* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Bear Standing Tall Adventure for 2024

The Standing Tall adventure is designed for Bear Cub Scouts. It teaches them about personal safety. Through various activities, Bears learn how to stay safe in different situations. This includes both physical and digital environments.

Bear Standing Tall Adventure Belt Loop

Personal safety is important for everyone, especially young Scouts. The Standing Tall adventure gives Bears the tools to recognize and avoid dangerous situations. It helps them understand the importance of setting boundaries and following safety rules.

During the adventure, Bears will work on activities that promote safety awareness. They will discuss safe practices for using digital devices at home. This is crucial in today’s digital world where children often use gadgets like tablets and smartphones.

Overall, the Standing Tall adventure helps Bear Cub Scouts develop a strong sense of personal safety. This knowledge builds their confidence and helps them make smart decisions. By learning about safety, they can enjoy activities more and worry less.

Requirements for the Bear Standing Tall Adventure

Standing Tall Adventure Requirements

  1. With permission from your parent or legal guardian, watch the Protect Yourself Rules video for the Bear rank. 
  2. Complete the Personal Space Bubble worksheet that is part of the Protect Yourself Rules resources.
  3. With  your parent or legal guardian, set up a family policy for digital devices.  
  4. Identify common personal safety gear for your head, eyes, mouth, hands, and feet.  List how each of these items protect you.  Demonstrate the proper use of personal safety gear for an activity. 

Resources for the Bear Standing Tall Adventure

Protect Yourself Rules

With permission from your parent or legal guardian, watch the Protect Yourself Rules video for the Bear rank. 

Here are some tips for den leaders for the Standing Tall adventure requirement 1:

  1. Plan Ahead: Schedule a meeting or a session specifically for watching the “Protect Yourself Rules” video. Make sure all parents know the purpose of the video and its importance.
  2. Get Permissions: Send a note or email to parents asking for permission to show the video. Explain why watching it is important for their child’s safety education.
  3. Create a Comfortable Environment: Arrange the seating so all Bears can see the screen clearly. Make sure the room is quiet and there are no distractions.
  4. Prepare: Arrange for a method to show the video. If you cannot stream it, it is also available for download.
  5. Watch Together: Watch the video along with the Bears . This way, you can address any immediate questions or concerns.
  6. Discuss After Viewing: Have a brief discussion after the video. Ask the Bears what they learned and if they have any questions. This helps reinforce the safety messages from the video.
  7. Follow Up: Let parents know how the viewing went and encourage them to discuss the video at home too. This can reinforce what the Bears learned.

Here is an option for fulfilling Bear Standing Tall Adventure requirement 1:

Personal Space Bubble

Complete the Personal Space Bubble worksheet that is part of the Protect Yourself Rules resources.

Here are some tips for den leaders for the Standing Tal adventure requirement 2:

  1. Explain First: Before starting, explain what personal space means. Use simple words. Say that personal space is the area around each person that makes them feel safe.
  2. Show the Worksheet: Give each Bear a copy of the Personal Space Bubble worksheet. Show them the different circles and what they mean.
  3. Give Examples: Help Bears understand by giving examples. Say “intimate” is for family like parents or siblings. “Personal” is for friends. “Social” is for people like classmates. “Public” is for people you don’t know.
  4. Let Them Think: Give Bears time to think about who belongs in each circle. They can write names or draw pictures.
  5. Discuss as a Group: Talk about it after. Bears can share their worksheet if they want to. This helps them learn from each other.
  6. Respect Privacy: Remind Bears that everyone’s worksheet will be different. It’s okay to keep some names private.
  7. Coloring: Have colors ready for the last step. Each Bear can color the circles different colors. It makes the activity fun and helps them remember.

Here is an option for fulfilling Bear Standing Tall Adventure requirement 2:

  • Personal Bubble
    • Identify people that fall within Intimate, Personal, Social, and Public bubbles. 
    • Supplies: Personal Bubble worksheet, pencils, colored pencils
    • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep

Digital Devices

With  your parent or legal guardian, set up a family policy for digital devices.  

Here are some tips for den leaders for the Standing Tall adventure requirement 3:

  1. Send a Note Home: Write a note to parents explaining the digital device policy activity. Tell them why it’s important.
  2. Offer a Template: Give parents a simple template or list of questions to help start their policy. Questions like “When is it okay to use devices?” or “What websites are safe to visit?”
  3. Keep it Simple: Tell parents the policy doesn’t need to be long. A few rules are enough.
  4. Make it Clear: Encourage parents to use clear, easy words so everyone understands.
  5. Involve the Bears: Parents should talk with their Scout to make the rules together. This helps the Cub Scout learn and follow the rules better.
  6. Follow Up: Ask parents to share if they made a policy and how it went. They can do this in a meeting or by email.
  7. Share Tips: Give parents tips on what to include in their policy. Things like screen time limits, sharing personal information, and what to do if they see something bad online.

Here is an option for fulfilling Bear Standing Tall Adventure requirement 3:

  • Family Digital Device Policy
    • With parents and legal guardians, set up a family digital device policy. 
    • Supplies: Digital Safety Pledge, pencils
    • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep

Personal Safety Gear

Identify common personal safety gear for your head, eyes, mouth, hands, and feet.  List how each of these items protect you.  Demonstrate the proper use of personal safety gear for an activity. 

For the Standing Tal adventure requirement 4, den leaders can plan a “Safety Gear Relay Race.” Here’s a creative way to engage Bear Cub Scouts:

Safety Gear Relay Race

  1. Gear: You’ll need some safety gear. See below for some ideas:
  2. Set Up Stations: Make different stations for each piece of gear. Place the helmets on one table, goggles on another, and so on.
  3. Divide into Teams: Split your Bear Cub Scouts into small teams.
  4. Race Instructions: Each Bear runs to a station, puts on the gear correctly, and then runs back. Then, the next Bear goes.
  5. Teach First: Before the race, show how to put on each item. Explain what it protects and why it’s important.
  6. Safety Check: Make sure each Bear wears the gear right before they run back.
  7. Discuss: After the race, talk about the gear. Ask questions like, “When would you wear a helmet?” This helps them think about safety.
Safety Gear Ideas

Head:

  • Helmets: Protect our brains from bumps and falls.
  • Sun hats: Keep our heads cool and protect from sunburn.

Eyes:

  • Safety goggles: Shield our eyes from dust and flying objects.
  • Face shields: Protect the whole face, including the eyes.
  • UV protection sunglasses: Guard our eyes from the sun’s rays.

Mouth and Nose:

  • Dust masks: Keep out dust and small particles.
  • Respirators: Filter harmful particles when air quality is poor.

Hands:

  • Work gloves: Protect our hands from scrapes and cuts.
  • Cut-resistant gloves: Good for working with sharp tools.

Feet:

  • Sturdy shoes or boots: Protect our feet from sharp objects on the ground.
  • Non-slip shoes: Prevent slips and falls on wet or oily surfaces.

Using this activity, Bear Cub Scouts will learn about safety gear in a fun and active way. They’ll remember how to use it because they practiced it themselves.

Here are some options for fulfilling Bear Standing Tall Adventure requirement 4:

  • Kitchen Safety Gear
    • Learn about personal safety in the kitchen. 
    • Supplies: Kitchen Safety worksheet, pencils, bowl, spoon, produce, milk jug, meat thermometer, oven mitts, potholders, refrigerated cookie dough, cookie sheet, parchment, spatula, knife and cutting board, cooling rack, first aid kit
    • indoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep
  • Science Safety Gear
    • Learn about personal safety gear needed for conducting a science experiment. 
    • Supplies: safety goggles, latex gloves, apron, closed toed shoes, flip flops, sunglasses, diet soda, mentos, index card, strips of paper, tape, plywood if needed
    • outdoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep
  • Sport Safety Gear
    • Learn about personal safety gear needed for skating / rollerblading. 
    • Supplies: ​​​Sport Safety Gear worksheet, pencils, helmets, wrist guards, knee pads, elbow pads, roller blades, roller skates, or skateboards, first aid kit, Activity Consent form 
    • outdoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep
Safety Resources

Before any activity, check the SAFE Checklist to make sure everyone is safe. Everyone involved in Scouting America activities should know the Guide to Safe Scouting and other relevant guides or books. Also follow any state or local rules that are more strict than Scouting America rules and guidelines.

Before starting this Adventure:

  • Review the BSA Youth Protection content.
  • Watch the Protect Yourself Rules-Bear video.
  • This Adventure can be done at home or as a den. Inform parents, legal guardians, and adult partners about the Adventure and its content before the meeting. See the document “Bear Standing Tall 1 Parent Notification” in the Additional Resources section for Requirement 1.

During the Adventure:

  • A child might reveal something that raises suspicion of abuse. If you suspect abuse, follow the reporting guidelines on the BSA Youth Protection site.

More information

Frequently Asked Questions for the Bear Standing Tall Adventure

What is the Standing Tall Adventure?

It’s an adventure for Bear Cub Scouts. It teaches them about staying safe.

Why do Bears need to watch a video?

The video helps them learn how to protect themselves from abuse. It’s important for personal safety.

What is a Personal Space Bubble worksheet?

It’s a sheet where Bears write who can come close to them. It teaches them about personal space.

Do Bears need to make a family policy for digital devices for the Bear Standing Tall Adventure?

Yes, they make rules with a parent for using devices safely.

Why do Bears need to learn about safety gear for the Bear Standing Tall Adventure?

To keep safe while doing activities. Gear protects their head, eyes, hands, and feet.

Can Bears do these activities at home?

Yes, parents can help them do most activities at home.

Stay Safe, Stand Tall

The Standing Tall adventure is a path for Bear Cub Scouts to learn about safety. It shows them how to protect themselves in different places. This adventure has a few steps. Each one teaches something valuable about safety.

First, Bears watch a video about how to stay safe. It is called the “Protect Yourself Rules” video. This video gives them tips on what to do if they feel unsafe. It’s like having a safety plan in their heads.

Next, they fill out a worksheet called the Personal Space Bubble. This helps them learn who should be close to them and who should not. It’s like drawing a circle around themselves that only some people can come into.

Then, with a parent, they make rules about using things like tablets and phones. This is their family policy for digital devices. It’s like a rule book for being on the internet safely.

Lastly, Bears learn about gear that keeps them safe. They find out about helmets for heads, goggles for eyes, and other gear. They even get to wear this gear and see how it works. It’s like putting on armor before a knight goes on an adventure.

The Bear Standing Tall adventure teaches them how to look out for dangers and be ready. It’s not just about being safe but also about feeling strong and smart. When they finish, they know more about staying safe. And that’s a big win for any Bear Cub Scout.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scouter Mom