Activities for you to try while maintaining social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak. There is a long tradition of “lone Scouting” for those who could not get to regular meetings, for example in Australia, where it’s not hard to be many miles from groups of other young people.

Important – let us know what you’re doing, and do read the rules before you start. We’ll be updating this page from time to time, so send us your ideas to add.

1. There are loads of Activity Badges that you can do at home. Try the artist, chef, craft, DIY, … We just need your parents to confirm that you have met all the requirements.
2. The national Scout Association have produced a list of Scout-age indoor activities – or change the filters if you have younger siblings.
3. Basingstoke East Scouts have worked out all the badges that could be done at home. They provide details of the requirements and suggestions of what to do. Then they have a page where you can upload details of what you have done, to be sent to your leaders. Our Group is already registered for this but, when we tried it, the Group search didn’t really work. Instead, scroll down through the list, past the “named” Groups, to the numbered ones such as 11th Hitchin.
4. Watford North Scouts have done some badgework videos
5. Morse code and semaphore were used to signal at a distance, for example between ships, before radios and the Internet. Practice either or both of these with another Scout, perhaps while you can’t get near enough to talk normally. We’ll have a competition between pairs when we can meet again. This is in your Communicator badge.
6. Have a go at your Personal Challenge. For example, you might want to think about making a plan for your day, and keeping to it over several weeks. Or you could plan and carry out regular exercise, or decide on a particular way that you can help at home. Remember that you need to agree your two challenges with us before you start.
7. Keep a diary, and store it safely afterwards. Take photographs if you can. When you’re an adult, school children will be doing projects on the coronavirus outbreak, and you’ll be able to show them what it was really like for a young person at the time. This would be good for your Writer’s badge.
8. This is an excellent time to complete the physical activity section of your Skills Challenge. Plan your daily exercise and keep a record of what you have done, and how you have aimed to improve. You could also work on some of the skills in part 4 of the badge.
9. Agree with your parents what you could safely do to help others for the Community Impact badge (notice the stages according to how much time you give) or your World Challenge.
10. Do a project such as bird-watching or astronomy. Or do some time-lapse photography to record how your garden changes, or how particular plants grow, over the coming weeks. Check out the Naturalist, Astronomer and Photographer badges.
11. Practice some home skills and use them regularly – you need five for part four of the Skills Challenge.
12. Try some navigation activities.
13. Every Thursday at 2pm, the Royal Institute of Great Britain are hosting live science sessions for 7-11 year olds