Bobcat Adventure Ideas for Den Activities and Parent Participation

Bobcat Adventures (No More Bobcat "Rank"). Starting June 1, 2024, the Bobcat Rank as a one time "joining rank" is discontinued, and there will be six Bobcat "Adventures" intended to be the first Adventure done by a Den.

  • Want a *Fun*Simple*Easy* Bobcat Adventure Plan that will work across Ranks?
  • The new Adventure Resources found at scouting.org/programs/cub-scouts/adventures/ show "Activity Cards" (often, multiple options) for the requirements.
  • Also, the Bobcat National Adventure Pages say “the Bobcat Adventure is the first required Adventure … [o]nce the Bobcat Adventure is completed, [Scouts] can work on the other Adventures in any order.” However, that is aspirational - a nice idea - but that is not part of the requirements) for the Adventure or the Rank.
    • FYI, the Lion and Tiger Parent Guides have this clarification ... the Tiger through Webelos handbooks use the unduly restrictive language.
    • In other words, please do not keep Scouts from starting other fun Adventures just because they haven’t finished Bobcat yet! Scouting is Friendly, Courteous, Kind!

The document attached below called "2024 First Meeting and Bobcat Multi Rank Adventure Plan" is both:

  • a great "first meeting" for a den (with "get to know you" fun and some "get the den organized" tips and resources - this has the great "Balloon Stomp Battle Royale" game -- play it with your Scouts, and another round with your parents!), and
  • an Introduction to the Bobcat Adventure and sufficient to cover Bobcat in Kindergarten (Lion) through Webelos (4th Grade). Fifth Grade Arrow of Light Bobcat has more elements, related to connecting with a Scouts BSA Troop.

Want more? (Beyond the "2024 First Meeting and Bobcat Multi Rank Adventure Plan")? In the attachments, there will also be a second den activity plan for a second meeting to do Bobcat fun, where the activities are a Bobcat Relay Race, a Scout Law Video activity, a "Roll of the Dice" review game, plus a Scout Law Balloon Volleyball Contest.

Bobcat Games -- Traditionally, Bobcat Requirements were taught by Repetition: write the Scout Oath or Promise (and the Scout Law) on a poster board and display it at every den meeting (or imagine Bart Simpson writing it on the board!). Sure, showing it and reciting it is key, and asking if your Scouts can recite it from memory is a good and necessary activity – but face it, by itself, this is boring . . . so . . . here are some other ways to learn this::
#1: Line up the Lines -- Take the Scout Oath or Promise (or the Scout Law) and write it out on strips of paper in large letters. If you want, you can cut the lines up into chunks or half-lines. Then have a team challenge for the whole group. Mix up the strips on the floor or in a box. One by one, a Cub hops to the box, grabs a strip, and brings it back to the group. The next Cub hops up and gets another strip and brings it back to the group. Hopping is done to give the group time to arrange the strips in order. The group has to agree on how to arrange the strips. When done, they recite the Scout Oath or Promise together.
#2: Line up the Lines Relay -- Divide the team in half or thirds (2-4 per team), putting stronger Cubs with weaker Cubs to even things out. Each group has their own set of strips. Repeat as in "Line up the Lines." Note: everything goes better with a stopwatch, since Scouts like to compete to see “how fast” they do it!!
#3: Line up the Lines Contest -- Set up strips for each individual Cub. Now they play "Line up the Lines" by themselves and try to finish correctly first.
#4: Sort and Assemble Challenge -- Once they are really good, challenge them. Put all the paper lines (or segments) of both the Scout Oath or Promise and the Scout Law together. Play this game as a group, in relay or as individuals. This game can keep the faster learners occupied while the less adept practice more.
#5: Pick-up Sticks Game -- Write the Scout Oath or Promise (or Scout Law) on craft sticks or paint stir sticks. Divide the Cubs into teams, with each team having a set of sticks. One by one, the Cubs go to the table, pick-up then drop the sticks on the table and reassemble them. Have an adult tally the score for each team (award 1 point each time the Scout Oath or Promise or Law is assembled correctly).
#6: Interlock Puzzle -- Glue a blank paper to the back of an assembled child's puzzle (20-25 pieces). Write out the Scout Oath or Promise (or the Scout Law) on this page and then carefully cut through the sheet and around the pieces with an Exacto knife. Let the Cubs practice putting the puzzle together as a gathering activity. You may want to use different colored sheets for each puzzle you make.
#7: Picture Craft -- Each scout writes the Scout Oath or Promise (or the Scout Law) on craft sticks. Have them use pens and try to write one full line on each stick. Cut out a piece of poster board slightly taller than the assembled sticks. Glue the sticks to cardboard in order. Punch holes in the top of the cardboard and bend a pipe cleaner through these so it can be hung on the wall.
#8: Be a Reporter Game – The 2006 version of this said “This requires a tape recorder and microphone” … how quaint! People … pull out your smartphone and take video. Record each scout saying both the Scout Oath or Promise and the Scout Law on the smartphone. Then play it back. This repetition works really great, while the scouts get a blast watching and listening. Extra Bonus: for parents who “dropped their kid off”, pull them aside and let them see too with their kid watching!!
#9: Roll the Dice Game -- This requires one dice (a big one if you have it). Each scout rolls the dice and depending on what number comes up, the scout performs one of the parts of the Bobcat trail. Score points for each scout who does the task correctly. Add some flavor - let a roll of 4 yield an extra roll. Here are the tasks for each number: = Learn and say the Scout Oath, with help if needed. = Learn and say the Scout Law, with help if needed. = Show the Cub Scout sign. Tell what it means. = Show the Cub Scout handshake. Tell what it means. = Say the Cub Scout motto. Tell what it means. = Show the Cub Scout salute. Tell what it means.
#10: Mystery Bag -- Let the Cubs earn a chance to grab a prize from the "mystery bag". This is a bag filled with trinkets and small stuff like pencils, stickers, coins, etc. At the beginning of the meeting, announce the "secret phrase" (i.e. one line from the Scout Oath or Promise). Let the Cubs repeat it a few times right then. At the end of the meeting, each Cub must whisper it to the leader and get it correct for a chance to reach into the mystery bag. Each time this method is used, make the secret phrase longer and longer until it's the whole Scout Oath or Promise.
#11 Hangman -- Use phrases from the Scout Oath or Promise, Law, Motto and play "hangman" on the board or a big sheet of paper!
#12 Bobcat Relay Race -- Group divides (in two, or by Den), lining up for “relay race” on one end of room or field, and with Leaders and/or experienced Scouts on the other end, to test on Scout Oath or Promise, Law, Motto, Sign, Handshake, Salute. Groups start, one at a time runs (or skips, crawls, rolls) to the Leader, answers a “Bobcat” question, and returns to “tag” the next Scout – if a Scout can’t answer, the scout “goes back to get help”, and comes back and answer the question. (Early on, give new Scouts easy questions!)
#13 Scout Law Puzzle (can do with the Scout Oath or Promise as well) -- Write one word of the Scout Law on an index card; place the cards in a paper sack. Prepare a second sack of index cards. Divide the den into two teams. On a signal, teams remove the cards from the sacks and put the words in the correct order. The first team correctly completing the sequence of words wins.
#14 Balloon Badminton Memory Game {can do this as “volleyball” without the racquet} -- Each scout makes a racquet by taping and gluing a flat stick between two paper plates. The “birdie” is a partially inflated balloon. Scouts bat the birdie back and forth with a partner. Each time the birdie is batted, the scouts take a turn saying the next word of the Scout Oath or Promise. Try to keep the balloon aloft through the entire recitation. Change partners and practice saying the Scout Law.

 

Other helpful links include:

Other Tips:

  • Den Adventure (Meeting) Plans follow a 7 element plan, and for a bit of introduction to those elements, and how they apply both in a group activity and a family-led activity, see this page of Den + Family "Meeting" Tips.
  • Don't forget to read with your Scout (and siblings) the Bobcat elements in the front of their Handbook.

Scout On! Got other ideas? Feel free to share by emailing info@iacbsa.org.

File Name Description
Bobcat Adventure Requirements Chart Across Ranks 2024 Download
First Meeting and Bobcat Multi Den Adventure Plan Word Format Download
First Meeting and Bobcat Multi Den Adventure Plan PDF Format Download