PACK & DEN ACTIVITIES

PACK MEETING IDEA

First, don't think of your meeting as a 'meeting'. Start to think in terms of a one-night show, a production. Meetings are dull; we go to them every day and rarely (if ever) look forward to them. A show, however, is entertainment! People want to be entertained, and while they'll forget to go to your meeting, they'll remember that they have tickets to your show!  This is another Sean Scott idea!!!

Tigers –

Ach 2F – Look at a map of your Community with your adult partner

Ach 3G -   Watch an amateur or professional game or sporting event

Ach 3D-    Lead a discussion on healthy food and how important it is for maintaining physical fitness.

Elect 13    Learn to count coins and make change

Elect 23    Discuss different kinds of milk boys might see at the grocery store

Elect 24    Help in the Kitchen

Wolfs -

Ach 8A–   Discuss the Food Guide Pyramid

Ach 8B -   Plan meals

Ach 8C – Help fix one meal

Elect 3A   Make a recipe card holder

Elect 9A   Help with a party

Bears -

Ach 3F – Participate in a flag ceremony

Ach 9A -   Bake cookies

Ach 9B – Make snacks for den meeting

Ach 9C – Help with breakfast, lunch and supper one day

Ach 9D – Learn about junk foods

Ach 9E – Make trail food for a hike

Ach 9F – Make dessert for your family

Ach 9G – Cook a meal outdoors

Ach 13A   Go grocery shopping with your family

Elect 14D  Build a greenhouse and grow plants from seeds (may be vegetables!!)

Good Turn for America Idea
Russ, Timucua District

http://www.goodturnforamerica.org/

The theme “Cub Café” implies that food is plentiful and can be prepared with ease. But for many families, this is not the case. Boys can do a Good Turn by helping at a local organization that provides meals for less fortunate families, organizing a food drive for a food bank, and offering to help clean up in and around a food bank.

Ideas for Pack Activities:
Baltimore Area Council

• Do a clean-up project around your Pack meeting place
• Set the pack meeting up like a café with the boys as waiters (come up with crazy names for the various foods
• Hold a campfire Pack meeting, roast hot dogs, and make s’mores

Ideas for Den Activities:
Baltimore Area Council

• Make recipe books of the boys’ favorite snacks
• Make animal cracker neckerchief slides
• Have a progressive dinner
• Have a field trip to a fast food restaurant (many will give you a tour if you call ahead)
• Build cardboard food pyramids and discuss nutrition
• Talk about favorite family foods around Easter or Passover

LET’S EAT!
Great Salt Lake Council

Take a field trip to a restaurant and learn the proper way to be a waiter. The boys will be surprised to learn that it is important to know if you serve from the right and clear from the left or the other way around and the reasons behind it.

Choose a restaurant that uses this etiquette so they will be able to explain it.

The way food is placed on the plate does make a difference. Try different ways of putting food on plates. Look at the colors and the way it is placed. Does it look appetizing or make you want to leave?

Twisted Dough Tie Slide
Russ, Timucua District

Materials: several slices of white bread, white glue, lemon juice, shellac, varnish or bright colored paint.

• Remove the crusts from the bread.
• Break the bread into small pieces and mix with glue.
• Add a few drops of lemon juice.
• Mix until it has the consistency of clay.
• Roll pieces of the modeling dough into ropes, each about 1/4 inch thick and 12 inches long.
• Fold rope in half and twist.
• Wrap the twist around to form a circle with a 3/4 inch center. Cut any excess twist off, dab the ends with a little water, and press together to seal.
• Let air dry, or bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until light brown.
• When dry (or cooled), give the slide a coat of clear shellac, varnish or paint.

Hot Dog Slide
Baltimore Area Council

Materials: Art foam (tan & red), glue, 2 wiggle eyes, yellow tulip paint, pipe cleaner

• Cut out the hot dog pieces.
• Glue the tan bun shapes onto each side of red hot dog, staggering the hot dog and bun front so all pieces can be seen as shown. 
• Glue on eyes and draw a mouth and eyebrows on hot dog.
• Paint on mustard.
• When dry, glue pipe cleaner on back.

• Take Brazil nut and paint it to look like watermelon.
• After the paint has dried, hot glue a piece of PVC pipe or a drapery ring to the back of the nut.

Bake Off
Russ, Timucua District

• Have a Cub Scout Bake off at your Pack Meeting Show.
• Each den or family is assigned to bring a dish (cookie, or chili, a certain color, from a different country, with only 3 ingredients, etc.) 
• Set up tables to allow audience to sample some of each. Supply any necessary plates, napkins, forks, cups of water, etc.

Have A Party!
Russ, Timucua District

It’s March and the program year is probably winding down for the den. What’s left in the den dues box? If there is enough money left in the dues treasury and it looks like your den could get by for the rest of the year on what it collects after the party (or if it can spare a small amount from the treasury), have the boys plan a fiscally responsible party.

If I know the Cubs at all, chances are they’ll opt for the only “decent” food they know—PIZZA!

What an opportunity!

Go through some of your Sunday papers and find coupons for different pizza party options. These can include Pizza Hut/Domino’s, soda and grocery store coupons, etc.

Use the opportunity to teach about money and nutrition

Figure out what you think would be the minimum cost to have a party using whatever savings methods you can find.

Then prepare the “grocery list” for the party.

Tell the boys they have X dollars to get the supplies and have them figure out how to make the party happen.

Budgeting:

Both before and after your den has decided how they are going to obtain the funds for paying for the outing, they must set up a budget.  A budget must be set up before planning the outing so the den will know how much money they will need to fund the trip.  After the trip, the den should revisit the budget.  They should record the actual expenses using the same categories that were used in the budget.  This will allow them to compare how the actual expenses matched up with the amounts that were budgeted. 

This will also show two things

• How each line item in the budget was compared to the actual costs (for example: if you budgeted $2.00 per person for lunch and the actual cost was $2.25 per person, you will know that this item needs to be adjusted next time) and
• How the total budget compares to the total expenses.

Each member of your den should help with developing the budget both before and after the trip.  If this becomes too onerous, have each den member identify a personal goal (something that they want to buy or do) using the same approach as you would for the den trip.  During the month, each Cub Scout can then follow the guidelines that are used for the den’s goal to reach his own.

Meal Planner for 3 Meals
Russ, Timucua District

Have your Cubs plan a day’s meals and then list all the stuff that will be needed

Fridge Magnet Note Holder
Baltimore Area Council

Materials: clothespins, magnetic tape, fun foam, glue.

Instructions:

• Cut flower shapes from the fun foam
• Glue at the top of the clothespin.
• Cut stem, leaves from fun foam
• Glue beneath the flower.
• Put the magnetic tape on back.
• This will be a note holder.

Goo
Baltimore Area Council

Materials:

• 2 Bowls                                       
• mixing spoons
• 8 oz. white or carpenter’s glue            
• food coloring
• ¾ cup water                         
• 20 Mule Team Borax
• additional water for mixing           
• airtight container

Directions:

• Combine glue, food coloring, and ¾ cup of water in bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon borax and ¼ cup water.
• Add the borax mixture to the glue mixture, stirring until a blob forms.
• Remove the blob from the mixture.
• Add another batch of the borax and water mixture to the glue mixture.
• Repeat the process until the glue mixture is all gone.
• Knead all the globs together.
• Store the goo in an airtight container.

Twisted Dough Tie Slide
Baltimore Area Council

Materials: Several slices of white bread; white glue; lemon juice; shellac, varnish or bright colored paint

Directions:

• Remove the crusts from the bread.
• Break up the bread into small pieces and mix with the glue.
• Add a few drops of lemon juice,
• Mix until it the consistency of clay.
• Roll pieces of modeling dough into ropes, each about 1/4” thick and 12” long.
• Fold rope in half and twist.
•  Wrap the twist around to form a circle with a 3/4” center.
• Cut any excess twist off, dab the ends with a little water and press together to seal.
• Let air dry or bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until light brown.
• When dry (or cooled), give the slide a coat of clear shellac, varnish or paint.

Swiss Cheese Candles
Baltimore Area Council

Leaders can make their own candles to be used as good conduct candles or for den or pack ceremonies.

Materials:

• Quart-sized milk carton                  
• 1 pound paraffin
• 7-inch candle                              
• color wax crayon
• ice (Adapt amounts for smaller candles.)

Directions:

• Melt paraffin, heating it over a low flame in a double boiler. USE CAUTION because paraffin is flammable.  An adult must be there with you
• When the paraffin has melted, color it by adding about 1 inch of a wax crayon of the desired color. Because wax melts almost immediately, just stir in with a stick.
• Cut off the peaked top of a quart-sized cardboard milk carton to use as a mold.
• Pour 1/2 inch of paraffin in the carton.
• As the paraffin sets, place an old candle upright in center
• Place crushed ice cubes around the candle until the carton is full.
• Pour paraffin to the top of the cart leaving the wick exposed.
• When the candle has hardened, tear off the carton over the kitchen sink allow the melted ice to drain from the holes.

How to run a visit to the Supermarket:
San Gabriel Valley-Long Beach Area-Verdugo Hills Councils

Objectives:  Develop the ability to purchase food at the Supermarket with food allowance.  Practice ordering food at the concession stands, if market has one.  Managing wants and needs by having enough food for lunch/dinner without going over the food allowance.

Materials: 
Prepare “food cards” with pictures of food and prices.

Procedures:

Before the Supermarket visit –
practice shopping in the supermarket.

• Teach lessons for money awareness for coins and bills
• Set up a concession stand with food and play money for change.  An adult stands by ready to help with money exchange.
• Scouts will pre-plan their lunch/dinner menu by reading the possible food choices by completing an order form.
• Scouts will be given $5.00 in play money (four ones and change)
• Scouts will go to the concession stand to order food, and give “clerk” the correct change or ear correct change.
• Scouts should purchase: 1 meat dish, 1 drink and 1 dessert
• An adult will give Scouts the pictured food and count change
• Scouts will be allowed to order a snack later if there is money left over
• Den Leader will put real money in plastic bags with the Cub’s name for the real filed trip to the supermarket.

Scouts will decide on food for purchase.

Have Cubs fill out the form prior to Supermarket visit.

Lunch at the Supermarket

Name:_______________________ Date:______________

Before the visit:

For lunch, I want to buy…

                          Food:                               Cost:

•  _____________________________   $___________
•  _____________________________   $___________
•  _____________________________   $___________
•  _____________________________   $___________
•  _____________________________   $___________

• I had                                   $______________left.
• I had enough money?                         Yes       No
• I had enough to eat?                           Yes       No
• I had a snack?                                   Yes       No
• I planned well?                                  Yes       No

Pasta Pets
San Gabriel Valley-Long Beach Area-Verdugo Hills Councils

Materials:

• Elbow, bow tie, wagon wheel or penne macaroni. 
• Pipe cleaners. 

Directions:

• First create the animal’s torso by sliding a few pieces of wagon wheel pasta onto the center of a pipe cleaner for a chubby belly or one long penne or rigatoni for a long lean belly. 
• Then bend the pipe cleaner on both sides of the torso to form a neck and tail. 
• Add more pasta and fold the tips of the pipe cleaner to hold the pieces in place. 
• Bend the neck (between pastas) into a right angle to form a face. 
• To attach legs ears or horns, wind shorter lengths of pipe cleaner around the body and string them with macaroni. 
• You can even glue on miniature soup pastas for a mane or fur.

Bean Scene

Directions:

• Get a piece of cardboards or a scrap of wood. 
• Sketch a design on the board. 
• Use q-tips to paint a portion of the design with glue. 
• Choose from an assortment of beans, colorful peas, and legumes and arrange them over the glue. 
• Continue until the entire surface is covered.  
• Allow the glue to dry completely before standing upright.

Clay Cutlery

Materials: 

Mismatched silverware, polymer clay

Directions:

• Roll a 1-inch ball of polymer clay into a rope that is twice the length of the utensil’s metal handle.  If you want a multicolored handle, roll two or more thinner ropes and twist them together. 
• Press the rope onto the front and back of the utensil handle and pinch together the clay along the sides. 
• Then use your fingertips to smooth the surface of the clay.   
• Bake the decorated pieces according to the directions on the clay package. 
• Wash and dry the finished cutlery by hand.

Pasta Pictures

• Cook spaghetti and other shaped noodles. 
• Use the damp pasta to form a picture on heavy construction paper. 
• Cover it with waxed paper and weigh it down with a heavy book to dry. 
• Remove the waxed paper when dry.  The pasta hardens and adheres to the construction paper.

Gumdrop Bugs

Materials: 

Large gumdrops, small pretzels, Twist & Peel licorice strands cut into 1/2 inch lengths, gel frosting.

Directions:

• Break the pretzels into pieces that resemble wing shapes and poke the ends into the gumdrops. 
• Use a toothpick to make holes in the tops of the gumdrops and insert licorice antennae. 
• Make two gel dots on the gumdrops for eyes.

Pizza from Beads
Russ, Timucua District

Materials:

5 light brown pony beads    3 dark brown pony beads

7 red pony beads                       2 ft. ribbon or cord.

Directions:

The pattern is a pyramid – 5 beads, then 4, then 3, then 2, and lastly 1.  The 5 light brown are the crust.

• Fold the ribbon/cord in half to find the center.
• Tie a knot ½ inch from center which will leave a small loop.
• Thread all 5 light brown beads on one-half of cord, then thread other half of cord back through the beads.
• Repeat for the next row using 1 dark brown bead, 2 red beads, and 1 dark brown bead.
• The third row uses red, dark brown, and red. The fourth row uses 2 red beads.
• The last row is the remaining red bead.
• Finish by tying off with a double knot.

Foil Dinner Tie Slide
Russ, Timucua District

Materials:

• Piece of foil about 5"x 4"
• Cotton ball
• Black Marker

Directions:

• Pull cotton ball a little apart. This will be the "food".
• Place in the center of the foil piece.
• Fold like you would a foil dinner.
• Write name with marker. Glue on backing.

Herb Garden

Materials:

egg carton, egg shells, pin, gravel, planting soil, herb seeds (like mustard, basil, fennel, or thyme).

Directions:

• Prick holes in the bottom of each half shell with a pin and place one in each compartment of the egg carton.
• Put a few grains of gravel in each shell.
• Fill half way up with plant soil and sprinkle on a few herb seeds.
• Add more soil.
• Water lightly and place on a windowsill where they will get lots of sun.
• Transplant to small pots or outdoors when they are well started.

Popcorn Pictures

Materials:

Popped popcorn, construction paper, food coloring, paper cups, plastic spoon.

Directions:

• Spread newspaper on the work surface.
• Make a picture on manila or colored construction paper.
• Decide what kind of picture you want to make.
• Place water in paper cups and add a few drops of food coloring to make the colors you need.
• Drop popcorn pieces into the cups of colored water and stir with a plastic spoon.
• Put the colored popcorn on the newspaper to dry.
• Draw the picture on the paper and glue the colored popcorn to the paper to fill in the design.

Outdoor Cookery
San Gabriel Valley-Long Beach Area-Verdugo Hills Councils

Here are some hints from the San Gabriel Valley, Long Beach Area, and Verdugo Hills Councils for creating your own tin can cookery.  These are fun projects but may be a little advanced for Cubs.  Remember cutting tin cans creates sharp edges.  Before choosing a project for your Webelos to show them some of the fun that lies ahead in Boy Scouting, do a careful web search and be prepared.  If you have access to old Boys’ Life reprints there are some great articles on this subject.  CD

OPEN STOVE:  Place a well-cleaned turpentine can on the wide flat side and cut an opening in the other side, as shown. Bolt two tuna cans to the bottom of the stove, and add waxed wicks. Cut a piece of hardware cloth or other heavy metal screen­ing for the grill and turn under the sharp edges. For a charcoal burner, bolt aluminum foil pans to the bottom of the stove and fill with charcoal.

CLOSED OVEN:  Leave the lid of a large can partially attached to form a hinged door. From a second can of the same size, cut a section of tin, the full length and slightly wider than the can.  Bend up the sides, as shown, and insert the rack in the oven for holding baking.  Close the door and set the can directly on the coals to use.

REFLECTOR OVEN:  You will need two potato chip cans and a coat hanger wire for this oven. Cut the bottom from one can, and open it along the seam. Then, flatten it out. Bend back one edge about 3” to make a stand and bend the rest of the sheet into a large ‘V’ shape using the shiny surface for the inside of the oven.

From the second can, cut two triangles for the sides of the reflectors about 1" larger than the 'V' just formed. Drill three small holes along the center line of these side pieces for the baking rack. Fit the side pieces to the reflector and fasten securely with small nuts

DOUBLE BOILER:  Use a large can for the bottom of a double boiler. For the rack, bend two pieces of coat hanger wire into a U-shape with hooks at the ends as shown. Hook the ends over the sides of the can and set a smaller can on the rack above the boiling water.

FRYING PAN:  For a frying pan, use the bottom 2” of a large tin can and make a tab about 4”x 6”, as shown by the dotted lines. Make a cut on each side at the base of the tab so that the metal can be wrapped around a wooden stick for a handle. Attach the metal to the stick with, screws to hold securely in place.

SAUCEPAN:  For a deeper pan, use the pan higher.

Barbecue Tools
San Gabriel Valley-Long Beach Area-Verdugo Hills Councils

These might be little more appropriate for some of our Cubs.  But please be careful.  Read note above  CD

To make these useful implements, you will need –

Coat hanger wire straightened with pliers.

To prep the coat hanger wire -  Sand off all paint.

Grills

These are handy for toasting buns and cocking meats.

• At one end of your wire, bend up 1” as a prong for holding the meat;
• Coil the wire around the prong to form a circular rack about 3” across.
• From another hanger, make a long narrow loop for a handle and twist the end of the grill around the handle.
• To finish, slip a clothespin over the loop and wrap with plastic coated tape.

Forks

• Twist two wires together bending the ends to make two tines.
• Place a clothespin between the wires for a handle and wrap with tape.

• Good for kabobs or toasting marshmallows,
• All you need is a long straight wire with a loop handle at one end.

Bubbles
San Gabriel Valley-Long Beach Area-Verdugo Hills Councils

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup good quality liquid dishwashing detergent
• 4 cups water
• large container for dipping the frame
• 35 inch length of cotton kite string
• 2 plastic drinking straws

Directions:

• In a bowl, mix the dishwashing detergent with the water and pour into the container.
• Thread one end of the string through each straw and tie both ends in a knot.
• Holding one straw with each hand, form a frame and put it into the solution.  As you slowly take it out, a film will form on the frame. 
• Hold your arms out in front of you and slowly pull the frame to the side.  The air will force the film off and make bubbles. 
• You can change the bubble patterns by the way you move or shake the frame.
• To close off one large bubble, twist the frame towards you.  The bubble will form a sphere and drift away.

Baking -Soda clay
San Gabriel Valley-Long Beach Area-Verdugo Hills Councils

Ingredients

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1 cup cornstarch
• food coloring (optional)
• 1 1/3 cups water

Directions:

• In a saucepan, mix the baking soda with the cornstarch
• Stir in  a few drops of food coloring in the water, if desired,
• Add it to the mixture and stir. 
• Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously. 
• When the mixture looks like thick, moist mashed potatoes, remove the pan from the stove. 
• Put the clay on a large plate and cover it with a damp cloth. 
• As soon as the clay is cool enough to handle, knead it until it is smooth. 
• It can be used several weeks if it is stored in a tightly closed plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Finger Paint
San Gabriel Valley-Long Beach Area-Verdugo Hills Councils

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• food coloring
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup warm water

Directions:

• In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water and desired coloring to a boil.
• Put the cornstarch into a small bowl, dissolve it with 1/3 cup warm water
• Gradually stir it into the boiling water. 
• Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil again. 
• Then remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.