PACK AND DEN ACTIVITIES

"Spreading Seeds of Kindness " Planter

Baloo Original (almost)

This little planter would look great
with a painted pot and full of flowers.

What you will need:

Large craft stick,

green fun foam,

another color of fun foam (red if you do a ladybug),

permanent marker,

thin black wire and

glue.

Potting soil

Plants for the pots (optional?)

What to do:

Before the boys get there:

·         Create a simple leaf pattern.  Look at leaf pictures in their books or a Boy Scout Handbook or on the web for ideas.

·         Create a pattern for a bug.  A red ladybug would look great but ants, bees, and others work, too

·         Set up the other supplies

When the boys get there, have each one:

P Cut out a leaf shape using your pattern and green fun foam

P Cut out the bug using fun foam (red if a ladybug)

P Decorate the bug with a permanent marker. (Black spots and head for a ladybug)

P Glue black wire onto to back of the bug for antennae.

P Glue the leaf to the large craft stick..

P Glue the bug onto the leaf.

P Write "Spreading Seeds of Kindness" on the leaf.

P Plant the plant in the potting soil in the pot

P Water

P Stick the large craft stick into the potting soil.

Service Activities

Piedmont Area Council

«  Give some of the toys Cub Scouts may have made as part of the Craftsman badge to a children's home, hospital, or institution for handicapped children.

«  Use Craftsman skills to repair or refurbish toys for the same purpose.

«  Collect good used books and magazines for the library of a children's home or institution for the elderly.

«  Service, best exemplified by the daily Good Turn has long been a tradition in Scouting. Good citizenship is best taught by service in action.

«  To get the most Cub Scouting has to offer, boys should have opportunities to take part in den and pack service projects. This is one of the best way to show boys that helping other people is not only beneficial to others, but is fun and rewarding for themselves. They will experience a warm feeling that comes from giving to others.

Seeds Of Kindness Starters –
Service Project Suggestions

Sam Houston Area Council

«  Visit a nursing home and spend time with the elderly – playing checkers, reading to them, listening to them, writing letters for them, etc.

«  Bake cookies for the entire staff at a school, including custodial, clerical, cafeteria, and administrative employees, as well as teachers and their aides.

«  Make puppets and put on a show for a children’s hospital.

«  Host a faculty/staff breakfast for a school.

«  Collect pet food, blankets, towels, toys, and other supplies for an animal shelter.

«  Collect canned food and provide a Thanksgiving dinner for a family in crisis.

«  Rake leaves, shovel snow, or trim yards of people who are incapacitated, grieving, or accident victims.

«  Collect winter hats and mittens for children and families at shelters and crisis centers.

«  Clean up litter around the place you hold your meetings, whether it is a faith organization, a school, or other building. Don’t forget the playground.

«  Collect donations and make pans of lasagna for a soup kitchen or other food service facility. (Check with them first about any guidelines or restrictions.)

«  Collect food door-to-door for a food bank.

«  Work with a housing nonprofit to build household items, such as benches, planters, window boxes, coat hook racks, and letter holders.

«  Collect nonfood items, such as toiletries, new underwear, or socks for a homeless shelter.

«  Collect books for a homeless shelter or safe house.

«  Clean up a school and plant trees or flowers there.

«  Buy coffee and donuts for school bus drivers.

«  Set up a bagel table for teachers.

«  Trim landscaping around a school, faith organization, or museum.

«  Pick up litter at a park.

«  Run errands for the elderly.

«  Put up and maintain a birdfeeder(s) for outside strategic windows at a nursing home.

«  Make get well cards for patients in a children’s hospital.

«  Collect food, coats, and Halloween candy for children on a reservation.

«  Collect used eye glasses for organizations that can distribute them to people who need them.

«  Plant or weed a garden.

«  Prepare a meal for someone in need.

«  Write a letter of appreciation.

«  Hug at least three people a day.

«  Say “Thank You” to everyone who helps you for one day. Then try doing it for two days. Pretty soon it will be a habit.

Never Too Early to Start Some Holiday Den Activities

Capital Area Council

This list fits great with our theme and by starting to prepare now to spread some seeds of kindness, you will be ready to deliver in December.  CD

Cubs need to be reminded periodically that not all people face this holiday season with the same anticipation. Help them look closely at your own community. Are there people who may not have enough to eat or enough money for a tree and decorations (let alone presents) or people who are in need of company? Some of these may say for “Christmas,” but starting now gives the boys more time to participate and if you are working with an organization, you often have to sign up well in advance. Churches or specific organizations have some plans for addressing these issues. Maybe you can join in those efforts or devise your own "good turn." Here are some ideas:

ü  Collect clothing, toys, book, school supplies, decorations, and canned goods for shelters for needy families.

ü  Make decorations for someone's home or apartment.

ü  Help an elderly person or shut-ins to decorate their home for Christmas. Be sure to help them take down the decorations after Christmas.

ü  Save money from recycling and purchase a Christmas tree for a needy family.

ü  Make a full holiday meal and serve it to low-income elderly (assign each den family to make a certain item).

ü  Go caroling on the children's floor at the hospital, at the nursing home or around town.

ü  Visit the elderly and share a craft or put on a simple skit or read to them.

ü  Select some needy person and become their "secret Santa." Each week of December, mail them some little knick-knack, card, or memento.

ü  Make bird feeders: String popcorn and cranberries and hang them where the elderly and the shut-ins may watch the birds come to feed.

ü  Have each family bring a piece of clothing (gloves, hat, socks etc.) to the Pack meeting. Have them hang these on a clothesline. Donate all the items to a local homeless shelter.

ü  Do yard work regularly during the month for a church, temple, elderly, or shut-ins.

ü  Clean up the grounds or plant flowers for the chartered organization.

ü  Collect books and magazines for needy families and send them with homemade bookmarks.

ü  Share what blessings each of us has

Please note:

Most institutions have restrictions, so be sure to clear with them before you undertake a project. When you are visiting a place that is normally isolated from the outside world, like a nursing home or convalescent home, please be careful about taking children who have severe colds. The patients/residents are susceptible to outside germs. Remind the boys that a service project is not limited to the holiday season. Many organizations need help throughout the year. The holiday season is just a good time to start a service project. Have the boys get involved in service projects year round. Projects don't have to be big. Please read pages 9-10 to 9-11 in the Cub Scout Leader Book for a service project that will be ideal for other times of the year.

See more other Service Activity ideas from
Alice under Theme Related Stuff

Field Trips

Grand Teton Council

ü  Local food bank

ü  Thrift stores

ü  Salvation Army - How do they help?

ü  Visit a Humanitarian Center where they help those in need

Activities

Grand Teton Council

ü  Shovel walks

ü  “Giving Tree” (in many communities, they have a tree where needs of individuals are placed, and people can choose to help anonymously.  Your community may have something similar)

ü  School bags

ü  Gifts for children’s ward of hospitals

ü  Gifts for homeless shelter

ü  Party for younger children

ü  Thanksgiving dinner - help with soup kitchen, etc., or invite someone to share your own dinner

Service Circle:

Grand Teton Council

To start this, each boy draws the name of another boy in the den out of a bowl.  Then during the upcoming week they need to do an act of service for that boy.  It can be done anonymously.  At the beginning or end of each den meeting have each boy tell what service they received.  Help the boys understand what service is, by you or their parents doing an act for each of them before the first den meeting of the month. And then as a den, talk about this act of service.  Instead of putting in the den members’ names, you could put in general names of people in their family they could serve.  There are many ways this idea could be adapted to your own situations and circumstances.

Seed Packet Patterns

Baloo

There are several items in this issue that call for you to use or make seed packets.  This used to stump me.  But now thanks to the internet, I have found many places that have patterns and ideas you can download for seed packets.

Most of the patterns look something like this -

If you go to
http://www.modishblog.com/modish/2008/03/project-seed-pa.html

You can se this one and get details instructions on how to decorate it.  She even has some downloads for premade patterns (But boy-made patterns are better!!!!)

And her are some more that I found -

http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/garden_crafts.html

http://www.southernliving.com/southern/gardens/seasonal_gardens/article/0,28012,1116001-2,00.html

http://www.squidoo.com/flowerseedpackets

http://apartmentfarm.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/make-your-own-seed-packets/

http://www.masdudiable.com/A55C37/mdd.nsf/dx/Make-your-own-seed-packets.htm?opendocument&comments

or do your own search -

Seed Packets

Seed packet templates

Make your own seed packets

SEED TOPIARY

Heart of America Council

Gather seeds and beans to create a wonderful geometric design in a clay pot. Learn how to divide and measure a round object the easy way, using rubber bands.

You will need: (for each topiary)

Dried green and yellow split peas

Dried black, red kidney and navy beans

4” Styrofoam ball

2 ½” Styrofoam ball

6” cinnamon stick

2 ½” clay pot

Tacky glue

Small handful of green moss

3 strands of natural raffia

4 rubber bands

Fine point permanent marker

Toothpicks

Scissors, #2 soft pencil, Ruler

Instructions:

·         Glue the 2 ½” ball into the pot.

·         Push hard on the foam with your fingers until the foam is level with the top of the pot.

·         Make a hole in the center of the foam with the pencil.

·         Place a rubber band around the 4” ball dividing it into 2 equal parts.

·         Place two more rubber bands around the ball dividing it into six sections.

·         Place the fourth rubber band around the center of the ball across the other rubber bands.  There are now 12 sections.

·         Make lines along the rubber bands with the marker;

·         Then remove the rubber bands.

·         Sort the different types of peas and beans (an egg carton works well for this).

·         Work first on one side of the center line.

·         Glue the black beans along the lines to form sections.

·         Spread one section with glue.

·         Glue a kidney bean in the center and fill with navy beans. Repeat this process first with green peas, then with yellow peas.

·         Continue until all sections at the top are filled.

·         Let dry.

·         Make a 1” deep hole at the bottom on of the ball and glue the cinnamon stick onto it.

·         Glue black beans over the lines to form sections, then glue different types of bens in each section as you did the top portion of the ball.

·         Glue the cinnamon stick into the hole in the clay pot.

·         Allow to dry.

·         Glue moss around the base of the cinnamon stick to cover the foam.

·         Tie raffia bow around cinnamon stick at bottom of ball and trim tails to 4”.

·         This makes a good centerpiece for Thanksgiving.

GROW YOUR OWN CORN

Heart of America Council

What you'll need:

Kernels of popcorn

Ziploc bag

Dirt

Water

Directions:

1.       Place some dirt in a Ziploc bag;

2.       Add some water and a few kernels of popcorn.

3.       Seal the bag and place it in a sunny window.

4.       You should see some growth within a week

Sweet Gum Pod Mouse

Heart of America Council

Almost all the supplies for this Sweet Gum Mouse can be gathered on a nature walk. (Hint)

What you'll need:

Sweet gum pod/ball with stem, Dried (no seeds)

Acorn or other small nut

2 (5 MM) Wiggle eyes

Low temp glue gun or tacky glue

2 tiny Brown pom-poms

Dried pine needles

Scissors

Slice of dead tree branch or other piece of wood for base (about 1/2" thick and 2" across)

Gold spray paint

How to make it:

1.       Glue the pod to the wood with the stem sticking out. The stem will be the tail.

2.       Glue the acorn to the other end of the pod, slightly at an angle for the head.

3.       Glue on the wiggle eyes and the pom-poms for the ears.

4.       Cut the dried pine needles to the desired size and glue on for the whiskers.

Tips
The sweet gum pod needs to be dried (without seeds) and brown in color. If the pod is green it has not released its seeds yet.

Experiments with Seeds
How Plants Grow

Heart of America Council

Nature has given plants a powerful will to grow, and all you have to do is assist her by supplying their basic needs -moisture, light, air, food and space.

Here are some growing experiments to help you understand the growing process more clearly.

Germination

Seeds need moisture and warmth to germinate. To watch them grow, line the inside of a glass jar with a piece of wet blotting paper. Between the blotter and the glass, place birdseed, radish or grass seed that has been soaked overnight in warm water. Put an inch of water in the bottom of the jar so the blotter will stay moist. Watch for the seeds to develop roots and tiny leaves in a few days. To show the effect of warmth, prepare two identical glasses and set one in the refrigerator.

Root Growth

To show how strong is the instinct of plants to grow with their roots downward seeking a supply of moisture, put a cover on the jar with the sprouted seedlings and turn it upside down. In a day or so the roots will turn downward toward the supply of water.

Stem Growth

Stems grow upwards with equal force, seeking air and light. To observe a plant as it twists its way toward the light, make an obstacle box from a one-pound cracker box or shoe box. Cut a window about 2" x 3" near the top. Cut two pieces of cardboard as wide as the box and tape them to the sides. Bend them down, leaving a small space. At the bottom, set a small pot with a bean seedling growing in it.

Need of Water

To trace water through plant tissues, make a fresh cut at the bottom of a carrot and piece of celery. Soak for a while in water then place in a fairly concentrated solution of red ink or dye. After a few hours, cut the carrot from top to bottom and cut across the celery stalks.

In the celery, you will find color even in the veins of the leaves. Bi-colored carnations, sometimes seen at the florists, are made by splitting the stem partway and putting each half in a different color. Try this with other white flowers, if available.

Kindness Books

Sam Houston Area Council

Materials:    3” x 5” paper and markers, pencils or pens

Purpose:       To emphasize that helping others includes those in our own families.

Boys could make coupon books to give to their parents.

Leader prepares slips of paper ahead of time; 3” x 5” is a good size.

Give each boy about 10.

Boys decide what they can do to help their families and write one thing on each coupon or illustrate it by drawing.

The books are then stapled together, and each boy gives his parents the book.

Parents can redeem the coupons by giving one to their son.

He agrees to perform the action illustrated on the coupon.

Suggestions for coupons could be: doing something without being asked, picking up toys, a bear hug, helping prepare a meal, drawing a special picture, doing an extra chore, etc.

BRAILLE CARDS

Sam Houston Area Council

In the Braille alphabet, a pattern of raised dots represents each letter of the alphabet. A person can "read" through his fingertips by feeling the raised letters. Here is an alphabet written in Braille.  The colored dots represent the raised dots. If you poke a pinpoint through the back of each of the colored dots, you can "raise" the letters. Try feeling the pattern with your fingers. Now try to write your own coded message in the Braille alphabet.

Have the boys glue seeds or lentil beans onto index cards. Write the letter on the back for Reference.

Use the cards to make messages.

Try it blindfolded.

Good Deed Paper Chain

Sam Houston Area Council

Make a paper chain and have the Scouts write the name of a family member on each link.

Direct them to remove a link each day and do a good deed for the person whose name is on the link.

Giving Back Day

Sam Houston Area Council

Ask your Scouts to find a gently used toy, game or book to donate to a local organization that supports children.

Fill bags they have decorated with the items and make a special delivery.

Family Information Board

Sam Houston Area Council

Materials:

12 inch square adhesive-backed cork tile,

12 inch cardboard square (a packing box is good)

Heavy rope or twine,

Wire,

Tape and glue

Instructions:

ü  Remove the paper backing from the cork tile and stick the tile to the cardboard.

ü  Cut a 4-foot length or heavy rope or twine and glue it around the edge of the tile as a border.

ü  For the hanger, glue or tape a wire loop on the back.

ü  Now your family will have a place to post important information.

Thank You Cards

Sam Houston Area Council

Materials:           

paper or index cards,

markers or crayons,

magazine pictures or stickers,

glue,

envelopes

Instructions:

ü  Fold the paper or index card in half to make a card.

ü  Have Cub Scouts think about someone who has done something nice or helpful for him. The card could be for a parent, brother, sister, grandparent, neighbor, babysitter, teacher, etc

ü  Once the Cub Scouts have thought of someone that they would like to make a card for, let them use their creativity and make it.

ü  Then, make sure they get the opportunity to deliver the “thank you” – by mail, in person, etc.

Food Basket

Sam Houston Area Council

P There may be a family or individual that pack members know or that your chartered organization may be aware of that may need some help having a Thanksgiving dinner.

P As a pack you could assign canned vegetables, etc for boys to bring.

P Some boys could bring fruit, others could bring pumpkin pie mix, etc.

P The pack might even be able to donate a small turkey.

P At a den meeting, the boys and leaders could bring all items together and then as a group could help deliver the food to the family or individual. (You could also keep the name of the family or individual anonymous and have a discussion with the boys that sometimes we help people even when we may not know their names.)

Favorite Play Doh

Alice, Golden Empire Council

Not strictly grub, although it won’t hurt if you eat a little during play.  It looks, smells, works and even tastes just like the play doh you buy in cans!

Ingredients: 

Liquid -

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• Food coloring (Paste works best and you can do any color, even black, but regular will work too)

Dry -

• 1 cup flour
• ½1/2 cup salt
• 2 tbsp. cream of tartar

Directions:

ü  Mix the liquids together,

ü  Then add the dry ingredients. 

(This is a different way to do it, but this way,
 you don’t have food coloring staining everything in sight)

ü  Now add in the dry ingredients:

ü  Mix all ingredients in saucepan.

ü  Heat on medium, stirring constantly until ball forms. (The color will suddenly change, and the consistency will become rubbery looking)  Takes only 3-5 minutes. 

ü  Pour out onto a board, let it cool a little, then knead it till soft and pliable. 

ü  After kneading, store in an airtight container or baggie. 
It will last a long time.

ü  This recipe makes about 4x as much as you get in the little cans.

ü  Snack baggies work great for making sets of different colors to give to individual children.

I’ve done this recipe with lots of children, some as young as two, and they always have fun with it.  I’ve even used it for a project for the Christmas Bishop’s storehouse – each child made a batch, then they got to take home just a snack baggie full of the color – the rest went for stockings for other children who needed a Christmas.  One time, my den watched one of those claymation cartoons (Gromet or Gumby) then we made play doh in whatever colors the boys wanted.  Then, either in pairs or groups, they “produced” their own claymation films – with a parent handling a video cam.  Great fun!!     Alice

p.s. – it really does taste the same – I tried it!!

Grow A Sock

Heart of America Council

ü  Dress each boy in an old pair of high (knee) socks.

ü  Go for a walk through a densely vegetated area.

ü  An empty lot overgrown with weeds would be excellent

ü  Look at the socks! Then take them off.

ü  Wet the entire sock

ü  Place it in a cake pan placed on a slant.

ü  Fill the lower portion of the pan with water so the sock remains wet. 

ü  Place the pan in a warm place and watch the seeds sprout

Seed-head Shooters

Santa Clara County Council

Some kinds of wildflowers have seed heads left at the tops of their stems when the petals have fallen off.  Pull up a long-stemmed seed head and twist the stem around and over itself as shown. 

Using the thumb and forefinger of one hand, grip the bent stem near the seed head, and, in a quick, snapping motion, attempt to pull the seed head through the bent stem loop.  The seed head will shoot out (somewhere between a few feet and several yards, depending on the age of the stem and the skill of the shooter), and may hit a target.

Windowsill Bird Feeding

Heart of America Council

Jays, nuthatches, and cardinals are bold, curious birds. They will fly right onto a window ledge for a meal. Start by putting bread crumbs on a windowsill. Birds can spot them quickly. When the birds are used to coming to your house to eat, you can switch to sunflower seeds or wild birdseed.

Here's a quick windowsill treat:

Roll 1 cup of peanut butter in birdseed or sunflower seeds to make a ball.

Squeeze it in your hands until it holds together well.

Put the ball on your windowsill. (If you have a backyard, you can put it out on a fencepost).

Bird Feeding Tips

If you can, set up two or three bird feeding stations.

Some birds are bullies. Once they find an eating spot, they will drive other birds away. If there are several eating places, all the birds have a better chance to get their share. Once you start feeding the birds, DON'T STOP. They will come to depend on you for food. If you stop suddenly in the winter, they may starve.

Who Likes What

Sunflower Seeds:     Jays, cardinals, chickadees, goldfinches, nuthatches, sparrows

Millet:                                    Juncos, sparrows, goldfinches

Peanuts:                    Jays, chickadees, goldfinches

Suet and bacon fat:            Woodpeckers, chickadees, starlings

BIRD BISCUIT

Heart of America Council

What you'll need:

Flat wooden heart (or any wooden shape)

Peanut butter

Birdseed

Drill

Approximately 4 feet of 1/4 inch wide ribbon

Bowl

How to make it:

1.       Drill one small hole in each side of the heart - same distance from the top so that the heart is not lopsided.

2.       Cover the wooden heart completely in peanut butter and then place the heart in a bowl of bird seed.

3.       Cover the entire area of the heart with the birdseed making sure no bald spots are left anywhere on the heart.

4.       Cut two lengths of ribbon each 2 feet long and run one length of ribbon through each hole.

5.       Tie all ends of the ribbons together in a bow or knot.

6.       Hang bird biscuit in a tree or somewhere birds have easy access to it.

MARBLED PAPERS

Heart of America Council

About this project—

With this project you can make professional-looking cards, envelopes, stationery, and anything else you can think of! You may want to monitor your young children, though, because oil paints and marbling inks can be harmful if swallowed. This project is rated EASY to do.

Supplies -

·         Assorted colors of oil paints or marbling inks (the inks work better)

·         Plain, white paper (computer paper works best)

·         An oven pan covered with tin foil (make sure the pan is big enough to fit your paper)

·         Water to fill the saucepan

·         1 teaspoon of vinegar (if using marbling inks)

·         Newspaper to cover your work area

·         A pencil or toothpick

Project how to -

1.       Fill the oven pan (with the tin foil over it) with water.

2.       If you are using marbling inks, put the teaspoon of vinegar in the oven pan, and mix well.

3.       Put in just a tad of the marbling inks or oil paints (using two or more colors works best).

4.       Swirl the colors with the pencil or toothpick.

5.       Put the paper in the pan slowly. Work quickly, especially when using oil paints. If you do not work quickly, the paint will make a sheet on top of the water, and you will not be able to marble.

6.       Take the paper out and put it face down on the newspaper for about a minute.

7.       You are done!!

8.       Use the paper when completely dry.

PINE CONE TURKEYS

Heart of America Council

About this project—

This turkey is colorful and easy for youngsters to make. When complete, they make cute table decorations at each place setting for Thanksgiving dinner or holiday parties.

Supplies –

Plump Pine Cones (spherical about 1 1/2"-2" diameter)

Bumpy Chenille Wires (1 red, 1 orange, 5 other colors)

Glue (craft, wood, or all purpose that dries clear)

Wire Cutter

Project how to –

1.       Make sure each pine cone is dried thoroughly.

2.       Cut the bumps apart in each chenille wire. Using wire cutters, cut in the center of each place where the wire narrows down--you want the bumps whole and fluffy.

3.       Take one red bump and shape into an 'S'. Glue this to the rounded end of the cone with the bump protruding somewhat above the cone for the head of the turkey.

4.       Take one orange bump and shape into a 'V'. Glue this under the bottom of the round part of the cone for the legs and feet. The feet can be shaped later. Toes can even be added.

5.       Take five to seven other bumps and carefully bend them so the narrow ends can be twisted together leaving the puffy end somewhat rounded. Glue as many of these as nicely fits close to the flatter stemmed end of the pine cone remembering to use glue only on the twisted end of the chenille wire.

6.       Let dry and then adjust shaped of chenille wires to make your turkey look more realistic.

Tip:
If you would like to use these as napkin rings, cut the orange chenille wires longer and make them into a circle and glue circle on bottom of turkeys.

Boy Scout Emblem Pony Bead Pattern

Heart of America Council

You need:

65 Ivory Pony Beads

39 Blue (or Green) Pony Beads

3 Yards Satin Cord

1 Lanyard Hook

Basic Instructions:

Fold your ribbon in half to find the center.

Use a half hitch (see detail) to secure it to lanyard hook.

Lace beads using pattern at right as a guide.

Finish by tying off with a double knot.

Add beads to laces and knot ends.

MORE GAMES AND ACTIVITIES  

 Sam Houston Area Council

From the Cub Scout Leader How-To Book –

ü  Pack Autumn Harvest Festival, page 6-10

ü  Seed Collections, page 4-6

ü  Seed Planting Relay, page 3-27