How to Contribute a
Great Activity
So you've decided to attend a Carleton event. Most Carleton events require attending sections to contribute an activity. But how do you bring a quality activity? A: it starts with Plan-Do-Review!
The development of your section's activity can provide bits of program for your section over several meetings. This is how youth can own the program.
Having trouble? Reach out to the Game Coordinators for your section. See the event Contact List (available only to section reps using their registered email address).
TrailCard-BeavereeCuboree.pdfPlanning Resources
Plan
With younger sections, this stage can be done over more than one stint or meeting.
A) Form an idea
Before consulting youth, prepared Scouter teams have some sample ideas ready in their back pocket. Generate at least 2 or 3 seed ideas for an activity. If you're really stuck, consult the event website, which has a list of ideas (Colonies / Packs). Keep in mind that the website ideas are not fully fleshed, just starting points for your youth.
Now it's time for the section's youth to brainstorm. What ideas do the section's youth have? If they get nowhere, offer the 2 or 3 seeds to get the conversation started.
B) Flesh out the idea. Youth led, supported by Scouters.
Scouters and youth need to determine:
Will it be fun? (#1 priority).
Does it promote teamwork, or build a skill? Can the skill be "gamified"?
Is the activity done individually, in pairs, or in small teams (lodges, lairs, patrols)? Remember, most of the Scouting program is be delivered in small teams, not entire sections.
Does it avoid relays? (relays reduce % of time engaged by individuals)
Is it age-appropriate? Is the level of skill required reasonable?
Will it take the full 20 minutes for Beavers/Cubs (30 minutes for Scouts)? Will it be engaging for that long?
Would the activity be staffed by a Scouter?
How can it be made to fit with this year's event theme?
Is it easy to describe verbally or via a Trail Card or instructional sheet?
Can it be suspended in 1-2 minutes? (i.e. after the rotation whistle blows)
C) Go beyond brainstorming ideas with your youth
What materials are needed? Will anything need to be built? Who will supply or construction activity materials? In a few cases, Carleton Scouting may have activity equipment you can use.
Are there any hazards? How likely are they to occur? How severe are the consequences? How can they be mitigated?
Scouters: Is this a category 2 activity? If in doubt, ask your Group Commissioner, or the event's Chair.
STOP! Submit Plan Before Continuing
Before the event's submission deadline, submit the activity idea, with the activity description, and lists of hazards and mitigations. See (Beaveree Activity Submission Form or Cuboree Activity Submission Form). The event's Game Coordinators will respond, and let you know if you have submitted a duplicate. If the activity is a duplicate, it may need to be modified or replaced (go back to PLAN stage).
Once you have received approval from your Game Coordinator, you may move on to the DO stage below.
DO
Obtain or build the activity's materials. Note that costs for materials are born by the attending section, and materials belong to the section after the event.
Write up the instructions. This could be a simple page of instructions. Also consider turning the instructions into a Trail Card by having Plan, Do and Review sections. Use the Trail Card for Beavers template or the Trail Card for Cubs template.
Using only the instructions, test the activity with the section's youth. This is an opportunity for the youth to truly 'own' the activity station, even become experts. In events with competitions, it can be helpful to master an activity!
TrailCard-BeaverScouts-Blank.pdfTrail Card for Beaver Station
TrailCard-CubScouts-Blank.pdfTrail Card for Cub Station
Safety
What category is the activity?
See Adventure Category Matrix
Consider Hazards
Gear, People, EnvironmentAssess Risks
Add Safety FactorsREVIEW
After the test, Youth lead the review, supported by Scouters. Again, youth can use the Activity Development Trail Card.
Was it fun? How could it be better?
Did the activity last the entire 20 minutes? Would a faster section not require the full 20 minutes? If not, can variations be added?
Did it work as expected? If not, consider making changes.
Were the instructions easy to understand? Should the instructions be altered or augmented?
Are changes to materials needed?
Did the test reveal any safety concerns? If so, how should the activity or the instructions be changed?
Some Carleton Events, like the Klondike Derby, explicitly include a time at the end of each activity for youth to review the activity for items like teamwork, success, feedback. Check the scoring sheet on the event website, and consider reviewing these factors with the section youth during the test.
If significant changes need to be made to the activity, consider testing the activity changes with the youth.
If the instructions change, update your Trail Card. If new hazards are identified, update your activity submission (Beavers / Cubs).