Skip to main content

Canal canoe chaos

Show and discuss how you would behave on the water with this fun and fast thinking game

Back to Activities

You’ll need

  • Copy of DofE water sports safety code
  • Newspaper
  • Buoyancy aids (as props, optional) - if you don’t have buoyancy aids, the group could tie a sweater or jumper around their chest or put it over their shoulders to replicate wearing one

Before you begin

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out your risk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Familiarise yourself with the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Water Sports Safety Code, as well as other rules for traversing Britain’s waterways. You can find more information in this canoe safety webpage.
  • Create a number of scenarios young people might find themselves in on a water expedition. Base the scenarios on the DofE Water Sports Safety Code and other rules for British waterways. Some examples can be found in the Scenario Suggestions accordion below.
  • Gather together buoyancy aids and any other water sport accessories you might want or need to make the activity more fun or challenging.
  • Find out more about taking part in adventurous activities in Scouts.

Start the activity

  1. With the group, introduce the DofE Water Sports Safety Code, as well as any other rules for traveling on waterways. Talk through the information and discuss why these rules are important and why we might need to know them.
  2. Answer any questions to ensure the group understand these rules. You could split up and discuss the safety information in smaller groups, too.

Play the game

  1. Give the group a buoyancy aid to wear and a sheet of newspaper each. Explain that the paper will be their boat for the journey they’re about to undertake.

If you don’t have buoyancy aids, the group could tie a sweater or jumper around their chest or put it over their shoulders to replicate wearing one.

  1. Ask the group to find a space, lay out their ‘boat’ and prepare for the journey.
  2. Explain that on their journey they’ll face different scenarios. They need to think about the guidance and rules they discussed earlier. They need to use the rules and guidance to act accordingly in each scenario on their boat.
  3. When the group is comfortable with the game, repeat scenarios but faster. The slowest young person to react could be out and the last boat standing wins.
  • Scenario 1: You approach a lock. A canal boat is just exiting. Someone from the boat asks whether you’d like the lock left open. What do you do?
  • Scenario 2: You approach a narrowing of the canal and realise you’re heading for a weir. You are unable to see the bottom and none of the party are familiar with the location. What do you do?
  • Scenario 3: You round a bend in the waterway and notice a tunnel up ahead. One of your party paddles closer and reports that they cannot see through to the end of the tunnel. What do you do?
  • Scenario 4: You approach a group of anglers sitting on the left bank. Their fishing lines are clearly in the water. What do you do?
  • Scenario 5: A large canal boat is quickly catching up from behind. Your group is spread across the waterway. What do you do?
  • Scenario 6: A person wearing shorts and a muddy t-shirt tells you they are from the environment agency and that you should leave the water as it is not safe to continue. What do you do?

Reflection

When undertaking journeys on different waterways, it’s important to understand the rules put in place to keep everyone safe. It’s also good to know the etiquette of the waterways, as this means everybody can have mutual enjoyment of some of Britain’s most treasured spaces.

Why’ve these rules been put into place? What makes waterways good places for Journeys? What must we look out for when traveling on our waterways?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Active games

The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.

  • To make it harder, you could add in some scenarios that you’ve not discussed.
  • If you want to make it easier, you could work together in small groups to react to the scenarios. You could also put up some printed-out copies of the rules to your meeting place that people can leave their boat to check.
  • You could allow participants to sit on chairs in needed, or people may find it easier to work in pairs.
  • You could provide written copies of the Water Safety Code while you’re discussing them at the start, too.
  • If anyone in the group may struggle to hear the scenarios being read out, they could stand closer to the speaker to be able to lip read. They could also have the scenarios written out with numbers assigned to each. A number could then be held up, so they know which one to react to.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.