GAMES

Keep America Beautiful
Capital Area Council

The audience is told that tonight several trees will be planted and through the magic of Cub Scouting.  And that the trees will grow and blossom. 

If done at a Den Meeting, divide den into two teams.  Four is about the minimum to have on a team.  Each team to select a captain. 

If done at a Pack Meeting, each den can be a team.  Or teams may be assigned mixing boys from different dens. Each team to select a captain.

The captains are given signs to wear which say “sapling”.  Each captain stands in the middle of his team.  Others on the team are handed a paper sack containing a roll of scotch tape, 20 or 30 green construction paper leaves, a few birds, blossoms and butterflies made out of construction paper, a bird nest, and a few small real branches.  At the signal to “go”, each team begins to make their ‘sapling’ grow by handing him the branches to hold and taping the contents of the bag to him.  The winner can be based on judging for how good a job was done or simply the first team to finish is the winner.

That's My Leaf
Capital Area Council

Each boy takes a leaf from the same kind of tree and looks at it carefully for one minute.  Then put all the leaves in a pile and stir them up together.  Can you find your one-of-a-kind leaf?  What makes it special -- different from all the other leaves?  Press the leaf carefully.  Send pressed leaves to one-of-a-kind friends, and tell them how they are like the leaves.

One Leaf Trail
Capital Area Council

A trail is laid using one kind of leaf as a marker, letting the stem point in the direction to be followed. At the end of the trail, the players hunt for a tree of the kind whose leaves were used.  You should only use already fallen leaves for this activity.  A wods at camp are usually covered with fallen leaves from many years.

Leaf Identification Relay
Sam Houston Area Council

Set up:

• Two tables with about eight different tree leaves that have been previously introduced to your Cub Scouts.
• Make two sets of labels by writing the name of each leaf on two pieces of paper.
• Place one set of labels at each table.
• Divide your Cub Scouts into two teams.

The Play:

• On signal, the first player for each team rushes to his leaf display, selects a piece of paper and places it on the correct leaf.
• Play continues in relay style.
• When all the leaves have been identified, the leader checks them.
• The leader may award a point for each correct identification or may request that play continue until the leaves are correctly identified.

Variation:

If this is the group’s first experience with leaf identification, omit the relay style and use a team effort to identify the leaves. Move into a relay game later.

Petrified Wood
Sam Houston Area Council

• Cubs are scattered on the playing surface.
• Two are chose to be “chasers.” One is chosen to be the “good woodsman.”
• When a Cub is touched by either of the chasers, he becomes “petrified” and must freeze in place.
• When the good woodsman touches a petrified boy, the boy is free to run again.
• Play a few minutes then trade roles so everyone gets a chance to be chasers or the good woodsman.

Leaf Blower
Sam Houston Area Council

• Have the Cub Scouts get into two teams.
• Each Cub Scout will need a leaf and will need his own straw.
• As a relay, each boy will blow their leaf across a table.
• The first team that has all of it’s players successfully blow their leaves to the other side of the table wins.
• This could also be a team effort and a chance for some cooperation.

Why Trees?
Sam Houston Area Council

Needs:  A list of animals that depend on trees e.g. aphid, beaver, beetle, raccoon, opossum, spider, grey squirrel, blue jay, caterpillar, owl, butterfly, etc.

Playing the game:

• Ask if anyone can name an animal that lives in a tree? Those that can, can be that animal. If they are unable to name an animal, assign them one from the list.
• Have about six children as ‘trees’, standing apart from each other. (Or you van use adults or real trees) 
• All ‘creatures’ go and stand by a ‘tree’ of their choice.
• When you shout ‘Switch’, all creatures have to switch trees. The Cub Scouts are only allowed to breathe when they are at a ‘tree’, and must hold their breath while running between trees.
• The game is made more difficult as the woodcutter (you!) removes trees, forcing the children to hold their breath for longer between widely spaced trees.
• Finally, when all the ‘creatures’ are clustered around the last remaining tree, ask ‘why do we need trees?’ The Cub Scouts will probably answer ‘to breathe’!  Then do a reflection on trees and oxygen or breathing.

Nature “Kim’s Game”
Sam Houston Area Council
This is a memory game.

Prior to the game, place several items (depending on the age group) on a table and cover with a sheet. Since our theme is trees this month you should use several kinds of leaves, acorns, bark, branch, blade of grass, binoculars, etc.  Maybe, have one item that does not belong and ask the boys about it later

When the game starts, explain to the boys that they will have one minute (shorter or longer if you wish) to look at the items.

After that time period, you will cover the items and they will need to quickly write down as many things that they can remember.

You can make this a competition between boys, between pairs of boys, or even just a den activity to see if among all the boys, they can remember all of the items.

Bean Bag Toss
Grand Teton Area Council

• Obtain a large piece of cardboard. (A large, unfolded box works well)
• Cut one or two leaf shapes out of the cardboard.
• Paint the cardboard orange, red and yellow.
• When dry let the children throw bean bags through the leaf shaped holes.

Pin The Leaf On The Tree
Grand Teton Area Council

Played like Pin the tail on the donkey but with a tree instead of a donkey and leaves instead of the tail

Pine Cone Battle
Grand Teton Area Council

• Have twice as many pinecones as players.
• Divide boys into equal teams, each about 20 yards from a dividing line and facing each other across the line.
• At signal, the battle starts with each player throwing cones as close to the 20-yard marker as possible,
• Boys must stay on their side of the line.
• Those closest to the 20-yard mark score two points.
• Team with the most point's win.

I would make sure this one was well supervised! CD

Pinewood Derby Day Activity
Val (whose E-mail did not say where she was from)

On race day, it is sometimes gloomy or cold outside and the Cubs and siblings need to burn energy inside while the judges are doing their thing and no racing is going on.  This relay race fits that need and may help Webelos with Handyman.  It was quite popular last year at our Pack's Derby. Val

Game Supplies:

• 3-4 used tires (ATV or whatever your volunteers can handle without straining their backs),
• Plastic dollar store table cloth,
• One handkerchief or checkered flag attached to a stick,
• Index cards,
• One table,
• Two Boy Scouts,
• About 8' X 15' of space,
• Two plastic bins (dishwashing size),
• Two sets of auto shop items: shop rag, oil strap wrench, spark plug, new oil filter in box, funnel, and lug nut (or whatever you can find that is light enough that it won't hurt anybody). 

Also, have some way to mark the sides of the course so that no one wanders in inadvertently. Triangular oil flag banners donated from an auto shop can lend to the theme and do the job if they are secured to strategically placed chair backs.  Or set up more tires!

Game Setup: 

• Stack tires & put table cloth over the center space,
• Put items in bins on table,
• Write name of each item on an index card. 
• Start/finish is the tire stack.
• Racers will form two lines, one on each side of the tire stack. 
• Block off the race area with whatever you have that is safe: lines of chairs, etc.
• Position table with bin of parts about 15 feet away from the start. 
• Position one Boy Scout about 2 feet in front of tire stack, with index cards in one hand and start flag in the other. Position the second Boy Scout at the side of the destination table.

Game:

• Racers line up on either side of the tire stack. 
• Boy Scout looks at first index card and announces item to retrieve,
• Boy Scout then starts race by calling 'ready, set', then drops flag simultaneously with 'go'.
• First two children race down, fish out item, return and place item on top of tire. 
• Winner is first to complete task. 
• First few times you run the game, it will be necessary to show the objects to the players. 
• The second Boy Scout (at the table) should lift up the designated item and show it to the racers, then bury it quickly.
• After that, he’s in charge of crowd control and is to ensure safe behavior, moving as needed.

Game Running: 

• Have the kids that just raced return the items to the bins, then clear off the course for next set of racers.  Shuffle the card deck as necessary to randomize the item order, and have fun.