This term we have decided to work towards the Viking Challenge Badge. This is a ‘fun’ badge that will go on the Cubs’ camp blankets, and was created by a Young Leader in 20th Oldham Uppermill Methodist Scout Group in order to raise money so that she can attend the World Scout Moot in Iceland in 2017. In order to achieve it, the Cubs have to do at least 5 of the activities that are outlined – we’ll do some of these this term during our Monday meetings, and the rest of them at the Viking Camp at the end of June.
On Monday, we began the badge by playing a viking inspired game, called foxes and geese, which the Cubs enjoyed.
Next, we made ‘Northern Lights in a Bottle’. We poured 5cm of oil into a 500ml bottle, and then filled it up with water. Next, we added a cap-full of either red or blue food colouring. Finally, we added half an alka-seltzer tablet, and we watch the reaction that occurred. This is the practise run that we did at home, before we let the Cubs try at the meeting:
Due to the oil being less dense than the water and food colouring, there was a split between the layers of liquid.
Finally, we moved onto construction! Many of the Cubs asked what making the tallest tower they could from marshmallows and spaghetti had to do with Vikings, which is a valid question. Vikings built their houses and other buildings out of the materials they could find in the surrounding area, as they had no way to easily transport them. Because of this, they used basic materials like wood and stone, and had to make their houses as strong as possible using what they had. The Cubs had to try to make their spaghetti towers as strong as possible, despite the spaghetti being a fragile material to build with!
They worked together in their sixes to first design, and then build their towers from spaghetti. Some groups opted to tear the marshmallows in half, to increase their building materials (and the general ‘stickiness’ of the task!).
In addition to going towards their Viking Challenge Badge, both of these activities go towards the Scientist Activity Badge.
We’re going to make and float boats soon, which will also go towards the Viking Challenge Badge