Play Sticky Circuits
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
- 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.
Planning and setting up this game
- If playing indoors, make sure the space is safe and suitable for the activity. Check for any hazards such as loose cables, slippery floors, or furniture that could cause trips or falls, and clear the area before starting. Identify and point out safe zones, boundaries, and areas that are off-limits (such as storage rooms or kitchens).
- If playing outside, give a safety briefing, explaining where the boundaries are, what to do in an emergency and where adults will always be around the site. This should include setting a memorable spot where an adult will stay at all times. Explain the emergency signal to stop or return to the group, such as a long blast on a whistle, and how long the activity will last.
- For more information on keeping children safe around electricity, you can read the Electrical Safety First advice page.
Things young people could do to help prevent electrical hazards:
- Use official chargers and appliances – avoid cheap or counterfeit chargers that can overheat or cause electric shock.
- Do not use devices if cables are damaged – frayed wires, exposed wiring, or damaged plugs can cause sparks or electric shock.
- Avoid overloading sockets – don’t plug too many devices into one socket or extension lead.
- Keep devices away from water – never use electrical items near sinks, baths, or puddles.
- Keep devices away from flammable materials – paper, curtains, clothes, or rugs can catch fire if too close to heat sources.
- Turn off appliances when leaving the room or house, and unplug devices that are not in use. This reduces fire risk, prevents overheating and saves energy.
- Store electrical items safely – don’t let cords get pinched under doors or furniture.
- Keep electrical outlets dust-free by locating and positioning extension leads appropriately – dust can build up and become a fire risk.
- Do not use damaged or wet appliances – never use a toaster or hair dryer with water nearby.
- Follow manufacturer instructions – using devices incorrectly can create hazards.
- Report hazards to an adult – frayed wires, sparks, or strange smells should never be ignored.
Playing the game
- Gather everyone together and explain that you’ll be playing a game similar to Sticky Witches but this time, it’s all about electricity.
- Ask them what they know about electricity, how they stay safe around it, and what happens when plug sockets overload or devices become hot.
- Choose one person to be ‘on’ and they will be the lead of the Power Strip. Everyone else will be the appliances and devices.
- When the Power Strip tags someone, that player joins hands (or holds a jumper or sleeve) and becomes part of the Sticky Circuit.
- The circuit should work together to tag others, growing longer and making it harder to move around the space.
- During the game, you can use the following call-outs:
- Safety check! – If the circuit is getting long but not overloaded. Split the chain into two smaller chains to keep it manageable.
- Overload! – If the circuit grows too long (8+ people) or moves too fast. Everyone drops to the ground and shouts “fire hazard”. The circuit resets and all players are free to move around separately again.
- The aim of the game is to make sure that there's no fire hazard, and that everyone has joined a circuit.
Reflection
This activity focused on learning how electricity works and how to stay safe around it. By becoming part of the Sticky Circuit, you experienced how electrical systems connect, what can happen if too many devices are linked together and how simple actions can prevent accidents.
What did you notice about how the circuit grew and moved? How did it feel when the chain became too long? Did it help you understand why overloading sockets or plugging in too many devices might be dangerous?
Think about your everyday life. How can you use what you learned in this game to stay safe around electricity at home or at Scouts? How will you check for hazards or make sure circuits don’t get overloaded?
Remember, understanding electricity and acting safely is all about being mindful, responsible, and prepared.
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.
- Ensure the space is set up in a way that's accessible for everyone to move around safely, and encourage everyone to move around the space in a way that's appropriate for all.
- If anyone struggles with the active part this activity, they could take on another role, such as the calling out the instructions.
- If needed, let people work in pairs to make sure everyone’s supported in taking part in the activity. A young leader could join a group to help people take part, too.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
If you enjoyed this activity, why not try one of our other activities in partnership with Electrical Safety First, such as Wired world.
Young people could lead the game themselves and come up with new ways to adapt the game by adding new rules, creating their own call-outs, or trying a different way to play.