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Go on a walk and think about insulation

Think about insulation by carrying sandwiches and drinks in different bags to find out which keeps them coolest on a walk!

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You’ll need

  • Sandwich ingredients
  • Butter
  • Access to water
  • Chopping boards
  • Knives
  • Spoon
  • Paper sandwich bags or tinfoil
  • Water bottles
  • Thermometer (optional)

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.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers. 

Planning and setting up the activity 

  • Choose an appropriate, accessible outdoor area. You may need to think about avoiding steps, being close to public transport, or steep gradients or including frequent breaks.
  • Check the weather forecast and sunset times. Make sure everyone knows to come dressed for the weather and activity, being prepared for the weather to change. Make sure you’ll have sufficient light throughout the activity. It’s best to run this activity on lighter evenings, such as in summer.
  • Remember to give a safety briefing for any cooking equipment and methods you’re using. You may wish to demonstrate the methods or activity before you all start cooking. 
  • Check for allergies, intolerances, fasting, food-related medical conditions, eating disorders, food sensitivities or dietary requirements, then adjust the food items used as needed. This may include making sure there’s no cross-contamination of packaging and no cross-contamination during the storage, preparation, cooking and serving.  
  • You may need to use separate chopping boards, equipment and utensils, such as tongs or toasters, for different dietary requirements, allergies and foods. 
  • If you’re unsure, check with the young person and their parents or carers. You can check with the adult directly if it’s a volunteer or helper. 
  • Some people may not like certain food textures or tastes and that’s OK. People don’t need to use all the ingredients if they don’t want to, and no-one should be made to try foods if they don’t want to. You can try to find an alternative for them.  

Fuel poverty happens when people can’t afford enough energy to keep their homes warm. This can make their house cold and uncomfortable, and it can even make them sick. Staying warm is important, especially when it’s cold outside, and insulation can help a lot with that. 

Insulation works like a blanket for your house, trapping the heat inside so it doesn’t escape through the walls, windows, or doors. If a house doesn’t have good insulation, heat can slip out, and people need to use more energy, such as turning the heating on, to keep it warm. This can be a big problem if paying for that energy is too expensive. 

There are some simple ways people can keep their homes warmer without using too much energy. Things like using draft stoppers at the bottom of doors, closing the curtains, putting rugs on the floor, wearing layers of clothing, or even using blankets can all help. These small changes can make the house feel warmer without needing to spend a lot of money or use extra energy. 

Insulation’s a material that slows down the movement of heat, helping keep hot things hot and cold things cold for a longer time. You can think of it like a barrier for your house or your drink. For example, when you use a flask to keep your soup warm or your drink cold, the thermos is made of insulating material that stops heat from escaping or getting in. Heat naturally moves from warmer places to cooler places. If you have something hot, such as a cup of tea, the heat will try to spread to the cooler air around it. However, insulating materials stop or slowdown that movement, keeping the heat inside the cup. The same goes for cold things, such as ice in a cooler, as insulation stops the warmer outside air from getting in and melting the ice. Insulation acts like a barrier to keep the temperature where you want it—whether that's hot or cold. It also helps reduce energy costs and keeps homes warm, which is especially important for people dealing with fuel poverty. 

Running the activity 

  1. Gather everyone together and explain what insulation is. Ask everyone if they know what fuel poverty is and, if not, explain what it is.
  2. Explain to the group that you'll be doing an experiment about insulation to see what keeps sandwiches and drinks cold. Each group will be taking sandwiches and drink with them on the walk, and they’ll be carried in a different way. You’ll then see which is the coldest at the end of the walk. The four ways they’ll be carried are:
    1. One in a hand
    2. One in a backpack
    3. One in an insulated lunch bag
    4. One in a regular plastic bag
  3. Ask everyone what they think will happen and which, if any, will keep the sandwich and drink the coldest.
  4. Everyone should wash their hands, then ask everyone to get into groups. They should gather the equipment and ingredients they need. An adult should always be assigned to and supervising each group during this activity.
  5. Each group should then prepare their sandwiches and drinks. They should all be packed the same way, such as all wrapped in tinfoil. You may wish to record the temperature of the drinks and sandwiches at the start too.
  6. When you’re ready, place the sandwiches and drinks in the four locations, then head out on the walk.
  7. After a good amount of time, such as 30 minutes, everyone should stop and check the sandwiches and drinks. Ask everyone which sandwiches and drinks feel the coldest or the warmest.  If you're using a thermometer, you could take the temperatures again and see which has changed.
  8. Ask everyone why insulation matters and how it helps keep things cool. See if anyone can think of any other examples where insulation is important on your walk, such as if anyone’s wearing hats, gloves, scarves or coats. 

Reflection

This activity was all about how insulation can help to keep food cool. You tested different sandwiches in various places to see which one stayed the coolest. Which materials or spots kept the sandwiches from getting warm? Why do you think some sandwiches stayed cooler than others? Why might this be important? 

Keeping food at the right temperature can help to make sure it’s tasty, safe to eat and doesn’t make us ill. It can also help it to last longer. How can we keep our food fresh, even when we’re on the go? Will this change what you store you lunch in in the future? 

If you had to pack a sandwich for a hot day, what materials would you choose to keep it cool? Finally, how could better insulation could help everyone enjoy fresh sandwiches, especially those who may not have access to cool storage at home? What ideas do you have to help keep sandwiches, or other foods, cool and delicious? 

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.

Visits away from your meeting place

Complete a thorough risk assessment and include hazards, such as roads, woodland, plants, animals, and bodies of water (for example, rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas). You’ll probably need more adult helpers than usual. Your risk assessment should include how many adults you need. The young people to adult ratios are a minimum requirement. When you do your risk assessment, you might decide that you need more adults than the ratio specifies. Think about extra equipment that you may need to take with you, such as high visibility clothing, a first aid kit, water, and waterproofs. Throughout the activity, watch out for changes in the weather and do regular headcounts. 

Outdoor activities

You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.

Hiking and walking

Follow the guidance for activities in Terrain Zero, or the guidance for each the adventurous activity.

Cooking

Teach young people how to use cooking equipment safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Make sure it’s safe to use and follow manufacturers’ guidelines for use.

  • To make this activity easier, you could buy pre-made sandwiches or ask people to bring a sandwich and drink each. Instead of going on a walk, you could also play an active game, such as tag. 
  • To make this activity harder, let the groups decide what to store their food and drink in to keep it cold and see which group can create the best insulation for their sandwiches. 

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.