Skip to main content

Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing at Scouts. Read more

Discover what this means

How do you do it?

Show off your hobby and explain what it takes to get involved.
Plan a session with this activity

Back to Activities

You’ll need

  • A4 card
  • PVA glue
  • Glue sticks
  • Coloured pens or pencils
  • Scissors
  • Photographs

Before you begin

Remind everyone to bring some photos of their hobby and the objects or materials they use, ideally at least a week before the activity takes place. Anyone who doesn’t have a hobby could bring in pictures or objects that represent a hobby they’d like to try. Alternatively, if you have a few hobbyists they could share their hobby with a team of non-hobbyists.

Create your display

  1. Everyone should create something to advertise or display their hobby to the rest of the group. This could be a poster, leaflet, diorama or even something like a game/puzzle.
  2. Everyone should imagine that they’re trying to sell the hobby to others, to get them interested in starting it.
  3. Important details to include are:
    • what the hobby is
    • materials/ equipment that you use
    • how/why you started the hobby
    • any interesting history behind the hobby that you know
    • any safety rules that it may have.
  1. People could keep their displays up and revisit them over three months, keeping them updated with their progress.

Reflection

This activity helped you think about trying new things. How did you feel when you first tried your hobby? How do you feel now? Your hobby was a new thing you tried – are you glad that you gave it a go? Did anyone else’s display make you want to try another new thing?

This activity also needed you to communicate about your hobby. Was it easy to communicate? How did you choose to communicate? What were your main points? What sort of words did you use – did you have to explain any?

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.

Scissors

Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Instead of building displays, participants with hobbies could bring in the images/items associated with their hobbies and get the others to guess what their hobby is from the equipment used (and by asking questions).

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Cubs Hobbies Activity Badge

Young people should present their hobbies how they think works best. This could be anything - a poster, film, drawing, story, song, poem, and so on.