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100+ free activities to help self-isolating families
A collection of activities created by Scouts.
As schools close and coronavirus continues to spread across the UK, families face unprecedented upheaval. Scouts has responded by offering vital support with the provision of free activities, games and craft ideas to those quarantined. This initiative is being supported by Chief Scout, Bear Grylls and Scout Ambassadors, Steve Backshall and Helen Glover.
Isolation is likely to be tough on young people, their parents and carers, who may be facing weeks or even months at home. As the nation’s experts in creating innovative activity ideas to help young people develop important life skills – and that never-give-up spirit – Scouts is making its tried and tested resources available to young people and parents who are stuck indoors.
Scouts has pulled together one hundred activity ideas into the ultimate resource for families. The activities are fun, free, and designed to keep young people entertained and educated throughout any extended time in the home. Each activity has a clear set of outcomes, such as developing communication skills or learning how to problem solve, which will also support schools in their aim to keep young people learning in their homes.
These new resources will be complemented by Facebook Live ‘how to’ sessions with Scout Ambassadors, who’ll demonstrate the activities.
The Great Indoors
The activities collection is called ‘The Great Indoors’ and these are all suitable for inside the home with one or two children (but can be adapted for three or more). Scouts will also reach out to families to share activities and advice via social media, using the hashtag #TheGreatIndoors.
While we normally love the great outdoors, we’ve pulled together some inspired indoor activities to ease the strain on parents over the coming weeks and months: https://t.co/Se36lATSKi #TheGreatIndoors pic.twitter.com/30yBURvXiQ
— The Scouts (@UKScouting) March 20, 2020
Chief Scout Bear Grylls said, “As a parent and Chief Scout, I know that young people have such huge energy – and that needs channelling in a positive way. Without a plan, a week stuck at home for a family can be as tough as a week in the mountains. Whether you’re climbing Everest, or just trying to make it through to bedtime, a little planning and positive spirit will make all the difference. That’s why these brilliant activities will be welcomed by parents right across the UK.
There’s something for everyone here to keep learning and having fun, while warding off cabin fever. They’ll help families stay busy, focused and cheerful. It’s not often you’ll find me talking about the great indoors – but this is the exception. Try them out, look after each other, and most of all, make this challenging time a safe and positive time – it’s all state of mind.”
About Scouts
- All genders, races and backgrounds are welcome at Scouts. Every week, it gives almost half a million people aged 6-25 the skills they need for school, college, university, the job interview, the important speech, the tricky challenge and the big dreams: the skills they need for life.
- Scouts helps members gain these skills by encouraging them to ask the big questions and listen with wide open minds. It helps them to take a deep breath and speak up, think on their feet, ignore the butterflies and go for it. With Scouts, young people don’t give up – they get back up and try again, often with the support of the friends they’ve made there.
- Scouts in the UK has over 638,000 members, including 163,000 volunteer adult leaders. This means Scouts is the largest co-educational youth movement in the country.
- Our volunteers contribute more than 30 million hours of voluntary work each year to their local communities.
Scouts is just one of many outdoor organisations supported by the work of Gift Your Gear.