These ideas are taken from "Cub Scout Meeting Plans for Cub Scout Leaders" No. 34211. This booklet is still an excellent resource for Meeting Plans and ideas for new leaders. There was a series of four but they appear to be being discontinued in favor of the Program Helps booklets.
Besides the required items you may want to have a small reward for the winner of each game or allow the winner to lead the Den in the Pledge of Allegiance, Promise etc.
This first group consists of indoor games.
Place an empty breakfast cereal box on the floor in the center of the room. Each of the four narrow edges should have a 2" x 3/4" hole cut out. Give each Cub Scout three marbles and tell him to try rolling them into the box from the edges of the room. First player to roll all three marbles into the box may keep his marbles or may be declared the winner.
Place an empty bucket in center of the room. Each boy gets five tries to bounce a ball into the bucket from a spot six feet away. The ball must stay in the bucket. Repeat if time allows.
As boys arrive give each a rubber band. Tell them to stretch them over their heads, placing them across the tip of the nose and under the ears. On signal, boys are to work the bands from their noses down around their necks without using their hands.
Play "Kim's Game": Before boys arrive place 12 small items under a towel on a table. Give each boy a slip of paper and a pencil. Expose items for one minute and cover again. Each boy then has 4 minutes to write down what hew saw. No talking is allowed from the time of item exposure until all papers have been turned in. Each boy marks another's paper. The winner gets a candy bar. Suggested 12 items: penny, bobby pin, pencil, button, spoon, nail, key, scissors, spool of thread, small book, bottle cap and a stone.
Pin or tape "Who Am I?" slips on the backs of Cub Scouts as they arrive. Don't let them see the name on their slip. They must ask questions that can be answered "yes" or "no" to find out whose name they have. Only tow questions may be asked of each person. You may adjust the names used to be in keeping with the month's theme etc. This would be the only hint.
Give each boy a piece of paper and a pencil as he arrives. Tell him he is to unscramble the letters of each card displayed around the room. The words *when unscrambled) are names of carnival or circus items. Here are ten "Jumbled Carnival" words: NOLWC (clown), TOH DGOS (hot dogs), HSOW (show), TELPNEHA (elephant), UMISC (music), LOBOLNA (balloon), ZRESIP (prizes), PRNOPCO (popcorn), ETNT (tent), DYNAC (candy). Naturally the words may be changed for different times of the year, holidays etc.
Let each Cub Scout try to toss five pennies into a pie tin. The tin should be placed on the floor. Boys toss pennies from about 5 feet away from the tin.
Stand three bottles in a triangle on the floor. The bottles should have a space of 3" between them. From a distance of 4 feet each player gets the chance to roll three marbles to that they go between the bottles without touching. Keep score.
Have early arrivals practice "Dodge Springs." This is a good exercise and may come in handy someday for quickly getting out of the way of some danger - like a car. Cub Scouts stand still until the leader calls a direction (left, right, forward, or back). Quickly each Cub Scout should spring as far as he can in the proper direction. Repeat and change direction rapidly. This is a good outdoors activity.
As Cub Scouts arrive have each do a front roll, a back roll, and a falling forward roll. Have each Cub Scout practice these feats until he has done them the best he can.
Outside, draw two chalk lines 20 feet apart and parallel to each other. Select two Cub Scouts to be "basemen." These take positions on the lines and throw a rubber ball back and forth to each other. Other Cub Scouts stand behind both lines and become "base runners." These try to run from one line to the other without being tagged by a baseman with the ball. Each tag is an out. At the third out, the runner and the tagging baseman switch places.
Materials needed are a Chart of sport signals with meanings covered, paper & pencils.
Each Den member gets a piece of paper and a pencil when he arrives. The chart of official sport signals is displayed for everyone to see. Object is to have each person list the meanings of the signals. Answers should be given during "business items" section of your meeting.
To view or download the sports signals chart noted above follow this link.
Good Luck and have Fun, Jess
Remember K I S M I F
