Bear Cub Scout Achievement 4

I'm going to post what I did for the entire Achievement 4 (Requirements a-c).  We only meet for an hour once a week so I had to take two weeks to get it all covered.  If you meet for a longer period of time you can cover it all.  The best part is that it includes a game so you get a several things accomplished and have fun too.

1. Tell in your own words what folklore is. List some folklore stories, folk songs, or historical legends from your own state or part of the country. Play the Folklore Match Game in the handbook.
2. Name at least five stories about American folklore. Point out on a United States map where they happened. 
3. Read two folklore stories and tell your favorite one to your den. 

First we talked about what folklore is. Then we read all of the summaries in the book.  This is basically the answers to the Match Game in the book.  I brought copies of the Match Game just in case someone didn't have their book (which is every time).  We went over the match game together.  Once they were familiar with it we played memory.  On one card is a name and they have to find the description of that name in order to have a match.  

 
I printed the cards off onto colored card-stock so the print wouldn't go through and then I laminated them for durability (not required). The kids loved the game.  Keep the matching game you just filled out handy in case you forget who did what!

I can't take the credit for creating this one.  I found it at Strong Armor.  The only problem was that it didn't print quite right for me.  I emailed her and she sent it to me via email.  I asked her if I could share it with you and she agreed.

To Download the matching game click here.

I then printed 5 different folklore stories from http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/tall-tales/
You can print your own or use the ones I did by downloading them here.  I also printed a map of the United States to bring in so we could locate where each folklore originated.  We read the titles of each.  The boys each took turns reading two of them to themselves.  They each selected their favorite and summarized it for the group and  showed us on the map were their story happened.


We had fun and it covered the entire Bear Achievement 4!

Bear Scout Achievement 17b

Bear Scout Achievement 17 Requirement b:

Play a game of charades at your den meeting or with your family at home.

I made a game of charades for the scouts to play.  I started it awhile ago (had the backgrounds done, but nothing else), but never did have a chance to finish it.  I received a phone call about two hours before scouts tonight needing me to take on the Webelos as well.  So I decided to finish it for them to play.  I'm going to post what I had done.  Some are easy, some are harder.  They had lots of fun playing.

I color coded the cards

Purple: books

Blue: people

Pink: movies

Orange: Sports

Green: Action Words

If you want to use the cards Download them Here. I just used my paper cutter and cut them out (I was short on time).  I may use my punch and round the corners.

Bear Cub Scout Achievement 7

We invited a church member who happens to be a law enforcement officer to come and talk with the bears.  He did an amazing job at covering Achievement 7.  We did this achievement over 2 weeks.  First the law officer covered the material and the second week we used what we learned and had a little fun.

Requirement 7a:

Practice one way police gather evidence: by taking fingerprints, or taking shoe-prints, or taking tire track casts.

For Requirement 7a (above) I made them all sheets to take fingerprints on and a top secret file folder to hold them in.

To make the file folder:

• Print on cardstock (I used tan cardstock):  http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/images/articles/filefolderalbum_template.pdf

• Then download this.  Run your printed (not cut out) file folder through the printer.  You want the stamp on the front of the folder.  You may have to play with your printer to make sure it prints correctly.  It should look like this:

•  Cut out the file folder
• Score on the lines or fold carefully ~ accordion style.  I just folded on the lines.  My cardstock wasn't super thick which helped.
• Use double sided tape to adhere it together.

It does have a tab on top, but I cut it out of the picture since it had a name on it.

Then you are ready for something to go inside the folder.  You could do this in their book, but not everyone has a book in my den and even if they did, what are the chances they ALL remember to bring them.  I made these so you could just print them out on 3x5 index cards.  I only had ones with lines so I just printed on the white side.  I also wanted to have them so each boy could have their own fingerprints plus one set of every boy there. (I used this for the activity the next week).  I also printed out some extra so I could have a copy of the boys' prints (one hand only).  I told them that this one would be to practice on, but I really needed it for a game the following week.

Download Fingerprint Form Here.

The law enforcement officer gathered the boys around and spoke to them.  (Covered Requirement 7b: Visit your local sheriff's office or police station or talk with a law enforcement officer visiting your den or pack to discuss crime prevention).  He covered with them 7c: Help with crime prevention in your home.  He went over what they should do to protect their home.  He also covered 7f: Know what you can do to help law enforcement.  He talked about 7d: Be sure where to get help in your neighborhood and 7e: Learn the phone numbers to use in an emergency and post them by each phone in your home.  We had already filled out the forms to cover 7d & 7e.  Next time I will do them ALL at the same time.  It would be more fun done that way and you get more accomplished in only one meeting.  To get the forms for requirement 7d and 7e click here.

After he spoke with them we did the fingerprint activity.  That was a lot of fun.  (If there is a boy that isn't there, but normally is you probably want to make him a set of each boys fingerprints for the activity next week).  Don't forget to bring ink to do the prints and baby wipes to clean off their fingers.  I kept their top secret file folder with all the fingerprints in it for the following week. The highlight of the night was when the kids went outside and saw the police car!

Week two:

I made them detective notebooks (The picture I used for the cover is on the same document as the fingerprint form).  I used one of those small notebooks that fit in your hand (maybe 3x5).  Here is just a page of detectives if that will work better for you.

I also purchased some magnifying glasses at the dollar store.

I made them a file to keep all their gear in:  the mini file folder full of fingerprints from the week before, the detective notebook I made them pictured above, a magnifying glass (above) and a pen.

I had regular file folders, but wanted something with sides so I made my own accordion style file folders.  First I took a regular file folder and creased it at the bottom on the last scored line (look at the bottom of your file folder, there are already scored lines to expand the folder):

Now it has two creases in the bottom.  It gives it a flat bottom instead of the normal fold.

Then I took an extra file folder and cut it down the crease.  Using a scoring blade on my paper cutter.  I made it about every 1/4 inch (if I remember right - it may be a little smaller).  It works best for folding if you flip the folder over with each score made (score on one side, flip, score on that side, flip, score on this side, etc).  Then fold it back and forth accordion style.

I scored it 7 times and on the 8th I cut it.  I used double sided scrapbook tape &/or glue and adhered the accordion fold to the sides of my file folder.  Now the folder has sides and the items wouldn't fall out of it.  I was going to make them into briefcases, but just left them as folders.

 This is my son's.  It is over a month old now and a little smashed up.

Fingerprint Activity

I took the extra set of fingerprints I made myself and cut them apart.  I labeled the back with whom it belonged to (so you couldn't see it through the front) and numbered the front.  I taped them to a wall in the room.  They had to use their fingerprints they collected last week (and their magnifying glasses if they chose) to identify whom each fingerprint belonged to.

Cookie Thief Activity

The object of this station was to determine who had bitten from the cookie.  Supplies: Cookies (I had one cookie for each boy) and Styrofoam plates.  Take the Styrofoam plate and cut into 6 wedges.  Stack two wedges on top of each other and cut off the tip (a fairly large triangle section).  Have a boy bite onto the plate (not hard enough to bite through, but just hard enough to leave an impression of his teeth.  Label the wedge with name and if it is the top or the bottom.  Do this with each boy.  Have each boy take a bite out of one cookie.  Lay each cookie out with a number next to it. When they reach this station they are to identify who took a bite out of which cookie with the help of the Styrofoam plate indention of their bite.  Give them clues to look for missing, crooked, or chipped teeth.

Shoe Mold

For this I made a plaster cast of a shoe print at home (similar to this, but with shoe prints instead of tire tracks) and then brought the plaster cast and a variety of shoes with me.  I numbered each shoe.  They had to identify which shoe made the print.

I had them use their detective notebooks for the three stations.  We had three scouts at this activity so for the fingerprints there were nine fingerprints to identify (I used 3 fingerprints ~ the best ones out of the 5 I had ~ from each boy).  They numbered 1-9 in their notebook and wrote the name of who they thought each fingerprint belonged to next to the number.  They did the same thing for the shoes and cookies.  At the end we went over the answers to see how well they investigated the clues.

Hopefully you understand what I'm trying to say (I'm typing this up with multiple interruptions from children, no wonder I normally do this after the kids are asleep).  If you have any questions let me know.

Bear Cub Scout Achievement 17e

Bear Cub Scout Achievement 17 Requirement e:

Write a letter to a company that makes something you use.  Use e-mail or the U.S. Postal Service.

I saw this posted via facebook (I can't remember who posted it though ~ it was one of my freebie sites):

Have your kids write a letter to Disney letting them know who their favorite character is and why they love them so much!  Disney will actually send back a free autographed picture. Just make sure you include your return address so they can do so.

I know that my kids watch enough Disney channel, love Disney World, Disney movies, and everything else Disney that I figured that is would count as "something they use".  I had them talk about their favorite character and other things they enjoyed about Disney (movies, shows, etc.).  We also covered how to address an envelope including return address, and stamps (a few didn't even know where a stamp went).  Hopefully they'll get something back!


If you want to try it out mail to:
Walt Disney Company
Attn: Fan Mail Department
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Bear Scout Achievement 3a

Achievement 3, Requirement a:

Write or Tell what makes America special to you.

This is a simple item that can be added with some other requirements OR you can do something fun & throw this in to pass off a requirement.  I think July is the perfect time to do this so I wanted to but it up for you now.  I have to still do this with my scouts (and haven't had time to actually plan what I'm doing with it) so if I do something fun I'll post it as well.  I was thinking about doing it this month with some Pioneer type games. 
Some Pioneer games ideas can be found here: Sugardoodle's list.

Download Printable Here

Bear Cub Scout Elective 2c - Rain Gauge

April has been such a rainy month that I decided it would be the perfect time to make a rain gauge.  This will accomplish Elective 2c:

Make a rain gauge. 

After searching the Internet this is what I did:

• Have one empty Gatorade bottle for each boy along with some small rocks (other supplies needed: sharpie, ruler, scissors, and some water).

• Start a cut in the bottle at the top.  There is a little groove that I used (I tried to have my bear scout saw it thinking that they could accomplish part of the tool requirement, but it turns out that this isn't a good item for them to saw).  I ended up using the saw to make a hole just made it big enough to fit scissors in (I used my pampered chef scissors).

• At the activity give each boy a bottle and have them cut in the groove all the way around.  They will now have two pieces ~ their base and their funnel. {Sorry about the pictures.  I decided to do this after the fact and used my son's beat up water gauge for the pictures.}

  

• Take the rocks and fill the bottom.  It will only need a thin layer just covering the bubble in the bottom.  This will be the weight to keep it from tipping over.

• Put in just enough water to cover the rocks.  Mark the water line.  This will be zero ~ they'll need to keep water in it up to zero at all times to get an accurate reading.

• Using a ruler mark up the bottle at least every 1/4 inch, but preferably closer together (especially for dry areas).

• Place the funnel into the base.  

• Record your water levels in the journal:

The boys need to check their gauge several times a day. The water collected will evaporate throughout the day.  They also need to make sure the water level stays at zero.  If would be best if they can check it right after a storm.  If measuring snow bring it inside and let it melt first.

Download Rain Journal Here

Bear Cub Scout Achievement 8f (and start to 1b)

Bear Cub Requirement 8f:

• Start your own history: keep a journal for 2 weeks.

If you are LDS you can also use this as part of Requirement 1b and also make a list of other items they need to complete:

2. Make a list of things you can do this week to practice your religion as you are taught in your home, church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious community. Check them off your list as you complete them.

This document has 14 journal pages and a cover sheet.  Each page has room for the date, a prompting question and a section to put the days happenings.  Hopefully this will give them a start to their own personal history.  

After printing it out you'll need to cut the pages in half to assemble.   There are several border colors so you can assemble it the way you like.  I'm planning on binding them as school with some plastic book binding combs and laminated covers.  Since most people don't have access to that you can have Staples do it or you can staple it or use metal rings.  I promise to add pictures once I have it completed.  Picture is above!

Download 2011 Two Week Journal Here
Download 2012 Two Week Journal Here 
Download 2013 Two Week Journal Here
Download 20__ Two Week Journal Here

Bear Cub Scout Achievement 3e

My daughter made a mobile at school with our state as the topper and the state symbols hanging from it.  I thought that that would be a great idea for my Bear Cubs to pass off Requirement 3e: 

1. Choose a state;  it can be your favorite one or your home state.  Name its state bird, tree, and flower. Describe its flag. Give the date it was admitted to the Union.

I of course chose our state since I was doing it as a Den meeting.  I searched the Internet and found these helpful websites (they have all the states, not just Virginia):
http://www.kidzone.ws/geography/usa/
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/usa/

I printed off an outline of our state and enlarged it.  It ended up being on two pieces of paper, but I just overlapped them and had them glue it together.  I printed one of the following in color to use as a guide and a black and white outline for each boy: the state flag, the state bird, the state flower, and the state tree.

I had them cut out the state and glue it together.  Since Virginia is a little bumpy they cut around it and not right on the lines.  We then talked about our state flag.  One of the sites listed above gives the meanings to the flag.  As I taught them about the colors, symbols, and meanings they colored the flag.  We then went over the tree, bird, and flower as they colored those.

They cut out each of the symbols.  The flag was glued to the back of the state.  I brought a needle and crochet thread.  I put the string through the symbol and the bottom of the state plus one string on top to hang it by.  The boys then tied them on. 

DON'T FORGET to look up when your state was admitted to the union.  There is a place in their book to put this information or you could add it to the front of the state.  I forgot this, but fortunately for me one of the boys already had it done so I was able to share it with the others.

One of the sides:

The other side:

Sorry for my pictures.  One day I'll do better, but for now I'm just lucky to get them taken and posted :)

Bear Cub Scout Achievement 7d and 7e

*note read this post before doing this activity*

Requirement 7d state: Be sure you know where to get help in your neighborhood.

Requirement 7e states:  Learn the phone numbers to use in an emergency and post them by each phone in your home.

For this activity I made a sheet that they can write down phone numbers on.  One side had phone numbers for emergencies (7e) the other side had phone numbers and addresses for neighbors (7d).  

I put a crease down the center of the form (lining the forms up) and had the kids glue them together and then cut them out.  You can do this, but If I did it again I would cut each one out separately for them (boys do not know how to cut straight or that the pretty colors should be a border).  I would have a card stock cut in half for them to glue it to.  I also brought the local phone book to show them how to look up emergency numbers (right in the front on the blue pages).  I also explained that 911 is an emergency number, but there may be times to call police or fire departments that aren't emergencies so we needed those numbers as well.

Download form Here

NOTE - When it prints it is a solid line for the numbers although it looks like there are spaces.

Space Exploration - Blue and Gold Banquet

For our Blue and Gold Banquet this year we used Space Exploration for the basis of our theme.  The week before we had the cubs make rockets for the table decorations.  Since the February theme is Resourcefulness we gathered items and let the kids use their resources and imagination to create their rockets.  We had paper towel tubes, toilet paper rolls, construction paper, glue, tape, scissors, empty cans, (I can't remember what else because I was at New Beginnings with my daughter and missed the activity).  The Wolf leader bought PVC pipe and had a topper on it already for her boys (those turned out so cute!).
Since I was at work I wasn't able to help with the set-up, but they did a great job.  The pictures don't do justice.

There was a huge cardboard moon painted on the stage.  It was textured and painted with glow in the dark paint.  They also attached a disco ball on the basketball standard.  You can't tell because of my flash, but the lights were off and the disco ball going.  It made it look like the room was full of stars.

 

The podium had this cute sign that the young woman used for New Beginnings and we borrowed.  Without even communicating with each other it turns out we had similar ideas!

We had blue table clothes and rocket center pieces:

There were stars on the walls and some of them had crepe paper tails.  They were so cute!  This was the only food table.  It had cold water, hot water, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and relish on it.   The cake was on a table next to it.

When they entered there was a table set up.  There were space badges for the boys.  They took a picture of an astronaut and photo-shopped in the picture of each boy.  I didn't make them so I can't share it with you and my son can't find his so I don't even have a picture (if I find it I'll add it).  On the table were also menus.  The catch of the night was that the menu was in code.  There were two choices in each category and they had to circle which one they wanted without really knowing what they were selecting.  We kept it simple for our purposes.  We gathered the menus and started to fill them in the kitchen while the program began.  For the program we had given the boy an astronaut to research.  Every astronaut was an eagle scout.  They were to highlight their lives.  Unfortunately they were told they had 2-5 minutes.  If you do this I recommend telling them to keep it to one minute (or even giving them the information to present or helping them write it at an activity).  We went way over on our hour time limit and didn't even do any of the activities we had planned.  Another item that delayed us is that we had the families bring in the food and the person that was supposed to bring hot dog buns brought hamburger buns so we had to do a quick run to the store.

Menu Printable

I wish I knew how to post a picture of the menu without taking a picture, but I don't so if you want to see how cute it is you'll have to download it!  The font is blue and we printed it on yellow paper (for the blue and gold part of the night).

Main Dish: Space Shuttle = hot dog, Flying Saucer = hamburger.

Salad: Alien Elbow = macaroni and cheese, Moon Craters = Potato salad.

Side 1: Haley's Comet = half banana, Crescent Moon = sliced apples

Side 2: Crispy Clouds = potato chips, Crunchy Stars = flavored chips.

Drink: Astronaut Juice = Fruit Drink (from the cannery, but it looked like Tang), Big Dipper = Hot Chocolate.

We followed it up with birthday cake like we do every year!

Having the families bring in the food left a few obstacles (besides bringing the wrong buns).  We hoped there would be enough fruit (that is why the bananas were cut in half) and one family was supposed to bring potato chips while the other brought corn chips or Doritos or something other than potato chips, but we ended up with all potato chips (but at least one person brought flavored potato chips).  It all worked out and was lots of fun!

The activities we didn't have time for (but we did the next week at the activity) was making constellations (passed off a bear requirement) and playing an asteroid game.  

The asteroid game: We blew up balloons and they had to keep them afloat without letting them touch the ground or anything else (walls, tables, etc).  You could play it to music, but we just let them volley them up and when some were eliminated we made them sit down and stand back up in between each hit.  We also played it with partners were they had to hit it back and forth with their partners.  They could only touch it once then their partner had to touch it while keeping with the same rules.  This one was a little bit harder.

Constellations: We printed some constellations for the kids to copy.  They used start stickers to make their constellations and then put some glow in the dark paint on top of them.

Here is a picture of Bugs presenting his astronaut (as they presented they had on the big screen a picture of the astronaut):

*****UPDATE: due to some questions, I reached out to my dear friend who is no longer living in the same state as me to find out where she pulled the astronauts from.  She found them here:
http://usscouts.org/eagle/eagleastronauts.asp  ******

Table Tennis Belt Loop

We are going to be earning our Table Tennis belt loop.  In our Stake everyone meets for one hour at the church on Tuesday or Wednesday (or whichever day we are assigned) ~ young men, young women, cub scouts, activity day girls (only twice a month).  That way all the people that have to travel are able bring everyone at once to the same location.  In order to earn the belt loop one must: practice for 30 minutes, tell an adult the rules, and play in one game.  Obviously we can't get all that in an one hour session.  So at the end of our last activity we went over the rules.  Next week will hold the activity at a member's house in order to use their ping pong table.  Since we are changing the time (in order to allow kids to be dropped off for cubs and at the church) and location I made invites:

There are three to a page.  I cut them out, glued them on card stock (which was cut in 3 1/2 x 8 1/2 strips), and then glued a ping pong ball on top of the ball in the picture. I changed the invitation to just say Date, Time, Place if you would like to use it.

Ping Pong Invitation

I also made rule books for each person.  Hopefully as we work on belt loops I can make more books and they will have a little stash for future reference.  If you have any ideas of something for the boys to store them in I'd be happy to hear them.

I just copied information from this website that had the rules listed.  Hopefully it is okay to share the book with you and I didn't break any plagiarism rules (if so let me know and I'll remove it).  I did list the website in the book.

Rule Book   

Here is how to print and assemble them.

1. Print page 1 onto colored card stock.
2. Print page 2 on one side and page 3 on the back.
3. Print page 4 on one side and page 5 on the back.

Here are some pictures to try to show you what it looks like.  When assembled:

First you will fold the paper in half.  Use the pictures as guides.  Fold the cover so the print is on top, the next page should have Terms & the Blank side on the outside of the fold (with Service & web address in the center) and the next page should have What You Should Know and A Good Return on the outside (Point & The Order. . on the inside):

 

 

When you put it together it should look like this: Obviously the cover on the outside (that picture was posted above), When you open it you see the Terms page:

 

 

 Turn the page and you'll see Service and A Good Return:

Turn the page and there is A Point and The Order of. . . 

Turn the page you have What You Need to Know. . . and the web address.  This is the summary of the basics of the rules (the pages before are more in depth) and the web address I used for the rules:

I also stapled them together.  Staple close to the fold so you can still see the words easily when you open the book.  Hopefully that all makes sense.  If there are questions, let me know!