First Tiger Scout Camping Weekend

As you embark on your Tiger Scout year, it’s important to plan your beginning of the year campout. This let’s you to make as much progress towards rank as possible. Many families love to camp the entire weekend, Friday night to Sunday morning. However, other families can only commit to part of the day Saturday. Therefore, we use Friday night, Saturday morning and Sunday morning for more elective or optional activities. Consequently, we jam pack out Saturday afternoon/early evening with our requirements.

If you have families who all camp, feel free to spread out our Saturday afternoon/evening activities more equally throughout the weekend. If your families are undecided, now is the time to set the pace for your scouting journey. For example, if you love camping, spread out your requirements over the weekend and ask all families to plan to camp. You could even add in time for your scouts to work on Duty to God with their family. Moreover, you could complete the elective Tiger Tag or Tiger-iffic to be even closer to earning Tiger rank with your den. Additionally, this is a great opportunity to add in a STEM project too.

Before the Campout

First Meeting

Hopefully before your campout, you meet with your new den as a group. Having the adult partners present helps a lot with giving out the information for the campout. In addition, you can set the tone by letting families know you want everyone to camp or understand the crazy schedule of families and will plan most activities to begin around 2pm on Saturday through the end of the campfire program.

Read our post on your first Tiger Scout meeting to help set the tone for the year. During this meeting, we planned to set up your Code of Conduct to set out the rules and expectations for the year. We also created a den shield, which is a great way for scouts to find you at the campout and other large events. In addition, this is a great time to introduce your first campout with families. For example, provide them information on items to bring, meals, and sleeping during the campout.

Preparation before Tiger Campout

Scouts

Scouts should have the Cub Scout 6 Essentials of hiking. These are listed on page 95 of your Tiger Handbook, so it’s great to reference the page for families. We suggest the scouts get a hydration pack for ease of drinking water. Your scouts will consume more water with one than just a water bottle. Also, any hydration packs have a built in whistle, but we prefer to have our own. Additionally, we love headlamps to use as our flashlight. Not only do these let your scouts be hands-free, they also make it a lot harder for scouts to shine the light in other’s eyes.

The other essentials that you scout needs are a first aid kit, sun protection, and trail food. We have each of our scouts prepare their own first aid kit to keep in their hydration packs. We suggest making this at the campout on either Friday night or Saturday morning. You can ask each family to help contribute materials to lessen the costs for leaders.

For example, we asked families for band-aids, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, gauze, medical tape, tissues, tweezers, and a Ziploc bag for our scouts beginner first aid kit. Get our labels for free. Sun protection is easy with the scouts wearing a hat and sun screen. Finally, trail food can be any snack the scouts prefer.

Leader

Of course, the leader will bring a more complete first aid kit. Firstly, you will need your food. We like to ask each family to bring something, whether they each bring a side dish or dessert. You can also ask families to bring something for each meal. Secondly, you will need coolers with ice (or ice packs) as well as a way to cook your food. We love grilling and find we can make just about anything on a grill.

For breakfast, think eggs, pancakes, or cinnamon rolls. Lunch could be grill cheese, mini pizzas, or walking tacos. Dinner we tend to grill chicken, sausages, hamburgers, don’t forget the buns and condiments. If you let the scouts help in the planning, you could talk about good and not-so-good food choices Tiger Bites 1.

There are other items that you will need to bring for specific adventure requirements. Your scouts will need something with which to write. We also bring an extra box of pencils along and a pocket knife or pencil sharpener to sharpen them. To mark off your one foot hike, you’ll want a measuring device (tape measure or ruler) and a piece of 4-ft string (or multiple ones depending on your number of scouts).

Tiger Campout Agenda

Friday Night

Be sure to plan some time for setting up campsites and making dinner (or a late night snack). This is the perfect time to set up a first aid station. First, have each family place out their supplies. Then hand each scout a Ziploc bag and let them place 1 – 3 of each item in their first aid kit.

It is always fun to go on a night hike scavenger hunt. Have each scout bring a headlamp or flashlight and take a little hike to familiarize yourself with the area (especially the bathrooms and how to get there). Have your scouts make a clear track to the bathroom, maybe add some signs to help them find their way. Your den shield could be handy here with some string lights.

Saturday Morning

Have a plan for breakfast and lunch – both the food/materials needed as well as preparing the meal. This is a great time for the scouts to sneak in some fishing, a little more exercise, a game of catch, or even some quiet outdoor reading or drawing. Try to keep this low key as you will need to prepare both breakfast and lunch as well as get ready for the requirements for rank in the afternoon. We also love to work in Duty to God time here as well.

Just like you made your first aid kits on Friday night, you could plan to make a Trail food trail mix. If each family plans to bring one trail mix food, you would end up with a great mix of foods for the scouts to fill their bags. Ask the scouts to share what they brought and why it’s a good snack choice. Don’t forget containers or bags for each scout. For example, we love nuts, banana chips, m&ms, dried pineapple (or other fruit), sunflower seeds (without the shell), chocolate chips, raisins or craisins, popcorn, cereal, and chips. Games Tigers Play 2; Tiger Bites 6

Saturday Afternoon/Evening

This tends to be the best time to get most scouts at the campout. Here is where you focus on most of your rank requirements. If more scouts are coming to camp only Saturday night, be sure to have some downtime planned to allow those families to set up campsites while offering something for families who are not camping or who camped Friday night. This is a great time for lunch, a late snack, or even an exploring activity.

Adventure Work

Starting your afternoon with some games, can be a great way for your scouts to really get to know each other. Moreover, it can also break the ice with the adult partners. Begin by discussing what it means to be part of a team and different teams that scouts are on Team Tiger 1; Tiger-iffic 6. We planned 1 team building and 1 initiative game using balloons, but you could pick any games.

Team Building Game

Ask the scouts to listen carefully to the directions Games Tigers Play 1B. First, we played Ballooney where all the scouts sit in a circle holding hands. They use their feet to try to keep the balloon in the air. For added fun play against the adult partners as a little competition.

Initiative Game

Our second game was an initiative game Games Tigers Play 1; Tiger-iffic 3; Tiger Tag 2. The scouts sat in a line. They needed to pass the balloon from the front to the back without using their hands. For this game, they need to make a plan to solve the problem of moving the balloon without their hands or dropping it. Additionally, playing against adult partners would be extra fun. Afterwards, ask the scouts to share what they learned, how they helped, and how they played politely Games Tigers Play 1C; Earning Your Stripes 5.

Buddy Game

Next, we asked the scouts to make up a buddy game Games Tigers Play 3; Floats and Boats 2; Tiger-iffic 5. We discussed having a buddy and had each scout pick a buddy or group of 3. This is the scout they are watching out for during the campout. For example, check to see if they are with the group, accompany them to the bathroom, check in that they are having fun and not hurt. For the game, they could play a variation of tag (elbow tag) or a sport played with a buddy.

Active Game

If you have more time, ask your scouts to share an active game that they enjoy Tiger Tag 1. Using the scouts favorite games, make up an active game to play together Games Tigers Play 4; Tiger-iffic 5; Tiger Tag 4. Afterwards, play the game with all the scouts and family members present. Your scouts have earned Games Tigers Play and Tiger Tag.

Hike

Begin your hike by checking that each scout has their Cub Scout 6 Essentials Tigers in the Wild 1. Afterwards, discuss the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace with the scouts. We love to ask the scouts to repeat back each line as loud as they can. Then we play a rapid fire fill in the blank and see if the scouts can fill in the missing word Tigers in the Wild 3A and 3B.

Go on a short hike with your den. While on your hike, listen for 2 sounds of nature My Tiger Jungle 1; Tigers in the Wild 2. Look for 2 different types of birds My Tiger Jungle 3. Finally, find 3 different plants, animals, or animal signs to record in your Tiger Handbook on page 102 Tigers in the Wild 4. Be sure to clean up as you go or ask the camp leaders if there is another project you can do to help take care of the camp Team Tiger 4; Earning Your Stripes 6; Good Knights 6. Maybe you could even help out by planting a tree or other plant My Tiger Jungle 4.

1 Foot Hike

Find an interesting spot along your hike to set up the one foot hike. We sent one scout leader or other adult ahead to set this up for our scouts. Measure out a one foot square and lay your 4-ft string down to mark the square. Let the scouts take turns looking closely at the area inside the 1 foot square. We keep a list of everything they see, but you could ask each scout to write down their own list My Tiger Jungle 2.

After the hike, be sure to ask the scouts to record how they followed the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace principles in their handbook on page 100 Tigers in the Wild 3C. You’re scouts have now earned My Tiger Jungle and Tigers in the Wild. There are other options you can work on with these adventures too! So feel free to add them in or skip them, depending on your den.

Campout Program

Our next part focused on the campfire program and dinner. Begin by planning your skit or song Tigers in the Wild 5. First, have the scouts create the skit. Afterwards, work together to rehearse it. The rehearsing is a great activity for them while dinner is being prepared.

Before serving dinner, take a moment to explain the importance of handwashing and cleaning up after the meal Tiger Bites 2. This is a great time to give all the scouts a job to help out at mealtime Tiger Bites 4; Team Tiger 2; Team Tiger 3. They will need to practice this for four meals and three times over the next three weeks, so they might not earn it today. You could also discuss foods you eat with your fingers and manners Tiger Bites 5. And before letting the scouts near the campfire, take a moment to go over campfire safety. Finally, enjoy the campfire program and your scouts skit!

Tiger Requirements Covered and Those Left to Do!

This campout covers so many adventures, we thought you could use a list. If your families find time for Tiger Circles: Duty to God, you scouts can make rank in just this one campout! What an amazing accomplishment.

Games Tigers Play 1 – 4 all part of the campout. DONE!

My Tiger Jungle 1 – 3 all scheduled in the fun. Possibility of 5. DONE!

Team Tiger 1 – 4 are planned in our agenda. DONE!

Tiger Bites 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are built into the campout. DONE!

Tiger Circles: Duty to God is possible to plan time for your families to complete on their own. Need to ask families to do!

Tigers in the Wild 1 -5 included in the agenda. DONE!

Earning Your Stripes 5 and 6 can be included. Will need to finish 1 – 4 to earn this adventure.

Floats and Boats 2 is added on with the buddy game. Will need to complete 1, 3, 4, and one other requirement.

Good Knights 6 can be included if you choose to do a community service project. Will need to complete 1, 2, and one other requirement.

Tiger-iffic 3, 5, and 6 are part of the campout. Will need to complete 1 and 2.

Tiger Tag 1, 2 and 4 on the schedule for the day. DONE!

Good luck on your campout and remember HAVE FUN! Be sure to read more about our Tiger Scout year meetings and view of Bobcat Rank games and activities. For more done for you meetings, check out First Tiger Scout Agenda and Second Tiger Scout Meeting. Leave a comment below if you find this campout plan helpful or see something else we could add.

Hi, I’m Nicole.

Here at Creatingbutterflies we provide families with practical solutions to real life problems for everything parenting, scouting, dual language, and enjoying time outdoors. We are a family of 6 with 4 wonderful becoming bilingual children who loves scouting, camping, and hiking with their family. Mom is an educator and dad is a firefighter/paramedic.