Requirements
- With permission from your parent or legal guardian, watch the “Protect Yourself Rules” video for the Wolf rank.
- Discuss “safe touch” as seen in the “Protect Yourself Rules” video.
- Learn about the Buddy System and demonstrate how it works.
- Review common safety rules and demonstrate the proper use of playground equipment.
Tips and Tricks
- Personally, I try and have parents either be as involved as possible with this adventure or do it with their child. At a minimum, the first two steps are to be done with a parent or guardian.
- The Buddy System is an integral part of keeping our Scouts safe for many reasons. Provide a number of scenarios to your Scouts to make sure they understand the Buddy System.
- Enforce the Buddy System at all times and locations to reinforce the behavior.
- Consider using a multi-age playground in your community to show the various age levels of appropriate equipment.
Special Needs Considerations
- Devise a Buddy System that makes sense for Scouts with Special Needs. This may also be a great exercise in empathy for some Scouts.
- It may be helpful to also go over playground equipment that is meant for people with special needs and explain why abusing playground equipment (especially this equipment) is not right.
References
Scouting America – Safety in Numbers
