PRE-OPENING ACTIVITY

Gathering Snowballs

Santa Clara County Council

As the families gather, present each with a nametag, on which you have left room to write a number. The set-up for this game is a table on which you have placed cotton balls (be sure to have quite a few). You also need either wooden or good sized plastic spoons all the same size. As players enter room have them see how many cotton balls they can gather in an allotted time (10 or 15 seconds) and write their total on their nametag. Remember, with the spoon only; no hands allowed. At the end of the game, award a small prize for the one who collected the most balls.

A Visit From Saint Nicholas

Santa Clara County Council

Provide sets of four cards. On each card, write one of the first four lines of the famous Christmas poem:

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Suspend the cards with a string around the necks of all the players. On signal, everyone is to scramble about seeking the other three lines of the poem. The first four to line up in the proper sequence are the winners.

Christmas Greeting Matchup

Santa Clara County Council

Below are holiday greetings from 6 different countries. See if you can match each greeting with the country it comes from. Work with your parents.

Answers: 1-b, 2-c, 3-d, 4-f, 5-a, 6-e

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Materials found in Baloo's Bugle may be used by Scouters for Scouting activities provided that Baloo's Bugle and the original contributors are cited as the source of the material.