Paddling Stage 1: First Strokes

A four-night trail introducing Cub Scouts to paddling fundamentals. Begins with hall-based PFD and safety knowledge, progresses to two on-water sessions covering swimming with PFDs, basic strokes, and equipment care, and finishes with review and celebration.

Challenge Area
Outdoor
Award Type
OAS Stage Progression
Nights
4
Total Duration
5 hr 40 min
Equipment Summary
PFDs (one per six, ideally one per Cub), whiteboard and markers, assorted clothing items per six (appropriate and inappropriate options), two buckets, ice, warm water, towels, paddle (one for demonstration), broomsticks or dowels (one per Cub for practice), PFDs (one per Cub) and 21 more

About this trail

This 4-night trail is designed around the Outdoor Challenge Area, making it straightforward to program outdoor-focused nights that contribute to Milestone credit. Each night follows the Scouts Australia Plan > Do > Review cycle and is structured as a mix of indoor and outdoor nights.

Across its 4 nights, this trail maps to OAS requirements in Paddling. The requirements are specific — not just "do some bushcraft" but individual Stage requirements like fire-lighting methods or shelter construction techniques. Tussock pre-loads these requirements into each night's event plan so leaders can sign them off during the activity rather than transcribing them later.

The SPICES developmental domains covered by this trail are: Intellectual, Social, Character, Physical, Emotional. Programming across multiple domains in a single trail helps Groups demonstrate balanced youth development in their term plans and annual reports.

You can run the four nights in order for a coherent multi-week program, or pick individual nights to fill gaps in your existing term plan. In Tussock, importing a night from this trail pre-fills the Scout Night wizard: Challenge Area, SPICES domains, OAS requirements, and suggested segments are all set. Customise from there to suit your Section.

Import into Tussock

Import this trail into Tussock to run each night with attendance tracking and automatic OAS requirement awarding built in — no manual requirement lookup needed.

OAS Requirements Covered

The following Outdoor Adventure Skills requirements are mapped across this trail's four nights. Import this trail into Tussock to award these requirements automatically when Scouts attend each night.

Paddling

The Four Nights

Each night below is a standalone Scout Night session of approximately 1 hr 25 min and follows the Plan > Do > Review cycle. Run them in order for the full Paddling Stage 1: First Strokes trail, or adapt individual nights for your program.

Night 1: Paddling Prep

Hall-based night covering PFDs, dressing for paddling, the buddy system on water, and basic cold-water risks.

Indoor Challenge Area: Outdoor Duration: 1 hr 25 min
Intellectual Social Character

OAS requirements this night: paddling.s1.plan-1, paddling.s1.plan-2, paddling.s1.plan-3, paddling.s1.do-3

  1. Opening Ceremony Ceremony

    Grand Howl and welcome. Introduce the Paddling Stage 1 trail — four nights to become ready for paddling adventures.

    Social
  2. PFD Essentials Instruction

    Pass around PFDs for Cubs to handle and try on. Explain: a PFD keeps you floating if you fall in the water. It is different from a lifejacket. Every paddler wears one, every time. Cubs practise putting a PFD on and adjusting the straps.

    Intellectual Character
    Equipment (2 items)
    • PFDs (one per six, ideally one per Cub)
    • whiteboard and markers

    OAS: paddling.s1.plan-1

  3. Dress for the Water Relay Game

    Relay race: each six has a pile of clothing items (long-sleeve shirt, hat, closed-toe shoes, quick-dry shorts, cotton jumper, jeans). Cubs race to select the correct items for a paddling trip and put them on. Discuss why: fast-drying clothes, sun protection, layers for warmth.

    Physical Intellectual Social
    Equipment (1 item)
    • assorted clothing items per six (appropriate and inappropriate options)

    OAS: paddling.s1.plan-2

  4. Buddy System for Paddlers discussion

    Discussion: what is the buddy system, and why is it extra important on the water? Cubs pair up and describe what they would do if their buddy fell in the water (stay calm, call for help, stay in their boat). Role-play a scenario on dry land.

    Social Character

    OAS: paddling.s1.plan-3

  5. Cold Water — What Happens? Instruction

    Fill two buckets: one with cold water and ice, one with warm water. Cubs dip their hands in each. Discuss: cold water makes your body lose heat fast, your muscles stop working properly, it is hard to swim. That is why we wear PFDs and the right clothes.

    Intellectual Character
    Equipment (4 items)
    • two buckets
    • ice
    • warm water
    • towels

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-3

  6. Paddle Parts and Strokes Preview Instruction

    Show Cubs a real paddle. Point out the blade, shaft, and T-grip. On dry land, demonstrate what a forward stroke and backward stroke look like. Cubs mimic the motions with broomsticks or rolled-up newspaper.

    Physical Intellectual
    Equipment (2 items)
    • paddle (one for demonstration)
    • broomsticks or dowels (one per Cub for practice)

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-4, paddling.s1.do-5

  7. Closing Ceremony Ceremony

    Recap the night. Preview next week: we are heading to the water! Remind Cubs to bring PFD-appropriate clothing and a change of clothes. Grand Howl.

    Social

Total night duration: 1 hr 25 min

Night 2: Into the Water — PFD Skills

First on-water session: swimming with a PFD, floating with a PFD, and demonstrating forward and backward strokes from a boat.

Outdoor Challenge Area: Outdoor Duration: 1 hr 20 min
Physical Emotional Social

OAS requirements this night: paddling.s1.do-1, paddling.s1.do-2, paddling.s1.do-4, paddling.s1.do-5

  1. Opening Circle Ceremony

    Gather at the waterside. PFD check — every Cub must have a correctly fitted PFD before entering the water. Assign buddies. Review safety rules.

    Social Character
    Equipment (4 items)
    • PFDs (one per Cub)
    • paddles (one per Cub)
    • canoes or kayaks
    • first aid kit
  2. PFD Swim — 10 Metres practice

    In a safe, shallow area, Cubs swim 10 metres while wearing their PFD. Go one at a time with a spotter. The PFD should feel supportive — Cubs learn that it helps them stay afloat even while swimming.

    Physical Emotional

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-1

  3. PFD Float Challenge practice

    Cubs float with their PFD for 2 minutes in a safe area. Encourage relaxation — the PFD does the work. Make it a group challenge: can the whole six float together for the full time? Leader times with a stopwatch.

    Physical Emotional Social
    Equipment (1 item)
    • stopwatch or phone timer

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-2

  4. Forward and Backward Strokes practice

    Cubs get into boats (canoes or kayaks) in pairs or individually. Leader demonstrates the forward stroke from the bank, then Cubs practise. After 10 minutes, introduce the backward stroke. Focus on sitting up straight, correct hand position on the paddle, and smooth movements.

    Physical Intellectual
    Equipment (2 items)
    • canoes or kayaks
    • paddles

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-4, paddling.s1.do-5

  5. Free Paddle Time practice

    Supervised free paddling within a defined area. Encourage Cubs to practise forward and backward strokes. Leaders circulate to give individual feedback and encouragement.

    Physical Social

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-4, paddling.s1.do-5

  6. Closing Circle Ceremony

    Come ashore, stack boats and paddles. Each Cub shares one thing they found tricky and one thing they are proud of. Preview next week: our paddling adventure!

    Social Emotional

Total night duration: 1 hr 20 min

Night 3: Paddling Adventure

A short paddling adventure of at least one hour. Cubs use the buddy system, practise strokes, care for equipment, and learn bow and stern.

Outdoor Challenge Area: Outdoor Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Physical Social Character Emotional

OAS requirements this night: paddling.s1.do-6, paddling.s1.do-7, paddling.s1.do-8

  1. Opening Circle Ceremony

    Gather at the launch point. PFD check, buddy assignments, and safety briefing. Review the route for today — where we will paddle and how long it will take.

    Social Character
    Equipment (6 items)
    • PFDs (one per Cub)
    • paddles (one per Cub)
    • canoes or kayaks
    • first aid kit
    • whistle
    • dry bags for belongings
  2. Bow and Stern Lesson Instruction

    Before launching, Cubs identify the bow (front) and stern (back) of their boat. Play a quick game: leader calls "Touch the bow!" or "Touch the stern!" and Cubs race to touch the correct end.

    Intellectual Physical

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-8

  3. The Paddling Adventure — Outbound practice

    Launch and paddle as a group along the planned route. Leader at the front sets a comfortable pace. Cubs use forward strokes and practise the buddy system — staying together, calling out to their buddy, working as a team.

    Physical Social Character

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-6, paddling.s1.do-5

  4. Rest Stop — Snack and Explore Game

    Pull up at a safe stopping point. Cubs rest, have a snack, and explore the shoreline briefly (staying in sight). Talk about what they have seen on the water.

    Social Emotional
    Equipment (2 items)
    • water bottles
    • snacks
  5. The Paddling Adventure — Return practice

    Paddle back to the launch point. Cubs should feel more confident on the return. Encourage them to try backward strokes briefly if they feel ready.

    Physical Character

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-6, paddling.s1.do-4

  6. Equipment Care practice

    Back on shore, Cubs help pull boats out, rinse paddles and PFDs with fresh water, and stack equipment properly. Leader explains: looking after your gear keeps it safe for next time. No digging paddles into the dirt!

    Character Social
    Equipment (2 items)
    • fresh water for rinsing
    • rags

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-7

  7. Closing Circle Ceremony

    Gather on the bank. Each Cub shares their highlight from the adventure. Preview next week: our final paddling night where we celebrate what we have achieved.

    Social Emotional

Total night duration: 1 hr 30 min

Night 4: Paddling Stories

Cubs review their paddling experiences, share their favourite moments, and celebrate completing Paddling Stage 1.

Indoor Challenge Area: Outdoor Duration: 1 hr 25 min
Social Intellectual Emotional

OAS requirements this night: paddling.s1.review-1

  1. Opening Ceremony Ceremony

    Grand Howl and welcome to our final Paddling night.

    Social
  2. My Favourite Paddling Moment Reflection

    Each Cub draws or writes about their favourite thing from the paddling adventure. Was it the floating, the paddling, seeing something in the water, being with their buddy?

    Emotional Intellectual
    Equipment (2 items)
    • paper
    • coloured pencils or markers

    OAS: paddling.s1.review-1

  3. Six Story Sharing discussion

    Each six presents their stories to the pack. Encourage Cubs to talk about what they learned as well as what was fun. The leader prompts: what was the hardest part? What would you do differently?

    Social Intellectual

    OAS: paddling.s1.review-1

  4. Paddling Safety Bingo Game

    Each Cub gets a bingo card with paddling safety terms (PFD, buddy, bow, stern, forward stroke, backward stroke, cold water, etc.). Leader calls out definitions and Cubs mark the matching term. First to complete a line wins.

    Intellectual Social
    Equipment (2 items)
    • bingo cards (pre-printed)
    • markers or counters

    OAS: paddling.s1.plan-1, paddling.s1.plan-3, paddling.s1.do-4, paddling.s1.do-8

  5. Build a Boat Challenge creative

    In sixes, Cubs build a model boat from recycled materials (cardboard, tape, foil, straws). They label the bow and stern. Float them in a tub of water to test! Reinforces boat knowledge through creative play.

    Intellectual Social Emotional
    Equipment (6 items)
    • cardboard
    • tape
    • aluminium foil
    • straws
    • scissors
    • large tub of water

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-8

  6. Equipment Care Pledge Reflection

    Brief discussion: what did we learn about looking after paddling gear? Each Cub names one equipment care habit they will remember.

    Character

    OAS: paddling.s1.do-7

  7. Celebration and Closing Ceremony

    Acknowledge every Cub who completed Paddling Stage 1. Hand out badges or certificates. Grand Howl.

    Social Emotional

Total night duration: 1 hr 25 min

See also

OAS Framework Reference

Full breakdown of all 9 OAS streams and their stage requirements.

Browse OAS framework →

More OAS Stage Progression Trails

Find other trails with a similar Outdoor focus.

All Night Ideas →