Camp Ready Cubs

Grand Howl and flag break. Akela introduces Camp Ready Cubs: "Over the next four weeks we will learn everything we need to be awesome campers."

Pair Cubs into buddies. Set up an obstacle course (cones, ropes, benches). Buddies must complete the course together, holding a short rope between them at all times. If they let go, they restart that obstacle. Run three rounds, swapping buddy pairs each time so everyone works with different partners. Debrief: at camp, your buddy keeps you safe — you always know where they are and they always know where you are.

OAS: camping.s1.plan-1

Draw a simple campsite map on a whiteboard. Mark the tent area, toilet block, water tap, leader tent, and a red boundary line. Ask: "What do you do if you need to go past the boundary?" (Tell a leader.) "What if you are lost?" Teach S.T.O.P. — Sit down, Think, Observe, Plan. Role-play: several Cubs take turns pretending to be lost in different scenarios (in the bush, at the campsite at night, separated from the group on a track). Each practises sitting still and blowing a whistle three times. Emphasise following leader directions at all times.

OAS: camping.s1.plan-2, camping.s1.plan-4, camping.s1.plan-5

Write camping activities on cards (setting up a tent, cooking sausages, finding firewood, brushing teeth at camp, rolling a sleeping bag, washing dishes, hanging a clothesline, reading a map). Cubs take turns acting them out while their patrol guesses. After all cards are done, play a speed round where each Cub has 30 seconds to act out as many as possible. Reinforces the idea that camping is something we go out and do — building excitement for the real thing.

OAS: camping.s1.plan-3

Provide a jumbled pile of camp gear (sleeping bag, clothes, toothbrush, torch, plate, cup, rain jacket, warm layer, tarp, teddy bear, pillow). Each patrol sorts items into "must have", "nice to have", and "leave at home". Then pack a real bag — heaviest items near the back, sleeping bag at the bottom, rain jacket on top for easy access. Leader inspects each bag.

OAS: camping.s1.do-1

Circle up. Each Cub tells their buddy one thing they learnt tonight. Leader asks: "Who feels more ready for camp?" Thumbs up, sideways, or down. Leader previews Night 2: fire and food. Prayer / Promise.

Grand Howl. Akela recaps Night 1 buddy system and S.T.O.P. Tonight: "We learn about fire and get our hands dirty with camp cooking."

Introduce the fire triangle: Heat, Fuel, Oxygen. Show a poster or build one on the whiteboard. Give each patrol a "mystery scenario" card (e.g. "The fire went out because..." or "The fire spread because...") and they must identify which side of the triangle was added or removed. Discuss when fire is useful at camp (warmth, cooking, light) and when it is dangerous.

OAS: camping.s1.plan-5

Safety briefing: strike away from your body, hold the match mid-shaft, have a safe place to drop it (sand tray). Each Cub practises striking three safety matches into a sand tray under direct leader supervision (one Cub at a time per station, two stations running). Once lit, Cub places the match in the tray and it burns out safely. Discuss: never play with matches unsupervised.

OAS: camping.s1.do-2

Patrols prepare simple "campfire damper" dough (pre-mixed dry ingredients + water). Each patrol kneads the dough, wraps it around a clean stick (or shapes it into a flat round), and places it on a baking tray. While dampers bake in the hall oven, each patrol also prepares a simple fruit salad by cutting soft fruit (bananas, strawberries) with butter knives and mixing in a bowl. Discuss hygiene: wash hands, clean surfaces, keep food covered.

OAS: camping.s1.do-3

Active game to burn energy. One Cub is the "spark" (tagger). When tagged, a Cub "catches fire" and must freeze with arms out. They can be "extinguished" when two free Cubs form a circle around them and shout "Water!" Last Cub standing becomes the next spark. Play 4 rounds, then a final round where two sparks are tagged simultaneously for extra chaos.

OAS: camping.s1.plan-5

Eat the damper and fruit salad together. Each Cub shares: "What food would you most look forward to at camp?" Leader previews Night 3: setting up camp for real (outdoors). Prayer / Promise.

Meet at the park. Cubs pair up with their buddies. Leader reviews the boundary (marked with cones or natural landmarks). Walk the boundary together so Cubs physically see the limits. Reiterate: stay in sight of a leader and within the boundary at all times.

OAS: camping.s1.plan-1, camping.s1.plan-2

Walk around the park together. Leader points out flat ground, drainage, shade, and proximity to water/toilets. Ask: "Why do we use an existing campsite instead of setting up anywhere?" (Protect vegetation, fire rings already safe, less impact.) Cubs vote on the best spot and explain their reasoning.

OAS: camping.s1.do-5

Leader demonstrates laying out a dome tent. Patrols then each set up a tent (or one tent per two patrols if gear is limited): peg out the floor, thread poles, clip the fly. Cubs then crawl inside and arrange their sleeping gear. Leader checks pegs and tension. Discuss: what happens if it rains and the fly is not on properly?

OAS: camping.s1.do-4, camping.s1.do-7

Inside the tent (or on ground sheets), each Cub unrolls a sleeping mat, lays out their sleeping bag, and places their torch and water within reach. Leader checks each setup: "Can you reach your torch without standing up?" "Is your bag zipped to the right warmth?" Cubs then practise packing up their sleeping area and re-setting it, aiming for a faster and tidier second attempt.

OAS: camping.s1.do-6

Scenario relay race. At one end are cards with camp behaviour scenarios (running near the fire, leaving food uncovered, walking alone at night, putting rubbish in the bin, helping wash dishes). Cubs run to grab a card, decide if the behaviour is "safe" or "unsafe", and pin it on the correct side of a poster board. First patrol to sort all cards correctly wins.

OAS: camping.s1.do-7

Cubs pull down tents, fold ground sheets, and pack gear away neatly. Leader checks the site: "Have we left it better than we found it?" Circle up for a quick debrief. Each Cub names their favourite part of tonight. Preview Night 4: review everything and celebrate. Prayer / Promise.

OAS: camping.s1.do-4

Grand Howl. Akela: "Tonight we celebrate everything we have learnt about camping. You are almost Camp Ready Cubs!"

Jeopardy-style quiz with categories: Buddy System, Fire, Food, Tent & Sleeping, Safety. Each category has 5 questions of increasing difficulty (100-500 points). Patrols take turns choosing a category and answering. Questions draw on all content from the first three nights. Use a simple scoreboard on the whiteboard.

OAS: camping.s1.review-1

Give each patrol a large piece of butcher paper. They draw a "camp memory map" — a bird's-eye view of their ideal campsite, labelling key areas (tent, fire pit, kitchen, toilet block, boundary). Around the edges, each Cub writes or draws one favourite memory from the four Camp Ready Cubs nights.

OAS: camping.s1.review-1

Simulate a campfire (battery-operated tea lights in a circle of stones, or a projected campfire video). Sit in a circle and sing three camp songs (e.g. "Ging Gang Goolie", "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree", "Waltzing Matilda"). Between songs, a Cub from each patrol shares a short "campfire yarn" — a one-sentence made-up story about a funny thing that happened at an imaginary camp. Discuss: what makes campfire time special? (Community, stories, warmth, stars.)

OAS: camping.s1.do-4

Timed relay: each Cub unrolls a sleeping bag, lies in it, zips up, unzips, rolls it back up, and stuffs it in the bag. Fastest patrol wins. Reinforces the practical skill from Night 3 in a fun competitive format.

OAS: camping.s1.do-4

Whole-Pack circle. Each Cub shares: "What I enjoyed or learnt most about camping." Leader reads out highlights from across the four nights. Congratulate the Pack on completing Camp Ready Cubs. Discuss upcoming real camp opportunities. Prayer / Promise.

OAS: camping.s1.review-1

Flag down. Leader reminds Cubs to bring their camp memories to the next real camp. Dismiss by patrols.