Councils Get Creative as Scouts are Required to Stay Home
Across the nation, councils are finding ways to help keep their youth members engaged and Scouting. These out-of-the-box, in-home activities are centered around providing advancement-related content to help keep kids safe, engaged and to help them make the best of home time. Here are just a few examples of what councils are doing: (all the
blue
underlined words or titles are clickable links)
30-Day Challenge
Hawkeye Area Council, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
As communities are practicing caution and social distancing, the Hawkeye Area Council developed a 30-Day Challenge for each Cub Scout rank. Use this at home to help keep Scout's skills sharp.
Advancement Academy: Virtual Resources for Keeping Scouts Advancing, Connected & Having Fun
Cascade Pacific Council, Portland, Oregon
Can’t get together as a group? Visit the Advancement Academy for a digital den meeting or merit badge class. Digital den meetings are offered through Zoom and promoted through Facebook. Participants are asked to sign up in advance. There is also great content for Scouts BSA, including sessions on
How to Run Successful Digital Scout Meetings
as well as online Merit badge sessions on
Coin Collecting
, Personal Fitness and more. The site also includes Facebook groups that anyone in the country can join:
Cub Scout and Scouts BSA
.
Scouting at Home
Atlanta Area Council, Atlanta, Georgia
If you’re looking for a comprehensive list of things that Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA can do to Scout at home, this is it. The page features content directly from Scoutbook and includes ideas of other activities Scouts can do. Plus, suggestions for video platforms – and of course, reminders about the importance of following youth protection standards.
ScoutShare
Seneca Waterways Council, Brighton, New York
At Home Scouting Activities
Spirit of Adventure Council Boston, Massachusetts
This web site features an entire selection of content designed to let Scouts have adventures without leaving home. The site includes links for youth of all ages, from live cams at zoos, to a range of support resources and videos to help Scouts work on merit badges.
https://www.scoutspirit.org/at-home/
NOVA/STEM
Capitol Area Council, Austin, Texas
National STEM in Scouting Committee
The committee has developed an online Nova for remote Scouting.
Looking for other free resources for youth? Here are just a few:
Find projects you can create from home and stories that will take young readers’ minds on adventures all over the world. In addition to the website, an entire year’s worth of issues is free in the BL apps. Download from the iOS/Apple or Google Play stores to read it all.
Especially good for math and computing for all ages but other subjects at Secondary level. Note this uses the U.S. grade system, but it’s mostly common material.
Free to access 100s of courses, only pay to upgrade if you need a certificate in your name (accounts require users to be at least 14, but younger learners can use with a parent).
Free taster courses aimed at those considering Open University, but everyone can access it. Developed primarily for adults, but some courses, e.g., nature and environment, could well be of interest to young people.
Learn computer programming skills – fun and free.
Creative computer programming
All sorts of engaging educational videos
Activities and quizzes for younger kids
Learn languages for free
Free science lessons
Wide range of cool educational videos
YouTube videos on many subjects
As above for a younger audience
Science awards you can complete from home
All kinds of making
Good for elementary school ages
Aimed at Secondary age, multi-disciplinary activities
Geography gaming!
Good, free art activities linked to from this Facebook page
Easy arts and crafts for little ones
Creative art and craft activities for the very youngest
Educational online games
List of Education companies offering free subscriptions due to COVID
Online education resources
