of varnish or Hodge Podge to protect and strengthen your masterpiece.

Foreign Exchange
York Adams Area Council

Have all of the boys check with their families for  different countries’ currencies and have examples brought in for a den meeting. If there are stories behind the currency, have the boys prepare to tell the stories. As an added activity, introduce the boys to exchange rates. There are many websites that have exchange rate calculators that the boys can try out.

Have A Party!
York Adams Area Council

It’s March and the program year is probably winding down for the den. What’s left in the den dues box? If there is enough money left in the dues treasury and it looks like your den could get by for the rest of the year on what it collects after the party (or if it can spare a small amount from the treasury), have the boys plan a fiscally responsible party. If I know the Cubs at all, chances are they’ll opt for the only “decent” food they know—PIZZA! What an opportunity! Go through some of your Sundaypapers and find coupons for different pizza party options. These can include Pizza Hut/Domino’s coupons, soda coupons, grocery store flyers, etc.

Figure out what you think would be the minimum cost to have a party using whatever savings methods you can find. Then prepare the “grocery list” for the party. Tell the boys they have X dollars to get the supplies and have them figure out how to make the party happen.

Play Financial Board Games
York Adams Area Council

Here is a list of money-related board games from one e-store. I am not advocating the store, just using it as a pretty good source for a lot of financial board game titles. The website is:

http://www.kidsmoneystore.com/bdgame.htm

• This Little Piggy Went to Market Game by Fisher Price (Age: 3 - 7 years))

• Bunny Money Games by International Playthings (Age: 5 years +))

• MoneyCents Game (Age: 5 - 9 years))

• Monopoly Junior by Parker Brothers (Age: 5 - 9 years)

• Presto Change-O Game (Age: 6 years +)

• Cool Cash Bingo by Learning Resources (Age: 6 - 8 years)

• Monopoly Deluxe by Parker Brothers (Age: 7 years +)

• Monopoly by Parker Brothers (Age: 7 years +)

• Monopoly Money by Parker Brothers (Age: 7 years +)

• Spanish Monopoly by Parker Brothers (Age: 7 years +)

• Spaceopoly Game by D & L Company (Age: 7 years +)

• Moneywise Kids by Aristoplay (Age: 7 years +)

• NFL Monopoly by Milton Bradley (Age: 7 years +)

• Pay Day by Parker Brothers (Age: 7 years +)

• Money Skills Card Game by Learning Resources (Age: 7 - 9 Years)

• Money Bags Coin Value Game by Learning Resources (Age: 7 - 9 Years)

• Monopoly Rent Calculator (Age: 8 years +)

• Monopoly Looney Tunes (Age: 8 years +)

• Nascar Monopoly by Milton Bradley (Age: 8 years +)

• The Game of Life by Milton Bradley (Age: 8 years +)

• Charge It Game by Talicor (Age: 8 years +)

• Triopoly by Reveal Entertainment (Age: 9 years +)

• Careers by Pressman (Age: 9 years +)

• Electronic Mall Madness Game by Milton Bradley (Age: 9 years +)

• Acquire Game by Avalon Hill (Age: 12 years +)