Programme blog: Our top activities to get outdoors this summer with Scouts

Perhaps you want to get outside on a chilly evening, wrap up in jumpers and give everyone involved in a well-loved Scouts tradition?

Take a look at The perfect campfire to learn how to build and light a campfire, then get your vocal cords warmed up before singing a well-loved song.

If it’s campfire food that you’re after, then you’re in the right place.

You could add some sizzle to a sweet treat by filling and grilling a banana to make these Barbecued banana boats.

Discover the fun of campfire cooking by baking a delicious chocolate orange treat with Campfire chocolate oranges, or if you want to work for your food, you can forage for some brilliant blackberries and create a fantastic Fruity crumble.

For Scouts and Explorers, set up your stoves and rustle up some delicious doughy delights with Campfire stove donuts, or get them cooking on these Easy earth ovens.

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts can make Damper snakes, a tasty bread dough, with this classic backwards cooking recipe. If you're feeling confident, you could dish up a smashing meal in the great outdoors with Sausage smash.

Even Squirrels can join in Burning marshmallows to enjoy them with their friends.

If you want to take it one step further, get your hands dirty and turn into Pic-ash-o with an ash-y masterpiece! This activity will help you to learn about carbon monoxide along the way.

Remember to stay safe while cooking. Take a look at our guidance on food safety, carbon monoxide safety and camp stove safety.

Sports Day might also be on your group’s summer bucket list, but why not ditch the egg and spoon for a Sports Day with a twist?

If you’ve been inspired by Tim Peake, you could collect stars and zoom through your own athletic astronomical adventure in Cosmic quest. 

Complete individual and group challenges to test your balance, coordination, speed and strength in your very own Mini olympics.

Or why not take a trip to Scotland with Homemade Highland Games?

If it’s Wimbledon that takes you fancy, then warm up while perfecting your tennis technique and learning the rules of the game in What’s the drill?

Or join in with our other LTA activities, Toss ‘n’ cross, Racket skills and Mix ‘n’ switch, to improve your hand-eye coordination and tennis ability with these simple ball games.

Being outdoors can not only allow us to be active and connect with nature, it can also offer us lots of tools to create some fantastic art!

Get your group to challenge a friend and test their skills with this natural Noughts and crosses game.

You could make your own Magical tree trolls using natural materials, or why not take a walk in your imagination and recreate objects using natural materials in Natural sculptures.

Can you find all the different colours in nature? Go on a walk and see what you can see in Nature’s paint pallet or capture the colours of the rainbow in local wildlife in Colour palette places.

Head outdoors and explore the beautiful biodiversity on offer. What could your group discover on a Natural treasure hunt?

Use your drawing skills to keep a record of what you see when you’re out on a walk in Explore and draw, or get your leaves and logs in tune by getting musical with nature and creating Nature's orchestra. You could even invite The Beetles!

Identify a tree in this unbe-leaf-able nature knowledge game, I know yew!, then head outside to see how many trees everyone recognises.

Have you been inspired? Share what you’ve learned about saving the planet by hosting an Eco camp.

Summer is a fantastic time to get outside and get green-fingered.

If you’re looking to get messy, spread wildflowers and encourage wildlife with homemade seed bombs in All you seed is love.

You don’t even need a garden to get growing. You could make some Recycled planters to turn even the smallest space green.

Or why not create a new Wild community garden or area for and with your local community?

If you’re feeling ambitious, you could put your DIY skills to the test and build a Plastic bottle greenhouse from your recycling, then experiment with growing different flowers or vegetables.

It’s not just people who love the sunny weather, insects, birds and wildlife can be seen buzzing, crawling and flying throughout the summer months!

If you love the outdoors, pick up your magnifying glass and binoculars, and discover your local wildlife as a Nature detective.

Everyone needs somewhere to call home, and insects are no exception. Get to know your minibeasts in Snug as a bug.

You could even make a bug hotel fit for royalty for your neighbourhood wildlife to live in with Bug-inhgham Palace. Will you manage to attract a Queen Bee, perhaps?

When the weather’s nice, why not get everyone outside for some fun, active games? Try one of our creative games to mix up your programme.

Get moving and work together to escape dragons in this Desert Island Dash. 

Speaking of desert islands, will the coastguard intercept the smugglers before the treasure reaches the pedlars in the group wide game, Smuggler's Treasure?

Get into the outdoors and play a watery version of a classic team game in Water dodgeball. Can you cause a splash without getting hit?

How good is your aim? Put it to the test with this fast-paced team game, Game of aim.

Pretend to be a jay bird, and steal tokens from the others teams’ nests while defending your own in Nest raiders.

In Pushball, you’ll have to work together to roll a giant ball around the pitch in this high-energy game.

Can the rabbits stay safely in the warren, or will the foxes catch them out in Foxes and Rabbits?

If you're after traditional games, Duck duck goose, encourages everyone to get active and have fun, and the classic parachute game, Cat and mouse, gets everyone moving and thinking, too.

If you're looking for another Hide and Seek based game, get stuck into The Colours of Avalon, with a brilliant game based on the story of King Arthur and Merlin the wizard.

Or why not try a twist on an old favourite with Hide and Sheep? It's baa-rilliant.

Although the UK is not known for its high temperatures we do experience heat waves from time to time. Therefore, before playing games in summer, read our advice on hot weather and summer activity safety.

You can have lots of adventures in Scouts, even without leaving your meeting place.

If your group love science experiments, then reach for the stars in this space race involving acid-base Reaction rockets!

Or get outside in the woods to work with your friends to start Den building and make a strong and interesting structure from natural materials. What will you create?

Squirrels can get involved too and be Wild builders by working in small teams to build dens using materials from the environment around you.

Why not try a Rope walk? You need to be brave as you test your senses on this adventurous trail.

If you fancy a trip further afield, or are lucky enough to live by the sea, go on a Coastal alphabet hunt. Discover rockpools and explore the seaside by working as a team to discover a beach-themed A to Z.

If you want an adventure on camp, then spice up mealtimes in the outdoors by laying trails for your group to Track down dinner.

And if that’s too easy for you, you’ll need to use all of your outdoor skills and work as a team to complete a outdoor skills relay race in Tie match and build.

Do you like football? How about golf? If you’ve said yes, Footgolf might be for you! Practise your aim as you kick a football across a course. Will you get a hole in one?

The outdoors can be great for getting active, but it can also help everyone to relax, take a moment and become more mindful.

Get your Squirrels to explore fun stretches to make you feel good and full of energy for the day with Wake up to yoga.

For Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, try and Breathe like Buddha with this basic meditation technique.

Every section can head outside, take a deep breath and pay attention to the moment on a Mindfulness walk, as you practise mindfulness and connect to the natural world.

If you want to take it a step further, tune into your emotions and sensations with our Gratitude scavenger hunt – a treasure hunt with a difference! Will you find something that you love to smell, a flower that’s your favourite colour or an insect that you want to find out more about?

On a hot day, it’s always nice to cool off in a pool – whether it’s at camp, your local leisure centre or even a school pool!

Get ready for the Commonwealth Water Polo Championships and play this simplified version of water polo, Easy water polo.

If you want a shockingly fun game to play in the water, try Electric eels to practice treading water and working as a team.

Dive, dive, dive! and recover lost treasures in this daring diving activity.

Got the giggles? Try not to laugh in this Funny floating swimming game. 

Be brave, and venture across the water by building your own Sea stacks from floats.

If you want to practice your paddling and skills on the water, try to Escape, me hearties! with this pirate-themed game.

Remember, be careful when doing activities with, in, or near water. You need to check surfaces and reduce the risk of slipping, where possible, and make sure you have appropriate supervision for this activity. Find out more about our rules in our Swimming safety guidance.

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with A…

Yes, it’s an activity! See what you can spy while exploring your local area on bikes by playing the game of i-Spy cycle.

Don’t forget to be Ready to ride by teaching your group how to find out how to inflate a bike tyre and do an ‘M’ check.

Check your bike before you wreck your bike and keep your eyes open to make sure your bike isn’t broken.

Have you been inspired by Le Tour de France? Why not create your own Le Tour de Scouts, and put your skills to the test with the ultimate cycling challenge?

Or if you want to learn about punctures, you don’t need to Reinvent the wheel. Just follow these wheely easy instructions to show your group how to handle a flat tyre.

Before heading off on your bike ride, learn the Countryside Code in an interactive game to get you ready for the outdoors, too.

Unlike walking, cycling has a multitude of extra hazards when looking after a group. Find out more about our following our rules in our Cycling guidance.