Cub Scout Monthly Themes
Here is a look ahead at the monthly themes for the Cub Scouting program:
Cub Scout Monthly Themes for 2006-2007
Approved by the National Cub Scout Committee in October 2003
Revised September 2004
- FEBRUARY 2007 - Aloha, Cub Scouts
- Let's take a trip to our 50th state this month! Cub Scouts will learn about the culture, customs, language, food,
and games of Hawaii. Did you know that the first Hawaiians came to the islands over 1500 years ago? That surfing was
invented here? That Hawaii was a separate country with its own kings and queens until 1893? Learn to say hello, thank
you and the Cub Scout Promise in a native Hawaiian language. Try a Hawaiian treat like "shave ice" for a den snack.
Make a flower lei to give a family member. Play a Hawaiian game like Koname (Hawaiian Checkers) or 'ulumaika (a game
similar to lawn bowling). How about a luau in place of the monthly pack meeting
- MARCH 2007 - Baloo Skies
- This month Cub Scouts will learn how weather impacts their daily lives. Visit a local weather station and find out
what meteorologists are doing to make better weather predictions or watch the weather on radar via the Internet or on TV.
Learn about temperature, barometric pressure, and what makes clouds and rain. Make a rain gauge. See how the wind affects
the land and oceans. Build and fly a kite with your den or pack. Build a tornado in a bottle. Learn what birds do to
"weather" the storms. Invite a science teacher, weather forecaster or meteorologist to come to your pack meeting. Earn
the Weather Academic loop and pin.
- APRIL 2007 - Cub Cafe
- This month our Cub Scouts can experience the varied tasks associated with running a cafe. From planning
a budget and menu, to food selection and preparation, to consumption, Cub Scouts can do it all. Visit a supermarket
and learn about where food comes from as well as the benefits of comparison-shopping. Learn about table etiquette
for both the waiter and consumer. Make your pack meeting a "Food Fair" where each den runs their own "Cub Cafe" and
everyone enjoys a taste.
- MAY 2007 - Cubs and Bugs Galore
- This month explore creepy crawly critters and discover the giant world of insects. Take a walk or hike and see how
many insects - or their signs - you can spot. Learn the stages of an insect's life and how some insects change inside
a cocoon or chrysalis. Make a model of an insect home or build an ant farm. How does an insect survive the winter?
Learn to treat bug bites and stings. Visit a beekeeper and taste fresh honey. Talk to a farmer, county extension agent
or school biologist about the harmful and helpful things that insects do.
- JUNE 2007 - Wheel into Summer
- Wheels help us have a "wheely" good time. Our bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, and scooters are fun provided
we use them correctly. Learn about how bikes are used in other countries and in various types of competitions. How about
having a pack "Wheel Fun Party" where you can demonstrate your skills and learn safety rules while having lots of fun?
Remember to wear the correct protective gear such as helmets and pads. Conduct a Cubmobile race. Adult family members
can be judges and help with a cookout or picnic. Don't forget to look into electives that could be completed during the
meeting as well earning the Bicycling and Skating belt loops and pins.
- JULY 2007 - The Rockets Red Glare
- Learn to sing "The Star Spangled Banner." Find out how and why Francis Scott Key wrote our national anthem. Conduct
a space derby at the pack meeting. Make water rockets and have fun getting everyone wet. Take the pack to see the local
fireworks on the Fourth of July. Build a model of the kind of rocket that took people or a satellite into space. Earn the
Citizenship loop and pin.
- AUGUST 2007 - A Century of Scouting
- Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Scouting! Learn about Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement. Take an
imaginary trip to the very first Scout camp on Brownsea Island. Learn how Scouting came to the US and about the beginnings
of Cub Scouting here. What famous Americans "present and past" were in Scouting? Find people in your town or family who
were Scouts and make a pack scrapbook of their memories. Learn how Scouts in other parts of the world are celebrating the
100th anniversary. Make a time capsule for the Cub Scouts in your town to open on Scouting's 200th birthday.
Cub Scout Monthly Themes for 2007-2008
Approved by the National Cub Scout Committee in October 2004.
- SEPTEMBER 2007 - CUB SCOUT EXPRESS
- All Aboard the Cub Scout Express. Invite a buddy to join you in your journey through Cub Scouts, riding the rails to adventure.
Activities can include a trip to a train or rail museum, visit a local train station or invite a model railroader to your pack
meeting. Look up the history of trains at the library or on the Internet. Read about the different train cars and engines
that are used by railroads. Use a large cardboard facade of a train for an induction ceremony for new families or
presentation of awards. Play train relay games with your den or pack.
- OCTOBER 2007 - DOWN ON THE FARM
- It's harvest time in farming country. Cub Scouts learn about growing crops
this month while they explore the life of a hard-working farmer. Dens
might visit a farm, local dairy, or petting zoo to learn first-hand
about farm animals. Boys can build a miniature greenhouse to start
their own vegetables for planting in the family garden or patio pots.
Dens could take a field trip to a pumpkin patch and pick their own
pumpkin for the pumpkin decorating contest at the pack meeting harvest
fair. Fair activities might include contest booths, a rubber-glove cow
for milking, and a good old fashioned hayride.
- NOVEMBER 2007 - INDIAN NATIONS
- Do you
know who lived where you live 500 years ago? Dens will learn about the
American Indian tribe currently living in their part of the country or
the tribes that previously lived in their area. You are encouraged to
invite a local tribe to help learn how Native Americans show their
respect for Mother Earth and how "we are all related." The boys will
learn about the harvesting and preparation of native foods and discover
how good these foods taste. Develop an understanding of the importance
of traditional oral history as a way of teaching lessons and recording
history. Work on your Communicating belt loop and pin. Experience
playing a Native game and learn the meaning and history behind the
skills required to play the game. Share your new knowledge at a pack
meeting or special event.
- DECEMBER 2007 - CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD
- December
is marked by days of celebration and observance for many cultures and
faiths around the world. Christmas, Chanukah, Ramadan, Rohatsu, Yule
and Kwanzaa all occur this month. Find out how the celebrations in
another country are similar and different than those in the USA.
Compare your own family's customs and traditions with others in your
community. Invite an adult from another nation to come to your pack
meeting to tell how their family celebrates. Why not start a new
tradition of service in your pack as a way to honor the holidays this
month? Work on the Heritages belt loop and pin.
- JANUARY 2008 - CUB SCOUT CAR SHOW
- Cars
have fascinated every generation since their invention in 1769. They've
been featured in many movies and on television. Discover the different
kinds of cars and trucks such as limousines, taxis, van's, pickups,
SUV's and racecars. Learn how these vehicles are built, repaired,
modified and sold. Visit a car dealership, auto mechanic or auto parts
dealer. Boys can build car or truck models or create a model of a
showroom or a garage with miniature die cast cars. Participate in a
slot car race or pinewood derby race with your den or pack.
- FEBRUARY 2008 - CHINESE NEW YEAR
- Happy
Chinese New Year! Or more appropriately, Gung Hay Fat Choy! (The
traditional Chinese New Year greeting). This month we welcome the year
4705. Let's celebrate and welcome the New Year with dragon dances,
paper lanterns, fortune cookies and oranges for abundant joy. Decorate
your blue and gold banquet with banners inscribed with Chinese
characters for luck and lots of red, the symbol of a bright and sunny
future. Why not earn the Language and Culture belt loop and pin as we
learn about and enjoy the culture of China.
- MARCH 2008 - LITTER TO GLITTER
- This
month Cub Scouts will turn recycled items into treasure and learn about
conservation at the same time. Using items that would normally go in
the trash or recycling bin, build artistic masterpieces of your own
design. It's amazing what some recycled bottles and paper can do when
combined with glue and a little imagination. Have a gallery opening at
your pack meeting with all your art displayed. Don't forget the Art
belt loop and pin.
- APRIL 2008 - ABRACADABRA
- Cub Scouts
love to amaze and be amazed! Boys discover secrets of the magician's
art this month as they demonstrate magical illusions and learn new
tricks with cards, coins and other everyday objects. The Cub Scout
Magic Book is a great resource for age-appropriate tricks and puzzles.
Visit a magic shop or have a magician come to your den or pack meeting
to teach the boys a few tricks of the trade. Prepare to watch in wonder
at the pack meeting as your Cub Scouts entertain their audience with
skits, stunts and sparklers that they have practiced at den meetings.
The Cubmaster uses the magic of ceremonies to pull awards from his hat
at the mystifying pack meeting magic show. This would be a good month
to hold your pack space derby.
- MAY 2008 - LEAF IT TO CUBS
- Cub Scouts
will learn about the wonders of nature's gift to us, a tree! Learn to
identify poison oak, poison ivy and various trees by their shape and
leaf design. Try leaf rubbing, leaf prints, making a leaf collage,
preserving leaves with wax paper or making a leaf collection from
fallen leaves. Make a leaf boat and race it at a den or pack meeting.
Participate in a tree planting or your local Arbor Day activities.
Either adopt a tree or plant one and watch it grow. Research how trees
are used to help us in our daily lives. Field trips can be to a
lumberyard, nature center, forest preserve or local park. Earn the
Collecting belt loop and pin.
- JUNE 2008 - GO FOR THE GOLD
- As the
athletes of the world strive to do their personal best in international
competition, Cub Scouts have the opportunity to "Go for the Gold" by
doing their best in feats of skill and prowess. This month Cub Scouts
learn about exercise and sports and put that knowledge to use playing
Ultimate or another sport not played before. Remember that not only is
it important to do your best when you play a sport but it is important
to understand the rules of being a good sport no matter the outcome of
the game. This month would be a great time to work on one of the Cub
Scout Sports belt loops and pins in baseball, golf or flag football.
- JULY 2008 - H2Ohhh!
- Dive right in as Cub
Scouts spend a month learning about water, our most precious resource.
Learn about marine life. Dens can visit a water treatment facility,
local aquarium or fish farm. Cub Scouts may even want to prepare their
own aquarium or fish bowl and "adopt a gold fish". This is also an
excellent opportunity to teach our Cub Scouts about water conservation.
Don't forget learning about water safety. Enjoy water games; hunt for
shells and experience all the beach has to offer. Cub Scouts love to
get wet. What could be better than a water carnival complete with
games, competition, and safe swim demonstrations? This would be a great
time to work on the Wildlife Conservation, Fishing, or Swimming belt
loop and pin. Have an outdoor Cub Scout raingutter regatta race.
- AUGUST 2008 - S'MORE SUMMER FUN
- Summer
memories can last a lifetime and memories made with your Cub Scout den
or pack can be some of the best. So let's make "S'More" Cub Scout
memories this month. Since "outing" is part of Cub Scouting, let's get
outside and have some fun. Be it having a picnic, water party, softball
game or campout; there is no limit to the amount of fun to be had by
all this month. Why not have a pack family campout following the
guidelines your leaders learned in BALOO training? What could be better
than an outdoor pack meeting complete with a campfire? Whether you make
a real or synthetic fire, the fun is 100% genuine. This would be a good
opportunity to work on the Softball belt loop and pin or the Weather
belt loop and pin.
Cub Scout Monthly Themes for 2008-2009
Approved by the National Cub Scout Committee in October 2005.
- SEPTEMBER 2008 - NEW BUDDIES
- Wonderful
opportunities are waiting! The new school year brings possibilities of
new friends. This month a Cub Scout can invite a new buddy to join the
fun and adventure of Cub Scouting! This single act can influence the
lives of many others. The boys will make new friends while keeping the
old by learning to share and treat buddies with kindness. In the den
meeting the boys can learn the value of friendship, cooperation, and
respect through games and activities. This new team of buddies can
develop secret codes and write messages to each other. They will all
learn the Cub Scout handshake and motto which will signify belonging to
that special group. The boys can practice the buddy system as they go
on hikes, work on projects, play games, and participate in sports. This
is a great month for boys to earn a Cub Scout Academics or Sports belt
loop or pin as they work and play together with an interest they all
share.
- OCTOBER 2008 - ADVENTURES IN BOOKS
- What
great adventures come in books? Let's discover some this month. Visit
the library and learn to navigate your way through the "card catalog
computer," down the aisles of many adventures, and to an adventure of
your own choice. Sign up for your library card while on your visit.
Create your own outdoor epic adventure on a hike, campout, or maybe at
a ball field or park. Make a costume for one of the characters from
your favorite story. At the pack meeting the boys can perform some of
their favorite stories and share some of their adventures with the
pack. Take part in Pedro's "Say Yes to Reading" program in Boy's Life.
This might also be a good month to work on the Communication or
Computer belt loop and pin. Encourage the boys to have the courage to
search for, discover, and share adventure this month.
- NOVEMBER 2008 - SEEDS OF KINDNESS
- As
we approach Thanksgiving, let us spread seeds of kindness in the form
of multiple small service projects. Helping others gives the boys the
opportunity to see the bounty produced by spreading many small seeds of
kindness and encourages compassion. The boys can discover that just as
the large strong oak tree came from the small acorn, big things can
happen from spreading small seeds of kindness and charity. Conduct a
food drive or collect coats and gloves for those in need; report your
hours to Good Turn for America. Work on the Citizenship belt loop and
pin.
- DECEMBER 2008 - HOLIDAY LIGHTS
- The
Star of Bethlehem, the Miracle of the Lamp, the Morning Star that
enlightened Buddha, the bonfires of Yule: many of our holiday
traditions this month involve lights. Share your holiday traditions
with your pack and den: lights on a Christmas tree, candles on a
Menorah for Chanukah, or on a Kinara for Kwanzaa. Boys can be stars
this month by brightening someone's holiday season with a gift of
compassion. As a pack or den, visit a nursing home, preschool, or
children's ward and sing holiday favorites. End your outing by sharing
cookies that the boys decorated. Help those less fortunate with a
service project or toy drive. How about a holiday campfire at your pack
meeting? This is great month to work on the Language and Culture belt
loop and pin or the Heritages belt loop and pin.
- JANUARY 2009 - "A-MAZE-ing" GAMES
- January
is a good time for indoor fun. Make and solve puzzles. Stump your
friends with riddles. Build a maze, do crossword puzzles, and word
searches. Have a pack games night in which your family joins in for
relays, board games, and other cooperative games. Play Cub Scout
Jeopardy; how much do you know about Cub Scouting? Rediscover some of
the games that your parents and your grandparents could have played and
work on the Heritages belt loop and pin. Discuss why playing by the
rules is important. The pinewood derby is a good opportunity to learn
about rules and good sportsmanship. Why not work on the Chess belt loop
and pin.
- FEBRUARY 2009 - AMERICAN ABC'S
- Take
a personalized tour of the USA by the letters: Austin, Baton Rouge and
Cambridge to Xenia, York and Zion. Our country contains an endless
variety of scenic and historic places. What is special about these
places? This month we'll find out by visiting historic places, theme
parks, museums, and zoos. Choose a city or an historical site to
highlight. Invite a guest speaker who can share something special about
the places your Cub Scouts have picked to discover. Use maps or collect
tourist brochures to learn more about places to visit. Your local
historical society or public library is a great place to get started.
Celebrate your blue and gold banquet with local foods from your choices
of the ABCs and decorate to highlight your choice. This would be a good
month to work on the Citizenship belt loop or pin or the Geography belt
loop or pin.
- MARCH 2009 - WHEN I GROW UP
- Explore
career possibilities of the 21st century this month. Host a pack career
fair, inviting several adults to share what they do for a living and
how these career opportunities might change as you grow up and
technology advances. Discover how having a positive attitude is
essential in reaching career goals. Den meeting plans could include
field trips to learn about different occupations of interest to the
boys and playing games centered on different jobs. This would be a good
month to work on any of the Cub Scout Academics and Sports belt loops
and pins - let the boys vote on the one that fits best with what they
want to be when they grow up. For those future astronauts this month is
a perfect time for a space derby!
- APRIL 2009 - JURASSIC PACK
- Explore
the land before time! Imagine living in a time when dinosaurs roamed
the Earth. What have paleontologists learned about the great beasts
that roamed the Earth millions of years ago? Did any dinosaurs live
where you do now? Find out what they ate, where they lived, and how
they moved. What could we learn of these creatures that lived so long
ago? Make a model of a dinosaur or visit a museum where dinosaur
fossils can be seen. Make your own "dinosaur footprints" or "fossils"
in plaster. Take a "dinosaur" scavenger hike by going on a hike and
looking for things that might have been found during the Jurassic era.
This would be a great time to work on the Geology belt loop and pin.
- MAY 2009 - LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS
- Warm
weather is a perfect time for outdoor adventure, complete with den
hikes in the neighborhood, park, or on local trails. As we enjoy our
outdoor world, we should strive to take nothing but pictures and leave
nothing but footprints. Learn about Leave No Trace frontcountry
guidelines and ways we can minimize our impact on the environment. Take
a backyard hike and practice the Leave No Trace frontcountry
guidelines. Have a contest to see who can take the best wildlife
photograph. Earn the Cub Scout Leave No Trace Awareness Award. Do your
Good Turn and leave these areas cleaner then you found them. Remember
to record your service with Good Turn for America. The end of the month
has all dens moving up the Cub Scout trail. You might want to consider
working on the Wildlife Conservation belt loop and pin this month.
- JUNE 2009 - A CAMPING WE WILL GO
- This
month Cub Scouts go camping! Have a backyard campout with your family.
Pitch a tent or sleep out under the stars! Conduct a pack campout at a
nearby Scout camp, state park, or even the local museum. An outdoor
pack meeting might include a nature observation hunt, followed by an
evening around the "campfire". Attend your council's Cub Scout or
Webelos Scout resident camp as a den or pack or the council's family
camp with your whole family. Camping doesn't always mean overnight; day
camp is always lots of fun. Get those boys outdoors and let them
discover the fun of camping while working on their Cub Scout Outdoor
Activity Award. Whatever you do, do it outside and find out what the
outing in Scouting is all about. While out on the trail, you can work
on the Map and Compass belt loop and pin or the Astronomy belt loop and
pin.
- JULY 2009 - BE A SPORT
- Not only is it
important to do your best when you try new sports but it is important
to understand the rules of being a "good sport" no matter how the game
goes. Play ball, soccer, tennis, or any sport! Learn about a sport that
you've never played before. Have a sports competition with another Cub
Scout pack in your area. Have athletes from a local high school or
college speak at your den or pack meeting. Ask them to teach you about
their sport. Learn a sport you can play with your family: golf, tennis,
bowling, swimming, or skating. Have a pack sports day. Cub Scouts can
create an obstacle course for the pack to enjoy while earning the belt
loop and pin for Physical Fitness or any of the many Cub Scout Sports
subjects.
- AUGUST 2009 - FUN IN THE SUN
- Let's go
outside and have fun in the sun. Plan some outdoor activities this
month that will encourage dens to meet and make preparations together
for your pack event. It's a great time for a pack picnic, with each den
planning a game or activity. Have a Cubanapolis derby with dens
preparing their vehicle and practicing maneuvers during den meetings.
Stress good sportsmanship and team building during the planning stages,
as well as during the actual event. Create kites in your dens and have
a kite flying derby or a family picnic to show off your creations! This
might be a great month to work on the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award
or a Cub Scout Sports belt loop or pin.