#1 Kind/Creepy Crawlers/Cub Scout Hiking

October's Scout Law Point: Kind
October's Theme: Creepy Crawlers
October's Scout Law Point: Cub Scout Hiking

Opening Brain Teaser - This would be a great thing to write on the chalk or white board for boys and parents to have something to think about while they wait for everyone to arrive at a Pack or Den Meeting.  (An idea you could use would be to reward the cub scouts a piece of candy if they get it right).

AFTER AND BEFORE: What word goes after the first word and before the second to form two new common words or phrases?
APPLE____________________FROST
HARD_____________________BOTTOM
FIGURE___________________HUNTER
NAVY_____________________BONNET
COMMON_________________SHOULDER
PIPING___________________DOG
HUSH____________________LOVE
*Answer is at the end of this section. (scroll down)
(Brain Teaser taken from: The Little Black Book of Mindbenders by John Samson and Elsie Samson; pg. 8)

 

Gathering Activity #1
Inchworm Pencil Craft - see Resources in the Pack Meeting Plans found online: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/cubscouts/pdf/YEAR2/310-842(15)_October%20Kind_WEB.pdf

Gathering Activity #2
Hula Hoop Spider Web - Take some masking tape and make a spider web inside it making sure the sticky side of the masking tape is facing the same direction.  Set up the hula hoop somewhere in the room where the boys can throw cotton balls at it and try to get them to stick to the web.  mark off a line with the tape 5 five feet from the hula hoop on the floor for the boys to throw the cotton balls from. To see a picture of this craft go to this site on Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69242912997092176/

Flag Ceremony Idea
FOUR DIRECTIONS
Materials: Four Cub Scouts, each with a poster with a large letter for his direction on it. On the back, the following is written for each boy to read.

Cubmaster: Finding our way to our destination in the park is aided by the use of a compass, which shows the four directions—north, south, east, and west.

(Each Cub Scout enters from his side of the room or outdoor area, holding one of four posters. with a large letter for his direction on it. On the back, the following is written for each boy to read):

Cub Scout 1 (“E”): I represent the East. From me comes the sun each day, giving light to all living things to help them to be strong and healthy.

Cub Scout 2 (“S”): I represent the South. From me comes heat and rain, so all living things have warmth and water to drink.

Cub Scout 3 (“N”): I represent the North. From me comes cold and snow, so all living things can experience coolness and the beauty of winter.

Cub Scout 4 (“W”): I represent the West. To me, the sun comes at the end of each day, giving the world darkness so all living things can rest.

Cubmaster: We gather from all directions, joined together in the Law of the Pack. Will everyone please stand, give the Cub Scout sign, and join me in reciting the Law of the Pack.
2013 - 2014 Cub Scout Roundtable Guide; page 104

Insects are Fun!

Imagine our surprise when our family found this Palo Verde Rootborer Beetle just outside our garage.  It was huge.  I took a picture of it next to my husband's hand so everyone would believe me when I told them how large it was!  Cool Right! So when I found a picture of the exact beetle while putting this craft together, I had fun learning a couple of facts about it.  It can live underground for as long as three years feeding on roots and then they come out for mating. So I guess when we found it by our garage is was in search of its sweetheart. :) This is what we want to share with our cub scouts - that insects are fun!

Hike Insect Necklace

Materials: Picture of insects on CARDSTOCK paper(1 per cub scout), black marker, 1 sandwich bag per cub scout, yarn, scissors, paper cutter and a hole punch.

Click Here for a copy of the Insect page: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0revQcSgs4ObGl4QmpxVl9KdDg

Directions:

2) Print out one Insect page on cardstock per cub scout going on the hike.

3) Write each cub scout's name on their own sandwich bag.

4) Either using scissors or a paper cutter, cut up the Insect page.

5) Using a hole punch, punch a hole, indicated by the circle, in each section.

6) Cut a piece of yarn approximately 2 feet and 8 inches long for each cub scout.
7) Put the yarn and insect pieces into the baggie.

When you go on the hike with the cub scouts, as they see insects along the way, take that picture and put it on the yarn necklace.  Be sure to tie the yarn ends in a bow so it will be easy to untie and add a new picture on the yarn necklace as the boys find insects.  Then when they get home, have them look up information about that insect on these two internet sites: http://www.insectdiscovery.org/common-arizona-insects.html  or  hppt://bugguide.net

Insect Cookies - Cub Scouts Can Make

This idea was taken from this web site:
These cookies will not turn out perfectly. However, this project involves cookies and chocolate so I am pretty sure the cub scouts will think it is awesome!

You will want to make these cookies at the beginning of the meeting, so that they can harden in the refrigerator and the boys can eat their cookie for dessert at the end of their den or pack meeting.

Materials: Snyder's Mini Pretzels, Mini M&M's, Chocolate Chips, Nutter Butter Cookies, Wax paper, small paper plates, scissors, black marker, cutting board, cutting knife, table knife, a wooden skewer ( I used a corn skewer), melting pot (I used a make shift double boiler) and a refrigerator.
Directions:

1)Before your den or pack meeting, heat up your chocolate chips in your melting pot or double boiler.  I used a couple of pans and a clay pot as my double boiler.  Be sure to keep an eye on it so the water does not boil completely away in the bottom pan.  Also, use a hot pad when touching the bowl with the chocolate in it.  After I heated my chocolate chips and stirred it, I found it lasted between an hour to an hour and a half for this project.

2) While the chocolate is melting, cut up the pretzels as shown. Be sure to cut slowly and evenly over the surface or your pieces will become crumbs.  I recommend doing this for your cub scouts  before your meeting because it is challenging to cut the perfect pieces.

4) Have the cub scouts write their names on the edge of their small plates. Then cut up some wax paper to fit the size of the plates.

1)First spread chocolate with a table knife around the edge of the cookie.  Then scrap off any chocolate that got on the bottom of the cookie and place it on the wax paper.

2) While the cookies are sitting on the plate, spread chocolate on top. (Note: for this project, the boys will not be putting chocolate on the bottom of the cookie in the interest of easiness and time).
3) After they spread the chocolate, have them lick their fingers and wash their hands before preceding to the next step.

4) In the picture above, take note that one side of the pretzel piece is straight while the other is slanted.  You want to dip the end that is straight in the chocolate.  This piece then can lie against the cookie for better contact. Repeat for all the insect legs.

4) When putting on an antenna after dipping one end in the chocolate, have the cub scouts hold it in place on the cookie while counting to 100. Repeat for second antenna.

4) Take a skewer and with the dull end, dip it into the chocolate. Then put the small dollop of chocolate  on the end of the skewer just below one of the antennas.  Afterwards, take a mini M&M and place it on top of the chocolate dollop.  Repeat for the second eye.
5) Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
 

6) When the chocolate has hardened, take off the wax paper. All that is left to do if for the   cub scouts to enjoy eating their insect!

6) Just for your information, here is a picture of what the bottom of the insect cookies look like. 
Note: If any of your boys have allergies to peanuts, you can use Milano cookies instead of the Nutter Butter cookies.  You could also make a Ladybug out of Oreo cookies.  Just look for Oreo Ladybugs on pinterest. 

Audience Participation Activity

Guess That Outdoor Sound
Record 6 to 7 sounds that you hear outside in nature.  Then play the sounds for everyone at the pack meeting.  Have everyone try to guess what is making that sound.
Ideas of sounds you could record are a cricket, wind in the trees, cicadas, a bird (maybe have them guess the type of bird), a vehicle, cub scouts playing outside, a dog, a cat, a lizard scampering by, leaves under your feet, sound of a bee, water running in a creek, etc.

Cheers / Jokes
Centipede Yell: Group stands and yells: Ninety-nine THUMP!! Ninety-nine THUMP!! Ninety-nine THUMP!! This wooden leg is murder!!! Variation: MY FEET ARE KILLING ME!!! Variation 2: My shoe bill is outrageous!!!
Inspiring Cheer: Pretend to go hiking up a mountain while standing in place and lifting your feet 6 times. Then put your hand over your brow to shade your eyes from the sun and say, "Wow! That is inspiring!"  As you say inspiring, spread your hands and arms out in front of you. 

Opening Brain Teaser Answer: 1) Jack  2) Rock  3) Head  4) Blue  5) Cold  6) Hot  7) Puppy