PACK/DEN ACTIVITIES

Activities and Games
Trapper Trails Council

Let your boys get to know each other inside and out by putting together collages of all the foods they like, favorite colors, games, songs, sports, hobbies, interests, collections, etc.

July is a great month for a campfire activity.  At pack meeting, get to know family members by having Cubs, Parents, and Sibling tell their most frightening, funny, or memorable experiences.  They could also share stories of their favorite teachers, first in their lives, greatest learning experiences, etc.  The possibilities are unlimited.

In the book “Fun to Make Wooden Toys and Games”, by Jeff and Jennie Loader, there is a pattern of a Magic Box.  It has the patterns for a box, which would be perfect to illustrate inside, outside, and backwards.  It could then by used for a cub magic show.  (Due to the copyright laws, the patterns couldn’t be placed in this book.

Connie Rouse sent this great idea in for the Acbracadabra Theme.  Thank you Connie
Comments: For the magic theme of May, we made a magicians hat out of a refrigerator box.  We covered it in black paper, the kind schools use for bulletin boards.  We cut a hole in the back and a hole in the side.  The boys entered from the side, we said the magic words and they came out with their next rank scarf on.  The kids loved it.  We had a parent whose son was not involved in that particular rank work with changing scarves for the boys.  We even let the siblings get into the act at the end because everyone was so excited.

Cap On Peg Slide
Debbie Kalpowsky

Note:  This is a reverse version of the cup in a ball game.

Materials:

•          Wooden spool

•          Wooden peg or dowel to fit center of spool, about 1 ½ inch long

•          5 inches cording or heavy thread

•          Plastic cap to fit over the top of the doweling or peg

•          Paint, color of your choice

•          ¾-inch PVC slide ring

Equipment:

•          Hot glue

•          Paint brushes

•          Punch awl or small drill

Directions:

1.        Hot glue the wooden peg into the spool.

2.        If desired, paint both pieces and allow to dry.

3.        Punch a small hole in the center of the plastic cap.

4.        Glue one end of the cording to bottom of the wooden spool.

5.        Slip the other end of coring through the hole in the plastic cap,  make a knot and glue in place

6.        Mount the slide ring to back of the spool using hot glue.

Mirror Mobile
York Adams Area Council

Materials:

•          Aluminum wire (use a length of main feed electrical house wire, stripped and unbundled)

•          Junk CDs (e.g., AOL)

•          Thread

•          Hot glue

•          Utility knife

DIRECTIONS:  Ahead of time, cut the CDs into various shapes.  You will need a dozen or more for each mobile.  Also, cut the aluminum wire into different lengths (3” to 6”).  Put a slight hook on each end of each length of wire to give a place to tie the thread.  Cut the thread into varying lengths (6” to 10”).  Have the kids glue one end of each thread sandwiched between two pieces of CD.  Have them tie and glue the other ends to ends of the some of the wire pieces.  Tie and glue the centers of these pieces to ends of other wires forming a mobile.  (This is really hard to describe in words—how about looking at a picture instead!?)

 Mirror Messages
York Adams Area Council

Materials: Paper, pencils, mirror

Have the boys practice writing letters backwards and looking at them in the mirror.  Have them write a mirror message question to another boy in the den and have them give their messages to the boy next to them (so that each boy gets a message to answer).  Have the boys then answer in backwards lettering as well.

Dress Down Meeting
York Adams Area Council

Have the boys wear something other than their uniforms but have them wear the clothes inside-out and backwards for the meeting.

Summer Fun Backwards Olympics (opposite handed events, slowest wins, etc.)
York Adams Area Council

Conduct an Olympic event that does things a little differently—i.e., everything backwards!  Have events such as:

Backward 50-yard dash

Backward standing long jump.

Backward (or over the head) “shot put” and javelin throw

Backward balance beam walking

You can also “throw in” some “opposite handed” events, like “Other Hand” throws

Mirror Maze Relay Race
York Adams Area Council

Set up a serpentine maze that the teams must navigate walking backwards using a mirror to see their way.

Eeb Gnilleps Drawkcab
York Adams Area Council

Hold a two-team spelling bee—with a catch.  The boys must spell the words backwards.  You won’t have much success with long words so you need to come up with a list of short ones.  Suggestion: To prepare the words, have someone make up index cards or a listing of the words and their backward renditions.

Behind My Back!
York Adams Area Council

Put together a grab bag full of lots of common items that can be identified by feel.  Line up each of two teams so that the teammates are standing shoulder-to-shoulder, with the two teams facing each other.  Have as many different items for each team as you can find (but same items can be included) and have the items listed out on a checklist for after the “passing” part of the race.  Have a “starter” adult for each team, who has the items hidden in a bag, standing at one end of team, behind the players.  Have a “finisher” adult at the other end of the line.  On the signal “go.” The starter places the first item in the first player’s hands which are behind his back.  After one second blow a whistle to signal passing the item to the next person as the starter hands the next item to the first player.  This continues until all of the items have been passed through all of the players and have been “secured” in a bag by the “finisher” adult.  Gather each team together to see if they can recall all of the items they “saw.”