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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

Meet your match

Look for trends with friends to form different groups in this matching game.
Plan a session with this activity

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Before you begin

  • This game could be played with another section to help introduce each other and make new friends.
  • Explain that in this game we are going to find out what things we have in common.
  • To begin with everyone will form pairs. Next they will try to find another pair that share something new to form a four, then another four to form an eight and so on.
  • Each round will only last one minute, the winners are the largest team at the end of the round.

 Get matching

  1. Everyone begins spread out around the room.
  2. The person leading the activity calls out “match!” Everyone then finds someone else to pair up with based on something they have in common.
  1. As soon as everyone has found a pair the pair should start looking for another pair or people not yet paired to join their team with a new fact in common.
  2. Once the time runs out the person leading the activity should call for everyone to stop. The team with the most people in at the end of the round is the winner.
  3. Play again but this time give everyone a category to think about.
  1. Come together in the teams at the end of the round and see if you can join the last few teams to make one big group.

Reflection

In this activity we had to communicate to discover the things that we have in common with each other. How could you discover the links between you? Did you ask questions or tell people facts?

Think about the things you shared with those around you, were they obvious at first? How many could you see? Did you find out anything surprising or new about the rest of the group? Finding things in common helps us to build friendships and think about how other people feel.

Was it harder or easier to find things in common as the teams grew? There were more people to find shared facts for but there were also more people to think of them.

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.

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.

Vary the length of your rounds to increase or decrease the challenge.

Give the group categories to choose from when playing each round to help them find things they share easier. The category you choose could also make it harder.

Be aware of any sensitivities your group may have around topics, to avoid upset when setting categories.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Beavers Thistle Award
Beavers Teamwork Challenge Award

If anyone paired up around a hobby or skill they shared, could they share a game or skill with the rest of your group during a future meeting?

Encourage young people to think of categories of their own based on things they would like to discover about the rest of the group, winning teams can then suggest a category for the next round.