Coats of Arms

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Description

Learn about a local Coat of Arms, the meaning of colours and symbols in heraldry and design your own Coat of Arms


Resources

Large Image of Local (Town/county) Coat of Arms - split into sections - enough for one per Cub
Card (old cereal boxes)
Card templates (ceral box size) of a shield shape - or use attached template on paper
Paper
Crayons/paints
Meanings of colours and symbols sheets as attached - printed off
Shield ideas sheet (attached - printed off)

Instructions

The first part can be done the week before:
1) Show Cubs an image of a coat of arms and tell them how each colour and symbol has a meaning (perhaps use your own family coat of arms).
Tell that that each town and/or County has a Coat of Arms and ask them to find an example in the area (on a building) and find out what the symbols mean. An image of the Coat of Arms that you want them to find could be given out.
Tell them that most family names have a coat of arms and they could see if they can find an image of their coat of arms or that of someone famous from the area.

2) On the next Pack night . After this discussion, split the pack into two to rotate on two activities:

a) Making Your Own Coat of Arms:
Ask Cubs to share their own Coats of Arms if anyone has brought in their own family Coat of Arms and discuss how the colours and symbols mean different things. It may not be practical to discuss everyone's but you can help Cubs to look up what symbols mean during the evening use the Symbols list attached. Ask Cubs to use the templates to draw and cut out a shield (on paper or direct onto a creral box inner) and then ask them to design their own Coat of Arms to reflect their interests, the type of people they are (e.g. ships for fishing families, sports equipment to show sports they enjoy, symbols like lions to show bravery, using symbols off the list and modern symbols). If they prefer they can just copy their own family crest. Stick the sheets onto the card and cut out then use a strip of card sellotaped to the rear to creat a handle to hold the shield.

b) Giant Town/County Coat of Arms
Ask Cubs to share where they have seen the local Coat of Arms and what the symbols on it all mean.
Using the image of the coat of arms that is split into sections, allocate a section of the town coat of arms to each Cub and give them a sheet of A4 or A5 and ask them to draw their section on the sheet so that when all sections are put together it will form a huge shield. Remind Cubs that they will have to work with their neighbours to ensure that lines meet up at joins. When finished stick together at the back and hang on wall.

Swap activities after 20 - 30 mins as appropriate

At the end of the meeting ask each Cub to share just one thing on their Coat of Arms as to why it is on there and what it means to them.


Tags

  • Coats of Arms
  • Heraldry
  • local knowledge
  • shields

Badge Links

  • Local Knowledge - Meaning and Pictures