Report Copyright Infringement View in OSM UK

Description

This funny story about three Beavers teaches you how to pitch a tent. Will you learn from their mistakes when it's your go?

Courtesy of The Scout Association
https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/tent-tales/

Resources

Tents
20 minutes

Take it further
- This is a great way to prepare for going on a camp. You could act out the story of ‘The three Beavers’ to show how well everyone can pitch a tent – why not invite parents and carers along to watch? This could count towards the first requirement of the Creative Activity Badge.
- This is also a great chance for someone to act as the group leader, working towards the fifth requirement of their Teamwork Challenge Award.



Safety
All activities must be safely managed. Use a safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Do a risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Always get approval for the activity and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Poles and long objects: Be careful when moving poles or long items. Take care if the ends are sharp. Have appropriate supervision for this activity.

Outdoor activities: You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.

Instructions

Listen in-tents-ly
1. Everyone should sit in groups of about four or five people. There should be as many groups as there are tents to pitch.
2. The person leading the activity should read the story of ‘The three Beavers’ below.
3. The person leading the activity should ask each group at least one question to check they listened and understood. Each group should talk to each other and then answer. We’ve included some questions in case you get stuck.


Pitch and strike
1. An adult should join each group.
2. Each group should work together to pitch the tent. They should work together to help each other remember what comes next.
3. Everyone should check the tents are secure and safe for sleeping in. Perhaps everyone could share a hot drink by the tents, like the Beavers in the story.
4. Each group should follow the steps from the story in reverse to strike (take down) their tent.


Reflection
This activity gave everyone a chance to develop the skills they need to put up a tent. They learned by listening to a funny story, and then giving it a go for themselves. The three Beavers in the story kept making mistakes because they didn’t read the instructions carefully, they didn’t listen to each other, or they rushed through each step. Can anyone thing of another thing that’s important to remember when pitching a tent?

Camping is a great way to explore the outdoors; it’s a chance to love the magic of being in nature. Before you go on a night away it’s important to be prepared. Can anyone remember the names of the different parts of the tent? Can everyone work together to remember how you pitch and strike it? What would happen if people missed out a step? The tent could fly away (like it almost did in the story!) or it could collapse on people’s heads in the middle of the night.


Change the level of challenge: Confident readers could take it in turns to read out instructions. Someone could take on the role of Wait-a-Bit Beaver, and make sure everyone’s doing things right.

Tags

(none)

Badge Links

• Camp Craft - Tent
• Outdoors - Tent