Chipmunks+Beavers Activity Ideas

Each participating section is responsible for planning an activity station.  See How to Contribute a Great Activity for best practices. This page provides the seeds of ideas from previous years, that you can take to your youth to build on, in case they have no ideas of their own. 
Note : Tug of War and Snowshoes are reserved by the Event Team.

To sign up for an activity game, or ask to have a new game added to this page, please fill out the form on the Chipmunk+Beaver Activity submission page

1. Snowshoe Races (supplied by the Event Team) -

• Equipment: Snowshoes for each youth, 10 pylons

Parents and Scouters mark out a course using the pylons. Oval, figure eight, back and forth, adjust size and share depending if you’re long or short on time.

With assistance, Beavers put on snowshoes and walk the course. When they return, snowshoes are removed and put on the next Beaver. Ensure each Beaver gets a turn.

 2. Running Games - 

• • Equipment: None

• Freeze Tag 

The Lodge chooses one Beaver to be “It.”  The beaver who is “it” is the player who can “freeze” other players.  When the game begins, everyone runs away from the beaver who is “it.”  The one who is “it” chases after other Beavers, trying to tag them.  If a Beaver is successfully tagged, he or she must “freeze” in place (stand still and not move).  Frozen Beavers cannot move until another player un-freezes them (touches them to return them to normal).

• Red light, Green light

A Youth who is the "traffic light" stands slightly downfield (6-8m ) opposite the Beavers indicating the finish line. From there the "traffic light" makes calls one at a time but changes them at various speeds: Red light means stop, yellow light means move slowly, green light means go fast. If the "traffic light" sees that a Beaver is moving after a red light has been called, the Beaver must return to the start. Any Beaver who successfully makes it to the finish line has successfully finished the race 

• What time is it Mr. Wolf?

The Lodge chooses 1 Beaver to be “Mr. Wolf”. The wolf waits near the finish line and turns their back to the Beavers. The Beavers all call out “What time is it Mr. Wolf”, the wolf replies with a time (ex: two o’clock) and the Beavers are then allowed to move forward that number of steps. This continues until the wolf believes that there is a Beaver that is close enough to be eaten (tagged). If the wolf is ready to capture a Beaver, he responds with “Lunch Time”. If he is successful, the captured Beaver then becomes the wolf and begins the next round. Any Beaver who successfully makes it to the finish line without being captured is safe!

3. Ice Floes  Animal Rescue -

• • Equipment: 

    1. Carpet Pieces to represent Ice Flows

    2. Pylons (2)

    3. Item to represent stranded animal

Bears and Seals: Spread pieces out.  Pick two Beavers to be Bears, the rest are Seals.  Bears try to tag the Seals, who run from one ice floe to another, trying to cross the sea.  One Seal per ice floe, and only for 3 seconds.  Try again with parents as the Bears...or the Seals.

Try a variation:

·   Animal Rescue: The first team to rescue their stranded animal wins. Place the stranded animals at end pylon 15-20 feet from the start pylon. Divide into teams and give each Beaver a piece of carpet. The first Beaver lays the carpet “floe” down and stands on it. The next Beaver joins the first, then lays their floe ahead and steps on it. Repeat until there’s a line of Beavers on floes. The last Beaver steps onto the next floe, picks up the one they just left and carries it to the front, continuing the line. Repeating until they cross the sea to the stranded animal at the end. They then pass the animal backwards overhead to the person behind them. When it reaches the end of the line, the animal is saved.

4. Kinball - 

• • Equipment: Kinball

Beaver Bowling: Spread the Beavers out and have them stand still, telling them they are bowling pins.  Select a Beaver to be the bowler, and they can roll the kin ball into the field.  Beavers touched by the ball fall over.  Try and give every Beaver a chance to bowl.

Try a variation:

● Keep Aloft: Keep the kin ball in the air!  Beavers can work together to pass the kin ball and keep it from touching the ground. 

● Beavers and Adults: Get the adults to try to hit the ball downward while the beavers attempt to keep it in the air.

Improvise: Kids and a giant ball, so many possibilities 

5. Parachute  - 

• • Equipment: Parachute, small light balls

● Ball Toss: Get the Beavers to start shaking their handles up and down, and throw some light balls into the chute.  Try to coordinate lifting and lowering the handles to get the balls to bounce high in the air.

● Cat and Mouse: Pick one or more cats and one or more mice.  Mice crawl under the parachute, cats crawl on top.  All other Beavers shake the parachute and try to protect the mice from being found.

● Mushroom: All together, and slowly, lift the parachute up and down.  Repeat so the parachute is up and fills with air.  When a Leader yells “mushroom”, Beavers take a step forward and bring the chute down to the ground behind them and sit on the handle.

Improvise: Beavers and leaders may know other games. Go for it!

6.Snow Building  (It's Snow Fun) - 

• • Equipment: Coffee Cans

These games can be done as races, or if your Beavers are ready for some more quiet fun, they can also be done individually or as a group.

● Snow Man Build: Divide into teams. Who can build the biggest snowman? Who can build a snowman the fastest?

● Snow Castles: Like sand castles, but made of snow. Have the beavers build the largest or most intricate snow castle they can.

● Improvise: What else can your Beavers build? A nice Moose snow sculpture? Perhaps a snow Beaver?

● Race: Instead of using the snow around them, divide the Beavers into teams and have a race. Beavers set forth from the starting line with an empty can and run to a point of your choice. They then fill their cans with snow and return to the starting line, to help build a castle. The first team to build a castle (or other structure) with X number of cans of snow wins. .

7. Snow Soccer - 

• Equipment: 2 soccer balls, 8 pylons

Pylons can be used to mark the field and goal posts.

Divide the Beavers into teams with equivalent ages/skills, and have fun playing soccer!  Parents and Leaders can referee or get in on the action.

If there is enough equipment and people, feel free to get a second game going, or a game with two balls to make things interesting.

8. Snowball Fun -

• Equipment: Board with holes as target, 24 bean bags if snow is not good for snowballs

If the snow doesn’t pack, then use the bean bags.

·   Snowball Throw: Line Beavers up so each gets a turn with 2-3 shots. Beavers should form their snowballs while they’re waiting in line and should only throw when it is their turn and the target field is clear.

Try a variation:

● Passing the snowball: The Beavers form a line with the leader a short distance away facing the line. The leaders toss a snowball to each Beaver who tosses it back to the leader, working their way down the line. Any Beaver who fails to catch the snowball goes to the end of the line. If the leader misses, they must go to the back of the line and the first Beaver becomes the leader.

·   Frozen Beavers: Beavers move around with a snowball balanced on their head. The leaders instruct them to skip, hop, go faster etc. If the snowball falls off the Beaver is frozen. To be unfrozen another Beaver must return a snowball to the frozen Beaver’s head without dropping their own.

10. Ring Toss -

Set up three or four poles in the snow. Beavers stand behind a line and toss rings, trying to encircle the pole. Objective can be to score the most rings. Activity is easily extensible; obstacles and other elements can be added to keep beavers engaged.

11. Snowball Spoon Race - 

Teams race holding a snowball on a spoon

12. Treasure Hunt - 

Identify and area by roping it off or other means. Mix Ice Cubes in the snow,  Have Beaver find the Ice Cubes.