Webelos Aware and Care Adventure

Adventure Type: Elective
Number of Requirements: 4
Typical Time to Complete: 1 or 2 meetings
Parent Involvement: Optional
Preparation Needed: Moderate, guest planning may take longer
Activity Level: Low to moderate
Indoor or Outdoor: Mostly indoor, some outdoor options
Special Requirements: Meet a person with a disability or related experience
Supplies Snapshot: Blindfolds, paper, pencils, simple household items, optional accessibility tools

The Webelos Aware and Care Adventure helps Cub Scouts learn about disabilities and inclusion. Scouts explore some of the challenges people with disabilities may face in daily life.

Webelos complete activities related to vision and hearing loss. They also learn how tools, support, and accessible spaces help people take part in school, work, and community life.

Scouts may meet someone who has a disability or works with people with disabilities. These conversations help Webelos practice respect, empathy, and thoughtful ways to include others.

Webelos Aware and Care Adventure Requirements

1. Do an activity that shows the challenges of a being visually impaired. 
2. Do an activity that shows the challenges of being hearing impaired.
3. Explore barriers to access.  
4. Meet someone who has a disability or someone who works with people with disabilities about what obstacles they must overcome and how they do it.

Printable requirements for the Webelos Aware and Care Adventure

Check off sheet to keep track of your den's progress on the Webelos Aware and Care Adventure

Webelos Adventures Check Off Sheet

Webelos Aware and Care Requirement 1: Visual Impairments

Do an activity that shows the challenges of a being visually impaired. 

Choose a safe activity that helps Webelos understand how limited vision can affect daily tasks. Remind Scouts that the activity does not show the full experience of living with a visual impairment. Focus the discussion on helpful tools, clear directions, and respectful support.

Easy option: Have Webelos draw a simple picture while wearing a neckerchief over their eyes or using blurred-vision glasses. This activity needs few supplies and is easy to do during a den meeting. See Can You Draw It?

More options:

• Can We Get There? Navigate an obstacle course with both eyes covered, one eye covered, and blurred vision. You will need a Vision simulator glasses set.
• I Can Do It: Pour a cup of water and eat a snack without using vision.
• What Is This?: Identify common household items without using vision.

Webelos Aware and Care Requirement 2: Hearing Impairments

Do an activity that shows the challenges of being hearing impaired.

Use an activity that shows how hard it can be to follow spoken directions without hearing them clearly. Afterward, ask Webelos what helped them understand and how people can communicate in other ways. Avoid treating sign language as a game or pretending that one short activity shows what it is like to be Deaf.

Easy option: Have one Scout act out an animal without speaking while the others try to guess it. This simple activity helps Webelos practice watching gestures and facial expressions. See What Animal?.

More resources:

• Listen Carefully: Play a game of Simon Says wearing noise canceling headphones.
• Story Time: Tell a story using American Sign Language. Learn about American Sign Language.
• What Animal: Cub Scouts guess the animal without talking.

Webelos Aware and Care Requirement 3: Understanding Barriers to Access

Explore barriers to access.

Help Webelos look for things that make spaces or activities harder to use. Barriers may include stairs, heavy doors, items placed too high, narrow paths, or signs that are hard to read. Encourage Scouts to think of simple changes that could make the area easier for everyone to use.

Easy option: Place an object where it cannot be reached easily and let Webelos try safe tools or ideas to get it. This activity works indoors and starts a useful discussion about placing items where everyone can reach them. See Can You Reach It?

More ideas:

• Outdoors Barriers to Access: Cub Scouts go outdoors looking for barriers to access.

Webelos Aware and Care Requirement 4: Learning From Personal Experiences

Meet someone who has a disability or someone who works with people with disabilities about what obstacles they must overcome and how they do it.

Invite someone with a disability or someone who works with people with disabilities to speak with the den. Help Webelos prepare polite questions before the visit. Let the guest explain their own experiences instead of asking them to speak for everyone with a similar disability.

Easy option: Invite a guest to visit the den in person or by video call. This option needs no special supplies, but leaders should contact the guest early and explain the age of the Scouts and the purpose of the visit. How Do You Do It?

Here are some options for fulfilling Webelos Aware and Care Adventure requirement 4:

• How Do People Help? Visit a rehabilitation facility.
• Jobs For Dogs: Have a person who trains service dogs or has a service dog visit the den.

I Can Do That With One Hand Tied Behind My Back Game: This game will help youth understand that some physical disabilities make it very difficult to do everyday tasks.

Guide Me Game: This blindfolded game ties in with helping youth “see” how difficult it is for a blind person to navigate unfamiliar territory.

What is the goal of the Aware and Care Adventure?

The goal is to help Webelos learn about the challenges faced by people with disabilities and how to be considerate and supportive friends and community members.

What activities will Webelos do in this Webelos Aware and Care Adventure?

Webelos will participate in activities that simulate visual and hearing impairments, meet people with disabilities or those who work with them, and explore barriers that prevent access for disabled individuals.

Why do Webelos meet someone with a disability?

Meeting someone with a disability helps Webelos understand real-life challenges and learn how people overcome them. It makes the learning experience personal and impactful.

How can we find a guest speaker who works with disabled individuals for the Webelos Aware and Care Adventure?

You can contact local organizations that support people with disabilities, schools, or rehabilitation centers to find a guest speaker.

How long does the Aware and Care Adventure take to complete?

The time can vary depending on the activities chosen and the availability of guest speakers, but typically, the adventure could take a meeting or two to complete.

The Webelos Aware and Care Adventure helps young scouts understand and empathize with people who have disabilities. Through a series of activities, Webelos explore the daily challenges faced by individuals with visual and hearing impairments. They participate in hands-on experiences like navigating obstacle courses blindfolded or trying to communicate without speaking. These activities teach them about the obstacles and barriers that people with disabilities often encounter.

Additionally, Webelos have the opportunity to meet someone with a disability or someone who works closely with the disabled community. These meetings are invaluable as they provide real-life perspectives and stories of resilience and adaptation. The adventure also prompts Webelos to think about accessibility and inclusivity in their surroundings by identifying barriers to access in their communities.

By completing the Aware and Care Adventure, Webelos develop a deeper understanding of empathy and inclusiveness. They learn the importance of looking beyond their own experiences and considering how they can help make the world more accessible for everyone.