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Description

Idea for a meeting with nothing but a ball of String. Taken from a recent edition of the Get Active supplement.

Resources

Thanks go to the Scouting Magazine - http://magazine.scouts.org.uk/getactive/string-theory/
Check the link as more suggestions may be added.

Use one or all below.

Instructions

String theory

We asked if you could run a meeting with nothing but a ball of string and in true Scout fashion, you rose to the challenge. Here are 12 of our favourite suggestions - Suitable for Beavers+


1 - Create a blind trail in the woods with muddy bits, trees to go around, holes to avoid and drops to cross. You can do different parts of the trail on your knees, flat out, hanging, or even upside down. The only rules are that you have to keep your blindfold on and not let go of the string or rope. Make sure everyone wears old clothing.

Cameron, Cub Scout
[Note: Conduct a risk assessment and supervise accordingly to ensure safety. This is a great way to build trust within a group and you'll often find Scouts in fits of laughter, even though they can't see each other.]



2 - Play a variant of a "Kim's game" by hanging or clipping items to a washing line strung across your meeting place.

Heather Barber, Training Adviser and District Occasional Helper



3 - Get your Scouts to practise using compass bearings and pacing's by pegging out shapes with tent pegs and string.

Claire M Thorpe, Scout Leader



4 - A favourite game that involves string is Jump the River. Lay two lengths of string parallel to each other on the floor of your HQ. The Cubs have to jump over an ever-increasing gap between the two lengths of string. If they step in the gap they've fallen in the river and are out. My Cubs love it!

Andy Beaumont, Assistant Cub Scout Leader



5 - Form Scouts into a circle. A heap of long pieces of string are piled up in the middle. They select an end each and tie it to one hand - then they have to untangle themselves from the mix.

Chris Haigh, Assistant Explorer Scout Leader



6 - We recently used a ball of string in the Scouts' Own at camp. We passed it across a circle to one another, saying something nice or good about the person we were passing it to while keeping hold of the string. It formed an interconnected web pattern across the circle. I then pointed out that we all have different good qualities that make us who we are, but we are all joined together by Scouting. The string helped to illustrate this concept in a practical way.

Hannah Smelt, Assistant Scout Leader



7 - Run a food challenge by stringing doughnuts, apples or bagels across the Scout hut. Scouts have to eat the food without using their hands. Time it to see who can finish their doughnut, apple or bagel the quickest!

Hannah Smelt, Assistant Scout Leader



8 - A good one for Beavers: Scouts sit in a circle with a woggle threaded on a length of string. One person is nominated to stand in the middle of the circle. The string is tied at the ends and everyone takes hold of the string. The challenge is to get the woggle around the full circle without the person in the middle finding out where it is. It sounds simple but when you're in the middle it's quite difficult!

John Simmons-Powell, Assistant Scout Leader



9 - Attach lengths of string to some spoons and challenge your Patrols to pass the spoon through their clothes. They will all end up joined together - the quickest Patrol wins.

Rebecca Munday, District Member



10 - Boil up vegetation such as grass and beetroot and use it to dye lengths of string. Once dry, they can be used to make friendship bracelets.

Pat Duncumb, Deputy District Commissioner



11 - You can use string to demonstrate the concept of food miles, to get your Scouts thinking about the distance that different foods travel to reach your dinner plate. Get a selection of items from the local supermarket and see where they were grown or produced. With the aid of a world map and some string, cut varying lengths to represent the distances that the foods have travelled.

Steve Morton, District Scout Active Support Manager



12 - Every member of the section grabs a piece of string. The challenge is to try and tie a reef knot into it without anyone letting go. It's absolutely brilliant fun to watch - Twister has nothing on this! It is possible to do it with good teamwork and logical thinking - I promise.

Sasha Dawkins, Assistant Cub Scout Leader

Tags

• game
• string

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