8 Awesome Hiking Games for Cub Scouts

Hiking games can make any hike or walk more fun for Cub Scouts (or any kids)! Check out these eight hiking activities ideas that are sure to be hits on your next walk.

Hiking games are a great way to get outside with our Scouts. Our pack has a hike every third Sunday. We vary our hiking destination, length, and difficulty so that everyone can participate. We love to put the “outing” in Scouting in a fun way by taking a long walk!

Don’t forget that your Scouts will need the Cub Scout 6 essentials for hiking. Play this fun game to learn what they are.

Before you begin your hike, go over the rules for the Cub Scout buddy system to help ensure that you don’t lose a kid! 🙂

Sometimes if you tell an elementary school-aged kid that you’re going for a long walk, you might hear whining. But tell them you’re going on an ABC hike or a scavenger hunt hike or a penny hike, and you just might pique their interest.

Having fun hiking activities for kids can add an element of excitement for both older kids and younger kids. Often, they can be done with few (if any) supplies.

I’ve compiled a list of different types of hiking activities and games that will spice up your long walk! This list of trail games has been shared over 7,000 times, so I’m sure it’ll be helpful to you too!

8 Fun Hiking Activities for Kids (and Adults)

1. Scavenger Hunt Hike
2. Penny Flip Hike
3. Fit on a Penny Hike
4. ABC Hike
5. Monogram Hike
6. Insect Hike
7. Sketching or Drawing Hike
8. Nature Friends

1. Scavenger Hunt Hike

Make a list of things the Scouts will look for, but these won’t be things they’ll pick up and take home. They’re things they’ll experience. List 3 or 4 items in these categories:  Smell, Texture, Sound, and Sight.

For example, your Sound category might include a bird chirping and leaves rustling. Smells could be dirt and flowers. 

Base your lists on the area you’ll be visiting. If I’m hiking on the walking trail in my neighborhood, I could include a running car as one of my sounds.

2. Penny Flip Hike

Flip a penny to decide which direction you’ll take on your hike. You might say, “Heads, we’ll go toward the creek, and tails, we’ll walk toward that big tree.” 

Flip your penny for silly stuff too like, “Heads, we’ll sing Yankee Doodle Dandy, and tails, we’ll moo like a cow until we get to that rock.”

3. Fit on a Penny Hike

For this hike, walk to a designated spot and give each Scout a penny. They have 5 minutes to find as many things as possible that will fit on the penny. 

Remind the Scouts that they should only pick up things that are on the ground. Cub Scouts should always follow Scouting’s Outdoor Code.

4. ABC Hike

Pair up the Scouts. They are looking for items that start with each letter of the alphabet. When they find an item that begins with A (acorn, for example), they’ll call out the name and begin looking for the next letter.

5. Monogram Hike

Scouts try to find something that begins with each of their initials. The items don’t have to be physical–they can be sounds or smells too.

6. Insect Hike

Each Scout should bring a camera. If all of them don’t have one, you can pair them up. Tell the Scouts to take as many pictures of different kinds of insects as possible.

7. Sketching or Drawing Hike

Bring along paper and pencils or crayons. Hike to a scenic location, and have the Scouts draw what they see.

8. Nature Friends

Each Scout picks up an item from the ground to be their “friend.” As you hike, have each child explain why the item is their friend.

Cub Scout Hiking Requirements

Cub Scouts have requirements or electives for hiking at almost all of the ranks.

• Lion Required Adventure Mountain Lion 2: With your den, pack, or family, take a walk outside spending at least 20 minutes exploring the outdoors with your Cub Scout Six Essentials.  While outside, identify things that you see with your Lion adult partner that are natural and things that are man-made.
• Tiger Adventure Tigers in the Wild 3: With your den, pack, or family, take a walk outside spending at least 20 minutes exploring the outdoors with your Cub Scout Six Essentials. While outside, identify things that you see with your Tiger adult partner that are natural and things that are manmade.
• Wolf Required Adventure Paws on the Path 5:  With your den, pack, or family, take a walk outside for at least 30 minutes to explore nature in your surroundings. Describe four different animals, domestic or wild, that you could see on your walk.
• Bear Required Adventure Bear Habitat 9:  With your den, pack, or family, go on your one-mile walk while practicing your Leave No Trace Principles for Kids.
• Webelos Required Adventure Webelos Walkabout 6: With your den, pack, or family, go on your 2-mile walk while practicing the Leave No Trace Principles for Kids and the Outdoor Code.
• Webelos Elective Adventure Math on the Trail 2: Walk 2 miles and record the time it took you to complete them.

What fun hiking games have you played with your den or pack? What was your favorite?

Yours in Scouting,
Sherry

P.S. Need suggestions for more hiking games? Check these out!