If the boys in your den are anything like the ones in mine, they tend to be a little wild when they first start arriving. It can become chaotic very quickly. I discovered this fun gathering activity that can help the meeting start off in an orderly manner.
I use a penny, but you can use any small object. Hide it somewhere in your meeting room where it can be seen, but easily overlooked.
When most of the boys arrive, I tell them what was hidden and ask that they quietly look for the item. As they find it, they sit down at the table without giving away the location to the other boys. If some of the boys are having trouble locating the penny, I'll tell them “hotter” or “colder” to help them.
Because this is a quiet activity, it gives the boys an opportunity to calm down so that we can begin the meeting more easily. While I use this as a gathering activity, this is also a great Cub Scout game to play at any time during your den meeting.
Do you have any special activities that you use to help the boys get ready to start the meeting?
Yours in Scouting,
Sherry
P.S. If you liked this Cub Scout game, sign up below for more cool gathering activities!
Image courtesy of Dser1
Old Time Cub Scouter says
Most of the time I used the activities that were published in the Program Helps for my Den meeting gathering time. Usually these activities consisted of a simple game, puzzle, or craft that would keep the Cubs occupied while I checked their handbooks for completed achievements/electives. Gathering time also proved to be an excellent opportunity for my Den Chief to gain valuable skills by leading and teaching these activities.
Occasionally I would “go rogue”, and come up with alternative gathering activities depending on the time of year and/or upcoming Cub Scout or Pack events. We usually made special neckerchief slides the week before important Pack Meetings or events like Blue and Gold, Pinewood Derby, Christmas, etc. And we would always play the Bobcat Badge Relay Game for a couple of weeks after our Pack’s Roundup Night to help the new Cubs learn the requirements for that award. When my Cubs were Webelos II’s, we would play a similar relay game to help them learn the Boy Scout joining requirements. Also during the Webelos years we practiced tying knots. Lots and lots of knots.