Beaver Scouts : Programme Ideas

Exercises for astronauts
In pairs, the Beavers sit back-to-back with their elbows interlinked. Then they try to stand up. If they find this too easy, they must find another pair and make a foursome with elbows interlinked. If they manage this, they could try an eight.
Astronaut Training - Explain to your Beavers that astronauts must be physically fit and have certain training. Lead the Beavers in callisthenics. Then do a variety of challenges in round-robin style, such as the following:

Balance
Get the Beavers to walk along a narrow plank on the ground, placing each foot directly in front of the other. The planks can get progressively smaller, until the Beavers are walking on a very narrow board.

Space walk
Bring a small trampoline to the meeting. Ask your Beavers to jump on it as hard as they can, trying to move their legs, or pinwheeling their arms while in the air.

Sight deprivation
Blindfold your Beavers and form them into a single line. Each holds onto the shoulder of the person in front of them. Lead them on an obstacle course, around, under and over a variety of obstacles.

Manual dexterity
Provide each Beaver with a pile of beans or marbles, and a can. Ask them to pick up the marbles as fast as possible (one at a time), putting them into the can. Let your Beavers try it a second time, only now while wearing gloves. How much more difficult is it?

Speed
Measure off a distance and challenge your Beavers to run as fast as they can, back and forth, in a set time period. Make a ?colony speed record? by adding up all the times taken to complete the runs.

Obstacles on the moon
Divide into Lodges. Obstacles - buckets, shoes and so on - representing craters and rocks are scattered throughout the playing area. The first member of each Lodge is blindfolded and has to negotiate, the obstacles, guided by shouted instructions from the rest of the Lodge. If an obstacle is touched, the player stops for, a count of ten. Once across the moon, the blindfold is removed and the player runs back to pass it to the next Beaver.

Balance relay
Astronaut on the moon have difficulty in keeping their balance because they feel so much lighter. Line up each Lodge. The first Beaver balances a paperback book on his head, then runs or walks to the end of the hall and back again. If the book falls off, he must start again. If the boys find this too easy, make an obstacle course for them to negotiate while balaning the books.

Living in a spacecraft
There is not much room in a space capsule. Try this game to see whether the Beavers can move in confined spaces. Form a large circle. On a given signal, everyone must crossover without touching anyone else - They must not go outside the original circle. Now try it with eyes closed Star Chart for Spring sky

Martian Mix juice
Ahead of time, mix all these ingredients together except the club soda.

large can of unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tbsp. lemon juice
small can of frozen orange juice concentrate
bottle club soda.

Add the club soda just before serving.
Quenches the thirst of 10 - 12 Beaver astronauts.

Outdoor trail
First, set the scene for this outdoor trail:
?An alien spacecraft has been seen in the area? It was in trouble and was leaking fuel. There have been reports of strange things happening to the plants in the vicinity of this craft. When it landed it was seen to have ejected some radioactive material. Can you find where the spacecraft landed and collect the radioactive material?? The leaking fuel can be flour or coloured sand. This is sprinkled in small amounts at intervals along the trail.The plants have been effected by the radioactivity and there are strange things growing along the trail. For example, put a holly twig on an oak branch, a banana on a rose bush or an apple hanging in a hedge., The Beavers must follow the trail, note down any ?oddities? that they see and collect the radioactive material. This can be small pieces of brightly coloured or luminous modelling clay or small pebbles covered in luminous paint. They are scattered at the end of the trail. You could also have different coloured sand and different coloured pebbles so that two or three different trails could be set up in the same area but leading to the same place.

Illustration of a Space Rocket Indoor trail
If the evening is wet, then an indoor trail can be set up using string wound through and around chairs and tables in your meeting room. In this case, the Beavers must be blindfolded and asked to get their Lodge from one end of the trail to the other. You could tell them that they are exploring the dark side of the moon and that they must describe what they have ?felt? on the way through the course.

Rockets
Materials: Drinking straws, cotton string, sticky tape and long balloons. Tie a length of string, taut, across the room. Blow up the balloons and assemble as shown in the illustration. Release the balloons and see how far they travel,along the cotton string.

Space Docking
Place a number of empty tins on the floor. Line up each Lodge and blindfold the first player. The player carrying a chair is directed by the lodge to a tin. The player must then place the leg of the chair in the tin for a successful dock. When successsful the Beaver removes blindfold and carries chair back to next player in turn.

Crash Landing
Get each Lodge to make parachutes and practice with weights to determine the best size chute for a smooth landing.

Space Lifeline tangle
Twist some rope around volunteer Beavers and see how long it takes to unravel themselves. This is an essential skill for Astronauts

Beaver Scouts : Programme Ideas

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