February Week 4
Cub Scout Meeting Schedule
Theme: Terrarium Making
(See detail planning sheets)
Time
Activity
Additional Information
7:05 pm
Gathering Activity
Twins Game
7:10 pm
Opening Ceremony
(See the Cub Scout Leader Handbook)
7:15 pm
Game
Vegetable/Fruit Tag
7:25 pm
Activity
Terrarium Making
8:10 pm
Six Meeting
8:20 pm
Closing Ceremony
8:30 pm
Good Hunting!
Badge
Links:
Run by
Black Star A #3,
Gardener Badge #2d
Meeting Notes:
Tie this meeting into a weekend outing to a Greenhouse visit on the weekend to complete badge link:
Black Star B #3.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
JUMPSTART—CUB SCOUTS: Terrarium Making 1
Gathering Activity
Theme Activity
Twins Game
Terrarium Making
Form players into two lines about 3 metres apart. Each
team numbers from the right to the left.
Terrariums are a way of growing plants with very
little effort.
The leader calls out a command and a number. Players
whose numbers are called complete the command. The
first players to complete the command receives a point
for their team.
Materials:
It’s recommended that leaders make up a list of
commands before the game, such as:
Pea gravel or aquarium rocks
Players # 1 go through Players #7’s legs
Players #12, have #2 give you a piggy back ride
Players #5 give a high 5 to Players #10.
Any type of clear glass containers: bottles,
fish bowls, jars
Potting soil
Spray bottle filled with water
Wooden sticks (chopsticks work well)
Paper funnel (Cub Scouts can make these by rolling up
newspaper or waste paper and taping it together)
Sphagnum or Spanish moss
Game
Vegetable/Fruit Tag
Spread youth around the meeting place, and designate
one Cub Scout as the “Gardener”. When the Gardener
approaches a Cub Scout, he or she must squat down and
say the name of a vegetable or fruit for protection. If the
Garderner tags them first, they also become a Gardener.
Last Cub Scout standing is the winner.
2
Succulent plants, small Cacti, and any other small
plants that don’t need a lot of light
Rocks, wood, shells, small toys, etc. for decoration
Instructions:
Before the meeting, clean and dry the containers.
Spread newspapers on the tables and floor to catch
dirt, rocks, etc.
Each Cub Scout selects a container, plant and
decorations for their terrarium. Have them arrange the
items in an attractive manner before starting to place
them in the terrarium. Once they are happy with their
arrangement, follow these steps.
1.
Place a 2.5 cm (one inch) layer of aquarium rocks or
pea gravel in the bottom of the container for
drainage. The rocks allow excess water to collect
and evaporate.
2.
Add a 2.5 cm (one inch) layer of Sphagnum or
Spanish moss on top of the rocks. Use the sticks to
press the moss firmly onto the rocks. The moss
provides a barrier between the rocks and the soil,
as well as an area for water to be absorbed and
released back into the terrarium. Moss also prevents
root rot and keeps the soil healthy.
JUMPSTART—CUB SCOUTS: Terrarium Making
3. Use the paper funnel to pour the soil into the
terrarium. Allow for 5 cm (two inches) of soil
depending on how large the container is.
3.
Closing
“Good Hunting!” Dismiss the Cub Scouts.
Remove the plant from the pot and gently brush off
extra soil until the plant’s roots are exposed. Place
the plant into the terrarium, following the design
created before.
4. Use the funnel to pour the soil around the plant.
Tamp the soil using the wooden sticks until the
plant is supported.
5. Decorate the terrarium with the rocks, shells, and small toys.
6.
Gently mist with water until the terrarium is moist
and then put on the top of the container. If open top
containers are used, a layer of plastic wrap held on
with a rubber band works well too.
Terrarium Care
A terrarium is a closed environment and it can be
sensitive to water and to light. When it is first made the
Cub Scouts will need to monitor it closely for the first
few days. If it gets too much sunlight it can get too hot
inside and bake the plants. Pay particular attention to
the moisture inside. It should form a nice layer of dew
along the top of the bottle. This will slowly rain down
back on the plants. If it is too wet inside leave the top
open for a day to dry out a little. If the moisture is right
it won’t need to be watered often; maybe once a month
(depending on how many plants there are and how
much water they need).
If the weather is cold after the meeting, be sure to wrap
the terrarium up warmly and get it home quickly.
Badge Link:
Black Star A #3,
Gardener Badge #2d
JUMPSTART—CUB SCOUTS: Terrarium Making
3