Kwanzaa, 30/12/08

Game: Back to back

Players stand about in pairs. One Beaver is ‘It’

When the leaders calls, "Back to back!" the players must back up to a partner.  When the leader calls "Face to Face!" these partners must face each other and shake hands. 

On the next call "Back to back!" and each time here after, all players must change partners. 

‘It’ tries to get a partner during the change. 

The player left out becomes it.

Fried BananasThe holiday is based on traditional "first fruits" or harvest.
A snack idea for this would be Fried Bananas -
Material -
6 med to large bananas; plastic knives; lemon juice; brown sugar; cinnamon;
butter; frying pan; spatula; paper towels
Ask the children to peel the bananas and cut into 1/2" slices (you may want to
do the cutting). Place banana slice on a plate and sprinkle a little lemon
juice, brown sugar and cinnamon onto the slices. Put butter in the frying pan
over med heat. Place a layer of slices in the frying pan. Fry both sides of
the slices until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Game: Banana

Equipment: A rag or sock or a real banana     

Form a circle with all players sitting on the floor.  It is important for the players to sit close together with their knees up and their hands tucked under their legs.  The person in the middle has to figure out where the banana is as the people in the circle are passing the "banana" under their legs secretly.     

The Twins

One day a set of twins decided to move to a new town because they felt like they’d seen everything there was to see in their hometown. They started out together, but somehow along the way one twin had gotten ahead of the other one.

This first twin came to an old man sitting by the road just outside a nearby town.  The twin stopped and asked the old man what the people were like in this town. The old man replied by asking the same question of him, “What were the people like in the town you came from?” The first twin said they were very unkind and harsh, not very friendly at all. The old man said, “I think you’ll find that the people who live here are very much the same.”

Not long after the first twin left, the second twin came across the same old man sitting by the same road. This twin stopped and asked the same question of the old man. The old man again replied by asking what the people were like in the town the twin had come from. The second twin said the people were all great. “I had a lot of friends and the people always tried to help others.” The old man replied, “I think you’ll find that the people who live here are very much the same.”

The point here isn’t about the people who lived in those towns, it is about how a person treats the people around him. If you treat others with kindness and understanding, they will treat you the same way.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“It’s the spirit within, not the veneer without, which makes a man.”

Our Spiritual Compass

For Scouts on a hike or a canoe trip, a compass is an important tool. Because it gives you a stable reference point (magnetic north), you can set a course and follow it. As long as your compass is accurate and you don’t damage it, it will serve you faithfully—if you trust it. Our faith or spirituality is something like that. We have a point of reference that does not change: God. And we have a compass, so to speak, in our relationship with God. It’s something we have learned and continue to learn about, just as we learn to use a compass properly. We use our spirituality and faith to get us through this grand journey we call life. If we are prepared to trust the things we have learned about God, our spirituality can guide us through the joys and the temptations of life. We can use it to show us what service we can give and what potential dangers to stay away from. We can use it to guide us in our friendships, in our work, in what we say to people and about people, and in how we treat our natural world.

Remembrance Day, 11/11/08

Chat about Remembrance Day and peace. Practice standing to attention and at ease.

Army, navy, air force game

In a circle each Beaver Scout is named army, navy, or airforce. The leader calls one name and the Beaver with that name run around the outside of the circle. First one back to his own place scores a point for his team.

Craft:

Poppy Wreath + Cross

Poppy Wreath

Draw and cut out poppy shapes from red tissue or crepe paper. Use black paper for the centre circle.

Cut the centre from a paper plate (this can be used for the cross craft).

Stick the poppies around the circle

Poppy Cross

Using centre from plate cut into a cross.

Stick one poppy to the centre of the cross

Attention game

The Beavers march around the room. The leader calls out:-

Attention – they all stand still & to attention

At ease - they all stand still & at ease

Salute - they all stand still & salute

Fall out - they all turn right and walk to the edge of the room

March - they all march around the room.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“It is risky to order a boy not to do something; it immediately opens to him the adventure of doing it.”

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“It is risky to order a boy not to do something; it immediately opens to him the adventure of doing it.”

All Saints Day, 01/11/08

Coming in game: 5 Dots

Each Beavers has a piece of paper and a pencil. He/she puts 5 dots anywhere on the paper and passes the paper to another Beavers. The Beavers has to draw a person with head, both hands and both feet each touching a different dot.

Remember the halo – because we are doing Saints !

Game: Saints About

One piece of paper per Beaver – on which is written the name of a saint. These can be repeated so 3 or 4 pieces of paper have the same name. Place the paper on the floor. The Beavers run around and when ALL Saints is called they stand on a piece of paper. The leader calls out a saint’s name and if the Beavers in on that named paper he wins a sweet.

Craft Bases: Stained Glass Windows

If you are a sponsored group your Church may have stained glass windows depicting Saints – perhaps you could show the Beavers them?

Each Beavers need a square of sugar paper with a design in the centre cut out & some pieces of coloured tissue paper. The Beavers should cut the tissue paper to cover the hole in the paper. When completed they can be hung in the Beavers windows at home.

Game: Oranges & Lemons

2 Beavers stand in centre of room hands held up into an arch, one is an orange the other a lemon.. The other Beavers pass through. When the last line is said the 2 Beavers catch a Beavers within their arms. He then joins the arch as either an orange or a lemon, and so on.

Attitude

Words could never adequately convey how great the impact our attitude can have on our lives. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it. I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitude is right, there’s no barrier too wide, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“You can only get discipline in the mass by discipline in the individual.”

We Make a Difference

It was just about midweek during our annual canoe trip. Just as dinner was being served, an argument erupted between two of the older Scouts. After separating them and counselling with each of them, I went down to the lake for a little solitude. Somehow the group just wasn’t coming together. I sat on a log with my feet propped up on two rocks resting in the water, trying to think of what I could do to make a difference. Just about when I’d decided that the trouble was all due to some failing on my part, I looked up and noticed some huge thunderheads that had formed. How beautiful they were. Then something caught my eye across the lake. It looked as if diamonds were dancing toward me on the water! Closer and closer they came until they finally reached me. Hail! The hail started coming down harder and harder until I had to put my head down. Still, the hail came down even harder. I pulled my jacket up over my head, but the hail was unrelenting in its force. There I was with my head between my legs, my eyes squeezed shut against the pain of the pounding hailstones, my nose only inches from the surface of the water, thinking, “Why me, God? Why me?” And the hail came down even harder. Finally, I opened my eyes and looked down below the surface of the lake. There, under the protection of my jacket, the underwater life continued as normal, while beyond the influence of my coat the lake churned with the fury of the hailstorm. It was only then that I realized what God was trying to tell me—I did make a difference. We all make a difference to a Scout in life’s storms. Just by being who we are, someone to come to with a problem, someone who can understand the differences of opinions, someone who stands for right and provides a good example. Just remember, we do make a difference.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“The Scoutmaster must be alert to check badge hunting as compared to badge earning.”

Whose Job Is It?

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.

Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it. But Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“The Scout Oath and Law are our binding disciplinary force.”

St Christopher, 25/07/08

Chat about St Christopher Patron Saint of Travellers

Transport

Let the Beavers design some forms of unusual transport

Game: Helping over the water

Equipment: rope for each lodge

Mark out an area on the floor that is to be the river

One Beavers from each lodge should be on one side of the river, with the rest of the lodge on the other side

The lone Beavers should throw the rope to first the Beavers on the other side - who should catch it and then allow himself to be pulled over the river. First lodge across the water wins.

Craft Base -Travelling

Using a large sheet of paper make a roadway of streets and roads around your area. Add markings such as yellow lines, crossings. Mark where the traffic lights and road signs go.

Let the Beavers make the traffic lights, road signs out of card and lolly sticks.

Let the Beavers make cars out of plasticine or card

Then let them make a model of themselves and talk about travel and crossing the road.

Game: Helping each other (Balloon Duo)

In pairs, give each pair a balloon to blow up and tie.

Mark start and finish lines about 30 feet apart.

Partners stand side by side at the start line, linking their inside arms and holding the balloon in their free hands. When the leader says GO the partners work together hitting the balloon to keep it in the air and making their way down the hall to the finish line.

If a balloon lands on the floor the partners may stop to pick it up, but may not unlink arms.

Set of the Sail

It’s likely that several of you guys have done some sailing and found it to be a lot of fun. The amazing thing about sailing is that two sailboats in the same breeze can be going in different directions! I’m sure you’ve noticed that.

The same thing can be true of Scouts. Let me read you a very short play to show what I mean.

Act 1: Curtain! Two boys enter to join a Scout troop.

The curtain closes. Time passes.

Act 2: The curtain opens again to show the same troop two or three years later. Where are those guys who joined in Act 1? Wait, there’s one! Hey, he’s a Patrol Leader now. And there’s the other one! But look, he’s wearing only an Assistant Patrol Leader badge. Why?

Both had the same chances. One Scout sailed ahead, one limped along. Why? Must be the set of their sails!

As Ella Wheeler Wilcox said:

One ship drives east and another drives west

With the selfsame winds that blow.

’Tis the set of the sails and not the gales

Which tells us the way to go.

St Swithin,15/07/08

Chat about St Swithin - Patron Saint of Weather - then let the Beavers change into the old clothes that they have brought with them

1.Outside Game: Water Relay

Beavers in teams. Place a small amount of water into a paper cup. See which team can carry the water on their heads and empty into a bucket without spilling.

2.Outside Game: Water Rounders

Use water balloons instead of balls. Usual rules apply!

3.Outside Game: Sponge Battle

Similar rules to volley ball but with wet sponges.

Make a ‘net’ with 2 poles and rope. Beavers (in 2 teams) line up on either side of net armed with pieces of wet sponge. Have a bucket of water ready to ‘refresh’ the sponges. See who can get the most sponges into the other teams ½ after (say) 2 minutes.

Come in, and get dry. Have a (wet) drink!

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room.”

St Peter, 29/06/08

Chat about St Peter - Story of St Peter Patron Saint of Fishermen

Game: Crab Football

Make goals at each end of the room. The Beavers get into crab position hands and feet on the floor with their backs to the floor - and then play football. Remember crabs run sideways.

Craft bases:

1.Flapping fish - Cut out paper fish from paper and then decorate - then see later game

2.Gone fishing game - Magnetic fishing. Let the Beavers make small fish (as template or let them design their own) and add a paper clip to their nose. Put a small magnet on a piece of string attached to a garden cane - then go fishing

3.Olly Octopus - Let the Beavers colour and cut out the octopus shape. Cut a kitchen roll inner into 5-cm lengths and stick the paper shape to it

Game: Swimming fish

Give each Beavers a rolled up newspaper to ‘flap at’ their fish with. See whose fish swims the fastest.

I Wish I Was Like That Brother

Upon graduation from college a few years back, a young man received a gift from his older brother. It was a shiny brand-new car, the car of his dreams! One morning as he approached the car, he saw a boy of about 12 peering through the windows into the car. The young man recognized him as the boy his parents paid to mow their lawn and shovel their sidewalk. Obviously enthralled with the car, the boy hadn’t heard the young man approaching.

“Is this your car?” the boy asked when he finally noticed the man.

“Yes, it is,” the man responded proudly.

“Wow! This is a nice car!” remarked the boy. “How much did it cost?”

“I don’t know,” the man answered.

“It’s your car, but you don’t know how much it cost?”

“No,” admitted the man. “You see, my brother bought it for me.”

“I wish . . . I wish . . . I wish . . . ,” stuttered the boy.

The man thought, He’s going to say, I wish I had a car like this. “I wish I was like that brother!” finished the boy.

Amazed at the boy’s response, the young man offered to drive him around the block. The boy hopped in the car and soon asked if the man would drive him home. Thinking that the boy wanted to show off to his friends that he was riding in a new car, and since the boy and his own parents were such good friends, the man agreed. They drove more than a few blocks to where the boy lived and as he turned onto the street the man noticed that it wasn’t the best-kept neighbourhood. The houses were dirty and run down. He pulled up in front of the boy’s house. “Please wait!” the boy yelled as he ran into the house. Oh, he’s probably going to get his family so he can show off the new car, the man thought. The front door opened and out came the boy. In his arms he carried a smaller boy, his younger brother who had been crippled since birth. The older boy brought his brother out to the car, and exclaimed as he hugged him tightly, “See, just like I told you! It’s a brand-new car! And someday, I’m going to buy you one just like it!”

How unselfish this boy was, to be the kind of brother who looked after the other one first. What kind of Scout are you? Are you like the older brother?

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“A boy is not a sitting-down animal.”

Two Monks

Two monks on a pilgrimage came to the ford of a river. There they saw a girl dressed in all her finery, obviously not knowing what to do since the river was high and she did not want to spoil her clothes. Without a thought, one of the monks took her upon his back, carried her across the river, and put her down on dry ground on the other side.

Then the monks continued on their way. But after about an hour, the other monk started complaining, “Surely it wasn’t right for you to touch that woman. It is against the commandments to have close contact with women. How could you go against the rules of monks?” The monk who had carried the girl walked along silently, but finally he replied, “I set her down by the river an hour ago. Why are you still carrying her?”

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“Vigorous Scout games are the best form of physical education because most of them bring in moral education.”

May Day, 01/05/08

Game:  Gathering nuts in May

Equipment

A plate per player

5 items per player, ie. Spoon, pen, pencil sharpener, anything!

Game Description

Each Beaver stands by his plate with his five items on it. At the blow of a whistle he has to go to another Beaver’s plate and take one item from it, and put it onto his own plate. He continues to do this, going to any Beaver’s plate, until the second whistle is blown. The winner is the Beaver with the most items on his plate.

Craft Bases: May Day Basket

Materials Needed:

• Kitchen Roll inner
• Tape
• Construction Paper or Wallpaper Scraps
• Markers or Paint
• Pipe Cleaner

Instructions:
Cut the roll in to quarters so you have 4 circles.

Cover one opening with construction paper and tape securely in place.

Cut a strip of construction paper or wallpaper to cover the outside of the roll.

Use a hole punch and make 2 holes near the open hole of the roll.

Make sure the holes are directly across from each other.

Thread one end of the pipe cleaner into each hole.

Fold the ends up and wrap around the pipe cleaner to make the handle.

Fill your mini basket with real or home-made flowers

Game: ‘May we get free’

One or two Beavers are "it".

They tig the others who then stand with their legs apart and arms stretched out to the side.

Beavers can free them by running under their arm or by crawling under their legs, after the ‘frozen’ Beavers says ‘May I get free’

St George, 23/04/08

Chat about St George - Story of St George - Emblem = Rose - Flag design

Game: Dragons and Hunters Beavers stand in a circle, one is the dragon and walks around the circle, tapping other Beavers on the shoulder saying Handmaid, when he taps and says Hunter, the Beavers who becomes the hunter chases the dragon around the circle and back into the empty space. If caught the dragon remains inside the circle, and the hunter is the dragon.

Craft Bases

1. Dragon Biscuits - using round digestive biscuits as base, let the Beavers make a dragon from marshmallows and other sweets.

2. English Flag - using template Beavers draw cross onto a piece of paper (appx 15cm x 20cm) -as template, colour in. Attach to garden cane or straw.

Drink and eat biscuits

Statues - Same as normal statues - but the dragon is ‘on’. and the Beaver Scouts run around being knights on horses.

Sword and Shield - make cardboard ones to play with later

Sword fight

Finger Food

Eat like they did in times of old - with your fingers!

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

Everyone, close your eyes for a minute and clear your minds. I am going to give you a question to ask yourselves, but I do not want you to answer it yet: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Scouting is, of course, a time in your lives to have fun. But it has a very serious side as well. It is a time when you will learn many things to help you grow physically as well as mentally. It is hoped that you will learn to be responsible young men to your families, to other people, and to your fellow Scouts. Caring about and helping others are a large part of being responsible, which forms the basis of all aspects of Scouting. For instance, you might know a skill and perform it very well while another Scout might be having a problem with it. Don’t mock or belittle him. Take the time to show him the correct way to perform the skill. You might be wondering how that will help. Well, it will help in so many ways. Naturally, it will benefit the boy you have stopped to help by building his confidence and enabling him to teach others. But, also, can’t you see that you will be receiving the most benefit? You will have grown by showing others that you care. You will be looked up to as a leader. You will no longer be regarded as the student; you will now take your place as a role model and teacher, someone who is respected and admired.

So the next time I ask you to ask yourselves, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” you can look at me and proudly say, “Yes, I am!” Just remember that the answer to this question is not just a commitment, it is a way of life.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“An invaluable step in character training is to put responsibility on the individual.”

Give It Your All!

(You will need one baking potato and two plastic drinking straws.)

(Hold up the potato.) Scouts, think of this potato as your obstacle to a desired goal, whether it’s your advancement to Patrol Leader or earning money for that new mountain bike you want. (Hold up the first plastic straw in your other hand.)

Now think of this straw as your desire to reach your goal on the other side of the obstacle—in this case, the potato. (Push the straw against the potato. The straw will bend over.) Notice that if you go at your obstacle half-heartedly, your will to reach your goal is easily bent. You are easily kept from your goal. (Now take the second straw and hold it in your fist, placing your thumb over the open end of the straw.)

But, if you are willing to give it your all, you can easily reach your goal on the other side! (Thrust the straw at the potato, keeping your thumb over the open end of the straw. The trapped air in the straw makes it rigid and the straw is easily thrust cleanly into the potato. Hold up the potato and straw to show the Scouts that indeed you have reached your goal.) This demonstration was meant to show you the value of not giving up, even if an obstacle seems too great to surpass!

St Patrick, 17/03/08

Chat about St Patrick - Story of St Patrick - Emblem = Shamrock - Flag design

Game: Captain's Aboard - Irish theme Name walls - north, south, east and west. Actions - Shamrock (in 3s) Leprechaun (jump about) Flag (in 4s) Kiss the blarney stone (lie on floor) St Patrick (line up in front of person saying this) Freeze

Craft Bases:

1. Lucky Shamrock - cut shamrock shape as template - colour green. Cut "plant pot", colour, stick strip of card to back to push shamrock through. 2. Irish Flag - using template Beavers draw cross onto a piece of paper (appx 15cm x 20cm) -as template, colour in. Attach to garden cane or straw.

Game: St Patrick and the Pirates Mark a ship shape onto floor. 3 Beavers are pirates, one is St Patrick, every one else are slaves. The slaves run around and pirates catch them and take them in to ship. St Patrick tags the slaves within the ship - he is not allowed to enter - to free them. After a short time swap the roles.

Pearls of Wisdom—Quotes from Baden-Powell

“When a boy finds someone who takes an interest in him, he responds and follows.”

Mothers Day, 02/03/08

GAME – MUMMY  (A different sort of mummy)

Egyptian mummies – Divide the Beavers into teams at one end of the hall. Choose one beaver from each team to be the ‘mummy’, and stand them at the far end of the hall. Provide each team with a couple of toilet rolls. The beavers take it in turns to run up and wrap their mummy in paper, keeping clear of the nose and eyes. At the end of a given time (five minutes or so), the Leaders decide which mummy looks the best. Clearing away can also be made into a game – the Beaver Scout with the most rubbish wins.

MOTHERS DAY PRESENT- POT POURRIE  (friendship award – caring)

 

Equipment -  Pot Pourrie, lace curtain net by the metre or old lace curtain nets from a charity shop, coloured net, thin paper curling ribbon, card, 9 inch dinner plate. Marker. Small flowers.

 

Lay out curtain lace use the dinner plate as a template, mark around the outside of the plate. Cut out 1 circle per Beaver Scout.

Do the same with the coloured netting. Cut out 2 per Beaver Scout.

 

Cut out 1 cardboard circle per Beaver Scout (the size of the top of an eggcup.                   

 

Cut to length 1 white and one same colour as netting the curling ribbon. Enough to tie around the favour and tie in a bow. Curl the two ends by running across scissors.

 

Each Beaver Scout lays 1 circle of netting, 1 circle of lace curtain, 1 circle of netting on top of each other. Place the cardboard circle in the middle of the 3 layers.

Fill with a small amount of pot pourrie.

Gather up in the hand and tie the ribbon just about the pot pourrie.

Place a small flower in the middle.

Beavers can make a small label to fasten on.

 

GAME – CLOTHES PEG ON A LINE   (jobs mums do)      

Equipment – One clothes peg per beaver, a clothes line, two chairs and 1 sock per Beavers

 

Divide beavers into four teams. Tie a clothesline across two chairs approximately 2 ft high by 12 ft wide. Place enough pegs and socks in front of each team, one for each Beavers.  A beaver from each team runs up to the line kneels down and picks up a sock and fixes with the peg to the line as quickly as possible. When Beavers has done then he/she runs back to the team and the next Beavers has a turn, when all the pegs/socks are on the line the team sit down.

ACTION STORY – (Families)

 

THE BEAVER FAMILY

Mummy Beaver, Ben Beaver, Grandpa Beaver, Grandma Beaver, Bobby Beaver, Daddy Beaver, Whole Beaver Family.

 

Sit the Beavers’s in a circle and name of in turn the underlined words of the story as they hear their name called the run around the outside of the circle and back to their place, when ‘whole beaver family is mentioned they all stand up and run around the circle.

 

One day Mummy Beaver was going shopping to buy some apples for Bobby and Ben Beaver. When she reached the end of the road she met Grandpa Beaver who had been to the post office to buy some stamps so that Grandma Beaver could post a birthday card to Daddy Beaver.

After Mummy Beaver and Grandpa Beaver had finished chatting they went on their way, Grandpa Beaver walked home to take the stamps to Grandma Beaver for Daddy Beavers card and Mummy Beaver continued walking to the shops for some apples for Bobby and Ben Beaver.

At the shops there were some lovely juicy red apples which were just the sort that Bobby and Ben Beaver loved. So she bought them two each. She also bought some crisp green pears for Grandma Beaver, some big juicy oranges for Grandpa Beaver and some bananas for Daddy Beaver.

She walked very quickly home with the apples for Bobby and Ben Beaver, the pears for Grandma Beaver, the oranges for Grandpa Beaver and the lovely yellow bananas for Daddy Beaver. As she walked she thought to herself ‘what a lovely tea I can make for everyone’. But when she got home she found that the whole Beaver family had made tea for her.

St David, 01/03/08

Game

See who can pin the tail on the dragon. Large drawing of a welsh dragon (as flag) on piece of thick cardboard (or chipboard) drawing pins with names attached, and some blindfolds.

Chat about St David - Story of St David - Emblem = Daffodil & leek - Flag design

Game: Welly Throw Beavers line up in teams. Each one has a cardboard "welly". See who can throw the welly into a large hoop on the floor. Usual relay rules.

Craft Bases:

1. Daffodil craft - cut the petal shape as template. Fold a length of yellow crepe paper (appx 45cm by 5cm) in half and the roll to form "trumpet", glue into centre of petals. Cover straw in green crepe paper and attach to flower head. Add a leaf or two.

2. Welsh Flag - using template Beavers dragon onto a piece of paper (appx 15cm x 20cm) - as template, colour in. Attach to garden cane or straw.

Game: Penning Sheep Make horse-shoe shape of chairs. Beavers stand behind their own chair - they "are in the field". On command " run round the field" the Beavers run around the outside of the horse-shoe in clockwise direction. On command "sheep in the pen" Beavers run into the horse-shoe and sit on ANY chair. They are not allowed to climb over the chairs or run anti-clockwise into the horse-shoe. As game progresses remove 2 chairs. The Beavers who are "out" can then make the calls. Continue until 2 Beavers remain.

Leap Year, 29/02/08

Turk’s Head

(Make a large Turk’s head knot about 4 to 6 inches around. Before your Minute begins, pass the Turk’s head around for all of the boys to see.) Who knows what this is? See how the strands of rope go in and around each other, and seem to never end? Working as a patrol, you boys are like the strands of this Turk’s head knot, in that you must learn to work in and around other people to reach a common goal.

(Next, pull two opposite strands apart so that the shape of the Turk’s head is distorted.) This is what happens when the patrol members do not work together:

The patrol becomes all bent out of shape. (Begin rolling the knot around your fingers or hands; this should put the shape back into the Turk’s head.) This external “working” could be the senior patrol leader or his assistant or even the Scoutmaster working with the patrol to set the example on working together.

Baden-Powells Birthday, 22/02/08

Coming in Game: Otters and Beavers

As the Beaver Scouts come in divide them into 2 teams and stand them in lines opposite each other. The players in one line are otters, the others are beavers. One otter approaches the beaver line and taps 3 outstretched palms. The last person tapped chases the otter back to their line. If the otter makes it back the beaver is captured and sits behind the otter they were chasing, but if the beaver catches the otter they both return to the beaver line and the otter sits behind the beaver.

Then a beaver does the same with the otters. Should a player capture a player who has captives of their own the new winner captures all of them too!

Game:  Happy Scouting Families

Make 5 sets of cards with each of these logos:

Beaver Scouts ; Cub Scouts ; Scouts ; Explorer Scouts ; Scout Network.

Print each one on to different coloured card

Shuffle the sets and hand them out so each player has a card

On the word ‘go’ the players try to find the other 4 members of the Scouting family

The complete family must then sit down in order with the Beaver Scout at the front and Scout Network at the end.

Blow up balloons - ready for the party games!

Chat -  Talk about the evening why we are having a party

Musical statues

Musical chairs

Pass the parcel (make sure there are sweets available for those who don’t unwrap one

Balloon games

- who can keep it in the air the longest

- who can burst it the easiest

Make a sandwich

Ice a bun (add a candle)

Games: (Shrinking) Brownsea Island

Spread out a large groundsheet and stand the Beaver Scouts some distance away

On the word ‘go’ the players try to stand on the island

When the leader calls ‘stop’ any player not on the island is out

All players leave the island, which is folded to make it smaller

The game is repeated until only 2 players are left

Valentines Day, 14/02/08

Broken Hearts

First make as many hearts as Beavers out of old birthday card fronts.

Cut each into 6 pieces and place the broken hearts around the hall.

As the Beavers come in give them a piece of card the hall,

Each Beavers has to ‘mend his heart’

Game: Heartbeat

With the Beavers in 2 teams.

Team A forms a circle around the leader.Team B Lines up at one end of the hall

On the word GO Team B take it in turns to run to the other side of the hall and back. When they have all run they shout STOP. Meanwhile Team A catch and return a ball to the leader counting as they do. See how high the count is - then swap teams over

Game:  Broken Hearts

First make as many hearts as Beavers out of old birthday card fronts.

Cut each into 6 pieces and place the broken hearts around the hall.

As the Beavers come in give them a piece of card the hall,

Each Beavers has to ‘mend his heart’

Post-box relay

You need 4 boxes painted red to look like post boxes and 4 sacks

In relay the Beavers have to take a valentines card from the sack and then post it through the post box

Craft: Sandwiches

Let the Beaver Scouts make jam sandwiches and use a heart shaped cutter to cut them

Heart Bingo

Equipment - bingo bag with numbers

Make as many hearts (out of A4 drawing paper) as Beavers and put a number on the back. Place the hearts number down on the floor.

Divide Beavers into 2 teams. The Beavers run around and when the whistle is blown they stand on a heart. A leader draws a number from the bingo bag - the Beavers look on the reverse of their heart - if it is their number they are out. First team to get 3 out wins.

Craft Bases: CD hearts

Materials Needed:

CD; Construction Paper or Felt ; Glue ; Photo
Cut two heart shapes out of construction paper. You want them big enough to cover the CD and have about 1 inch left on the sides (figure 1). It might be helpful to trace the CD onto the paper first so you know about what size to make it.

Glue the CD to the middle of one heart.

Cut a rectangle out of the centre of the other heart (figure 2).

Cut out the details of your photo; for example, if it is a picture of a dog, carefully cut the dog out and discard all the background.

Glue your photo in the centre of the CD (figure 3).

Glue the heart with the rectangle cut in it onto the top of the heart with the CD (figure 4).

This will look like a frame, and you should se the shiny part of the CD also! Trim any edges as necessary. You can decorate your heart with other things - Glitter, sequins, ribbon, etc. - be creative!

Valentine Jar

Give each Beaver Scouts an empty jar to paint with glass paint and decorate with sequins or felt shapes

Fill with pot pourie or bath salts. Add a circle of material as a lid.

Jam tarts

Make some heart shaped bases and part cook. Let the Beaver Scouts add red jam and then finish off the cooking

Photo Valentine Card

Materials Needed:

• Construction Paper
• Glue
• Photo
• Crayons or Markers

Instructions:
Fold a piece of construction paper in half to form a card. Write a message on the inside.

Make a sign on another piece of paper. Using large writing, make it a message to your valentine. Something as simple as "I love You" will work. Have someone take a picture of you holding the sign. Either make this soon enough before Valentine's Day that you have time to develop the film, or use a polaroid camera or digital camera and print out the photos on your PC.

Cut out a large heart for the front of your card. You will want it big enough to have room to cut out the centre of the heart and frame your picture with it. Glue your picture on the front of the card, and then glue the heart frame over that.

 

Butterfly card

Materials Needed:

• Lolly Stick
• Glue
• Construction Paper
• Marker
• Pipe Cleaner
• Tape

Instructions:
Cut 2 hearts out or red paper, about as tall and wide as the lolly stick. Trim off the bottom of each heart as shown in figure 1. Lay the 2 hearts down so the bottom edges are slightly overlapping - figure 2. Glue the hearts together on the bottom edges, and then glue the lolly stick on the hearts as shown in figure 3.

  

Use the marker to make eyes and a mouth. You can also write a Valentine's day message on the wings of the butterfly. Cut two 2 inch pieces from a pipe cleaner. Tape them on the back of the lolly sticks to be the butterfly's antenna - figure 4.

Game

Hearts / spades / diamond / clubs

Place these shapes at the corners of the room. When it is called the Beaver Scouts must run to that corner.

Game: Heart Bingo

Equipment - bingo bag with numbers

Make as many hearts (out of A4 drawing paper) as Beavers and put a number on the back. Place the hearts number down on the floor.

Divide Beavers into 2 teams. The Beavers run around and when the whistle is blown they stand on a heart. A leader draws a number from the bingo bag - the Beavers look on the reverse of their heart - if it is their number they are out. First team to get 3 out wins.

Make Your Own Valentine's Day Cards

This year, give your Valentine a special, home-made card. You can get spectacular results using easy techniques.

The easiest way to make a Valentine's Day or any card is to fold a sheet of paper in half and decorate it. Sound boring? Well, it doesn't have to be

One of the simplest ways is to cut a variety of heart shapes out of paper and glue them to the front of the card. Make different designs, animals, people, etc.

1.       Take the heart idea one step further! Instead of cutting heart shapes out of paper, cut them out of fabric, wallpaper samples, tissue paper, wrapping paper, or anything else you can think of. Outline your hearts/designs using 3d fabric paint!

2.       Recycle last year's cards! Cut around the shape on the card. Glue it to a piece of construction paper, and trim around the picture leaving about a 1/4-inch border. Outline your hearts/designs using 3d fabric paint!

3.       Use collage techniques. Cut pictures out of magazines and glue them to your card. Try to find a collection of pictures that will tell a story! Cut words out of magazines to use - great for a secret admirer!

4.       Use stamping/printing techniques. You can get a wide variety of rubber stamps on the market today, along with custom ink pads. You can also make your own stamps by cutting a heart design out of a potato, apple, sponge, cookie cutter, or even a piece of styrofoam.

5.       Cut small squares and/or triangles out of different coloured paper, wallpaper samples, fabric, etc. Glue them onto the front of your card to form a mosaic/quilt like picture.

6.       Use stencils, either store-bought or home-made, to make nice pictures on the from of the card.

7.       Use clip art to make Valentine's Day cards! There are many fun sites that offer free clip art for personal use. Outline your hearts/designs using 3d fabric paint!

8.       Use a colouring book page on the front of your card! You can cut one put of a colouring book you have, or choose from several online colouring pages to print. Outline your hearts/designs using 3d fabric paint!

9.       Paint a design on your card! Use fingerpaint to make a personalized design. You can also use tempera or acrylic paint. While the paint is still wait, you might want to sprinkle a little bit of glitter on your card to add a special finishing touch.

Chinese New Year, 07/02/08

Dragon Boats

Collect a number of large boxes from the local supermarket. Let the Beavers colour the boxes - like Dragon boats - in red (for summer, heat and fire). Let them do their own thing.

Chat -  Talk about the evening

Talk about the animals that represent the years - what are the Beaver Scouts ?

Using the Dragon Boats from the coming in game have some relay races.

Craft: Dragon

Green card, 2 long strips of green paper, sticky tape, scissors, 2 drinking straws, crayons

Stick the 2 ends of the paper strips together at right angles to each other. Fold the other over the top of the first and keep folding alternatively until the paper is used up. Stick the 2 end together to fasten off the folds.

Fold the card in ½ and draw a dragons head on - cut out and stick to one end of the body. Attach a tail and stick on the 2 straws to the back and front of the dragon to work the puppet

Chopsticks

Cut up some chocolate or have some Polos (check for allergies before choosing the sweets)

Let the Beavers in relays try to pick up the sweets with chopsticks.

Shuttlecock

This game has been played for centuries in China  

You may not have enough rackets - so let the Beavers make some out of card and bat the shuttlecocks about!