Virtual Games

Today’s blog post will be discussing different games you can play via. Zoom or any other online Scouting meeting. These are different games I have played with Beavers however, they could be played with any age group.

The bean game:

The leader or young leaders call out different types of beans and the young people will act them out once called. You can call out more than one beans so they act two or more at the same time. The different beans are as follows:

Runner bean – run on the spot

Jelly bean – wave arms like a jelly fish

Broad bean– stand with arms out in a star position

String bean – stand with arms up in air long

Jumping bean – jump up and down

Baked bean – crouch down in a ball

Beans on toast – lie on floor with arms out

French bean – say ‘oo la la

Mr Bean – say ‘where’s my teddy

Finally, you can combine different actions together such as jelly bean and French bean.

Simon said:

Use your Leaders name and play Simon said. For example, my Beaver name is Snail so if I say ‘Snail said clap your hands’ and the young people will follow and copy. However, if I say ‘stop’ then the young people will continue clapping as I/ the leader did not say “Snail said”

NESW:

This game uses the North as pointing your fingers up, East as right, South as down and West as left. You can also incorporate different ‘pirate’ actions including:

Scrub the deck – kneel down and pretend to scrub the floor

Climb the riggin‘ – move arms up and down as if you are climbing up a ladder

Captains coming – salute and stand to attention

Crocodile – snap your arms in front of you like a crocodile making a snapping noise

Life boats of *insert number here* – hold the number on your hand using your fingers i.e. lifeboats of 3, you will hold 3 fingers up

Walk the plank – lie on the floor off camera

Shark attack – pretend to have a fin and become a shark

True or false:

For this game, you will say different facts and the young people will decide if they believe they are true or false. If the young people believe they are trues, they will put their thumbs up and if they believe the fact is false, they will put their thumbs down. You can vary the facts and questions to make them more difficult for older groups.

Alphabet game:

For this game, you go around the young people asking them to name something beginning with A. The next young person will say the previous A word and add a word beginning with B. This can be done with a theme such as animals, household objects or even items you would take camping.

If you have any games which I have not mentioned feel free to comment them on this post!

lockdown 3.0

On the 4th of January, England announced a 3rd national lockdown. This led to the closures of schools and the uncertainty of examinations. Recently the government have release a survey (which you can find here) about the grading of these exams which I ask for you to fill out.

Over the past weeks, I have been partaking in online school which has been very different from last years online school (March to July). This is due to our lessons being live via. Teams rather than having work being set primarily on Show My Homework. At first, it was very hard to get into a routine but after two weeks, I have found my routine.

Throughout this new lockdown I am going to try and pick up some new hobbies such as learning some more guitar, learning a new language, teaching myself to write with my right hand, embroidery, crocheting, playing chess and doing computer art.

Here is a piece of art I completed a few days ago:

Lighthouse with abstract sky (:

the perks of online school

As I finish the first week of online school, I have found there to be some advantages and disadvantages to online learning. Here is my list below:

Advantages:

  • being able to have a hot drink in your lessons
  • getting distracted by your cat who’s trying to sit on your lap
  • not having to wear uniform so being able to wear comfy clothes
  • not having to wake up early in order to drive to school
  • being able to make a variety of lunches i.e. one day I would have pasta, another day a cheese toastie etc.
  • completing work at your own pace whilst getting to listen to music
  • understanding new software which is used for teaching

Disadvantages:

  • not seeing friends
  • having no school clubs
  • having a cat try and eat your pen whilst writing your notes or attempt to sit on your keyboard
  • sometimes feeling less motivated/ being more distracted easily
  • not easily being able to ask your friend for help (before then asking the teacher)
  • screen time increasing due to excessive time staring at a screen

What do you think some of the advantages and/or disadvantages are of online school? Let me know in the comment section below.

Competition time with Judge Blue

Howdy, Blue here,

I’ve been a bit quiet lately, I’ve taken to hiding in 84s room to avoid getting this nasty virus which is about. I don’t want to be remembered as the first bear to catch it.

This evening I came out of my hiding place to undertake a very important role – Mum84 needed an adjudicator for the Rainbows Cuddly Toy Show so I ventured out.

I was introduced to the Rainbows, there were lots of new faces this time. Each Rainbow took a turn to introduce their cuddly toy and tell us a little bit about it. The contest for the biggest was a closely fought race with entries from P with Sparkles the Unicorn and M with Peggy the Pegasus. I needed a bit of help from the Rainbows to decide and Peggy the Pegasus was declared the winner of the biggest cuddly toy.

Another close category was the cuddliest cuddly toy, entries from O with Bunny, I with Lion and P with Sparkles, being on zoom this was very hard to judge as I couldn’t personally snuggle up with them and had to rely on how much they were being cuddled by their owner, but I eventually decided on Bunny who has been cuddled by her owner since birth.

Other entries included Sequin, Penguin and Lily who won the sparkliest, smallest and prettiest eyes categories.

Each entrant will be awarded a certificate and a rosette.

Mum84 says that some of the parents came up with a few alternative categories – most chewed, most washed, most bald spots and the one where Mummy hasn’t sewn the arm back on yet!

Maybe it’s not just me who needs to get out more … Lockdown is getting to us all.