Active and Passive Activities at Cub Scout Meetings

If you want your Cub Scouts to feel like these poor kids, then keep them sitting at a table the entire meeting doing passive activities.  If you are a parent of an elementary school aged kid, you know that we can't keep them sitting for long before boredom sets in.

But, we don't want our den meetings to become a free-for-all either.  It's important that the Scouts have both active and passive experiences.

One of the things I love about the Cub Scout program is that there is less emphasis on “school-like” activities and more emphasis on keeping the kids engaged–even during a “passive” activity.

Plan your Cub Scout den and pack meetings so that the activities switch between passive and active.  When they start to get a bored with a passive activity, you can switch to something that engages them more physically.  When the Scouts start to get a little too “excited” with their activity, switch back to a more passive task.

Below you'll find some of the active and passive activities in the Cub Scout Adventures.

Active Rank Requirements

Examples of active activities include:

• Tiger Adventure – Safe & Smart 2a:  Show you can “Stop, Drop, and Roll.”
• Wolf Adventure – Running with the Pack 5:  Do at least two of the following: frog leap, inchworm walk, kangaroo hop, or crab walk.
• Bear Adventure –  Roaring Laughter 4:  With a partner, play a game that makes you laugh. (The Smile Game is a good one!)
• Webelos/AOL Adventure –  Sports 1:  Show the signals used by officials in one of these sports: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, or hockey.

Passive Rank Requirements

Here are some examples of engaging passive activities.

• Tiger Adventure –  Team Tiger 4:  Make a chart to show three ways that members of your Tiger team are different from each other.
• Wolf Adventure –  Paws on the Path 8:  Draw a map of an area near where you live using common map symbols. Show which direction is north on your map.
• Bear Adventure –  Critter Care 3:  Make a poster about your pet or a pet you would like to own. Share your poster with your den, pack, or family.
• Webelos/AOL Adventure –  Earth Rocks! 1:  Explain the meaning of the word “geology.” Explain why this kind of science is an important part of your world.  Share with your family or with your den what you learned about the meaning of geology.

Active Games & Activities for Cub Scouts

If you just want some fun, active games to play with your den or pack, here are some suggestions:

• Rattlesnake Game
• Paper Plate Shuffle Game
• Pie Plate Pitch game
• Flashlight Games

Passive Games & Activities for Cub Scout Meetings

For fun, passive activities, try these:

• Download these free Cub Scout word search puzzles.
• Bicycle Safety Worksheets
• Play these Scout Oath and Scout Law puzzles
• Practice tying knots

What are some of the ways you keep your Cubs engaged during den or pack meetings?

Yours in Scouting,
Sherry

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