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Try these pioneering challenges

Work as a team to solve problems in these different pioneering challenges.

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You’ll need

  • Ropes (various lengths and thicknesses)
  • Strong string or twine
  • 1.5m garden canes (approx. 10–20 depending on group size)
  • Lollipop sticks
  • Lightweight, plastic buckets
  • Small weights, such as water bottles
  • Large marshmallows (one bag per team)
  • Spaghetti
  • Strong tape
  • Scissors
  • Measuring tape or ruler
  • Chairs, tables or outdoor anchor points (for pulley or flagpole tasks)
  • Paper
  • Pens
  • Timer

Before you begin 

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Take a look at our 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 if you’re short on helpers. 

Planning and setting up the activity

  • Set up challenges before your meeting, making sure there’s enough space for each.

Running the activity

Take part in a series of practical pioneering challenges. These can be set up as multiple activity bases or larger team-based tasks. Here are some suggested challenges to get started:

Build a basic pulley system to lift a bucket of water. Use ropes and simple mechanical principles. Once you’ve finished, see if you could improve the system’s efficiency.

Work in small teams to build the tallest and strongest tower using just spaghetti and marshmallows. Once complete, review your structure and see how you could adapt it to improve stability and strength. You could try to balance something on it. 

Construct two different types of bridges (for example, a truss bridge and an arch bridge) using lolly sticks and string. Test how much weight each one can hold and compare the results to see which design features made a difference.

Outside, build a flagpole that is held up off the ground, with the base of the main pole not touching the floor. Use garden canes and string to complete the challenge.

Stand in a circle with your team and hold hands to form a ‘rope’. Without letting go, work together to tie a reef knot using your arms as the rope. It’s harder than it sounds!

 

  1. Once the challenges are complete, gather everyone together and introduce the Explorer Pioneering Skills Badge.
  2. Explain the badge’s requirements. Does anyone think if the activities they’ve just done link to the badge? Which ones do or don’t link to the badge and why? 
  3. Tell everyone that this session is all about planning how to complete the pioneering badge.
  4. Get into small groups and spend about 10 minutes thinking of challenges or projects they’d like to do to meet the badge requirements.
  5. Bring the group back together to share each team’s ideas.
  6. As a group, work together to agree on a plan of action to complete the badge. The plan should cover roughly three weeks of activities. Make sure everyone knows what they’ll be doing and how they’ll contribute.

Reflection

This activity was all about exploring the basics of pioneering through hands-on problem solving and teamwork. Whether building bridges, lifting weights with pulleys or tying knots as a group, everyone brought different strengths to the tasks and learned how to adapt, test ideas and work together. How do you think the challenges went? What was easier than you expected? What was harder? What would you do differently next time?

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.

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.

Poles and long objects

Be careful when moving poles or long items. Take care if the ends are sharp. Have appropriate supervision for this activity.

Heavy and awkward objects

Never lift or move heavy or awkward items alone. Ask for help or, if possible, break them down into smaller parts.

  • There should be space or access for everyone to move around and reach anything needed. For example, you could put items on a table, rather than the floor if people struggle to bend down.
  • You can adapt your pioneering project’s design and materials to make sure they’re suitable for everyone. For example, use thicker rope or using lighter poles. You could also consider doing smaller scale project with bamboo canes or dowel sticks.
  • You may want to run a session on knot tying beforehand, provide extra adult help, or have visual guides. Make sure that everyone can see any visual instructions. You may need to make the words larger, use an easy to read and large print font, have magnifying glasses, use braille versions or enlarge any images. You could provide digital version, so people can use of magnification software. You could also use pictures to help anyone who may struggle with reading. Make sure to use colours that can easily be identified for anyone who’s colourblind.
  • Make sure there’s enough time for everyone to try the activity a few times, and have plenty of adults available for support.
  • Everyone should take on a role that suits them too, such as tying the knots, timing the challenge, moving or holding the poles, or reading the instructions.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Explorers Pioneering Activity Badge