Instruction aids are designed to help with specific requirements. Some help you understand the requirement, some help you fulfill the requirement, and others just make learning more fun.
Trustworthy Tommy is a song to help Webelos and new Scouts BSA learn the Scout Law. Webelos need to memorize the law to earn the Arrow of Light. New Scouts BSA must memorize it for the Tenderfoot rank. Some boys who have trouble with rote memorization will find that learning the song helps it stick […]
The US Flag is the symbol of our country. Scouts should know how to fold it, fly it, and handle it. Flag etiquette is part of many of the Scout requirements. In many cases, the rules are pretty straightforward. But in other cases, you just need to know the rules. For example, it gets more […]
Conservation and Scouting go hand in hand. Since getting outdoors is a big part of the Cub Scout and Scouts BSA programs, it makes sense that we should teach Scouts about protecting our natural resources.
One suggestion I have when working with Cub Scouts is to draw up a large soccer field on poster board and use some Lego figures or something similar to be players. Then you can give a visual demonstration of these terms. Or make a game of it by showing them something and asking if anyone […]
For some cycling recogintions, Scouts must record the time or distance spent riding. A basic log sheet is located at the bottom of this post to help you complete this. If you really become interested in cycling, you might consider getting a simple bike computer to aid you in figuring out this data. These devices […]
I recently spent a week at Swift Base at S bar F Scout Ranch with our Scouts BSA Troop. Swift is normally a Venturing camp, so when they do a week for Scouts BSA, the only merit badges offered by the staff are Canoeing, Swimming, Lifesaving, Rowing, Water Sports, Small Boat Sailing, Climbing, Horsemanship, Rifle […]
When I did the forestry requirements with DS’s den, I made a requirement aid to help them with learning about the growth rings of a tree.
The US flag is the symbol of our country and every Scout should know how to handle it. One thing I emphasize when working with Scouts on flag etiquette is that the most important thing is respect. Scouts are going to make mistakes from time to time, but they should always do their best to […]
With all of the rain we’ve been having lately, this seems like a good time to post this aid to help explain the water cycle. I made this aid to help my Webelos when they were working on the Weather belt loop as a requirement for the Scientist activity badge. The material also fits in […]
Part of the requirements for this badge include doing some fitness tests periodically and recording a fitness plan over a period of 12 weeks. There are some worksheets available for this on the web, but the ones we looked at didn’t really fit in with the fitness plan which LC and his merit badge counselor […]
Camping is an essential part of the Scouts BSA program and Scouts need to keep track of how much camping they have done. There is a space for this in the back of their handbook, but as a Camping merit badge counselor, I know that there are some other aspects of their campouts they need […]
These guidelines are appropriate for a front country adventure in an area like a park. That is the only type of hiking which is appropriate for Cub Scouts. If you are going on a back country hike, then you need to consider some other safety rules, like bringing a fire source and knife.
If your Webelos or Scouts BSA are working on first aid requirements, you can add in some fun by making a fake wound on a “victim” or two.
Summertime activities in the outdoors are great, but watch out for poison ivy. The best way to avoid problems is to avoid poison ivy.
Scouts like to get outdoors, but in many areas that brings the danger of tick bites. While most tick bites won’t cause more than minor irritation, if treated incorrectly complications can occur.
Emergency preparedness is part of every level of Scouting program. For younger Scouts, that primarily means knowing how to get help.
When you are doing first aid instruction, it is best to demonstrate it as much as possible. Here is a way they showed us at a Pow Wow a few years ago. I did this with my previous Webelos den and they really enjoyed it.
One of the requirements for Bear Elective 1: Space is to locate the North Star and two constellations in the night sky. This printable aid will help find it.
To help the Wolves complete Wolf Achievement 3 – Keep Your Body Healthy at home, send them home with a check-off chart of healthy habits already printed out.
Fire drills are encouraged throughout scouting programs, from the Lions to Scouts BSA. Print out a basic plan for conducting a home fire drill.
