WHICH OBJECT IS TALLER?

None: They’re all the same size.

WHICH LINE IS LONGER?

Neither: They’re both the same.

IS THIS GRAY HAZE SHRINKING?

Stare at the black dot. After a while the gray haze will appear to shrink.

DO THESE COLORED LINES BEND OR IS IT AN OPTICAL ILLUSION?

No, they’re perfectly straight—but try telling your eyes that!

ARE THESE WHEELS SPINNING?

Stare at the center. Now move your head back and forth toward and away from the screen. The circles will appear to spin.

HOW MANY BLACK DOTS CAN YOU COUNT IN THIS OPTICAL ILLUSION?

Look closely and you will see them.

DO YOU SEE TWO FACES OR A VASE?

If you see one, close your eyes for a moment, then look for the other.

ARE THESE LINES STRAIGHT OR CROOKED?

Yep, you guessed it. It’s an optical illusion. The horizontal lines look crooked, but they are perfectly straight.

ARE YOU SEEING RED, WHITE & BLUE?

Stare at the center of this flag for one minute. Then look at an empty white sheet of paper and you’ll see a red, white and blue flag.

HOW THIS FLAG WORKS

Your eyes see color as measures of red or green, blue or yellow and bright or dark. When you look at a green object for a long time, your eyes get tired and start seeing red. When you look at yellow, after a while you’ll start to see blue. And darkness turns into brightness. The result: Even this wacky flag can be good, old red, white and blue — after a while!

"9 Optical Illusions to Confuse Your Brain" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Rocks, action figures, buttons, cereal boxes, baseball cards — you can collect practically anything. It’s a fun hobby that you can start with little to no money, depending on what you collect.

First, consider what you enjoy. If it’s nature, you might want to collect leaves, seashells or fossils. If you like sports, maybe you can find baseballs, hockey pucks or uniforms. Whatever you choose, make it more than a random accumulation of things — make it an organized group of stuff you like. It will be something you can be proud of and will probably want to display.

For your Pinewood Derby cars, you can build stands. The instructions for how to make one are on scoutlife.org.

For your rock collection, simply place rocks in an egg carton or shoebox with cardboard dividers. For your favorite issues of Scout Life magazine, you can store them in plastic sleeves. Use your imagination with how you want to show off and preserve your collection.

Share your cool collection with us, and it could be featured in a future issue of Scout Life!

"How to Start a Collection of Practically Anything" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Capture the flag is a fun camp game that’s all about teamwork. The goal is to find the other team’s flag and bring it back to your side without being tagged.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Any large outdoor area
• 10 or more people
• Two brightly colored “flags.” These can be almost anything — a neckerchief, Frisbee or ball, for example.
• Rope to divide the playing field
• Hula-Hoop, cones, rope or some other markers for “jail” areas

Safety First: Clear the playing area of any dangerous obstacles or hazards. Have one person act as the “judge” to ensure everyone plays by the rules. Play when there is plenty of daylight.

SETTING UP A CAPTURE THE FLAG GAME

1. Split into two teams.

2. Prepare the playing area. Almost any large outdoor space will work. Be sure there are plenty of obstacles (trees, rocks, bushes) where the flags can be hidden. Divide the field into two zones (like a football or soccer field), separating the sides with a center line. Each side should also feature a “jail” for players who are tagged. A Hula-Hoop, cones or rope can be used to designate these spots.

3. Give each team a “flag.” Any bright object (T-shirts, balls, bandannas) will work.

4. Each team hides its flag somewhere on its side of the field.

HOW TO PLAY CAPTURE THE FLAG

1. The goal of the game is for each team to capture the other team’s flag and take it back to its zone.

2. Pick positions for your team’s players. Some players should try to capture the other team’s flag. Other players should guard your team’s flag.

3. If members of the other team enter your team’s zone, you can send them to “jail” by tagging them. Players can be freed from jail when a teammate touches them.

4. A team wins by capturing the other team’s flag and taking it back to its zone.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN

Improvise your own rules:

• Can a player free everyone from jail at once or only one at a time?
• Can a flag be completely hidden or does it need to be visible?
• Can flags be moved mid-game?
• Try using a flying disc or ball as the flag. That way, it can be passed to teammates easily.
• Will you play with more than one flag per team?
• Can a team take back its flag from the other team before players cross back to their zone? How?

"How to Play Capture the Flag" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Need knee-slapping funny campfire skits? Skip the invisible bench, and try some of these entertaining ideas.

Whether you’re at summer camp, a pack meeting or a weekend camporee, these funny campfire skits are easy to perform and also totally Scout-appropriate — so no worries about making things awkward. From slapstick comedy to clever wordplay, these easy skits will bring the fun without crossing any lines, making them perfect for a night of entertainment around the campfire.

1. CAN’T WORK IN THE DARK

SETTING: Outdoors, with four or more people pretending to rake leaves or dig with shovels. One person stands in the middle, pretending to be a light bulb with their arm raised straight up.
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Boss, light bulb person, three or more workers
PROPS NEEDED: Rakes, shovels (optional)

SKIT:

Boss enters, looks around and focuses on the Lightbulb Scout who is standing still with arms raised.

Boss (sternly): “Hey! I’m paying you to work, not to just stand there. Why aren’t you working?”

Light bulb person (proudly, without moving): “I’m a light bulb!”

Boss (annoyed): “A light bulb? I don’t need a light bulb standing around. Get to work! If you’re still here when I come back, you’re fired!”

Boss exits. Light bulb person remains, arm raised, while the others continue to rake and dig.

Boss re-enters, spots the light bulb person.

Boss (angrily): “Still not working? You’re fired! Get out!”

Light bulb person lowers their arm and walks off stage. The other workers stop working, confused.

Boss: “Why did you guys stop working? Get back to work!”

Worker: “How? We can’t work in the dark!”

The workers exit, leaving Boss alone, groaning in frustration.

2. THE INFANTRY IS COMING!

SETTING: Open stage space. The people will run in from offstage.
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Four people, sapling holder
PROPS NEEDED: Small sapling or branch

SKIT:

Person 1 (panicked): “The infantry is coming! Head for the bomb shelters!” (runs off)

Person 2 (shouting): “The infantry is coming! Save yourselves!” (runs off)

Person 3 (excited): “The infantry is coming! We should help them!” (runs off)

Person 4 (calmly): “The infantry is coming! Let’s go watch the tanks!” (walks off)

Person with sapling slowly enters, holding the tree.

Sapling holder (proudly): “And here it is … the infant tree!” (holds up the sapling)

3. ICE FISHING SKIT

SETTING: Outdoors, with “fishermen” slipping and sliding like they are on a frozen lake
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Three people, loud off-stage voice
PROPS NEEDED: Imaginary ice drill, fishing rods

SKIT:

Person 1: “We’re ice fishermen! We’re catching dinner tonight!”

The fishermen pretend to drill a hole in the ice, and they begin fishing in silence.

Off-stage voice booms: “THERE ARE NO FISH THERE!”

They jump, confused.

Person 2: “Let’s try over there.”

They move, drill a new hole and start fishing again.

Off-stage voice: “THERE ARE NO FISH THERE!”

They jump in confusion again.

Person 3: “Let’s try one more spot.”

They move, drill a hole and fish.

Off-stage voice: “LISTEN! I’M THE ICE RINK MANAGER. THERE ARE NO FISH HERE!”

They freeze, look around realizing their mistake and run off stage.

4. THE AMAZING BRUCE, OLYMPIC BLANKET FLYER

SETTING: Open space, with people in a circle pretending to hold an invisible blanket
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Leader, six blanket holders
PROPS NEEDED: None (invisible props)

SKIT:

Leader: “We are the world-renowned Olympic Blanket Flying Team here to perform a campfire skit! And here’s Bruce, our star bouncer!”

They pretend to toss invisible Bruce lightly into the air. The blanket holders’ eyes appear to track him as he goes up and then back down.

Leader: “Alright, higher! One, two, THREE!”

The leader repeats this a few times, with the blanket holders appearing to throw Bruce higher each time. Finally, the leader pauses and pretends to be listening to Bruce saying something.

Leader: “Ladies and gentleman, Bruce wants to go for the world record! Let’s hear it for Bruce!”

The leader encourages the audience to clap and cheer. On the count of three, the blanket holders pretend to throw Bruce really high in the sky. The blanket holders point above the trees as if they’re tracking him, pretending to eventually lose sight of him.

Leader (shrugs): “Oh well, he’ll come down eventually.”

The leader and blanket holders exit the stage, leaving the audience hanging. Later in the campfire program, after a few additional skits or songs, the leader rushes back on to the stage.

Leader (shouting): “BRUCE! He’s coming back! Everybody get ready!”

The blanket holders rush to form a circle with their pretend blanket and “catch” Bruce. Everyone celebrates as the audience cheers.

5. CLEAN SOCKS SKIT

SETTING: A quartermaster is standing with a pile of socks on stage
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Quartermaster, four Scouts
PROPS NEEDED: A pile of socks

SKIT:

Quartermaster: “Hey, everybody, the new Scout socks have arrived! Come and get them!”

The other Scouts run onto the stage and form a line to get their socks.

Quartermaster: “Alright, how many socks do you need?”

Scout 1: “I need two pairs. I wear one all week while the other is in the hamper.”

Quartermaster (cringing): “Yuck! Oh well, here you go.”

The Scout gets two pairs of socks and walks away. The next Scout steps up to the quartermaster.

Quartermaster: “How many do you need?”

Scout 2: “Four pairs. I change them every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.”

Quartermaster (relieved): “Well, that’s better than wearing one pair all week. Here you go. Next!”

Scout 3: “I need seven pairs.”

Quartermaster (impressed): “Seven? I bet that’s a fresh pair every day, right?”

Scout 3: “You got it!

Quartermaster: “That’s what I like to hear. A clean Scout! Who’s next?”

The final Scout steps forward with a confident smile.

Quartermaster: “And how many socks do YOU need?”

Scout 4: “Twelve pairs, please!”

Quartermaster (surprised): “Twelve, wow! You must really like to keep clean. Why twelve pairs?”

Scout 4: “Well, there’s January, February, March, April, May…”

All Scouts groan as the quartermaster hands over socks.

Looking to write your own funny campfire skits? Get ideas from the Scout Life Think & Grin website with more than 4,000 kid-approved jokes.

6. IS IT TIME YET?

SETTING: People standing or sitting in a line with awkwardly crossed arms and legs
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Several people
PROPS NEEDED: None

SKIT:

Person 1: “Is it time yet?”

Person 2: “Is it time yet?”

Person 3: “Is it time yet?”

The question moves down the line, with each person repeating the question until it reaches the last person.

Last person (loudly): “No!”

The answer passes back up the line from the last person to the first person, with each person repeating “no.” After a few seconds, they repeat the process. Each person asks the question again, and the last person replies “no.” The answer again passes back up the line to the first person.

Finally, after a long pause:

First person (urgently): “IS IT TIME YET?”

The question moves down the line for a third time, with each person repeating the question until it reaches the last person.

Last person: “YES!”

The word gets passed back up the line quickly, and then all the people simultaneously uncross their legs and arms and cross them the other way.

7. BROKEN FINGER SKIT

SETTING: Two Scouts are onstage
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Two Scouts
PROPS NEEDED: None

SKIT:

Scout 1: “Hey, you’re good with first aid. I really need your help.”

Scout 2: “What’s wrong?”

Scout 1: “When I touch my forehead, it really hurts.”

Scout 1 demonstrates by touching their forehead and wincing in pain.

Scout 1: “And when I press on my jaw, it’s also painful.”

Scout 1 touches their jaw and cries out in pain.

Scout 2: “That sounds like something is really wrong. Does anything else hurt?”

Scout 1: “Yeah, when I push on my stomach, it hurts so bad I almost cry.”

Scout 1 pushes on their stomach and looks like they are in agony.

Scout 2: “Let me take a look.”

Scout 2 examines Scout 1, listens to the heart, looks in the ear and has them open their mouth. Scout 2 looks very concerned.

Scout 2: “Well, I don’t know … this seems serious. You better see a doctor.”

Scout 1 nods and staggers offstage.

After a brief pause, Scout 1 returns looking relieved.

Scout 2: “So what did the doctor say? What’s wrong with you?”

Scout 1: “The doctor says … I have a broken finger!”

Scout 2 shakes their head as they both exit.

8. SECOND LANGUAGE

SETTING: A group of people standing together. One is wearing a sign that says “Mother Mouse,” and the others are wearing signs that say “Mouse Children.”
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Cat, Mother Mouse, several Mouse Children
PROPS NEEDED: Signs labeled “Mother Mouse,” “Cat” and “Mouse Children”

SKIT:

Scene begins with Mother Mouse leading her Mouse Children on a walk. A cat enters suddenly, blocking their path. The Mouse Children freeze in fear.

Cat (threatening): “I’m going to eat you!”

Mother Mouse (in a loud voice): “Bowwow! Bowwow! Bark! Ruff! Arf arf arf! Woof!”

Cat reacts with shock and fear. It quickly backs up and runs away.

Mouse Children (in unison): “Mom, we were so scared! You saved us!”

Mother Mouse: “That’s why it pays to learn a second language!”

9. THE VIPER IS COMING!

SETTING: This funny campfire skit only needs some open space
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Four people, Viper
PROP NEEDED: Napkin or rag

SKIT:

One by one, the people rush in, warning about the Viper.

Person 1: “The Viper is coming!”

Person 2: “Here comes the Viper! Call for help!”

Person 3: “Watch out! The Viper is on its way!”

Person 4: “The Viper is almost here! Save yourselves!”

Finally, the Viper enters, calm and casual, holding the rag.

Viper: “Hello! I’m the Viper! Vere’s the vindows? I’ve come to vipe them clean!”

10. THE LOST QUARTER

SETTING: A streetlamp onstage. One person can pretend to be the streetlamp by standing with their arm up holding a flashlight. Another person is obviously searching for something under the lamp.
CHARACTERS NEEDED: Four people, streetlamp person
PROPS NEEDED: Flashlight

SKIT:

Person 1 is searching the ground under the “streetlamp.” After a few moments, Person 2 and 3 join in the search. Person 4 then approaches the group.

Person 4: “Hey, what are you looking for?”

Person 1: “A coin that I lost.”

Person 2: “He lost a quarter.”

Person 4: “Ok, I’ll help.”

Person 4 kneels down and helps search for the quarter. Everyone is searching the same spot of ground.

Person 4 (after a few moments of searching): “Where exactly did you lose the quarter?”

Person 1 (pointing far away): “Way over there.”

Person 4 (confused): “Then why are you looking here?”

Person 1 (with confidence): “Because the light is better over here!”

The group stops, groans in realization and exits the stage shaking their heads.

Do you have a favorite funny campfire skit? Tell us about it in the comments!

"10 Funny Campfire Skits" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Downtime at camp can turn really fun when you toss in a ball. Playing catch also builds your hand-eye coordination. You can use a squishy ball, tennis ball, football or baseball.

For a hard ball, like a baseball, you’ll want to grab a glove. Baseball gloves come in different styles and sizes, depending on the position they’re designed for.

HOW TO THROW A BALL OVERHAND

To throw a ball overhand, grip it loosely in your throwing hand and turn sideways with your feet shoulder-width apart. Face your target and bring the ball behind your head. Point to your target with your free hand and throw the ball, leaning forward with your arm following through and not stopping when you release the ball.

To increase your accuracy, use a four-seam grip with your index and middle fingers on top, your thumb underneath and your other fingers tucked to the side. Throwing a baseball with this grip creates backspin, steadying the ball’s flight path.

HOW TO CATCH A BALL

Catching a ball requires you to watch it all the way to your hand. If you’re bare-handed, reach out with both hands to catch. If you’re using a baseball glove, catch the ball in the glove’s pocket.

HOW TO THROW A FOOTBALL

To toss a football, grip it with the laces on top and some of your fingers touching the laces. Lift the ball above your shoulder and move it behind your head. Pull it forward as you take a step, flicking your wrist as you release the ball. Follow through in your throwing motion.

"How to Throw a Ball" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

There’s nothing like a bag of trail mix on a hiking or backpacking trip. Originally called GORP, for “Good Old Raisins and Peanuts,” this mix of dried fruit, nuts, chocolate and other dry ingredients can be a good energy source on the trail.

Almost any ingredients can go into a trail mix, but many people try to find a good balance between sweet and salty items. Here are 40 tasty trail mix ingredients that you might want to try. Mix and match them to create your own perfect trail snack.

NUTS, SEEDS AND LEGUMES

Loaded with protein and fiber, nuts and seeds also pack plenty of vitamins, minerals and other nutritional benefits. Some experts say that 50 percent of your trail mix should be made up of these ingredients, but be aware of allergies.

• Peanuts
• Cashews
• Pecans
• Almonds
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Sesame seeds
• Flax

DRIED FRUITS

Dried fruits don’t spoil as fast as fresh fruit and won’t moisten the other trail mix ingredients. In moderation, these sugary treats can be a great source of fiber, calcium and vitamins.

• Raisins
• Banana chips
• Dried cranberries
• Dried apricots
• Dried apples
• Candied orange peel
• Dried blueberries
• Coconut
• Dried cherries

CHOCOLATE AND SWEET STUFF

Add in your favorite sweet treat to round out the trail mix. Just be sure to use sparingly. Be careful in warmer climates, because chocolate can melt and make a big mess.

• Chocolate chips
• White chocolate chips
• M&Ms
• Reese’s Pieces
• Sweetened coconut
• Peanut butter chips
• Marshmallows

CEREALS AND GRAINS

These crunchy carbohydrates boost energy levels and leave you feeling full. Everyone loves the satisfying texture of these trail mix ingredients.

• Granola
• Chex cereals
• Popcorn
• Pretzels
• Unsweetened cereal, like Cheerios
• Sweetened cereal, like Fruit Loops
• Cheetos
• Wasabi peas

SPICES

Lightly sprinkle your trail mix with one or more of these spices for extra flavor. But be careful, a little goes a long way.

• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Curry powder
• Chili powder

What do you put in your trail mix? Tell us your secret ingredients in the comments!

"Try 40 Trail Mix Ingredients That Go Beyond GORP" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

With a simple combination of grape juice and baking soda, you can create your very own disappearing ink, perfect for crafting top-secret notes that can’t be seen by the naked eye. This fun and easy recipe allows you to write hidden messages that only reveal themselves when exposed to the right conditions.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• ¼ cup of water
• Grape juice concentrate
• Paintbrush or cotton swab
• Paper
• Two small bowls

HOW TO WRITE A SECRET MESSAGE WITH INVISIBLE INK

1. Mix the baking soda and water in a small bowl. This is your invisible ink.

2. Dip a finger, cotton swab or paintbrush into the “ink.”

3. Write your message on a piece of light-colored paper. You may want to write it in code using this build-it-yourself secret-code wheel.

4. Let it dry completely.

HOW TO REVEAL AND READ AN INVISIBLE INK MESSAGE

1. Lightly paint grape juice concentrate across the paper with a brush.

2. Your message will slowly appear as the juice saturates the paper.

WHY IT WORKS

Baking soda and water make an excellent invisible ink because when the solution is applied to paper, it dries clear and remains undetectable.

The magic happens when you brush the paper with grape juice. The acidity in the grape juice reacts with the alkaline baking soda, causing a chemical reaction that changes the color of the writing. This reaction reveals the hidden message, making the writing visible. It’s a simple yet effective method for creating secret messages using common household ingredients.

If you’re interested in secret messages and codes, check out the Cub Scout Code of the Wolf elective adventure or the Signs, Signals and Codes merit badge.

"How to Make Invisible Ink for Writing Top-Secret Messages" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Birdwatching can be a fun pastime. More than 800 species of birds migrate across or breed in North America. They range from the massive California condor with a wingspan of 9 feet to the tiny calliope hummingbird, which measures about 3 inches long. You’ll find some birds almost everywhere, while others live only in certain places.

It can be exciting to find a rare species. Studying habitats increases your odds for finding birds. Specific species have preferred food sources and hiding and nesting areas. Some birds make parks and backyards their homes, while others gravitate toward marshlands or mountains.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Binoculars: Look for a pair that is waterproof, is comfortable in your hand and has at least 8x magnification. You can borrow some until you’re ready to buy your own.

• Field guide: A bird guide will help you identify what you’re seeing. There’s information about specific birds, bird families, migration patterns and much more. You could also try a birding app to see which species have recently been spotted in your state. Some smartphone apps can help identify birds by their calls.

• A notebook and pencil to keep a log of all the species you find.

HEADING OUT TO GO BIRDWATCHING

1. Use your bird guide, smartphone app or an online resource to research birds you’d like to find in your area.

2. Start in your own backyard, or head to a nearby park with lots of trees and plenty of open space. When in parks or wildlife refuges, stay on the trails and observe from a distance so you don’t disturb nests. The best time to go is early in the morning or late in the afternoon when many species are most active.

3. Move slowly and quietly, listening carefully. Find a place to sit or stand that has a good view of everything around you. Look around for birds.

4. Once you spot a bird, study it. Find the most obvious detail about it. White wings? Yellow markings? Big crest? Write down what you observe, including the bird’s color, size, shape, sounds and habits. You can also take a photo or try drawing the birds for future reference. Those details will help you identify them. As you spend more time birding, you’ll be able to identify birds more quickly and easily.

5. Use your notebook or an app to keep a log of all the species you find.

6. You’re officially birdwatching, so you’re a birder. Keep at it! The more often you go out, the more you’ll discover.

WHY BIRDING?

Birdwatching can be a fun hobby that brings you closer to nature. In fact, birding is one of the country’s fastest-growing hobbies, with more than 65 million Americans actively involved.

Many of the most important scientific discoveries about birds were made by amateur birders. Get out there and make your own valuable contribution to science. You can also earn the Bird Study merit badge, by which you’ll identify at least 20 species of wild birds. Find a counselor to get started.

"How to Get Started Birdwatching" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Leatherworking is a fun and creative craft where people make things out of leather, like belts, wallets, and bags. There are different types of leather, each with its own special qualities that make it good for certain projects.

Here are five popular types of leathers, what makes them unique, and what kinds of things you can make with them. Understanding these leathers will help you choose the best one for your next project.

TYPES OF LEATHER

1. COWHIDE: Cowhide is the most common and versatile leather. It’s durable and easy to work with, and is used for items such as footwear, furniture, car upholstery, saddles, tack, pouches, handbags and belts.

2. PIGSKIN: Pigskin has a coarse-grain texture and is used for shoe linings, small leather goods and garments.

3. DEER SKIN: Deer skin is soft and stretchy. It is ideal for items such as moccasins, gloves and other clothing accessories.

4. KANGAROO: Kangaroo leather is stronger weight-for-weight than any other leather. It is used for soccer shoes and sports gloves.

5. REPTILE LEATHERS: Reptile leathers include snake, lizard, alligator and crocodile, and are used for boots, shoes, belts, wallets and handbags.

You can learn more about the different types of leather by earning the Leatherwork merit badge.

"Learn About 5 Types of Leather Used in Leatherworking" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Grab a pencil (NOT a pen!) and some paper, and let’s learn how to draw a realistic cat! You’ll start with simple shapes to outline the cat’s head and body. Then you’ll enhance your cat drawing by adding intricate details like the face, ears, whiskers, and tail.

Once you’ve finished, learn how to draw a bear, cartoon dogs, or an elephant.

STEP 1: To start drawing a cat, make a small circle for the cat’s head. Then add a larger circle below it and a larger one still below that for the cat’s body.

STEP 2: Join the circles together with a smooth, curving line to draw the cat’s neck and back on the right-hand side and another on the left for the cat’s neck.

STEP 3: Erase the overlapping lines inside the cat’s body. To draw the cat’s first front leg, add an oval overlapping its body and another smaller oval below that. Draw a smooth line around the ovals for the outline of the cat’s leg.

Step 4: Erase the overlapping lines in the cat’s leg and the line on its chest. Add the cat’s other front leg by drawing a line from the cat’s chest around the first leg. Now draw an oval overlapping the cat’s front leg and bottom for the back paw.

Step 5: Draw the cat’s face and ears, copying the shapes shown here as closely as possible. Erase any unnecessary lines so you are left with a complete cat shape.

Step 6: Draw long smooth lines coming from the nose for the cat’s whiskers. Add a curving tail and erase a small section of the outline where it joins the body. Add some wiggly fur lines on the chest and ears.

Get this cat drawing project and many more in “How to Draw Animals” by Michael Garton. (Michael O’Mara Books, $14.99 softcover. Ages 6 and up.)

"How to Draw a Cat" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

How often have you gone to a baseball game hoping to catch a ball that goes into the stands? It’s not as hard as it seems, says Zack Hample, author of “How to Snag Major League Baseballs.”

Hample has snagged more than 12,000 baseballs at different Major League stadiums across North America. Here are his top five tips for getting one:

1. Arrive early

Teams warm up one to two hours before the game, so be the first person in the gate. You’ll have fewer people to compete with for foul or home-run balls, and you’ll occasionally find balls already lying in the seats when you arrive.

2. Sit on the aisle

You’ll need to move around to increase your chances. “Don’t get trapped in the middle of a long row. You need to be able to jump up and move,” Hample says.

3. Play the percentages

Check out the rosters ahead of time, so you know how many right- and left-handed batters there will be. Most right-handed batters will hit foul balls to the first-base side; left-handed batters, to the third-base side. Pick a seat in the stadium accordingly.

4. Ask politely

When teams are warming up, they’ll often throw balls to their fans in the stands. “And players love to throw balls to kids,” Hample says.

5. Buy a hat for each team that’s playing

Players on the road love to spot their fans and will often reward them by throwing them a ball. Change your hat according to who’s in the field.

For more tips, check out Hample’s website at www.zackhample.com.

"5 Easy Tips to Help You Snag a Free Baseball at a Game" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Are you tired of being caught off guard when someone asks you for a joke? Do you want to have your favorite jokes on hand at all times? Look no further than these handy joke books that you can easily download, print and fold into pocket-sized fun.

With these books, you’ll never be without a good laugh again. Whether you’re at a party, waiting in line, or just in need of a quick pick-me-up, these joke books have got you covered. Keep them in your pocket or purse, and you’ll always Be Prepared to share a joke with friends, family, or even strangers. Plus, with a variety of themes and categories to choose from, there’s a joke book for everyone. So what are you waiting for? Download your favorite joke book today and get ready to laugh!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Printed joke book template (see below)

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT A JOKE BOOK TEMPLATE

Download one of these PDFs and print out template on 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

Pocket Joke Book

Pinewood Derby Joke Book

Valentine’s Day Joke Book

St. Patrick’s Day Joke Book

Star Wars Joke Book

Mother’s Day Joke Book

Father’s Day Joke Book

Halloween Joke Book

Holiday Joke Book

HOW TO MAKE YOUR POCKET-SIZED JOKE BOOK

Here’s how to fold, cut and glue your template to turn it into a pocket-sized joke book.

Step 1: With the printed side of the paper facing down, fold the top half of the paper down over the bottom half.

Step 2: Fold the paper in half horizontally again.

Step 3: Flip the paper over and fold it in half horizontally one more time.

Step 4: Unfold and open the paper.

Step 5: Fold the right half of the paper over the left half.

Step 6: Fold the paper in half vertically again.

Step 7: Flip the paper over and fold it in half vertically one more time.

Step 8: Unfold and open the paper.

Step 9: Make three horizontal cuts as shown in the diagram. Each cut should only extend 3/4 of the way across the paper.

Step 10: Orient the paper so the covers are at the top. Begin folding from the bottom left as shown in the diagram. Add a swipe of glue on the blank side between the folds indicated with the blue arrows.

"How to Fold Your Own Pocket-Sized Joke Books" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Learning Morse code can be a fun and rewarding experience. It may seem daunting at first, but with practice, anyone can learn to interpret and transmit messages with dots and dashes.

Use this helpful tool to translate between Morse code and text. To begin, please enter words or Morse in the Input box and press Translate.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR USING THE MORSE CODE TRANSLATOR

How to translate Morse to text:

• Enter Morse dashes or dots into the input box using period (.) and minus sign (-)
• Morse letters must be separated by 1 space
• Morse words must be separated by 3 or more spaces
• You can use / to separate Morse words. There must be at least 1 space before and after each separator used

How to translate text to Morse code:

• Enter text into input box
• Characters that cannot be translated into Morse will be ignored
• If both Morse and text is entered, the converter will assume Morse mode

The Morse Generator and Translator is based on code developed by Kurt Grigg.

WHAT IS MORSE?

Morse code is a method of communicating with a series of sounds or lights that can be understood only by someone who knows the code.

Each Morse symbol represents either a letter or number and is represented by a unique sequence of dots and dashes. The duration of a dash is three times the duration of a dot.

Samuel F.B. Morse invented a code that was used to send messages over electric telegraphs in the 1830s. The SOS distress signal — three dots, three dashes, three dots — proved to be a simple way to communicate in an emergency.

With the invention of the telephone (and, later, two-way radios and cellphones), Morse is nowadays used mostly just for fun by amateur radio operators. Certain amateur radio bands are still reserved for Morse code use.

Are you interested and codes and ciphers? Find out how to make a secret-code wheel or invisible ink on Scoutlife.org.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORSE CODE?

One of the best ways to start learning Morse is to use an online translator like the one on this page. These tools give you the chance to practice and test your abilities.

A chart like this one can also help you learn Morse code by visualizing the dots and dashes on the letters of the alphabet:

A great way to practice is by listening to Morse transmissions on the radio. Many amateur radio operators still use Morse, and you can tune in to their transmissions and try to interpret the messages. You can also join a amateur radio club or group to practice with other enthusiasts.

Learning Morse may seem like an outdated skill, but it can be a fun and rewarding hobby. It can also be useful in emergency situations when other forms of communication are unavailable. With a bit of practice and dedication, anyone can become proficient and enjoy the thrill of transmitting and receiving messages in this classic code.

"Learn Morse Code With This Morse Translator and Decoder" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

To master chess strategies and become a chess champ, it’ll take lots of learning and practice. Here are 10 chess tips to get you started.

LEARN THE CHESS MOVES

Each chess piece can move only a certain way. For instance, a pawn moves straight ahead but can only attack on an angle, one square at a time. A knight’s move is L-shaped. The bishop moves at an angle but can move more than one square at a time. The rook (castle) can move only in a straight line but can go forward, back or to the side. The queen, the most powerful piece, can move in any direction for any number of squares, but not two directions in one move. And the king moves at a stately pace — as a king should — one square at a time in any direction on the chess board.

OPEN WITH A PAWN

Move the pawn in front of either the king or queen two squares forward. (Only on its opening move can a pawn move two squares.) This opens pathways for your bishops and queen to enter the game. They move on an angle and can’t get out onto the field of battle if pawns are in the way.

GET THE KNIGHTS AND BISHOPS OUT

Before you move your queen, rooks or king, move your knights and bishops toward the center of the chess board. You want to get these pieces out from behind the pawns so they can attack.

WATCH YOUR BACK!

And front! When it’s your turn, always think to yourself, “What did my opponent’s last move do? What is he up to?” Is he laying traps to capture your pieces? Then decide on your own plan. Always look at all your possibilities. Look at moves that would capture your opponent’s men or threaten his king first. But always double-check your moves before you play them. Ask yourself, “Does my move leave something unprotected?”

DON’T WASTE TIME

Don’t make too many moves with your pawns or try to pick off your opponent’s pawns.

“CASTLE” EARLY

Castling is a move that allows you to move your king to safety and bring your rook into play. Once all the squares between your rook and the king are unoccupied you can move the king two squares toward the rook while the rook moves to the square on the the king’s other side. If your opponent neglects to castle, you might be able to launch an attack on his king. This is the only chess move in which more than one piece may be moved in a turn.

ATTACK IN THE “MIDDLEGAME”

After you’ve brought all your knights and bishops into the game and castled (these moves are your “opening”), the middlegame begins. In the middlegame, always be on the lookout for ways to capture your opponent’s men. Take any chess piece that your opponent doesn’t protect. But look at what will happen to your piece if you take his — will you get picked off? Always be looking for ways to move lots of your men into position to attack the enemy king.

LOSE PIECES WISELY. IT’S AN ESSENTIAL CHESS STRATEGY

You’ll take some of your opponent’s pieces. Some of your pieces will be taken. You must figure out what is and isn’t a good swap in chess. This is one of the most important chess strategies.

Use these points to figure out whether you’re making a good move if you’re going to lose one of them:

• Queen: 9 points
• Rook: 5 points
• Bishop: 3 points
• Knight: 3 points
• Pawn: 1 point

So is it a good idea to lose a bishop to save a pawn? No!

DON’T PLAY TOO FAST

If you see a good move, sit on your hands and look for a better one. Patient thinking is the key to chess success.

WIN THE ENDGAME

After you and your opponent swap pieces and you’re down to just a few men, the endgame begins. Now the pawns become more important. If you can advance a pawn to the farthest row away from you, that pawn becomes a queen. A big success! Let your king attack, too, as long as he stays out of reach of your opponent’s remaining pieces — especially the queen — and does not let himself to be checked.

Your king is said to be in check when your opponent threatens to use one of his pieces to capture the king on his next move. If your king is checked and you have no way to remove the threat — it can’t run away, you can’t capture the opposing piece that has him in check and you can’t block the check by moving one of your own pieces — the game is lost. Checkmate! If you checkmate your opponent before he checkmates you, then you win!

By using these chess strategies and tips, you’ll become a chess champ in no time!

"10 Tips to Become a Chess Champ" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

You can take your own fingerprints or the fingerprints of others by using a pencil, a sheet of paper and some clear adhesive tape.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO TAKE FINGERPRINTS

• Pencil
• Sheet of white paper
• 3/4-inch-wide clear adhesive tape

WHAT YOU’LL DO TO TAKE FINGERPRINTS

1. Draw a 2-by-1-inch rectangle on the paper with a pencil.

2. Blacken the rectangle with your pencil.

3. Rub your thumb (or the end of another finger) on the black rectangle to transfer the pencil’s graphite to your finger.

4. Apply a piece of the tape on your finger, covering the tip all the way down to the top joint.

5. Carefully peel off the tape and stick it to your paper. Next to the fingerprint, write down which hand and finger it came from.

"How to Easily Take Fingerprints With Household Items" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Relax around camp by building a comfortable camping chair. It’s easy if you have the pioneering skills.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A CAMP CHAIR

• Three spars about 4 inches in diameter, two 8 feet long and one 12 to 15 feet long
• Four sections of rope, one 30 feet long and three 3 to 4 feet long
• 6-by-8-foot (or slightly bigger) tarp, folded into an isosceles triangle
• Three heavy rocks slightly smaller than baseballs but larger than golf balls

WHAT YOU’LL DO TO MAKE A CAMP CHAIR

Step One: Determine which ends of each spar are the thickest, and designate those as the base of each spar. Lay the two shorter spars together on the ground, parallel to each other, with each base at the same end and even with each other.

Lay the long spar down in the opposite direction, with its base at the opposite end from the bases of the shorter spars, with only about two feet of overlap at the tops. Keep them all parallel.

Use the 30-foot rope to perform a tripod lashing around all three spars.

Step Two: Fold each rock into a corner of the triangle-shaped tarp and twist to create a pocket that will hold the rock. Then tie one of the three shorter ropes around the pocket holding the rock by wrapping a few times and tying off the end with two half hitches.

Be sure to leave 2 to 3 feet of rope available. Repeat for each corner.

Step Three: Attach the tarp to the tripod by wrapping the remaining rope around each spar once or twice and finishing with a taut-line hitch.

The longest spar should act as the back leg of the camp chair, so attach the rope at higher point on that spar to create the back of the chair.

Step Four: Relax comfortably in your camping chair.

"How to Use Lashings to Build a Comfortable Camp Chair" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Learn how to fold this classic paper fortune teller game and fill it with hidden messages for your friends. This fun origami is also sometimes called a cootie catcher.

If you enjoy this paper-folding project, try making an Origami X-Wing Fighter!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO FOLD A PAPER FORTUNE TELLER

• 8 ½-by-11-inch piece of construction paper cut into a square
• Markers

HOW TO CUT A PERFECT SQUARE

If you don’t have a square piece of paper, here’s an easy way to cut an 8 1/2-by-11-inch piece of paper into a square.

WHAT YOU’LL DO TO MAKE A PAPER FORTUNE TELLER

STEP 1: Crease a square piece of paper diagonally from each corner. Fold the top right corner to touch the bottom left corner. Crease the fold with your finger and then unfold it so your sheet is flat again. Then take the top left corner and fold it over to the bottom right corner.

STEP 2: Fold the paper in half from each side. Bring the top edge of the paper to the bottom edge and crease the fold.

Unfold the paper so it’s flat again and rotate it by 90 degrees. Fold the new top edge of the paper to the bottom to crease it and then flatten it out again. Your paper will have four lines intersecting in the middle.

STEP 3: Bring the corners to the center of the paper. Start with one of the bottom corners and fold it to the middle of the paper where the creases intersect.

Press down on the fold with a fingernail so it stays in place.

Turn your paper 90 degrees and fold the other bottom corner toward the center. Keep rotating and folding your paper until you’ve made a smaller square containing four triangles.

Flip the paper over and fold each corner to the center again.

STEP 4: Put numbers in ascending order on the triangles. Start with the No. 1 in the smaller top left triangle on the fortune teller. Write the numbers in ascending order clockwise around the triangles until you get to eight.

Then pick four colors to write on the front side of the fortune teller.

STEP 5: Write the fortunes underneath the flaps. Open up the triangles labeled 1 and 2, and write a short fortune underneath each number. Write small so it fits in the space. Repeat the process under the flap for each number so you have eight different fortunes in all. Close the flaps once you’ve written all the fortunes.

Fortunes you can write:

• “Something amazing is coming your way tomorrow.”
• “You will live a very long and happy life.”
• “Do a Good Turn today!”

STEP 6: Slide your fingers underneath the squares to operate the paper fortune teller. Ask a friend to choose a color and spell it out.

Then pick a number and count it out. As you do so, move your fingers with each letter and number called out.

Last, have them pick another number to reveal their fortune. Lift the flap for the number they picked. Read your friend’s fortune out loud.

"How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Here are the steps to perform the 4 Thieves Card Trick or watch the video to see the magic in action.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO DO THE MAGIC TRICK

• Complete deck of playing cards
• Flat surface
• A friend

WHAT THEY SEE AND WHAT YOU SAY DURING THE TRICK

STEP 1: Begin with four jacks in your hand, showing the audience the cards.

What you say: “These four jacks are master thieves. The deck is a famous museum.”

STEP 2: Place the jacks face down on top of the deck.

What You Say: “The thieves helicopter onto the museum’s roof.”

STEP 3: Drawing from the top, insert one card into the deck near the bottom, one near the middle and one near the top.

What You Say: “The first thief goes to the first floor for paintings. The second thief goes to the second floor for sculptures, and the third thief goes to the third floor for historical artifacts.”

STEP 4: Flip the final card, revealing the final jack.

What You Say: “The last thief stays on the roof as a lookout.”

STEP 5: Use that jack to tap the top of the deck and “summon” the rest of the jacks.

What You Say: Suddenly, the fourth thief hears the approach of sirens. He calls his fellow thieves back up to the roof.

STEP 6: When you turn over the next three cards, you’ll see the jacks have magically jumped to the top.

What You Say: They get away just in time.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS DURING THE 4 THIEVES CARD TRICK

The trick actually requires seven cards: the four jacks and three random cards. Before your audience is watching, fan out the four jacks in your hand. Behind those cards, hidden from the audience, are the three random cards. You’ll place all seven cards face down on the top of the deck.

When you tell the audience the jacks are going into the deck, you’re actually inserting the random cards, leaving the jacks at the top of the deck the entire time. Voila!

Now you know the 4 Thieves Card Trick.

"How to Do the 4 Thieves Card Trick" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

HOW TO DRAW A BASIC BEAR IN 5 STEPS

Here’s a step-by-step guide for drawing a basic bear.

1. Start by lightly sketching the rough form of a grizzly bear on toned paper. Notice how the head and neck flows right into the body. The shoulders and legs can be added next.

2. Using your rough sketch as a guide, start to add the details such as facial features and fur textures.

3. Finish out the detail. Be sure to make your bear nice and shaggy.

4. Now you’re ready to add some color. Start with the base color of the bear.

5. Finish it all off by adding some deeper shadows and highlights. This stage really enhances the fur texture and gets your bear to “pop” right off the page!

HOW TO DRAW A BEAR HEAD

When drawing the head of a bear, start with drawing a sphere. Then attach a simplified snout to it.

Keeping the approach simple like this will enable you to draw a bear’s head from any angle.

HOW TO DRAW FUR ON YOUR BEAR DRAWING

Creating the illusion of fur is really about knowing where to add some scruffiness rather than drawing thousands of individual hairs all over your drawing.

The drawing on the right consists of only smooth lines. By adding a few scruffy spots in select areas, you can make your bear look furry. Look for areas where the line direction changes. At these areas, add some scruff. Also, on a grizzly, the underside of the bear tends to be scruffier than the top.

HOW TO DRAW A STANDING BEAR

1. Start simply. Draw a circle for the head and a “wire frame” for the body. Be sure to find the “flow” of the pose.

2. Now start to rough in the body by drawing the major masses: head, trunk and hind legs.

3. Using your rough drawing as a guide, start to loosely sketch the rest of the anatomy.

4. Lightly erase your drawing at this point. Then start to draw in the details and fur texture. Notice the fur is broken up into clumps.

5. Now add some color. Start with the base color of your bear. Be sure to leave the snout light.

6. The final step is adding shadows, highlights and fur texture. Toned paper lets you add highlights with a light-colored pencil, pen or pastel. You can also erase to create light areas. Shadows can be added with dark pencil or charcoal.

HOW TO DRAW A WALKING BEAR

Now that you can draw a bear, here’s how to put it into motion.

HOW TO DRAW A RUNNING BEAR CUB

In four-legged locomotion, the faster an animal moves, the fewer feet it will have on the ground at any given time. Notice in the walk above that three feet are almost always on the ground, while in the run shown here, there are never more than two feet on the ground at any given time.

"Learn How to Draw a Bear From a Pro" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Command an army. Sharpen your mind. Outwit your opponent. Have fun. You’ll get all this and more with chess, a game of strategy that has been challenging the world’s greatest thinkers for 15 centuries.

Playing the game can be tough. That’s why we asked 23-year-old chess grandmaster and Eagle Scout Kayden Troff for his nine tips to become a better player.

1. WORK HARD

Chess is a game of skill. That means it requires lots of hard work. Schedule times for practice, reading and studying.

2. HAVE FUN

Because chess is so demanding to play, it’s easy to forget to simply have fun while sitting at the board. Smile, laugh and enjoy the thrill of competition.

3. FIND YOUR STYLE

You might feel more comfortable defending your pieces, or maybe you have a knack for attacking. Either way, identify your style so you can steer the game in that direction. Plus, identifying your strengths will help you improve your weaknesses.

4. DON’T GIVE UP

Kayden says there have been plenty of times he was able to draw or win games others thought he should have lost. That’s because he doesn’t let errors get him down. If you make a mistake, it’s easy to give up or mentally check out. Don’t!

Chances are, if you keep playing and stay positive, you’ll see things aren’t as bad as you thought.

5. PLAY OFTEN

Whether it’s with family, friends or on your smartphone, find a way to play daily. There are plenty of great resources for anyone interested in playing chess, from newbie to expert.

6. CONTROL THE CENTER

The four squares in the center of the board are ideal to have in your control. That’s the gateway to the rest of the board, allowing you to move your pieces wherever you want. Just be careful about leaving your king in the middle of the board too long; it exposes that all-important piece to attacks.

7. DEVELOP YOUR PIECES

Some people get caught up pushing pawns or focusing on one specific piece. Use the full arsenal of each of your pieces. They’re there for a reason. Move them off their first position and get them in the fight!

8. WATCH YOUR QUEEN EARLY

Your queen is the strongest piece. Sometimes players get too eager to move it out and start attacking. Instead, allow your opponent to develop his pieces before moving your queen into the mix.

9. CALCULATE IT

Calculating is the term for looking four or five or more moves ahead of what’s currently on the board. It’s a skill that needs to be developed over time, but one that separates good players from great ones.

Kayden Troff first appeared in the pages of this magazine in 2010. Back then, he made headlines for being rated the No. 1 chess player in the world age 12 or younger. In 2012, he was World U14 Chess Champion. At age 16, he became a grandmaster, the highest title a chess player can attain. To earn the title, Kayden dedicated years to practicing, studying and practically living all things chess, but he credits Scouting for much of his success.

“Scouting taught me how to focus, work hard, become more self-reliant,” he says. “And those are skills vital to success in chess.

"Improve Your Chess Skills With These 9 Expert Tips" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

More food ends up in landfills than plastic or paper. In fact, 30% to 40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted, equaling more than 20 pounds of food per person per month.

Perfectly good food scraps get tossed in the trash when they can be used to help make another meal. Here are a few ideas for how to do it.

MUSHROOM STEMS

When you prepare mushrooms, don’t discard the stems. Save them to add to burgers. They’ll add flavor as well as a boost of vitamin D.

1. Chop mushroom stems into small pieces.

2. Mix with hamburger meat.

3. Add some Worcestershire and soy sauce to the mix.

4. Form into patties and grill.

STALE BREAD

Instead of buying cans of bread crumbs, use a slightly stale loaf of bread to make your own.

1. Cut stale bread into 1-inch cubes.

2. Mix cubes in a food processor or blender.

3. Store crumbs in an airtight container until you’re ready to use them to bread chicken cutlets or pork chops.

4. Dip the meat in flour, then a bowl of beaten eggs and then the bread crumbs.

5. With cooking oil in a pan, fry the breaded meat until each side is golden brown.

FRUIT PEELS

Make a sweet treat from citrus fruit peelings.

1. Wash several lemons or oranges and slice off the ends.

2. Remove the peels and slice lengthwise in about ¼-inch strips.

3. Place the strips in boiling water for 10 minutes, and then remove with a slotted spoon.

4. Let the strips dry for 15 minutes on paper towels.

5. Bring 1 cup of water and ½ cup of sugar to a boil.

6. Place citrus strips in the boiling mixture for 20 minutes.

7. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels for 15 minutes.

8. Toss the warm citrus strips in granulated sugar and place on aluminum foil to cool for several hours.

CARROT TOPS

There’s plenty of flavor and nutrition in those greens.

1. Wash and dry carrot top greens.

2. Mix in a blender with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Toss with cooked carrots or any other cooked or grilled vegetable.

BROCCOLI LEAVES

Throwing away broccoli leaves means throwing away good-for-you food. Make them into a crunchy snack.

1. Strip broccoli leaves from stalks and wash and dry.

2. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes until the leaves are stiff.

3. Sprinkle with salt or red pepper flakes for a flavor kick.

"Combat Food Waste with These 5 Easy Recipes" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

S’mores are awesome, and we know there really isn’t a reason to mess with this classic camping dessert. But if you are feeling adventurous and want something new, here are 11 tasty alternative S’mores recipes that you should try.

Got another S’mores variation? Tell us about it in the comments.

THE CLASSIC S’MORE

Toasted marshmallow and a square of Hershey’s chocolate between two graham crackers. It’s a time-tested favorite.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE S’MORE

Replace the graham crackers with two chocolate chip cookies. The toasted marshmallows slightly warm up the cookies for that “just baked” taste.

MINTY FRESH S’MORE

Use a York Peppermint Patty or Andes chocolate on your S’more for a refreshing treat.

PEANUT BUTTER S’MORE

Many Scouts claim that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups make for a superior S’more. For an even richer taste, spread peanut butter on the graham crackers before assembly.

BREAKFAST S’MORE

Place melted chocolate and a toasted marshmallow between two freshly cooked pancakes to start your day. Add some crumbled bacon for a complete breakfast.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE S’MORE

Slather strawberry jam between two halves of a freshly cooked biscuit and add a toasted marshmallow. It’s great on its own, but it’s even better with a little bit of chocolate.

HAWAIIAN S’MORE

Substitute a Mounds or Almond Joy for the traditional chocolate for a coconutty taste of the islands.

RITZY S’MORE

Try a Ritz cracker or Saltine instead of graham crackers for a sweet and salty flavor profile.

OREO COOKIE S’MOREOS

Twist apart an Oreo cookie and lick off the cream filling. Replace it with a toasted marshmallow for an easy and delicious S’more.

NUTELLA S’MORE

Mmmm, Nutella. It improves the taste of everything, including S’mores.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE S’MORE

Add a wedge or two of clementine orange to add a little tanginess. It’s especially good with a darker chocolate.

Share Your Recipes in the Comments!

There is no end to the possible variations to the classic s’more. What have you tried? Share your favorite s’more recipes in the comments.

"11 Tasty S’mores Recipes" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

To properly throw a tomahawk, stand several paces from your target. Grab the tomahawk at the bottom of the handle like you’re shaking someone’s hand.

Face your target. When you throw, bring the tomahawk straight back and straight forward to release. No fancy wind-ups. Your grip should be loose so the ax glides out of your hand. You don’t need to put a lot of muscle into your throw.

If the tomahawk isn’t sticking into the target, adjust your distance by taking a step forward or back.

THROW SAFELY

For throwing tomahawks, certain guidelines must be followed to be S.A.F.E.

S – Supervision: Qualified adult instructors must guide Scouts on how to handle and safely throw the tomahawks.

A – Assessment: Cub Scouts should not throw tomahawks. This activity is for Scouts BSA members and other older Scouts.

F – Fitness and Skills: Can you easily pick up the tomahawks? Are the throwing lines safely measured and clearly marked? Evaluate that every Scout has the maturity and physical ability to throw a tomahawk.

E – Equipment and Environment: Make sure the throwing range is safe with buffers all around and targets, like soft wood or hay bales. Tomahawks should be sharp enough to stick into the targets and not bounce. Handles should be in good shape and not splintered.

"How to Throw a Tomahawk and Hit a Target" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

The tripod is the most simple freestanding pioneering structure. It is most often used to raise items off the ground. A well-built tripod can safely suspend a pot over a cooking fire.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A TRIPOD

• 3 hiking staffs (Item No. 1443 at scoutshop.org) for tripod legs
• 10-foot lashing rope (or 20 feet of binder twine folded in half) for tripod lashing
• Cooking pot with a bail handle
• 5 feet of cord to suspend the pot over the fire from the top of the tripod

WHAT YOU’LL DO TO BUILD A TRIPOD

1. Lay the three poles alongside each other, making sure the butt ends are lined up evenly, and tie a clove hitch to one of the outside poles.

2. Wrap the short end of the rope around the long part several times to lock the clove hitch in place. Then wrap the long end of the rope around the poles six to eight times, laying the turns of rope neatly alongside one another.

3. Make two tight fraps (turns around the wrap to pull it tighter) on either side of the center pole.

4. End with a clove hitch around an outside pole.

5. Spread the posts of the tripod into position, crossing the outside poles under the middle pole. See how in this video:

6. Using Leave No Trace principles, build a small cooking fire between the tripod legs. Keep the fire centered a safe distance from the legs.

7. Hang the pot over the fire by tying a bowline in the cord, forming a fixed loop large enough to fit easily over one of the tripod legs. Pass the other end of the cord through the pot’s bail handle and tie a taut-line hitch to suspend the pot over the fire at the desired height.

Find out how to tie all the knots featured here at go.scoutlife.org/knots.

"How to Build a Cooking Tripod" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

1. Make sure your tires are inflated at the correct pressure. Underinflated tires can result in cuts and damage.

2. Make sure the chain is clean and lubricated with a bike-specific lubricant. Less is best when it comes to lubricating. Wipe away any excess.

3. Check tires for cracks and cuts. Replace tires that are suspect in any way.

4. Make sure your brake pads are adjusted correctly and not too worn. If there is less than 1⁄8-inch of rubber outside the base, then the pads need to be replaced.

5. Whether you have side-pull brakes (shown here) or any other kind, make sure the cables are taut and not frayed. If you have any doubt about your brake cables, have them inspected by an expert. These things are important.

"5 Things to Check Before Every Bike Ride" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

You’re never too old to color. So grab some crayons, markers or colored pencils and download our fun Scout Life coloring book.

When you’re done, don’t forget to send us a photo of your creation!

DOWNLOAD THE FULL 22-PAGE COLORING BOOK

Click image to download full PDF

DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL COLORING PAGES

Just want one page? Click on any of the following images to download an individual printable PDF.

PHOTOS OF COMPLETED COLORING PAGES

Important Note: Please only upload photos of your drawing. Because of privacy rules, we can’t post any photos that show people’s faces. Always ask for your parent’s permission before uploading anything to a website.

"Download a Scout Life Coloring Book" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Give dad a cup full of love and warmth by customizing a coffee mug for him.

Here’s how to do it:

• Buy a solid-color ceramic coffee mug. Get Dad’s favorite color to make it more special.
• Get his favorite coffee, hot chocolate or tea to put inside.
• Have an adult help you clean the mug with rubbing alcohol.
• Decorate the mug by using craft paint such as acrylic or enamels, or use paint pens.
• Let it sit for 24 hours to dry.
• Have an adult help you put the mug on a cooking sheet and place it in the oven. Check the back of the paint bottle for temperature and time directions.
• Let the mug cool for an hour before gift wrapping.

Find more fun Father’s Day ideas at scoutlife.org/tag/fathers-day/.

"How to Customize a Coffee Mug for Father’s Day" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Play chess anywhere with this downloadable paper chess set. Just print out the template, cut out the pieces and start playing!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11-inch cardstock paper (any paper will do, but thicker paper works best. You can also cut out a cereal box or FedEx envelope to the right size)
• Click here to download the paper chess template
• Printer
• Scissors

Download 884 KB PDF

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. Print out the paper chess template in color or black-and-white. Use normal settings with the smallest possible margins for best results.

2. Use scissors to cut out the pieces by following the dotted lines.

3. Assemble each piece with stands.

4. Play a game of chess! Visit go.scoutlife.org/chess for tips, or check out the Chess merit badge.

Paper chess template and instructions courtesy of Matt Murray and Chess and Co.

"Download a Printable Paper Chess Set That You Can Make at Home" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Highlight your favorite moments together by making mom a photo album for Mother’s Day.

Here are a few tips on how to make one out of construction or cardboard paper:

• Gather or print some favorite photos. The number of photos is up to you.
• Use a handheld hole puncher to punch three holes into the side of each piece of paper (number of pages varies depending on how many pictures you use).
• Bring the sheets together by using three pieces of string or ribbon or three book rings.
• Print out and glue the photos into the book and write special notes on the pages.
• Decorate the pages and cover by using markers, stickers and glitter.

You can also buy a photo album and place pictures and decorations inside, or make one online with an adult’s help at sites like shutterfly.com and collage.com.

"How to Make a Homemade Photo Album for Mother’s Day" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

The monarch butterfly population is in decline. To help out these beautiful creatures that pollinate wildflowers, you can build this protective habitat. It provides access to sunlight and keeps out predators, giving monarchs a safe place to grow before being released into the world.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A MONARCH BUTTERFLY HABITAT

• Common milkweed plants
• Tomato cage or a small section of wire fencing
• A few yards of tulle fabric — this fine netting lets in light and water but keeps out hungry critters
• Scissors
• Twist ties or clamps to secure the tulle

WHAT YOU’LL DO TO MAKE A MONARCH BUTTERFLY HABITAT

STEP 1. BUY AND PLANT MILKWEED SEEDS OR A PLANT. You can buy the seeds and plant in stores, or you can find outlets online. If you choose to go with seeds, it will take about six weeks for the plants to grow mature enough to host monarchs.

Make sure to position the milkweed’s garden plot in an area where it will get plenty of sunlight.

STEP 2. AFTER SIX WEEKS OR SO, INSPECT YOUR MILKWEED PLANTS FOR SIGNS OF MONARCH ACTIVITY (time may vary depending on where you live). They often lay eggs under the first few sets of leaves toward the top of the plant.

The plants you choose to cover and protect should be large, healthy and already home to monarch eggs or tiny monarch caterpillars. You’ll want to leave some milkweed plants uncovered so passing monarchs can use them to fuel up on nectar.

STEP 3. PREPARE THE PROTECTED PLANT. Pick off competing insects and their eggs so only monarch eggs and caterpillars remain. Look under every leaf along the main stem and on the ground around the plant for non-monarch insects.

STEP 4. SURROUND YOUR PLANT WITH THE TOMATO CAGE OR FENCING. Push the cage legs deep into the ground. If you’re using fencing, bury the bottom section so it stays put.

STEP 5. WRAP A LAYER OF TULLE AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR CAGE, securing it with twist ties or clamps as you go. Cover both the bottom and top perimeters completely with tulle so nothing can get in or out.

STEP 6. CREATE A SMALL DOOR THAT YOU CAN OPEN when it’s time to access your protected plant and release adult monarchs. To do this, clamp some extra tulle at the end that you can pull open like a tent flap.

STEP 7. GOING FROM EGG TO ADULT TAKES ABOUT A MONTH. Check daily for progress and adult monarchs ready for release. You’ll know they’re ready when you see them flapping their bright orange wings trying to get out.

WATCH A TIMELAPSE OF A CATERPILLAR TURNING INTO A BUTTERFLY

We raised Painted Lady butterflies in the BL office. Watch a timelapse:

"How to Make a Monarch Butterfly Habitat" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

1. The sweetest story about a dog who left her first family to serve a great purpose (it’s not what you’d expect):

2. This painfully cute video of a baby otter yawning:

3. This ridiculous dancing hotdog:

4. The most hilarious episode of Tales From the Campfire:

5. These dogs taking you on a virtual sled ride:

6. This knot that symbolizes worldwide friendships:

7. The cutest Scouts demonstrating the coolest way to pass time while washing your hands:

8. These seriously epic Hot Wheels trick shots:

9. A Dude Perfect Nerf battle:

10. This firefighter sharing how everything we do makes a difference:

"10 Videos Guaranteed to Make You Smile" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Bored? Stuck at home? Even if you can’t go outside, you can still have fun. Here are some easy games, activities and projects that you can do indoors.

When you finish your project, make sure to send us a photo.

How to Make Invisible Ink for Writing Top-Secret Messages

Create your own top-secret invisible messages with this simple technique.

How to Fold Your Own Pocket-Sized Joke Books

Never be without your favorite jokes again. Download, print and fold these fun pocket-sized joke books to take with you.

How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller

Learn how to fold this classic paper game and fill it with hidden messages.

How to Make an Origami X-Wing Fighter

Use these instructions to fold your very own Star Wars X-Wing ship.

Download a Scout Life Coloring Book

You're never too old to color, so grab some crayons or colored pencils and download our fun coloring book.

How to Make a Homemade Snow Globe

Shake up your winter routine with this easy-to-make snow globe keepsake.

How to Make a Duct-Tape Wallet

Use duct tape to make a handy wallet that will last for years.

How to Make an Animated Flip Book

Learn how to make a flipbook animation and easily bind it into your own animated picture book.

Six Projects to Make With Recycled Plastic Bottles and Jugs

Recycle empty plastic bottles and jugs and turn them into fun and useful projects.

How to Make Slime With Glue and Borax

Simple slime is made of glue and borax. Here's how to make your own batch of stretchy slime.

How to Make Homemade Dog Treats

Here's how to make some yummy, homemade treats that your dog will love.

How to Grow Your Own Crystals

It might seem like magic, but all you're doing is collecting salt crystals from evaporated salt water. (It's still cool!)

Make a Twig Picture frame

You can build this picture frame with materials found around the house or yard.

Make a Pencil Holder From Household Materials

Store pencils, markers and brushes in this handy DIY pencil holder.

How to Make a Classic Diamond-Shaped Kite

A diamond-shaped kite is easy to fly and will fly even in low wind speeds. Here's how to make one with newspaper.

How to Make Twig Pencils

Twig pencils are fun, easy and cheap to make. And the expressions on your friends’ faces when you start scribbling with a stick will be writetious!

6 Weird Science Experiments

Have fun with the wacky world of science. Try these simple experiments.

How to Draw Cartoon Dogs

A professional illustrator shows how to make your penciled puppies come to life.

Make a Water Drop Microscope

With just a few common items from around the house, you can make a simple microscope that's straight out of history.

Conduct 7 Sweet Candy Experiments

Candy isn't just a sugary treat. You can learn something by using it in some fun science experiments.

How to Make a Balloon-Powered Hovercraft

Make a fun flying vehicle with stuff found around your house.

Amazing Science Tricks with Common Household Items

You can demonstrate cool scientific laws using common objects around the house.

How to Build a Lemon-Powered Clock

Power a digital clock by making a battery out of lemons.

Make a Paracord Watchband or Bracelet

A paracord watchband makes a great gift or can be used as a survival tool. Unraveled, it provides about 10 feet of handy paracord for fixing tent lines or tying together broken gear.

Reuse a 2-Liter Plastic Bottle to Grow Plants Indoors

You don’t have to wait for the right season to plant your flower and vegetable seeds. Grow plants indoors any time of year with this easy project.

Important Note: Please only upload photos of your project. Because of privacy rules, we can’t post any photos that show people’s faces. Always ask for your parent’s permission before uploading anything to a website.

"Stuck Inside? 25 Fun Projects to Do at Home" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

The heart knot is easy to tie, and you can use it to make a necklace, bracelet or keychain. It makes a great gift for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or birthdays.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A HEART KNOT

• 3 feet of rope, paracord or leather lacing
• Tape measure
• Tape
• Scissors

WHAT YOU’LL DO TO TIE A HEART KNOT

1. Tape the left end down. Work only with the right end.

2. Measure in 1 foot from the left end and make this loop.

3. Go under and then up and out of the loop, leaving extra on the bottom to form loop No. 1.

4. Go up over loop No. 2, and then back down, leaving small loop No. 3 on top. Keep going down under big loop No. 2, then down on top of loop No. 1.

5. Go up and under loop No. 1. Thread over, and then under center loop No. 2, and then over top loop No. 3.

6. Untape the left end. Pull on both ends, and then work inside the heart with your fingers to tighten it. Form the heart little by little. Pinch the bottom into a V.

7. Hold the two ends, make a loop and pull them through the loop to knot. Trim off excess.

COMPLETED HEART KNOT

"How to Tie a Heart Knot for Mother’s Day" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

You can make a BIG difference in the world, no matter your age!

And while there are definitely service projects that await you in Scouts BSA, if you’re a Cub Scout or just a kid in elementary school who really wants to do great work for the community, we’ve got your back.

That’s why we put together this list of 15 service project ideas for kids like you!

Make sure to talk to your parents about how to safely accomplish these projects.

Here’s How Kids Like You Can Help Change the World

1. Pick up litter at a park. This is twice as cool if it’s a park you already enjoy. That way, you can give back to a place that gives you so much!
2. Put together a book drive for a local children’s shelter. Help kids like you have access to books you love.
3. Write thank you notes to local fire and police stations. You can thank them for keeping your city safe!
4. Plant trees or wildflowers. For this one, make sure you work with an adult to get your town’s OK to plant anything on public grounds.
5. Perform magic tricks at a retirement center. You can show off sleight of hand like this surefire card trick.
6. Collect old eyeglasses and donate them to an organization that recycles them. You can help make sure people who really need glasses can afford them.
7. Write letters to servicemen and women thanking them for their service. You’ll brighten their days and show your gratitude.
8. Collect nonperishable food items. You can participate in a drive like Scouting for Food.
9. Collect items like old towels, blankets and unopened pet food to donate to animal shelters. The kitties and pups will thank you!
10. Collect items for a time capsule. You can work with an adult or older Scout to make one.
11. Write greeting cards for a local nursing home. You can even write birthday cards and ask someone who works at the nursing home to distribute the cards on the seniors’ birthdays.
12. Spend time with seniors at a nursing home. Instead of performing for the residents, you can sit and talk with them. They have lots of great stories, and you can share your own stories, too!
13. Develop and maintain a recycling program at school. This is a great way to be a leader at school, meet new teachers and make new friends who can help you.
14. Donate clothing and toys to the needy. A lot of shelters for people in need rely on year-round donations. Work with an adult to find the right place to share the things you’ve hardly used and no longer need.
15. Write holiday cards, birthday cards, and notes for assisted living facilities, children’s hospital wards or Meals on Wheels. Some people don’t hear from anyone on holidays. You can change that. Think critically and consider holidays you don’t always think about. For instance, you can send Passover cards to a Jewish assisted-living facility. Or you can send a thank you card to a veteran who receives Meal on Wheels on Veterans’ Day.

Inspired to Volunteer?

Your next step is to talk with your parents or pack leader about what project you want to tackle!

What other great community service projects have you participated in? Is there one you haven’t done yet but would like to? Share in the comments below!

"15 Community Service Projects Perfect for Kids and Cub Scouts" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

STEP 1

Before telling your friends that you’re going to perform a little magic for them, make sure you know which card is on the bottom of the deck. This is your key card.

STEP 2

Fan out the cards and ask a friend to pick a card, any card. Tell them not to show it to you, just to memorize which card it is.

STEP 3

Put down the deck and cut the cards so that the top half is bigger. Tell your friend to put their card back in the deck. Indicate they should place it on top of the larger pile while you pick up the smaller bottom half of the deck.

STEP 4

After your friend has put their card on top of the stack of cards, place the bottom half of the deck on top of it. Now the card that was originally on the bottom of the deck — your key card — is directly on top of their card.

STEP 5

Tell your friend to concentrate on their card while watching you turn over cards from the deck, one at a time, face up. Tell them not to let on if they see their card.

STEP 6

As you turn over one card after another, keep an eye out for your key card. When you see it, you’ll know the very next card will be your friend’s card. You could end the trick by revealing it as you turn it over — or you can take it to the next level …

STEP 7

After you turn over your friend’s card, turn over two or three more cards.

STEP 8

Announce that the next card you turn over will be your friend’s card. They’ll think you blew the trick, because you already passed their card.

STEP 9

Vogt says this is where it gets really fun. Reach your hand out as if you’re going to turn over the next card in the deck, then bypass the deck and pick your friend’s card out of the pile.

"How to Do the Surefire Card Trick" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Tear a piece out of a dollar bill and then miraculously restore the bill to its original condition.

STEP 1

Ask someone if you can borrow a dollar bill. You can also perform this trick with your own bill, but the stakes will be higher if you use someone else’s.

STEP 2

Fold the bill in half, with the president’s face on the inside.

STEP 3

Make a tear that’s about an inch long in the bill, starting from the fold and running along the bottom of the dark green border on the back of the bill. The placement is important because it helps camouflage the tear at the end of the trick. Don’t hide what you’re doing. This is the “convincing” part of the trick, so you want to make sure the spectators can see that you really are tearing the bill.

STEP 4

This time, you don’t want anyone to see what you’re doing. With moves like this — in magic, they’re called “sleight of hand” — practice is the key to success.

• Hold the bill with the folded edge at the top in your left hand, with your thumb facing you. Then reach over with your right hand as if you’re grabbing the piece that has been torn.

• Grab the bill at the base of the tear so you can use your right thumb to push the torn piece down so that it lies flat against the back of the bill.

• Shift your left thumb so it’s now holding the piece down.

• With your right hand, pinch the edge of the bill and pull away quickly as if you’re tearing the piece completely off. You don’t want to tear it, though; you just want to create a tearing sound.

• Make a fist, as if you’re clutching the torn-off piece of the dollar bill in your hand.

STEP 5

The spectators now think you have a piece of the dollar bill in your right hand, so you’ll need to use sleight of hand to make them think you’re getting rid of it.

You can pretend to put in your pocket or act like you’re putting it in your mouth and chewing it.

STEP 6

Now it’s time to restore the bill. You should still be holding the bill in your left hand with the fold at the top. Use your right hand to grab the side of the bill facing the spectators along the open edge, which should be at the bottom.

Grab the open edge of the side facing you with your left hand. Rotate the bill so the fold is now on the left side. As you do this, snap the bill open.

It will now look like the torn piece has been magically restored. If you pretended to put the torn piece in your mouth, pretend you’re spitting it back in place at the same moment you snap the bill open.

STEP 7

To keep the tear hidden while you’re showing the “restored” bill to your audience, maintain constant tension. To do this, simply pull the edges in opposite directions, as if you were trying to stretch the bill out from side to side. You can turn the bill around while you do this, to show both sides of the bill to your spectators.

STEP 8

The spectators will now think the trick is over, but you have one last important thing to do: Either put the bill in your pocket or return it without the tear being seen. Without drawing attention to the bill, fold it up and put it away or give it back to them. If you take your time returning the bill, the spectator will be less likely to want to examine it when you hand it back.

Blake Vogt is a professional magician who performed before millions on live TV on America’s Got Talent. His jaw-dropping tricks and ability to make people laugh took him all the way to season 11’s semifinals. Vogt creates his own tricks and illusions. Now this master magician shares with BL the secrets to a few of his favorites.

"Learn How to Do the ‘Torn and Restored Dollar Bill’ Magic Trick" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Clint Parry gets paid to play with Lego bricks. As the master model builder for Legoland Discovery Center Michigan, Parry works in an office filled with 250,000 Lego bricks sorted by size and color.

He does most of his building in front of a crowd. When Parry created a Lego version of the city of Detroit, thousands of Legoland visitors each day eyed his every move.

Parry, an Eagle Scout, says he regularly draws on skills he learned in Scouting. He points to merit badges such as Sculpture, Model Design and Building, and Engineering.

“Any badge that gets you thinking about how objects look or work in three-dimensional space can be helpful,” he says. “When I build a Lego trestle bridge or tower for a crane, it takes me back to summer camp and Pioneering merit badge.”

Here are Parry’s top tips for building better Lego creations.

1. FOCUS ON COLOR

If you’re building a car or spaceship or animal, using the right colors makes your design look more professional.

“But remember, work with what you have and get creative,” Parry says. “Don’t let a limited number of pieces hold you back.”

Remember, too, that the outer layer is all people will see. Let’s say you’re building a polar bear but don’t have a giant bin of white bricks. Make the inside any color you want and cover only the outside in white.

2. LOOK TO THE REAL WORLD

Ready to take your creations to the next level? Parry recommends looking for objects to recreate.

“Build small, real-world objects at life size, like a cellphone or videogame controller,” Parry says. “I like to prank my coworkers by leaving a fake Lego stapler out on the desk for them to try to use when they aren’t paying attention!”

3. TRY OUT CURVES

To be a master builder, Parry says you’ll need to master making curves. That’s not easy, because Lego bricks are mostly squares and rectangles.

“An easy way to do this is with graph paper and something round, like a bowl,” Parry says. “Trace a circle onto the grid and then follow the pattern you’ve made.”

4. IGNORE THE INSTRUCTIONS (SOMETIMES)

Don’t always stick to the instructions. The sets Lego designs are amazing, but what you have in your mind could be so much cooler.

Parry remembers his favorite Lego set growing up: a short-lived series called “Time Cruisers,” where Lego mashed up astronauts, pirates, Vikings and other sets.

Parry describes it as The Lego Movie — only two decades before Emmet, Lucy and Batman hit the big screen. He remembers mashing up different sets to create new stories, ships and adventures.

5. THINK ABOUT DETAILS

The more unusual pieces in Lego sets can be repurposed for other things. If you look closely, Minifigure binoculars make great air horns on the top of a dump truck.

“What I paid the most attention to in The Lego Movie is the way that they use Lego pieces,” Parry says.

Parry says a master builder is more than just a good builder. He or she is an artist, too, looking for inspiration everywhere.

“I’ll just be sitting in the car driving along, and I see the way a trim line on a car looks and be like, ‘I’ve got a Lego piece in my head that would re-create it beautifully,’” he says.

This goes in the other direction, too. “Sometimes I look at a Lego piece, and I’ll be like, ‘This looks like the fin off of a dolphin’ or ‘This looks like the eyebrow ridge off of a Klingon from Star Trek!’”

6. KEEP THINGS ORGANIZED

“When I have a lot of something, like my most standard bricks, I have it sorted so that each bin is its own color and piece,” Parry says. “For example: 1-by-1 white, 2-by-2 red, 2-by-8 blue.”

For unique pieces, forget color and just sort by part. A drawer for hinges, one for doors, one for Minifigure accessories. If you keep all your coffee mugs, binoculars and shovels separate, they won’t get lost at the bottom of a bin full of bricks.

AWESOME LEGO CREATIONS

Check out these cool Lego photos sent to us by Boys’ Life readers. If you have a photo of your Lego creation, please use the form below to send it to us.

SEND US A PHOTO OF YOUR COOLEST LEGO CREATION

What have you built with Legos? We’d love to see a photo!

Just use the form below to send us a photo of your coolest Lego creation. After we review it, we’ll post it on Scoutlife.org so everyone can see it.

Important Note: Please only upload photos of your Legos. Because of privacy rules, we can’t post any photos that show people’s faces. Always ask for your parent’s permission before uploading anything to a website.

"6 Top Tips for Building Better Lego Creations" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Here’s how to tie it on yourself:

Why Is It Called the Friendship Knot?

You may have heard it called the buckaroo knot, the British square knot, the rustler’s knot or the success knot. But we love the story behind the name Scouts all over the world use to identify this knot.

Here are a few explanations we’ve heard for why this knot means friendship:

• After a Scout ties off a neckerchief with this knot, he or she often gives it to a friend. This is especially true at events like World Scout Jamboree, where Scouts from other countries will bring lots of extra neckerchiefs to share and trade with new friends.
• The best way to teach more Scouts to tie this knot, is to demonstrate and teach it to a friend.
• Like a friendship, this knot binds two separate pieces together.
• Even if you speak different languages, Scouts recognize this knot a friendly, Scouting symbol.
• Once it’s tied, you never need to undo it (kind of like a friendship). Simply slide the loosely-tied neckerchief over your head to remove.

Whether you’re using this knot to make friends with Scouts from all over the globe or to teach a new Scout in your troop to tie it, learning the friendship knot is a great way to gain a skill and share it with someone new.

Have you ever made a friend in Scouting by sharing a skill with them? What was it? Drop us a note in the comments.

"The Friendship Knot: How to Secure Your Neckerchief Without a Slide" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

A rock hound is an amateur collector of rocks and minerals. Becoming a rock hound is easy (just pick up a rock!), but here are a few ideas to get you started on your rock collection.

Are you already a rock collector? Tell us about it or take our quiz to guess which rock stars look like each rock.

WHICH ROCKS TO COLLECT

You can base your rock collection on color, shape, texture or anything that you find interesting. Many rock hounds try to collect all the related rocks from the area where they live. Others look for unusual rocks from places they visit.

As your collection and interest grows, you can start to learn more about different rock classifications.

WHERE TO FIND ROCKS

Your rock collection can start with rocks you find in your own backyard or neighborhood. Look for stream beds or areas of erosion which can often reveal unusual rocks.

Interesting rocks can also be found in places where humans have cut into the earth, like quarries, ditches, road cuts and construction sites. Be very careful when visiting those sites and always make sure to let an adult know where you’re going.

Remember, it is often illegal to collect rocks in state parks, national parks or national monuments. If you are rock hunting on private property, make sure you ask for permission from the landowner.

ROCK COLLECTING TOOLS

A magnifying glass and a geologist’s hammer are the basic tools of any rock collector.

The head of a geologist’s hammer has two sides, a blunt end and a pick end. It can be used to break off rock specimens and trim them to display size. Always wear safety glasses when hammering rock to keep sharp chips from flying up and damaging your eyes.

Other useful equipment could include a field guide to rocks and minerals, gloves, newspaper to wrap rocks, labels and a felt-tip marker.

CLEANING AND DISPLAYING ROCKS

As you collect rocks, it’s a good idea to keep a record of when and where you found it. You can make a temporary label with piece of tape and stick it to your rock. Record the details of your find in a field notebook.

Rocks don’t usually require special treatment. You can rinse them in cold water and gently clean them with an old toothbrush.

Egg cartons and shoe boxes make excellent containers for storing rocks. If you want to display your rock collection, try a decorative glass jar. You can also buy cases that have individual compartments and transparent lids.

HOW TO FIND MORE INFORMATION

Many cities have rock and mineral clubs that offer classes and workshops. Local rock and gem shows are another fun source of information and can be an excellent place to buy or trade specimens. Many natural history museums have rock and mineral displays, and also sell starter kits in their gift shops.

SEND US PHOTOS OF YOUR FAVORITE ROCKS

Found an awesome rock? Just use the form below to send us a photo of it. After we review it, we’ll post it in a photo gallery on Scoutlife.org so everyone can see it.

Important Note: Please only upload photos of rocks. Because of privacy rules, we can’t post any photos that show people’s faces. Always ask for your parent’s permission before uploading anything to a website.

"How to Start a Rock Collection" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Use this calculator to find out what you’d weigh on the other planets in our solar system.

"How Much Would You Weigh on Other Planets?" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

TAKE IT SLOWLY

Start by getting your dog used to an empty tub. Work your way up to adding warm water.

SOAP UP

Never use shampoo made for people. It is too strong and will dry out your dog’s skin.

TAIL FIRST

Start at the tail. Your dog’s head should be the last thing you wash because once it gets wet, your dog will want to shake. Rinse thoroughly and make sure no soap is left on the dog’s skin.

EAR ALERT

When you wash its head, keep soap and water out of your dog’s ears and eyes.

BE HAPPY AND ENCOURAGING

While bathing your dog, talk gently and give it praise for sitting still.

TOWEL TIME

Dogs can easily catch cold, so dry your dog thoroughly after each bath. You can use a hair dryer after towel-drying, but make sure the heat and power are set to low. Otherwise, use heavy towels and keep your dog warm.

TO WASH OR NOT TO WASH?

Unless your dog gets really filthy, it should only need a bath about once a month.

"How to Wash Your Dog" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

So, I’ve pulled a few food shots I’ve done professionally, on BSA assignments and just for fun. All of us have taken photos with our phone of tasty tidbits that hit the table in front of us, perhaps a little too much. But with a little effort maybe those posts will get more “yums” than groans.

BEST LIGHTING? EASY LIGHTING!

I’ve found that keeping lighting simple to be the best. I often use window light or if stuck in a studio I’ll try to recreate window light with a single light source. Often, the most complicated I might get would be using a white card or piece of paper to reflect or “bounce” some of that light into the shadows so it doesn’t look too dark.

Notice the direction of the light and use that to the food’s advantage. I was shooting some desserts for a hotel, and as they came out of the kitchen, I placed them on whatever table had terrific sunlight coming through the windows.

A Sea Scout ship brought an amazing breakfast on deck during one assignment for Boys’ Life and Scouting magazines. Those pancakes looked great no matter how you looked at them. And yet, by taking an angle so the sun wasn’t coming over my shoulder but raking across the peaks and valleys of fresh whipped cream, strawberries, chocolate and fluffy pancake the texture and deliciousness comes through in the picture. No additional lighting needed!

Being aware of how light and subject combine is important in all photography, from people to landscapes to action to food. During an assignment paddling 50 miles on the Delaware River the troop made campfire pizzas one night.

Mmmmmm, pizza!

I got some okay shots using a little bit of flash, but by watching how the sun was setting and waiting a few minutes for the light to come streaking across the firepit I was able to snag some Instagram-worthy entrees.

KEEP IT FRESH

Food always looks best freshly prepared. There are stories of what commercial outfits will do to make food appear “heroic” for a photo, and the results might look tasty but actually be quite toxic.

Blech!

Fortunately, there has been a move to keep it real, and it’s not that difficult. Just don’t wait around to take the shot. Have a plan in place before the prize soufflé emerges from the oven.

Of course, having backups is a good and delicious plan. I was shooting a dessert for a friend’s restaurant one day, and we went through a few of them. I promise I didn’t initially “miss the shot” a few times knowing who would be eating the “extras!”

Keeping it fresh can also mean trying more than one view. At the same restaurant, I was able to try a couple of different shots of a salmon potato pancake all using simple window light and not moving around too much. The photos are different enough that I’m not sure which one I prefer, but I do know I’m now hungry for a salmon potato pancake!

DON’T BE SHY

A famous war photographer said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” The same can apply to food and not nearly as dangerous. Maybe.

A fresh-baked rhubarb pie looks awesome, but to almost taste the buttery flakiness of the crust it might be best to get right on top of it.

I practically became “one with the batter” for this simple shot of morning pancakes during a Boys’ Life assignment hiking the Point Reyes National Seashore in California.

Showing just a part of the dish can be more attention-grabbing like the salmon pancake photos or the pie photo. Channeling my inner Bugs Bunny, I used only part of the finished shake with some ingredients in the background to visually scream “CARROTS!”

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD

Photographically, a lot can be learned shooting food. For centuries artists have sharpened their skills sketching, sculpting, painting and photographing their meals. Vegetables make great subjects for working with color and light.

Doing some closeups of breads and vegetables for a friend’s grocery story I felt like I was shooting landscapes rather than edibles.

So, go ahead and play with your food to learn more about lighting, composition and magic.

I even made a few friends when I did!

Garth Dowling, the Director of Photography for the Boy Scouts of America’s magazines, occasionally writes about photo shoots and assignments. Topics include interesting backstories; talk about tips, tricks and techniques; or even a few Q&As.

SHARE YOUR FOOD PHOTOS

We want to see your amazing food photography and share it with the world. Just use the form below to send us a photo. After we review it, we’ll post it in a photo gallery on Boyslife.org so everyone can see it.

Important Note: Please only upload food photos. Because of privacy rules, we can’t post any photos that show people’s faces. Always ask for your parent’s permission before uploading anything to a website.

"Take Tastier Food Photos With These Professional Tips" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

• 1⁄3 cup of each of the following:
  • Powdered creamer
  • Powdered sugar
  • Powdered milk
• 3 tablespoons of each of the following:
  • Crushed peppermints or candy canes
  • Chocolate chips
  • Cocoa powder
  • Marshmallows
• A 16 oz. glass jar with lid

WHAT YOU’LL DO TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

Start with a clean glass jar. Carefully layer the ingredients in the following order:

1. Powdered creamer
2. Cocoa powder
3. Powdered milk
4. Powdered sugar
5. Chocolate chips
6. Crushed peppermints
7. Marshmallows

DON’T FORGET!

Customize your hot chocolate mix with ribbon and an instruction label. Download the label we made.

To Serve:

Remove marshmallows and set them aside. Use a spoon to mix the remaining ingredients.

Fill a mug with 1 cup of boiling water or milk. Add ½ cup of the mix to the boiling water. Stir. Top with marshmallows and enjoy! (Save the rest of the mix for later, or share it with your friends!)

What other awesome homemade gifts do you like to whip up for your family and friends? Drop us a comment below!

"How to Make the Perfect Hot Chocolate Mix" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

A blanket of snow covers the ground: It’s prime time for animal tracking. So why does your cast of that picture-perfect raccoon print look like it came from an eight-toed alien?

Don’t give up just yet. Making plaster casts of tracks in snow is tricky but not impossible.

Before you cast, reinforce the track so it can stand up to the weight of the plaster. If the snow is wet, dust it with some powdered plaster and let it set. If the snow is dry and powdery, spray a mist of water over the track and wait for it to freeze. You can also try using Snow Print Wax — crime-scene investigators use it to collect evidence.

Plaster gives off heat as it hardens. When casting in snow, mix the plaster to the thickness of half-melted ice cream, adding some snow to cool it down. Pour from a short distance to minimize damage to the track.

If the plaster freezes before it sets, turn the cast track-side up and bring it inside to thaw and finish setting.

"How to Make a Plaster Cast of Animal Tracks in the Snow" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

COOKIE SHEET AND SPINACH BECOMES A SWAMP

For a Halloween “Opening Shot” feature in October’s Boys’ Life magazine, the editors wanted something that said “Frankenstein’s Monster” without being too scary. How can anyone be scared by a Funko toy? But like any good photograph, it needed environment and context, like the monster emerging from water.

The Boss frowned upon a three-day shoot in a tropical locale, so the next best thing was to create a scary lake in the studio. Finding an extra-large, dark-colored cookie sheet and getting some water from the faucet, I had my lake. As long as I got close to the subject and was careful with my lighting and my angles, I knew it could work.

Ever out walking after a rain and notice how a stop sign is perfectly reflected in a puddle depending at what angle you’re looking at the water? That is exactly how I determined how I wanted to shoot my little green guy and where I wanted him in the water.

The lighting was simple. I put a red paper background behind the lake, put one light on my “Monster” and one light on the background. Done! I was able to use a couple of camera flashes, but I could just as easily used regular lights and some foil to control where the light hit the subject. Another method I could have used would be a simple small flashlight using a technique called “light painting” which I may talk about in another post.

Once I had the basic shot, the real fun began with the help of Art Director Kevin Hurley. We turned the model this way and giving it a little “life.” The mirror-like reflection was creepy, but wouldn’t it be cool if it looked like the monster was moving through the water? We tried flicking the water, dripping the water, moving the pan (Bad idea. I’ll clean that up later.) until finally we stumbled upon using air.

Using a blower used to clean lenses, I blew just a small puff of air in front of the toy to make a circle of small waves around Frankie’s feet while taking the shot.

Lastly, let’s not make it a lake but a swamp. Yucky green stuff to the rescue! We found that a little canned spinach was the perfect swampy-mossy complement to any four-inch monster. The combination of angles, waves and spinach gave us our final image.

CAT LITTER AND BAKING SODA BECOMES A WINTER WONDERLAND

Our November Boys’ Life cover was a little more complicated. We wanted a snow scene for even smaller models: LEGOs. Again, The Boss said “no” to a five-day shoot at a ski resort, so we needed to build a tiny set for our tiny talent.

The idea was to make a scene that looked like the old stop-motion holiday films like “Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer.” Our Design Director Eric Ottinger was the hero of the assignment figuring out how to make trees to scale using inexpensive materials from a craft store.

I was in charge of the “snow.” I knew we needed a solid base for our models and props, so I created the landscape with the cheapest cat litter I could find. For the snow, we found that baking soda looked fluffy like a perfect powder day. A little common sugar sprinkled on top gave it a nice twinkle under the lights.

Again, the lighting wasn’t that hard. Some blue paper behind the scene created the sky, and two flashes lit our heroes. Another light overhead provided light “from the sky,” but this could also be done with some window light, a couple of flashlights and some patience.

We experimented with the arrangement of the figures and adding some “snow” in their hair and on the trees. Once we had what we wanted things got a little silly as we added other toys for a laugh.

We have a lot of toys around here.

These were both assignments for work, but by setting up little projects like this you can learn about lighting, angles, and the gear you have or may want. Since there are no live subjects to get hungry or bored, you’ll have all the time you want to experiment and play. Photography isn’t hard. It’s just a little bit of magic and a whole lot of fun.

Garth Dowling, the Director of Photography for the Boy Scouts of America’s magazines, occasionally writes about photo shoots and assignments. Topics include interesting backstories; talk about tips, tricks and techniques; or even a few Q&As.

"How BL Uses Photo Magic to Get the Not-So-Big Picture" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Solving a Rubik’s Cube takes patience, practice and plenty of trial and error. Break the process into the following stages for better results.

SOLVE THE WHITE CROSS

Start by holding the Rubik’s Cube with the white center piece on the top face. Then try to make a white cross as shown in the video above.

SOLVE THE WHITE CORNERS

Next, try to get the rest of the white squares to the top face.

SOLVE THE MIDDLE LAYER

Hold the cube so that the white layer is on the bottom. Now, try to make the middle layer’s colors match.

SOLVE THE TOP FACE

With the white face still on the bottom of the cube and the middle layer solved, try to solve the top blue face.

SOLVE THE FINAL LAYER

With the solved blue face on top, finish the cube by solving the final layer.

BL SOLVES THE RUBIK’S CUBE

"How to Solve the Rubik’s Cube" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Folding the perfect paper airplane is tough. Sometimes they soar into the distance. Sometimes they won’t go more than five feet before twirling and whirling straight into the ground.

Don’t worry! BL is here to help. These three videos will make your next paper airplane sure to soar.

Learn to Fold the Perfect Paper Airplane

Add a Twist to the Perfect Paper Airplane to Fly It Farther

A World Record Holder Teaches You His Record-Breaking Plane

Watch BL‘s Epic Paper Airplane Competition!

"Make Your Paper Airplane Soar With These Tips" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

A drying rack is perfect for hanging wet clothes or towels during a long-term campout. Here’s how to build it.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Four Scout staves (or hiking staffs)
• Three 4′ sticks cut from broomsticks
• Eight 6′ lashing ropes
• Three 10′ to 15′ cords for guylines
• Three sturdy stakes

HOW TO LASH A CLOTHES DRYING RACK

1. Start by lashing together two equilateral triangles, one smaller for the top (three 4′ sticks) and one larger for the bottom (three Scout staves).

2. Next, tie on the three guylines near the top of the remaining stave, which will become the center pole. (For this, it’s good to know how to tie a roundturn with two half hitches, or a rolling hitch. Refer to the Pioneering merit badge pamphlet.)

3. For each guyline, about 30 inches away from the knot, tie a clove hitch to the end of one of the 4′ sticks. Then, about a foot away from each clove hitch, tie another clove hitch to the end of one of the Scout staves.

4. Out from each corner of the 5-foot triangle, pound in three sturdy stakes about 4 feet from where the center pole will stand.

5. With one Scout holding up the center pole, make adjustments to the clove hitches as necessary so the triangles hang evenly.

6. Attach the guylines to the stakes with properly tied taut-line hitches.

"How to Lash Together Your Own Clothes Drying Rack" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Read on for 10 ways you can use duct tape to make your projects, style and life more awesome.

1. Duct-tape Corner Bookmark

This isn’t your average bookmark. Not only does it hang on to the corner of your book, but it also allows your personality to shine as you choose a duct-tape print unique to you.

2.  Duct-tape Bleacher Seat

If you have a foam square and some duct tape handy, gone are the days of uncomfortable, cold bleacher and stadium seats. Check out this easy tutorial on how to make your own seat.

Photo: Duck Brand, duckbrand.com

3. Geodesic Duct-Tape Dome

Create your own hemisphere to house plants, a mini-museum or to just hang out in with your buddies. You’ll need bamboo poles and a plastic tarp for this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53UAMGpN3UU?start=20&rel=0

4. Duct-Tape Hammock

Who couldn’t use a waterproof hammock? This thing is super durable and looks cool, too. Find step-by-step instructions on how to craft this on Make:Projects.

Photo: Make:, makezine.com

5. Duct-Tape Snowshoes

This is an intense project with a really cool end result! Check out the full tutorial on Instructables.

Photo: rabidsquire2 on instructables.com

6. Picture Frame Made of Duct Tape

This project is easy — and when you’re finished, your picture frame will even stand up on its own. Check out the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LdJRqqypIM?start=14&rel=0

7. Duct-Tape Belt

Here’s a classic duct-tape craft that will have you looking stylish and practical. Learn how to customize your belt with this guide.

Photo: Duck Brand, duckbrand.com

8. Sled Weatherproofed with Duct Tape

If you’ve worked hard on your cardboard sled, you probably aren’t looking forward to seeing it destroyed in the snow. Here’s a solution and way to customize your ride. Read through the tutorial on East Coast Mommy.

Photo: Artzy Creations

9. Duct-tape Beach Bag

What’s super sweet about this beach bag? It’s waterproof. That’s right. You can pick up duct tape in a print you love and create a bag for a lot less money than purchasing one that’s already made.

10. Duct-Tape Desk Organizer

Crafted all your duct-tape dream projects and not sure what to do with the cores of the tape? Here’s a handy use for those cardboard centers that will clean up your desk in the process. Explore the tutorial to see what we mean.

Photo: Duck Brand, duckbrand.com

Do you have a cool project to add to this list? Have you already mastered one of the creations above? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to submit a photo of your finished product.

"10 Amazing Duct-Tape Creations You Can Make Right Now" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

This dishwashing rack is sturdy enough to hold the standard three containers used for backcountry dish and utensil cleaning. Here’s how to build it.

Click here for more detailed directions and information about the lashings required.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 10 5′ Scout staves (or hiking staffs)
• 14 6′ x 1⁄4″ lashing ropes
• One 20′ x 1⁄4″ lashing rope
• Two narrow pioneering stakes
• Three wash basins around 18-quart size with edges at the top

HOW TO LASH A DISHWASHING RACK

1. Using six Scout staves, lash together two identical A-frames. In this design, one side of the bottom Scout stave joining the two legs will purposely extend out much farther than the other on each A-frame — a place to hang towels or cookpots. Lash the bottom staves in place about 28 inches from the top of the legs.

2. Next, stand up these identical A-frames so they’re about 4 feet apart. Take a 20′ line and find the midpoint. At about two feet away from this midpoint, tie a clove hitch at the top of one of the Scout staves of one A-frame. Repeat this process on the other side, attaching the line with a clove hitch to the top of one of the Scout staves of the other A-frame.

3. Secure each end of the 20′ line to stakes driven into the ground about 5 feet away so the line extends out evenly from each side of this framework. After the tension is adjusted, the two A-frames will stand up in an impressively rigid fashion.

4. Tightly lash two staves to the inside of the legs of each A-frame, about 20 inches from the top. The front and back edges of the wash basins will rest on these staves.

5. To support the bottom of the basins, lash on the two remaining staves parallel to one another, on top of the bottom Scout staves that join the A-frame legs.

6. Once you check to see all the lashings are tight, and the central rope is secure and stabilizing the structure, then you’re ready to bring on the basins. Position them side by side and fill them about 75 percent of the way up.

"How to Build Your Own Dishwashing Rack" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

This small camp table stands up by itself and provides a convenient raised surface for cooking and other uses. Here’s how to build it.

Click here for more detailed directions and information about the lashings required.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Four Scout staves (or hiking staffs) for the table legs
• About 12 Scout staves for the tabletop
• Two sturdy 2 1⁄2′ sticks (or a Scout stave cut in half)
• One 20′ rope or cord
• Two sturdy stakes

HOW TO BUILD THE CAMP TABLE

1. Start by lashing the four Scout staves and the 2 1⁄2′ sticks into two identical A-frames. The 2 1⁄2′ sticks will serve as the tabletop supports. They should be lashed on so when the A-frames are standing, they’re even and level, about 30 inches off the ground.

2. Next, stand up the A-frames so they’re about 4 feet apart. Take a 20′ line and find the midpoint. At about 2 feet away from this midpoint, tie a clove hitch to the top of one of the Scout staves of one A-frame. Repeat this process on the other side, attaching the line with a clove hitch to the top of one of the Scout staves of the other A-frame.

3. Secure each end of the 20′ line to stakes driven into the ground about 5 feet away so the line extends out evenly from each side of this table framework. After the tension is adjusted, the two A-frames will stand up in an impressively rigid fashion.

4. Lay out additional Scout staves, side by side, on top of the 2 1⁄2′ support sticks, and lash them in place using binder twine.

"How to Build a Stand-Alone Camp Table" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

This wash station is sturdy, portable and very useful when camping away from washroom facilities. Here’s how to build it.

Click here for more detailed directions and information about the lashings required.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Six good, straight sticks as follows:

• Two 2′ x 3/4″ to 1″ sticks for the leg braces
• Two 4′ x 3/4″ to 1″ sticks for the back leg and crossbar
• Two 5′ x 3/4″ to 1″ sticks for the front legs

FOR THE LASHINGS, YOU’LL NEED:

• One 10′ x /1 4″ manila rope or binder twine for the tripod lashing
• Six 6′ x /1 4″ manila rope or binder twine for the square lashings

YOU’LL ALSO NEED:

• Bar of soap in a sock with a 3′ cord
• Small- to medium-sized towel with a 3′ cord
• No. 10 metal can with a bail or 4-quart cooking pot with a bail

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. Using the 10′ rope, lash together the two 5′ sticks and one 4′ stick with a tight tripod lashing. The 4′ stick should be in the middle. Make sure the “butt” ends of all three of these sticks are even. Separate the legs and set up the tripod. The success of this project relies on a well-tied tight tripod lashing.

2. Lash on the braces. Using four tight square lashings, with the 6′ ropes lash one end of the 2′ sticks to the 5′ legs and the other end of the 2′ sticks to the 4′ leg.

3. Lash on the crossbar. Using two more square lashings, tightly lash the other 4′ stick to the top extended sections of the two 5′ sticks to make a crossbar for the towel and soap-in-a-sock.

4. Add the soap, water and towel. Tie the end of one 3′ cord to the soap-in-a-sock and the end of the other 3′ cord to the towel, and hang them on either side of the 4′ crossbar.

5. Hang the can filled with water to the end of the 4′ stick extending from the front of the tripod.

HOW TO USE IT

During the camping trip, change the water as necessary. See that the soap-in-a-sock is not left in the can after use, since it will melt. One of the beauties of using metal containers is that in cold weather, the can of water can be heated in the fire.

"How to Build a Hand Wash Station" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

• How to build a ventriloquist’s dummy

Over the past 25 years, Ronn Lucas has entertained four U.S. presidents, Queen Elizabeth and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He has had three TV series and numerous TV specials, performed on Broadway and starred in his own Las Vegas show for nearly a decade.

The constant in all his acts: Boys’ Life magazine.

“My earliest shows were for my fellow Scouts,” Lucas says. “I often used jokes found in Boys’ Life. To this day, I’m pretty sure there is at least one joke floating around my act that was borrowed from Pedro.”

Lucas started with Boys’ Life. Now, you can, too, as this awesome ventriloquist shares the secrets of his art.

WHAT IS VENTRILOQUISM?

Ventriloquism (say ven-TRIL-o-kwism) is the art of talking with the tongue and not moving the mouth or face. When a skilled ventriloquist does this sitting beside a figure (or “dummy”) that has a moving mouth, it looks like the figure is talking. It works because humans use their eyes to find sound sources. When the ventriloquist is not moving his mouth but the puppet’s mouth is moving, people think they “see” the figure talking.

LEARN THE EASY ALPHABET

Sit in front of a mirror and make a slight smile with your lips parted. Make your teeth lightly touch. Your tongue should have room to move. If you see your tongue moving in the mirror, then change your smile until the tongue is hidden. Your goal is to breathe easily and read aloud these 19 letters without moving your lips:

A, C, D, E, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, X, Z.

Practice the following sentences until they sound clear but your lips don’t move: “Hey, this rocks, dude! It is sooooo easy. Anything you can say, I can say, too!” If you sound muffled, try making your voice come from some higher place in your head as well as your mouth.

MOVE ON THE THE TRICKY LETTERS

There are seven trickier letters: B, F, M, P, V, W and Y.

These letters normally require you to move your lips. To say them without moving his face, the ventriloquist borrows from the easy alphabet, some other letters or combined sounds to “fake” the tricky letters. Use these substitutions:

B = D
F = “eth”
M = N
P = T
V = “thee”
W and Y = O+I

B = D

Instead of saying “The Bad Boy Buys a Basket” the ventriloquist says, “The Dad Doy Duys a Dasket.” Try this in the mirror. At first, this substitution won’t sound right; but with practice, D can be made to sound like B. [Hint: When your tongue rises to the top inside of your mouth to make D, let it stick to the roof of your mouth a little longer before releasing. Also, say D but think B.]

F = ETH

Instead of saying “Phil is a Frisky, Funny Fellow,” try saying, “Thil is a Thrisky, Thunny Thellow.” Say the “eth” sound but think F as you do it.

M = N

“Mary Mashes Many Mangos” becomes “Nary Nashes Nany Nangos.” Make the N vibrate against the roof of your mouth. Keep thinking M.

P = T

“Peter is a Practice Pilot” becomes “Teter is a Tractice Tilot.” Try holding the T a little longer, then release with a little puff of air behind it.

V = THEE

“Vinnie Very much Values Victory” becomes “Thinny Thery nuch Thalues Thictory.”

W AND Y = O+I

W and Y are treated alike. By quickly sliding the letters O and I together you can say “O-Aye” and it sounds like Why. Try putting a fast O to the front of the following: “Why Would Wally Walk?” You’ll be saying “O-Aye O-ould O-olly O-alk?” Now drop the O (or say it silently in your head), and you’ll be saying a clean W sound without using your lips.

In a short time, these substitutions become automatic. Practice for 15 to 20 minutes a day and in about a week you’ll see some serious results! Practice your ventriloquism with a relaxed puppet-like voice that is higher or lower than your own.

"Learn How To Be a Ventriloquist" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Step 1: Catch a spider

Spiders are all around us, indoors and out, so they’re not hard to find. Some species can bite and a few are venomous. Learn about dangerous spiders in your area before heading out. It’s easy to safely catch a spider by using a small jar. Gently coax it into the jar using the lid. Spiders will eat each other, so keep only one per jar.

Step 2: Prepare a cage

Large spiders do well in the inexpensive plastic terrariums available from pet stores. Smaller ones can be kept in jars or plastic containers if air holes are drilled into the lid or sides. Be sure the holes are small enough to prevent escape.

Potting soil makes good cover for the cage bottom. Sticks, dead leaves or artificial plants provide structure for hiding, climbing and webbing.

Step 3: Water

Depending on the size of the spider, anything from a plastic bottle cap to a small bowl can serve as a water dish. Spiders also drink water sprayed on webbing, but you should never allow the cage to become damp.

Step 4: Feeding

Offer insect prey once or twice a week. Crickets are available from pet shops, or you can collect insects outdoors if no insecticides have been sprayed in the area.

Step 5: Observing

Watch your spider and take notes on its behavior. You won’t believe what happens in the spider’s web until you’ve visited it yourself!

PREFERRED PETS

Not all spiders do well in captivity. Active hunters are usually easier to keep than web builders. Here are a few that make good pets.

Tarantulas: Some species exceed 10 inches in legspan. They’re by far the most popular pet spiders and can be bought in pet stores.

Wolf Spiders: Some can be more than three inches in legspan. Large specimens do best in terrariums with lots of floor space.

Jumping Spiders: Although small and rarely exceeding half an inch, their jumping ability is amazing. Many species are brightly colored and can easily be kept in jars.

Fishing Spiders: In captivity, these large spiders appreciate vertically arranged pieces of bark for climbing. They’re very fast, so use caution when capturing them.

Grass Spiders: These spiders build funnel-shaped webs in grass, bushes and on buildings. In captivity, they will build extensive webs inside their cage.

LEARN MORE: Click here to see photos of a spider expert’s seven favorite spiders

"How to Keep Spiders as Pets" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Everybody has their own style, but here are some tips that will help you take the best videos.

DIFFERENT SHOTS

To make a really cool video, learn a few basic shots Hollywood uses in every movie: establishing shot (ES), medium shot (MS) and close up (CU).

1. The ES might show an overall fishing scene with several people.
2. An MS moves in to show one fisherman casting a lure.
3. The CU features that angler showing off his catch.

These shots are made with the camera held steady.

SCREEN DIRECTION

Maintaining the direction of action is important. If you are shooting friends on a hiking trip and your ES has them coming into the right side of the frame, your next shot should also show them coming into the right side. Otherwise, it will seem as if they are returning to the beginning of the hike. This is called the 180 Rule. Staying on the same side of the path as you shoot your video will help you follow this rule automatically.

Another way of thinking of screen direction is to shoot all your shots on the same side of your subjects’ noses. Keep all your shots on the same side of a subject’s nose as if a rope extended from the nose straight out to infinity, preventing you from crossing the line.

You can shoot from the other side of the path if, in editing, you insert a neutral shot or show the change of screen direction in one of your shots — for example, turning a corner in a switchback. Shots in which the action is coming straight into the camera or straight away from the camera are neutral.

MATCHED ACTION

Once you have some experience, try adding some matched action (MA), a more advanced technique.

Let’s say a guy is playing a flying-disc game. Your MS shows him about to throw the disc. Now you ask him to repeat that action exactly as it was done before, but you move the camera in for a CU of the action. You start your shot, and the guy launches the disc, which flies over the camera and out of the top of your frame. It’s important that your subject uses the same hand. While editing your video, cut the last part of the first shot where your CU picks up the action. You cut the beginning of the CU to the point where the MS is cut. You have used two shots for one action to create a smooth transition of viewpoint.

RANDOM TIPS

• The best shots are when subjects are being themselves and not mugging the camera.

• Vary your camera angle and image magnification (ES, MS and CU) between shots.

• Let subjects come cleanly into the frame and exit cleanly from the frame.

• Keep your camera steady. Click here for instructions on making a camera stabilizer. Tripods are great, but you won’t likely have one on an outing. Consider making your own hiking stick that doubles as a monopod.

• It’s better to move closer with your feet rather than zooming.

• Use a simple windscreen on your phone when shooting outdoors.

WHAT NOT TO DO

• Most video is in a horizontal format. People shooting with a smartphone sometimes hold the phone as they would normally use it, which results in a vertical video. Instead, turn the phone so the long side is parallel to the ground. The result: a better viewing experience on a laptop or TV.

• In a single shot, don’t follow someone around. This results in a “water hose” shot, as if someone is watering the lawn. Instead, use separate shots. You will have to run ahead to be in steady position when the subject comes into your frame.

• Avoid pans, tilts and other moving camera shots when just starting out. These are shots that enhance your videos as you gain experience.

EDIT YOUR VIDEOS

If you shoot with an iPhone or iPad, iMovie is a great editing app — and you can edit your video right on your device. If you move your files to a laptop or desktop, you can still use iMovie, Premiere or Final Cut Pro X. If you use an Android phone or tablet, KineMaster, Video Maker Pro Free or VidTrim work. For Windows desktops, Premiere Elements or Premiere are good choices.

All video-editing software allows you to trim excess footage from the beginning and end of your shots non-destructively. You can change your mind on the length of the shots. You also can add still photos to your video.

MORE TOOLS AND RESOURCES

With Smartphone Movie Maker, learn tips and tricks to make a movie masterpiece on your smartphone. The box set includes a moviemaking glossary and storyboarding sketchbook, plus the box transforms into a big-screen projector that lets you screen your film in style. Candlewick Press, $13. Ages 8 and up.

7 Essential Smartphone Filmmaking Accessories
If you’re considering putting down your camera and picking up your phone to shoot your next project, here are seven smartphone filmmaking accessories to consider.

Video Shooting Tips and Techniques
Tips to help you avoid common mistakes when you first start shooting video. From the UC Berkley Advanced Media Institute.

Adobe Digital Video Learning Course
This professional learning course will help you develop an understanding for how video can be used as a teaching tool.

Horizon Camera iPhone App
This app for Apple devices lets you record horizontal videos and photos no matter how you hold your device.

8mm Vintage Camera iPhone App
This app for Apple devices adds dust and scratches, retro colors, flickering, light leaks, and frame shakes to make your videos look like an vintage movie.

Pictar iPhone Camera Grip
Camera grip makes it easier to hold and control your iPhone when taking photos or video.

Adobe Spark
Create impactful social graphics, web stories and animated videos with Spark’s free graphic design app.

"Take the Best Videos With These Videography Tips" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Some animals have amazing natural camouflage. Can you find where they’re hiding in these photo?

Can you spot the jackal?

Can you spot the Pallas’s cat?

Can you spot the dog?

Can you spot the ghost crab?

Can you spot the deer?

Can you spot the lizard?

Can you spot the owl?

Can you spot the bird?

Can you spot the tree frog?

Can you spot the snake?

Can you spot the Nubian ibex?

Can you spot the three crocodile fishes?

Can you spot the golden jackal?

Can you spot the monitor lizard?

Can you spot the giraffe?

Can you spot the giraffe again?

Can you spot the lynx?

Can you spot the bear?

Can you spot the raccoons?

Can you spot the snake?

Can you spot the frog?

Can you spot the wood frog?

Can you spot the leopard?

Can you spot the deer?

Can you spot the rattlesnake?

Can you spot the frog?

Can you spot the timber wolf?

Can you spot the bird?

Can you spot the insect?

Can you spot the ducks?

"Can You Spot 30 Hidden Animals in These Photos?" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Summer is for outside, and these fun games are just the things to get you out there. Watch us test some of these games in our Facebook Live video above, and then read more about the games below.

KUBB

Kubb — pronounced “koob” — supposedly traces all the way back to the Viking era. The Swedish lawn game is a cross between bowling, billiards and horseshoes.

Toss wooden dowels (cylindrical sticks) underhand to topple your opponent’s blocks. To win, knock over all their blocks, including a bigger king block at the end.

One of the best parts of Kubb is how versatile it is. It can be played on grass, sand, dirt or snow, and because the blocks are so sturdy, they last for years.

MSRP $50; go.scoutlife.org/kubb

LADDER GOLF

Some people say this game dates back to the Wild West, when cowboys would toss around dead snakes while building fences. That might be a tall tale, but one thing’s for sure: Ladder Golf is a worldwide hit with
millions sold.

Teams take turns tossing the bolas (ropes with weighted ends) at ladder rungs. Points are awarded based on where your bola lands on the ladder.

Bonus: You can make your own version of the game using an old ladder, some rope and a couple of tennis balls.

MSRP $70; go.scoutlife.org/laddergolf

KANJAM

It’s a wacky combo of disc golf and basketball, and it’s a blast.

KanJam is played with two open-topped cylinders (Kans) set up across from each other. Throw a flying disc toward a Kan to hit it, land inside of it or get close enough to your teammate for them to deflect it into the Kan. Each Kan also has an “instant win” slot, a space just the size for the disc to fit through. But don’t go aiming for it on every toss — it’s a near-impossible shot.

There’s also a glow-in-the-dark version for nighttime.

MSRP $40; go.scoutlife.org/kanjam

SPIKEBALL

Combine volleyball and table tennis and you get Spikeball, a game that requires agility, strategy and
plenty of teamwork.

It’s played with a small trampoline-like net and mini inflatable ball. Two teams of two players spike the ball onto the net while trying to keep it out of their opponents’ reach.

The whole package weighs about 3 pounds, making it highly portable. Also cool: The game has professional leagues around the world, and you can watch their tournaments online.

MSRP $53; go.scoutlife.org/spikeball

BEANBAG TOSS

We couldn’t make this list without including the most popular yard game in the world. Also called cornhole, dummy boards and Baggo, the game sounds easy but takes hand-eye coordination, patience and lots
of practice.

To play, set the one-hole boards about 30 feet apart. You and your opponent take turns trying to land your bags in the hole — or as close to it as possible. Bags earn points based on where they land on the board (if at all).

You can find sets themed with cool stuff like superheroes, sports teams or something completely customized to your interests.

MSRP $50; go.scoutlife.org/cornhole

"5 Fun Backyard Games" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7R290HwGm8&rel=0

WHAT’S NEEDED

• Plastic wrap
• Scissors
• Wide-mouthed jar or large plastic cup
• Large rubber band
• Lightweight drinking straw
• Tape
• White cardboard
• Pen

WHAT TO DO

Step 1: Cut a piece of plastic food wrap large enough to cover the top of the jar and fold it over, halfway down the sides. Pull on the sides of the plastic wrap for a drum-tight fit — to work, this project must have an airtight seal. Wrap the rubber band around the side of the jar to secure a tight fit.

Step 2: Place the straw on top of the plastic wrap so it rests horizontally on the surface with its end near the middle of the jar opening. Use a small piece of tape to secure in place.

Step 3: Stand the cardboard behind the jar and note the height of the straw. Draw horizontal lines in fine increments on the cardboard, above and below the height of the straw.

Step 4: Place the barometer in a location where there are no drastic temperature changes (e.g., not near a radiator or window). Note the position of the straw to see changes in the straw’s position, especially before and after a changing local weather condition. Graph the changes on the cardboard gauge behind the straw, for future reference.

HOW IT WORKS

Air pressure is pushing in every direction all around us. During dry and calm weather — a high atmospheric pressure condition — it presses against the top of the jar, making the other end of the straw rise.

Conversely, approaching wind and rainstorms are usually preceded by a low-pressure condition. The lowering straw level is an indicator of this.

PHOTOS OF COMPLETED PROJECT

Check out these photos of the completed project sent to us by Boys’ Life readers. If you have a photos of a BL Workshop project, please use the form below to send them to us.

"Make a Weather Barometer" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

It’s the No. 1 rule of magic: Never reveal the secrets behind your tricks.

Magicians have been following this code for centuries. Until now.

More than 200 Boy Scouts gathered at Camp Workcoeman in New Hartford, Connecticut, for The Magic Camporee. They were there to work their way through 10 stations, learning a different magic act at each one.

They learned that magic isn’t accomplished by some kind of supernatural ability. It’s all about distracting your audience so they don’t realize what you’ve just done. And it’s a lot like playing a sport or musical instrument — it takes practice to get it right.

But before the Scouts at The Magic Camporee did anything, they had to make a promise.

“I do hereby promise on my honor as a Scout that I will keep secret the magic tricks that I learn today.”

Thankfully, Boys’ Life is the most trustworthy publication out there. We were able to convince the organizers of the event — most of them professional magicians — to share four of their tricks for the exclusive use of our readers.

So read on to learn how to amaze your family and wow your friends.

And remember: Never tell them how you did it.

Magic Aces

THE TRICK:

1. Give a volunteer a deck of cards and ask him to divide it into four piles, each approximately the same size. Explain how the number three is a magic number. For example, a tripod — with its three legs — is one of the sturdiest pioneering structures a Scout can build.

2. Ask the volunteer to pick up the pile of cards closest to himself and transfer the top three cards from that stack to the bottom. Then have him deal a card from the top of that stack to each of the other three piles.

3. Have the volunteer repeat the process with each of the other piles, emphasizing the magic number of three.

4. Explain how, in spite of the fact that the cards have now been thoroughly shuffled by the volunteer, we are going to turn over the top card on each stack and find that all of them are aces, thanks to the magic power of the number three.

5. Turn over the top card in each stack and … what are the chances? All aces!

HOW IT’S DONE:

Before you begin your trick, make sure the four aces are at the top of the deck. As the volunteer rearranges the cards, make sure he saves the pile with the four aces for last. If he does, then you’ll always end up with the four aces on the top of each pile. You’ve distracted the audience by talking about the power of the number three, and they never realized that moving all the cards around actually set them up exactly how you wanted them.

Boy Scout Magic Spelling Trick

THE TRICK:

1. Stand in front of a table with a stack of eight cards. Prove to the audience that you’re holding standard playing cards by showing them the three or four cards on the bottom of your stack. Say something like “I have eight standard playing cards here, but I can transform one of them into something completely different.”

2. Spell the words of the Boy Scout motto — “Be Prepared” — out loud as you take one card for each letter from the top of the deck and place it on the bottom of the stack. So you’ll say “B” (take the top card and put it on the bottom), “E” (move another card from the top to the bottom), then put the next card face up on the table for the space between “Be” and “Prepared.”

3. Continue spelling: “P” (move a card), “R” (move a card), “E” (move a card) … then put down another card face up after you’re done. You should have six cards left in your hand.

4. Repeat the process with the Scout slogan: “Do a Good Turn Daily.” You’ll say “D” (take the top card and put it on the bottom), “O” (move another card), then place a card on the table face up for the space between “Do” and “a.” Repeat this process until you’ve spelled it all out.

5. At the end, you should have seven cards face up on the table and one left in your hand. Tell the audience that all of those letters have one thing in common: Boy Scouts. Flip over the card in your hand, showing not a regular card as expected but — surprise! — a card with the BSA logo.

HOW IT’S DONE:

With permission from a trusted adult, download an image of the Scout logo, print it out and attach it to the face of any card. Make sure it fits on the front of the card so you can’t see it from the other side. Stack that card face down on top of seven random cards. As you work through the letters of the Scout motto and slogan in front of your audience, the final card should be the one with the Scout logo. You’ve tricked the audience by showing them the bottom three or four cards, making them assume that all the cards are regular playing cards.

Mind-Reading Trick

THE TRICK:

1. Ask a volunteer to confirm in front of the audience that you guys have not arranged anything in advance for this trick.

2. Hold up a sealed envelope, and confirm that your volunteer doesn’t know what’s inside. Tell the audience that inside the envelope is your prediction of how the trick will turn out.

3. Lay three coins on the table: one penny, one nickel and one dime. Ask your volunteer to “call out” two coins.

4. Have the volunteer open the envelope. Inside you will have correctly predicted which coin he chose.

HOW IT’S DONE:

Take a piece of paper and write on it: “You will choose the nickel.” Fold it and place it in a sealed envelope. The trick is no matter which coins your
volunteer selects, you can manipulate the audience into thinking you have made an accurate prediction.

When you ask the volunteer to “call out” two coins, he might …

1. Leave the nickel on the table and choose the other two coins. If so, slide the two coins that he named out of the way, leaving only the nickel. Have him open the envelope. It looks like you predicted the future correctly! He chose the nickel. Or your volunteer might …

2. Pick the nickel and one other coin. In that case, discard the coin he didn’t choose and ask the volunteer to hand you one of the remaining two coins. If he hands you the nickel, tell him to open the envelope. You made the correct prediction! He chose the nickel. If he hands you the other coin, say something like, “OK, then this is the coin we will eliminate.” This leaves the nickel on the table, and again you have made the correct prediction. He chose the nickel.

Hocus-Pocus Ropes

THE TRICK:

1. With the help of an assistant or two, tie two separate pieces of rope around a magic wand using single overhand knots.

2. Tie one Scout neckerchief onto the ropes on each side of the wand, again using overhand knots.

3. Take one rope from each side and tie the same knot around the neckerchiefs. You are left with what looks like a knotted mass of rope and neckerchiefs, with a magic wand stuck in the middle.

4. Tell your audience, “Be amazed as I remove the neckerchiefs without untying them!”

5. Pull out the wand from the mass of knots, and have your assistants pull on the ropes. Somehow they come apart with the neckerchiefs’ knots still in place!

HOW IT’S DONE:

With the right arrangement of knots, you can trick your audience into thinking everything is knotted together when, in fact, it will all slide apart quite easily.

Making Magic

The Magic Camporee at Camp Workcoeman was hosted by the Northwest Hills and Hockanum River districts of the Connecticut Rivers Council. The magicians were volunteers from the local chapter of the Society of American Magicians.

Interested in getting into magic? Check out the Society of Young Magicians.

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"Amaze Your Friends with These 4 Awesome Magic Tricks" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

What You’ll Need:

• Two sheets of clear acetate (available in single sheets or in packages) for each person
• “Crystal Clear” acrylic coating (a spray-on plastic artists use to protect illustrations)
• Pieces of cardboard large enough to cover each acetate sheet
• Two clothespins per person
• Enough cardboard boxes or empty coolers to cover all the cardboard sheets

What You’ll Do:

Step 1: Stash the acetate and cardboard sheets in the freezer. Turn the box or cooler upside down outdoors. Place can of acrylic outside to cool.

Step 2: Once it starts to snow, take the acetate and cardboard from the freezer and head outside. Duck under a porch or overhang to protect everything from falling snow. With clothespins, fasten a single sheet of acetate to a piece of cardboard. Spray the acetate sheet with a thin coat of acrylic from the air-chilled can. (If you use too much, the snow will melt in the liquid.)

Step 3: Hold up the contraption by the clothespins and step out in the falling snow so that individual flakes collect on the acetate sheet. You’ll want a lot, but not so many that they begin to fall on top of one another.

Step 4: Once you have enough, carefully tuck the sheet under the cardboard box or cooler.

Step 5: After an hour, the snowflakes that stuck to the acetate will have evaporated, leaving behind perfect acrylic replicas. Hold the acetate up to a light and scan the sheet with a magnifying glass or an 8X slide viewer. You may also project the crystalline images onto a screen with an overhead projector.

FROZEN FACTS

• Snowflakes form when water vapor freezes around tiny bits of dust in the air. No dust, no snowflakes.
• Scientists have identified 10 types, including graupel (granular) flakes, as well as sleet and hail. The other seven varieties are the more familiar crystal shapes.
• No two snowflakes are alike? In the mid-1980’s, a scientist found snowflakes that were extremely similar 20,000 feet in the air above Wisconsin.
• Snow crystals are always six-sided, because the atoms in water molecules are arranged in triangles.
• The exact size and shape of a snowflake depend on the temperature, moisture content in the air and how much time it has to grow before hitting the ground—or your acetate sheet.

"Catch a Snowflake and Keep It Forever" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Boys’ Life has provided 100 years of great reading. Here are 100 other titles that every kid should read. Some suggestions will require parental guidance.

"100 Books That Every Kid Should Read" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Note: Be sure to ask for a parent’s help and permission before starting any experiment.

SWIMMING SPAGHETTI

Make spaghetti do tricks with this fun and fizzy experiment.

What You Need:

• uncooked spaghetti
• 1 cup of water
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 5 teaspoons of vinegar
• tall clear glass

What You Do:

Put water and baking soda in the glass. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved. Break spaghetti into 1-inch pieces. Put about 6 pieces in the glass. They will sink to the bottom. Add vinegar to the mixture in the glass. Observe what happens to the pieces of spaghetti. Add more vinegar as the action starts to slow down.

What’s Going On:

When baking soda and vinegar are mixed together, a chemical reaction occurs. It produces a gas called carbon dioxide, which forms lots of bubbles on top of the mixture and smaller bubbles at the bottom of the glass. These little bubbles stick to the spaghetti and make it float to the surface, just as you do when you sit on a swimming pool noodle! When the spaghetti reaches the surface, the bubbles pop and the spaghetti sinks to the bottom.

WRITE A SECRET MESSAGE

Write an invisible message on a mirror using a soapy solution and a cotton swab. The secret message will appear only in a foggy room.

What You Need:

• liquid dishwashing detergent
• cup of water
• a few cotton swabs
• hand mirror or bathroom mirror

What You Do:

Place a few drops of dishwashing detergent into the cup of water. stir to mix well. This is your secret message “ink”.

Dip a cotton swab into the soapy solution. Write a short message on the mirror. When the liquid dries, the message will be invisible. (If not, use a little less of the solution.)

When you take a hot shower or bath, do not get the mirror wet, but get the mirror close enough to the steam from the water so that it gets fogged up. Close the door so the steam stays in the bathroom.

Observe what happens. Can you read the message?

More fun: Write a message and wait until someone else takes a shower or bath. See how quickly they discover your secret.

What’s Going On :

The steam on the mirror is made up of water molecules. These tiny drops of water stick together on the mirror because of a force called surface tension. The liquid dishwashing detergent breaks the surface tension of the water. Wherever there is detergent, the water molecules are unable to form into droplets. The words written with the soapy solution stand out clearly against the foggy background of the mirror.

THE POWER OF ICE

Why do people put covers on their outside faucets in the winter? Why isn’t it a good idea to leave water in a garden hose during freezing temperatures? It’s the power of ice.

What You Need:

• three small plastic drinking cups, one with a lid dish or pan big enough to hold all three
• cups
• water
• freezer

What You’ll Do:

Fill all three cups with as much water as possible without overflowing. Put the lid on one.

Set all three cups on the dish and place in the freezer overnight.

Check to see what happened the next morning. Did the water stay the same size after it became ice?

Leave the frozen items in the freezer for a few days. Did you notice any changes?

What’s Going On:

When water freezes, it expands. When water is left in a garden hose during freezing temperatures, the force of the ice expanding can cause the hose to break open. The same thing can happen with the water pipes in your house. If the water freezes in the pipe, it can break the pipe open.

FISH IN A BOWL: MAKE A MOVIE

Fool your eyes with this experiment. Using a homemade thaumatrope (THAW-muh-troap), you can combine two pictures into a single image by quickly flipping the pictures back and forth.

 What You Need:

• small piece of cardboard, about 2 inches by 3 inches
• sharpened pencil or pen to make holes in cardboard
• two pieces of string tape
• two small pieces of paper

What You Do:

Cut out a small piece of cardboard and punch holes in each corner. On both sides, write a small “X” in the center of the cardboard.

Cut out two pieces of white paper that are a little smaller than the cardboard piece. Make sure the holes will not be covered up when the paper is placed over the cardboard.

On one piece of paper, draw a fish. On the other, draw a fishbowl. Be sure to draw the fishbowl larger than the fish.

Tape the picture of the fish on one side of the cardboard, so that the fish is directly over the “X”.

Tape the fishbowl on the other making sure the bowl is centered on the “X”.

Thread one piece of string through the two holes on one side. Thread the other piece of string through the two holes on the other side.

Twist the strings together on each side. Pull the strings as though you are trying to stretch a rubber band. This will make the cardboard twirl. Watch the pictures. Does it look like your fish is in the fishbowl?

More fun: Draw a picture of a bird and a birdcage or anything else you can imagine!

What’s Going On:

Your eye sees the image of the fish for a short time after it is gone. By that time, the picture of the fishbowl is in sight, and you seem to see both pictures at once. The same thing happens at the movies. If you look at a piece of movie film, you’ll see that it is a series of pictures separated by black spaces. These pictures with black spaces in between are flashed on the screen so fast that your eye cannot see the individual pictures or the black spaces.

MAKE A LAVA LAMP

Here’s an easy yet amazing way to make your own “lava lamp’.

What You Need:

• cooking oil, such as vegetable oil
• cold water (no ice)
• salt water glass
• food coloring

What You Do:

Fill the glass about three-quarters full of cold water. Stir in a few drops of food coloring. Can you guess what will happen when you add oil to the water? Will they mix together or separate? Which will be on top?

Add some cooking oil until you have about a half-inch layer of oil on top of the water. Wait until the oil and water have separated into two layers before the next step.

Sprinkle salt on top of the oil. Keep adding salt to see what happens.

What’s Going On:

The oil is lighter than water, so it floats. The salt is heavier than both the oil and the water, so it sinks. As the salt passes through the oil layer, it picks up blobs of oil, which cling to the grains of salt temporarily and sink to the bottom of the glass. Then the oil breaks free from the salt and floats to the top.

FUN WITH PAPER CLIPS

See how many paper clips it takes to make a full glass of water overflow.

What You Need:

• clear plastic cup
• 100 small metal paper clips

What You Do:

Fill the cup to the top with water.

Guess how many paper clips it will take to make the water overflow. Write down your guess.

Carefully drop one paper clip at a time into the cup. Count how many it takes to make the water overflow. Was your guess close?

Look at the cup from the side. The water is bulging upward like a balloon!

More fun: Fill the sink or a dish with water. Carefully lay a small piece of paper on top of the water. See how many paper clips you can put on top of the paper before it sinks. Try using different sizes of paper.

What’s Going On:

Drops of water stick to each other. That is why the surface of the water bulged when you added the paper clips. Scientists call this surface tension. The surface tension of the water is what held up the floating paper until the weight of the paper clips became too heavy.

"6 Weird Science Experiments" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Turn your next visit to the park into a modern-day scavenger hunt. Use a digital camera or smartphone to create a trail of photo clues depicting park landmarks. You can increase the hunt’s level of difficulty by including challenge questions.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Digital camera (or smartphone), photo paper and printer
• Colored stickers
• Zippered sandwich bags
• Tape or hole punch and string
• Cellphones or walkie-talkies

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Step 1: Take Me to Your Leader

Gather a group of at least five friends. One person should be designated as leader. This person will create the hunt and act as a guide when players get stumped. You could also ask a parent or Scout leader to fill this role.

Step 2: Go Photo

Snap photos of distinctive permanent landmarks in a local park: a gnarled tree, tire swing, fire hydrant, tree stump, trailhead sign, boulder, etc. Fifteen clues yield about a one-hour hunt.

Step 3: Create Clue Sets

1. Download and print one copy of each photo clue for each team. Each team needs a complete set of photo clues.
2. Assign each clue a number.
3. Write clue locations on a master list, identifying each location shown in the photos.
4. Assign each team a color and mark each team’s set of clues with its own color-coded stickers.
5. Separate clues into sets so each team has its own color-coded clue at each location, and put each clue into a separate zippered bag to protect it from rain or sprinklers.
6. Scramble the sequence of clues for each team, so teams don’t arrive at clue sites at the same time. (Example: The blue team will track clues in the order of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; the red team will track clues in the order 2, 4, 1, 3, 5, and so on.)

Step 4: Ramp It Up

Prepare challenge questions on index cards in categories such as weather, careers, Scout trivia, animals or geography. Insert an equal number of challenge cards in each team’s clue sets. When teams encounter challenge cards, they must contact the leader and answer a question before going after the next clue. Using challenges for every clue prolongs the hunt.

Step 5: Post Clues

On hunt day, place zippered bags of clues at locations identified on the master list. With tape (or hole punch and string) secure the bags to a fixed object within sight of the discovered landmark clue. These clues will lead teams to their next target site.

Step 6: Ready, Set, Hunt!

1. Each team should have the leader’s cellphone number or walkie-talkie frequency so they can contact him for suggestions (such as “Look up” or “Go north about 10 yards”) if they’re stumped and to answer challenge questions. The leader will have the master list of clue locations and answer sheet for challenge questions.
2. Give each team a different photo clue to get them started.
3. Teams disperse to track their photo clues. When they find the first location, they get their next color-coded clue from the bag posted nearby.
4. The first team to arrive at the final clue site or a designated home base wins.

SAFETY (AND COURTESY) FIRST

• Stay within identified boundaries of hunt area.
• Do not separate from your team.
• Do not engage strangers en route.
• Keep cellphone or walkie-talkie turned on.
• Do not sabotage other teams’ clues.
• Be sure to retrieve bags and other materials after the hunt is finished.

"How to Plan a Photo Scavenger Hunt" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

The first movie appeared just a few years before the first issue of Boys’ Life. Since then, there have been a lot of great ones. Here are 100 movies that every kid should see. (Some suggestions will require parental guidance.)

"100 Movies Every Kid Should Watch" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Former Venturer Alex Curfmanis a yo-yo expert. He practices 10 or more hours a week and has excelled at tournaments. At the 2009 World Yo-Yo Championships, he broke the record for the longest Shoot the Moon, a complicated looping trick.

Here are some step-by-step instructions from Alex on how to do five yo-yo tricks:

SLEEPER

1. Hold the yo-yo in your hand, palm up, with the string wrapping over the top of the yo-yo.

2. Bend your elbow with the yo-yo near your ear, elbow pointing forward.

3. Unbend your arm and roll the yo-yo off the tips of your fingers. Snapping your wrist creates more spin.

4. Let the yo-yo reach the end of the string and pause for a few seconds, then with a tug, return the yo-yo to your hand.

ROCK THE BABY

1. Throw a sleeper. With your opposite hand, pinch the string midway down the string and raise your opposite hand.

2. Pinch the string with your throw hand a few inches above the yo-yo.

3. Bring your throw hand back above your opposite hand, spreading the fingers of your opposite hand to form a triangle with the string.

4. Swing the yo-yo back and forth inside the triangle.

BREAKAWAY

1. Hold the yo-yo the same way you would to perform a sleeper, but point your elbow to the side of your body.

2. Throw the yo-yo straight out to the side.

3. Let the yo-yo swing down in front of your body and up to the opposite shoulder.

4. Return the yo-yo to your hand.

BRAIN TWISTER

1. Throw a sleeper.

2. Place your opposite index finger against the string between you and the string.

3. Push your index finger away from you while you move your throw hand between you and your other hand.

4. Bring your throw hand under and then in front of the yo-yo, threading the string into the gap of the yo-yo.

5. Perform a somersault with the yo-yo by pushing your throw hand into the strings and pulling down with your opposite hand. Repeat three or more times.

6. Return the yo-yo to a sleeper, then back to your hand.

Trapeze

1. Throw a breakaway.

2. As the yo-yo passes in front of your body, place your opposite index finger on top of the string as close to the yo-yo as possible.

3. Allow the yo-yo to loop around your finger and land on the string underneath it.

5. Pull your extended finger out of the string and return the yo-yo to your hand.

"How to Do 5 Awesome Yo-Yo Tricks" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

No referee? No official sports field nearby? No problem. Here are four fun outdoor games adaptations that you can try.

TOUCH FOOTBALL

Our touch football-style game requires only a ball. The rest is up to you.

Depending on how many guys want to play, designate one quarterback and an equal number of receivers and defensive backs. It doesn’t matter what slot you start at. In this game, everybody gets to rotate and play each position.

The QB gathers his receivers and designs a play. The defensive backs do their best to cover the receivers and break up the pass. If you have an even number of Scouts, one position should be a designated pass rusher who counts to 10 then rushes the QB.

A completed pass gets 1 point for the QB and 1 point for the receiver who makes the catch. A pass breakup or interception gets 1 point for the defensive back. A sack (remember: this is touch football) gets 1 point for the rusher.

There are no first downs. A drive ends after four plays or a touchdown or interception, whichever comes first. A touchdown nets 2 points each for the QB and the receiver who scores.

After each drive, the players rotate positions. Once everybody has had an equal number of drives at each position, you total the points and see who wins.

SOCCER SHOOTOUT

It’s easy enough to get a game of pickup soccer going. You might not have a real goal, but the space between two trees works.

If you’re short on players, consider re-enacting one of the most exciting plays in the sport: the shootout, which pits one goalie against one player attempting a free kick.

If you have more than two Scouts, rotate guys in and out after each shot attempt. If you have just two players, switch back and forth between goalie and forward.

In real soccer, the goalie can’t leave the goal in a shootout, but who says you can’t tweak the rules in your game?

Players get 1 point for a goal when they’re on offense and 1 point for a save on defense. Give everybody an equal number of chances at each position and then see who comes out on top.

KICKBALL

Baseball’s a blast, but it’s a pain to carry bats and gloves on a hiking trip. As an alternative, consider kickball. Trust us — it was fun in the third grade, it’ll be fun now.

You know the rules: It’s like soccer-baseball. It can be played with a soccer ball or a softer rubber ball. You’ll need a decent number of Scouts to play so you don’t end up chasing a kicked ball through the woods all day.

Don’t worry about designating positions in the field. Just spread out enough so you’ve got most of the ground covered. You can use empty backpacks for bases. Just don’t stomp on them too hard.

When you were younger, you may have played with the rule that allows you to throw the ball at a runner to record an out. While that might seem like a good idea, keep in mind that you’re probably a lot stronger now than you used to be. A blow to the head with even the soft rubber ball isn’t fun for anybody.

And definitely don’t try that with the soccer ball. Instead, record outs the old-fashioned way — by touching the base before the runner gets there.

ULTIMATE

You wouldn’t dare go camping without a flying disc, would you? If you can throw a disc but you haven’t played Ultimate, then you don’t know what you’re missing.

It’s like soccer, with one major difference: You can’t run with the disc. Once you make a catch, you must wait for a teammate to get open and throw him the disc. When he makes the catch, it’s your job to get open downfield while he stays put and throws it back to you.

The ultimate goal is to pass the disc into the end zone.

End zones can easily be designated with trees or other landmarks. Ultimate can be played with as few as four players, two on each team.

Got more ideas for games? Share them in the comment section below.

"4 Fun Sports For the Great Outdoors" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Dogs and puppies are immensely popular in comic strips and animation. The cartoonist who can draw convincing dogs has a leg up on the competition.

With the following tips, you can, too. So sharpen that pencil, get out some paper and let’s get started.

DRAWING THE HEAD

All dogs share the same basic head and body construction. By practicing these steps, you’ll soon be able to draw any dog. (Don’t trace. You’ll learn much more if you freehand.)

Let’s start with a dalmation.

Step 1: Begin with a circle. Drawing the guidelines on the circle will help you see it as a three-dimensional globe. The horizontal line hangs low on the globe — that’s where the eyes will go. The vertical line is the center line — it divides the face in half.

Step 2: The head has three components: the skull, the cheeks and the jaw.

Step 3: Place the eyes on the horizontal “eye line.”

Step 4: The bridge of the nose begins high on the face — between the dog’s eyes — and thrusts forward. Notice how it gets larger as it comes toward you.

Step 5: Now add a smiling mouth, which pushes up into the cheeks and causes creases. The jaw, off to one side, creates a lively smile.

Step 6: Big, floppy ears and a thick neck bring this guy to life. A few small teeth on the lower jaw add a professional touch.

Step 7: Add spots, and erase your guide lines for a clean finished drawing.

THE EARS

Floppy ears add charm and personality to a dog. Most dog ears fold over, with the exception of short, triangular ears — the kind found on terriers, chow chows, German shepherds and a few other breeds. The most important thing to remember about drawing the folded ear is that the line from the base of the ear should point to the outermost corner of the fold.

Right: The base of the ear points to the outermost corner of the fold. (The dashes are not part of your drawing.)

Wrong: The base of the ear doesn’t connect to anything; it just shoots out into space.

DRAWING THE BODY-SIDE VIEW

There are three main parts to a dog’s body: the head, the rib cage and the hindquarters. Everything connects to those three areas. Notice how the back crests at the base of the neck. The large rib cage gives the dog a powerful chest. The hindquarters rise, although slightly less than the shoulders, and then slope down sharply toward the tail. The tail is an extension of the spine and must flow seamlessly from the spinal cord.

CLASSIC TERRIER

The tiny terrier’s neck is surprisingly thick and muscular. The compact body shows very little in the way of a waistline, and the short legs allow the body to hover just above the ground. Note the distinctive triangular ears. He’s also got bushy eyebrows, a bushy mouth, bushy forelegs and hind legs, and small paws.

COLLIE

This breed has a slender, almost pointed face and an appealing two-toned coat of fur. It always maintains an alert expression and gives the impression of being a large dog. However, under that huge layer of hair is a rather trim animal with an unimpressive build. The small paws are the giveaway.

But, because our view of the collie as a full-bodied dog is so ingrained in us, it’s better to start with an overall large shape than to draw a thin body and fill it out with hair. The collie is always well-groomed, so don’t let the hair appear ragged.

SAINT BERNARD

The Saint Bernard is instantly recognizable for its long, flapping jowls. It’s not a graceful dog; in fact, its movements are kind of, well, sloppy. It should always appear to be well fed, and it has a sort of dopey personality. Give your Saint Bernard a big nose. The ears are actually shorter than shown here, but cartoons typically depict this dog with long ears.

CREATING EXPRESSIONS

Most people only think to use the mouth and the eyebrows to create facial expressions, but there’s more to it than that. The shape of the eyes changes, depending on whether the eyebrows crush down on the eyes or lift them up.

Most importantly, though, is the length of the upper lip, which changes according to the expression. Notice how short the upper lip is in the happy expressions here and how long it becomes in surprised or unhappy expressions. The mouth can be “tugged” to one side, which provides an extra accent.

You can add teeth or forget about them, depending on the emotion being expressed, and you can even change the shape of the teeth. Spiked teeth work well in angry expressions but not on worried ones — they look too aggressive.

LINE OF ACTION

When I look at the sketchbooks of aspiring cartoonists and artists, most illustrations don’t convey a sense of thrust. The artists have worked hard on the eyes, the head, the muscles and so on, but there is no flow to the drawings. They have no direction. The characters are just jumbles of parts, which makes them look stiff. It’s certainly important to master drawing those individual parts. No doubt about it. But the parts need an overall framework in which to exist. That’s where the line of action — shown in red — comes into play.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about drawing dogs and other animals, check out Christopher Hart’s book, You Can Draw Cartoon Animals.

"How to Draw Cartoon Dogs" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Sometimes a rock’s just a rock … and sometimes it’s a fossil. How can you tell the difference?

Research which fossils are common where you’ll be hiking

Stop by a museum or visitor center, call a local university’s geology department or search for a club of paleontologists (people who study fossils of plants and animals).

Find the right kind of rocks

Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks, like sandstone, limestone or shale. Sedimentary rocks look like layered pancakes.

Look for exposed rock

Check out stream cuts, bluffs, sea cliffs, road cuts or any place where bedrock is eroding.

Get low

You’ll see more fossils when you’re on your hands and knees. Use a magnifying lens. Form a “search image” in your mind. If you spotted ammonites at a nearby rock shop, think about what they looked like. Search for spirals and snail shapes. And remember that most fossils are small sea animals – not rare dinosaur bones.

Don’t take fossils

Leave fossils as you found them, so others can enjoy them, unless directed otherwise by local authorities. If you think you’ve found something unusual, make a careful note of its exact location — information that’s as important as the rock itself. A fossil’s location tells its story, where and how the animal lived.

FIVE EASY-TO-FIND FOSSILS

Here are five fossils that you can look for on your next hike.

Ammonoids

People in the Middle Ages called ammonoids “snake stones” because they thought the fossils were coiled snakes.

Brachiopods

Scientists say most brachiopods disappeared 250 million years ago, when as much as 95 percent of ocean animals died in a mass extinction.

Corals

Algae lives inside the coral, giving it nutrients and oxygen.

Crinoids

This flower-shaped animal’s anus was next to its mouth.

Trilobites

Growing trilobites crawled out of old exoskeletons through head splits, giving their fossils “facial structures.”

"How to Find Fossils" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Candy isn’t just a sugary treat. You can learn something by using it in some fun science experiments.

DIVING CANDY

Can you make a piece of candy dive and then surface again?

Time: 5 minutes
Skill Level: Easy

WHAT YOU NEED

• Warheads (recommended) or other candy that is sealed in plastic, such as a Gobstopper or striped mint. Do not unwrap! The candy wrapper must be sealed on both edges, not just twisted tight.
• A plastic bottle with a tight-fitting lid, filled to the brim with water. (Soda bottles work better than juice or syrup bottles.)
• Water
• Bowl (optional)
• Pin (optional)
• Needle-nose pliers (optional)

WHAT TO DO

1. Drop the wrapped candy into the bottle of water. (If you’re using a bottle with a narrow neck, you might have to gently push the candy through the opening.) Does the candy float?

2. If the candy floats, tightly fasten the lid of the bottle.

3. Squeeze the bottle. Does the candy sink? (Hint: Small hands might have a hard time squeezing the bottle hard enough to make the candy dive. To try another method, lay the bottle down sideways on the floor and stand on it.)

4. If the candy does not sink, try one of these fixes:

• Using needle-nose pliers, pull the candy out of the bottle. Use a pin to poke a tiny hole in the wrapper, near an edge or the bottom. Put the candy back in the bottle, with the hole on the bottom side. The wrapper should slowly start to fill with water, trapping an air bubble at the top of the wrapper.
• Try a different piece of candy.
• Try a different bottle, such as a small soda bottle that is easy to squeeze.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Most candy is denser than water, so it sinks. But if air is trapped inside the wrapper, the wrapped candy floats.

To float, a piece of candy has to push aside more than its weight in water. Candy is denser (heavier) than water, so it sinks. But if a piece of candy is in a wrapper filled with air, it is lighter than the equivalent volume of water, and it floats.

When you squeeze the bottle, the water squeezes the candy. The air bubble trapped inside the wrapper gets smaller. The candy pushes aside less water, and the water no longer supports it. The candy sinks. When you stop pushing the bottle, the air bubble expands (gets bigger). The wrapper pushes aside more water, and the candy floats.

Some fish have a swim bladder that functions the same way. When they contract the air-filled bladder, the fish descend. When they let the air sac expand, they rise. Other fish adjust their buoyancy by letting air in and out of the swim bladder, making it bigger or smaller. This helps the fish swim up and down.

Note: Since every piece of candy is wrapped differently, some of them will not float, and some of them will not sink. You might have to try several pieces of candy to get the right air bubble.

CAN YOU TASTE PH?

What can you use to test acidity: pH paper or your tongue? Or both?

Time: Up to an hour
Skill Level: Medium

WHAT YOU NEED

• A variety of sour candies such as Warheads, Lemonheads, Sour Patch Kids or Skittles
• Small bowls
• pH indicator paper, ranging from a pH of about 1 to 7
• Warm water

WHAT TO DO

1. Put a few pieces of candy in each bowl. (Use a separate bowl for each kind of candy.)

2. Pour warm water into each bowl until the candy is covered.

3. Let the sour part of the candy dissolve. (Some candies have a sour shell, and some need to dissolve completely.)

4. Taste a spoonful of water from each bowl. How sour is it?

5. Line the bowls up in order of sourness.

6. Test each bowl of water with a pH indicator strip. Do the results match the results of your tasting?

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Sour taste is caused by acid, so the more sour your candy is, the more acid it contains. You should be able to test this both with pH paper and with your tongue.

If your taste test doesn’t exactly match the pH paper test, there are a few possible explanations. Sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly what result the pH indicator paper gives, especially when you’re using it to test colored candy. Also, some flavors might cover up or distract you from acidic tastes.

SALTWATER GUMMI SOAK

Time: 2 days
Skill Level: Medium

WHAT YOU NEED

• 4 gummi worms or other gummi candy
• 3 small clear bowls with about 1 cup of water each
• Sugar
• Salt

WHAT TO DO

1. Add a spoonful of sugar to one bowl of water.

2. Add a spoonful of salt to another bowl of water.

3. Put a gummi candy in each bowl and set the extra gummi bear aside for comparison.

4. After several hours, check the gummi candies to see what size they are. Which ones have changed the most?

WHAT’S HAPPENING

A cup of fresh water is a dilute solution. When you put salt in water, you make a concentrated solution. The more salt, the more concentrated the solution is. If water can pass from a dilute solution into a concentrated one, it will. Nature is trying to make the two solutions equally concentrated. This process is called osmosis.

You can see osmosis in action when you put a gummi worm in fresh water. Water flows into the gummi worm, diluting the sugary gelatin mix (a concentrated solution). The gummi worm expands. But if you put a gummi worm in salt water, the salt water is already concentrated. Not as much water is needed to dilute the gummi worm, so the gummi worm will expand less. In fact, depending on how concentrated your solution is, it might not expand at all.

Osmosis is also the process that draws water into plant roots and up where it’s needed. If you watered plants with salt water, the plant cells wouldn’t be able to absorb any water, just like gummi bears.

POP ROCKS DENSITY LAYERS

If you pour together colored solutions of different densities, you can make density layers. Can you make density layers without pouring?

Time: 20 minutes
Skill level: Medium

WHAT YOU NEED

• 3 packages of Pop Rocks (two packages of one color, one package of a different color)
• Narrow glass filled with water

WHAT TO DO

1. Pour 2 packages of the same color Pop Rocks into the glass of water. Wait several minutes until the Pop Rocks dissolve.

2. Pour the other package of colored Pop Rocks into the water. Do they mix with the colored water or float on top?

WHAT’S HAPPENING

A less-dense liquid will float on top of a denser liquid. (This is why oil floats on water.)

When you dissolve the first two packages of Pop Rocks, you create a dense sugar solution at the bottom of the cup. When you add the third package, the Pop Rocks float on top of that dense solution before they dissolve to create a stripe of color.

WARTY LICORICE

Can you make a smooth piece of licorice grow warts?

Time: 5 minutes
Skill Level: Get a grown-up

WHAT YOU NEED

• Twizzlers licorice twists (the Pull-n-Peel variety works especially well)
• Microwave-safe plate
• Microwave (Alternative: baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and oven)

WHAT TO DO

1. Place the licorice on the plate.

2. Microwave on low or medium heat, checking it every 30 seconds so it doesn’t start to burn. Does your licorice grow warts?

Alternative: Place licorice on baking sheet and heat in 300°F oven. Check back every 5 minutes until you see warts growing.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Licorice, like most soft candy, contains a little water. The warts might be created by water making tiny pockets of steam when it’s heated.

Why doesn’t licorice melt in the oven or microwave? Because licorice contains flour, which doesn’t melt. This also means that by some definitions, licorice isn’t actually candy!

SWIMMING GUMMI FROG

Can you make a gummi frog swim?

Time: 2 days
Skill Level: Easy

WHAT YOU NEED

• Gummi candy frog with a marshmallow coating on the bottom, such as a Haribo brand frog
• Clear dish of water

WHAT TO DO

1. Drop the frog into the dish of water.

2. Wait 2 days. What happens to the frog? What can you see in the marshmallow?

WHAT’S HAPPENING

As the gummi frog absorbs water, several things start to happen. The frog absorbs water and expands. As it does, its density changes, becoming closer to the water it is absorbing. It also stretches out the marshmallow, expanding the air bubbles. (Look closely, and you can actually see the air bubbles.) It might also be losing heavy sugar, since sugar dissolves into the surrounding water.

As the frog absorbs water, its density (weight and volume) becomes closer to that of the water surrounding it. If the air bubbles underneath get big enough, there’s just enough change in density to gently lift the gummi frog off of the bottom of the bowl.

TRANSLUCENT TAFFY

Can you turn taffy translucent?

Time: 30 Minutes
Skill Level: Get a grown-up

WHAT YOU NEED

• Saltwater taffy, Laffy Taffy or other opaque (not translucent) fruity chew
• Foil-lined baking sheet
• Oven

WHAT TO DO

1. With an adult’s help, preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Place the unwrapped candy on the baking sheet.

3. Heat the candy in the oven for up to 30 minutes, checking every few minutes. What does the candy look like?

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Have you ever watched a taffy-pulling machine? Metal arms stretch and fold the soft candy, stretching and folding it over and over. As this happens, tiny air bubbles get trapped in the taffy, making it soft and chewy. (Without the air bubbles to separate the sugar molecules, the taffy would be as hard as a lollipop.)

The air bubbles also break up light rays when they pass through. Instead of passing right through the candy, the light gets absorbed or refracted by the air bubbles, making the candy look cloudy. When you melt it into a thin puddle, and some of the air bubbles escape, the taffy becomes translucent again.

Experiment Tips

• Don’t eat or drink the experiments. Candy might have germs on it if people have touched and handled it.
• Wear an apron or an old T-shirt, because candy and oil can stain clothes.
• Use tap water or room-temperature water unless the instructions say otherwise.
• Always ask a grown-up to help you heat candy in the microwave or the oven. Melted candy can get hotter than boiling water. If you touch it, you could get burned.
• Microwave times will depend on what kind of microwave you use. Always watch candy in the microwave to make sure that you don’t heat it too much.
• When heating candy in the oven, line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. This will save you from scrubbing sticky messes!
• Keep wet rags or paper towels ready to clean up sticky spills.
• If you leave candy water sitting around for several days, it might grow mold. If this happens, throw the experiment away and start over.

From Candy Experiments 2 by Loralee Leavitt (Andrews McMeel Publishing LLC, $14.99) candyexperiments.com

"Conduct 7 Sweet Candy Experiments" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Stuck in the backseat on a long drive? Here are some classic (and free!) games to help travel time go by faster.

Already a seasoned traveler? Take our Summer Vacation Hot Spot quiz

LICENSE PLATE GAME

For long trips, the License Plate Game might be the thing. In this version, call out letters from the license plates you see, then make as many ridiculous phrases as possible. For example, AST = Aardvarks Singling Tenderly or After-School Trampolining. You get the idea.

ALPHABET GAME

The Alphabet Game is good along roads with a lot of signs. Find a word with an “A,” call it out, then look for a word with “B” and so on. First one to the end of the alphabet wins. You might want to skip trying to find “Q” and “Z.” Or not.

LINES AND DOTS

Use graph paper for a couple of travel games. With Lines and Dots, draw lines on the paper. Take turns drawing one side of a square at a time, trying to make boxes. When you complete a box, put your initials in it. Whoever makes the most boxes in 15 minutes or so wins.

INFINITE TIC-TAC-TOE

Another game with graph paper is Infinite Tic-Tac-Toe. In this game, the first person to get five in a row wins, and there are no borders except for the edge of the page.

Share these summer vacation jokes for a break between games

I SPY

In I Spy, pick out something you see nearby (that other players can also see), but keep what it is to yourself. Say, “I spy with my little eye …” and then provide one description of the object. For instance, with the windshield wipers you might say, “I spy something long” or “something black.” After each hint, players take a turn guessing what the object is.

ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS AND 20 QUESTIONS

Rock-Paper-Scissors and 20 Questions hardly need explaining. There are variations of these games, such as Foot-Cockroach-Nuclear Bomb, and 20 Questions about movies you’ve seen or books you’ve read, instead of some random object.

"6 Fun Games to Play in the Car" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

— A sand sculptor must learn about sand quality and how it affects a sculpture. Use “clean sand” that is free of stones or shells and has grains that are about the same size. The finest grains of sand will allow for the crispest carving of details.

— Every sculpture begins with a “pound-up.” Make a pound-up using a pile of sand 12 to 18 inches high and approximately 24 inches in diameter. Thoroughly soak it with water and pack it as tight as you can with your hands.

— Use forms to create height. You can buy them or create your own using a bucket with the bottom removed. If the bottom is not removed, the bucket will not lift off smoothly. Place the bucket on the base with the narrow end up. Fill it with sand and lots of water, packing it down tightly as you go. Every grain should be wet.

— After the sand has settled, lift the bucket and smooth the sand.

— Place the buckets of sand close together and keep adding to the width and height until you have a block of sand that is the size you want to sculpt. Have an idea of what you want your sculpture to look like before you start.

— Make sure to start at the top and work your way down to the bottom of the structure.

— Take your time. “Carve smart, meaning take chances, but use caution,” Long says.

"How to make amazing sand castles" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

An expert rock skipper can achieve dozens of skips in a single throw. To begin your quest for stone skipping success, follow these steps:

1. Select a skipping stone

The stone should be mostly flat, about the size of the palm of your hand and about the weight of a tennis ball. Triangular stones tend to skip best. Avoid circular stones. They’re less stable.

2. Grip the stone properly

Hold it with your thumb and middle finger, then firmly hook your index finger along the edge. Your thumb goes on the top of the stone, not around the edge.

3. Throw the stone

Stand up straight, facing at a slight angle to the water. Try to maintain this position during your entire windup and release. The lower your hand is at the release, the better.

Throw out and down at the same time. A skipping stone is bouncing off the water, so give it plenty of downward force. Try throwing faster instead of harder — strength is not the key, quickness is.

4. Release the stone

The faster the stone is spinning, the better it will skip. Spin it as hard as you can with a quick snap of your wrist. The stone should hit the water parallel to the surface.

Tips by Jerdone McGhee, founder of the North American Stone Skipping Association.

"How to Skip Rocks" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

CREATE A TORNADO

Materials:

• Tall drinking glass
• Bottle of clear soda or carbonated water
• Table salt
• Long stirrer

Steps:

1. Pour the soda or water into the glass until it is 2/3 full.
2. Use the stirrer to stir the liquid as fast as it can go without spilling over the top, then pour some salt in it.
3. Watch the resulting carbon dioxide bubbles form a tornado.

Conclusion:

Tornadoes are formed when warm, moist air swirls together with cool, dry air. They are most often associated with storm clouds that contain vortexes — spirals of rising air. As the vortex sucks in the surrounding air, more air moves in at a high speed to fill the space.

CREATE A BREEZE

Materials:

• Two metal baking pans
• Two heatproof pads or boards
• Oven mitt
• Large cardboard box
• Dry sand
• Ice
• Incense stick
• Scissors
• Matches

Steps:

1. Fill the first pan with sand and place in an oven on the lowest heat setting.
2. Use the scissors to cut off the front of the cardboard box. Place the heatproof pads or boards nextto each other inside the box.
3. Fill the second pan with ice and place it on one of the pads. Wait several minutes for the first pan to “cook,” then use the oven mitt to remove it from the oven and place it on the pad next to the pan of ice so that the two pans are practically touching.
4. Light an incense stick and hold it horizontally, with the burning tip right between the two pans. Smoke from the stick will always drift toward the warm pan full of sand.

Conclusion:

The pan full of ice cools the air above it, causing the air to sink. The pan full of warm sand warms the air above it, causing the air to rise. This creates a low-pressure zone just above the sand, and the air above the ice will rush in to equalize the pressure. This is how a breeze works. For example, on warm summer days, land heats up faster than water, so the cooler air above lakes and seas often rushes toward land to create a breeze.

MEASURE WIND SPEED

Materials:

• Paper plate
• Four paper cups
• Colored tape
• Thumbtack with plastic end
• Pencil with an eraser
• Double-sided tape
• Stopwatch

Steps:

1. Mark one paper cup by wrapping the colored tape around the outside.
2. Use the pencil to draw an “x” on the plate, with the middle of the “x” as close to the middle of the plate as possible.
3. Attach a short length of double-sided tape to the side of each cup. Attach one cup to the edge of the plate with the opening facing left. Rotate the plate and attach the rest of the cups the same way.
4. Punch the thumbtack through the middle of the plate on the “x.” Pin the plate to the eraser and hold up the plate and cups so they may spin in the breeze.
5. Find a Web site that gives you the wind speed in your area. Count how many times the marked cup goes around in 30 seconds and write it down. Repeat the process at different times over several days, and you’ll be able to translate your numbers into wind speeds. Soon, you won’t need to check with the Internet anymore.

Conclusion:

An anemometer is an instrument that measures the speed of the wind. A professional anemometer uses spinning discs linked to an electronic device that counts the turns and converts them into wind speeds.

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Materials:

• Tall plastic soda bottle
• Glass jar small enough to fit inside the bottle
• Scissors
• Thermometer

Steps:

1. Use the scissors to cut the bottom off the plastic bottle. Remove the label, but leave the top on.
2. Stand the thermometer inside a jar, place it in a sunny spot, and check the temperature in an hour.
3. Put the bottle over the jar and leave it for another hour. Check its temperature, and compare with the earlier temperature.

Conclusion:

The second temperature is considerably warmer than the first. That’s because the solar energy passing into the bottle has been turned into heat that can’t escape. The earth’s atmosphere serves a similar function as the bottle — it allows the sun’s energy to pass through, then keeps it from escaping into space.

Find these experiments, and more like them, in “Weather Watcher,” a DK Nature Activities book, DK Publishing, $9.99, dk.com.

"4 interesting weather experiments to try at home" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Justin qualified for his first Tour event by winning the 2009 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) FootJoy Invitational. Since he was still an amateur, Justin couldn’t keep the prize money. But the experience left him richer in another way.

“It really gave me a lot of confidence that I could play with those guys,” he says. “It’s a matter of who putts and who chips the best.”

Justin turned professional in 2013 and won his first professional event in 2014.

BL talked with Justin several years ago to get his tips on playing golf.

1. THE DRIVE. It’s cool to hit it far, but it’s better to hit it straight.

Start with your grip: Place all your fingers around the club with your thumbs staying on the top. Keep the club in your fingers, rather than in your palm, and grip lightly.

Then comes the stance: Place your feet shoulder-width apart, and line up the ball with the inside heel of your front foot. Swing back by turning your shoulders and hips away from the target, keeping your head still. Start the swing back to the ball by turning your hips toward the target as you swing through. Your hands should finish over your shoulder on the follow-through.

2. IRONS. Use a hybrid club instead of a 3-, 4- or 5-iron. Hybrids are much easier to hit. At your setup, place the ball halfway between the middle of your stance and the front foot. The shorter the club is (the higher its number), the farther back you want to place the ball. But don’t go farther back than halfway between your feet for full swings.

3. SHORT GAME. That’s chipping and putting. Practice it about 10 times more than you think you should. The stroke is similar for both. In putting, start with the ball just in front of mid-stance. Your backswing and follow-through should be equal distance. The longer the putt, the more backswing and follow-through.

4. BUNKERS. Stand with the ball near the front of your stance, lining it up with the inside heel of your front foot. A lot of people are afraid of hitting out of the sand. Just take a full swing, aim an inch behind the ball — this is one of the rare cases in golf where you do not hit the ball first — and follow through so the sand helps lift the ball out of the bunker.

5. PITCH. This is when you’re off the green about 40 to 100 yards and want to loft the ball high without too much roll. Stand with your feet closer than shoulder-width and so the ball is at the mid-stance. When you swing, think of a light karate chop down on the ball. Keep your hands ahead of the ball. Follow through with your arms, but not as far as a full swing with irons or woods. The ball should fly up, then almost stick on the green because of the backspin.

6. ROUTINE. Having a pre-shot routine is important. With tee shots, chips, irons, I:

1. Take two or three practice swings;
2. Get 10 feet behind the ball and face the target;
3. Visualize the shot I want to hit;
4. Set up to the ball and hit it.

On putts, after I read the green, I go 10 feet behind the ball facing the target and try to visualize the ball going in, take two practice swings next to it, then hit.

7. GENERAL THOUGHTS. Try not to think too much. The more things you think about, the worse you’re probably going to hit. Aim for the fairway. When I’m on the practice tee, I try to invent competition scenarios so I’m not just hitting as hard as I can. If there are flags or trees, I use them as targets. I say to myself: “This is the right side of the fairway. This is the left.” You practice how you play. Commit to the shot you want to hit. Don’t second-guess yourself.

8. ATTITUDE. Everyone struggles at some point with something. Earlier in high school, if I had a bad hole, I’d think negatively and it would keep getting worse and worse. You have to realize that the best players in the world have bad days. You want those bad days to be as good as possible. Sometimes the weather makes it hard to play. You can’t let the conditions get to your head. Understand that sometimes, par is a good score. Sometimes bogey is too. If you want to be the best, learn to accept those kinds of things. Be patient. Be confident. Practice as much as you can.

"Tips to improve your golf game" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Wire-controlled toy car (not radio controlled, for better battery life)
• Velcro fastening tape, adhesive backed
• Screwdriver
• Pliers

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Step 1: Remove the body shell from the toy car with a screwdriver.

Step 2: Remove the front wheel and axle.

Step 3: Using the fastening tape, attach the car near the bottom end of the door. Using the remote control, see if it can push the door open or closed. If not, reposition the car for more traction. When you find the proper position, you will be able either to move the door with your hand or let the car do it.

Optional: You can break off the entire front part of the chassis so that it takes up less space and cover it with materials for a more appealing look. Mount the remote control as desired. You may want to use a hanger for added support.

Author Cy Tymony was a Boy Scout in Chicago, Ill., and he says he never forgot his Scout training in resourcefulness. Check out his book, “Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things” for more fun projects or read more in the September 2005 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

"Use an old toy car to make a power door opener for your bedroom" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Caricatures are simplified portraits of real people, intended to be funny.

This won’t be easy. Drawing caricatures takes roughly the same skill as threading a needle while whitewater rafting. But like anything difficult, there are tricks you can learn to make it easier. And, if you want to get really good, follow these three time-tested, can’t-miss, slam-dunk steps to success:

Practice. Practice. Practice.

STEP 1: LOOK FOR BASIC SHAPES

When artists analyze a subject, they look for basic shapes. For instance, the human head can be divided into three parts — the skull, the jaw and the chin. These three parts can be drawn using a circle, rectangle and triangle.

The face, too, can be boiled down to simple shapes.

Notice that the head in Figure 1 is not unusually wide or long. The face in Figure 2 isn’t out of the ordinary either. This person is dull, bland, blah and nondescript.

Add Figure 3’s bad hairdo and you’re on your way to funny.

Practice drawing a “typical” head and face.

STEP 2: RECOGNIZE WHAT IS NOT TYPICAL

All good caricaturists share the ability to see what is not typical about a person.

Let’s practice this type of observation. We’ll choose as our subject someone who was definitely not typical, someone we all recognize, someone known and loved the world over. Please put your pencils down and give a warm welcome to the 16th United States president, Abraham Lincoln!

Compare Abe’s photograph with our “typical” head and face in Figure 2. Notice anything that is not typical?

Here’s a hint: Place your hand over the top part of Abe’s head so that only what’s below the nose can be seen. Look at the jaw and chin. Keep looking.

O.K., imagine a “typical” skull that would match this jaw and chin.

Now remove your hand.

Whoa! Isn’t the top part of Abe’s head HUGE? His brain pan is so big, it could star in its own science-fiction movie.

Look for other differences:

• How do Abe’s eyes strike you? (Deep set and dark.)
• What about Lincoln’s lower lip? (Pushed to the left.)
• Abe’s ears? (Round and large.)
• His nose? (Crooked.)
• His cheeks? (Sunken.)

Getting the hang of this? If so, you have taken the first steps toward becoming a caricaturist.

Your next practice assignment: Look at people around you and try to figure out how they are not typical.

(Note: BL warns its readers not to use their new skills for bad purposes. For instance, under no circumstance should a Boy Scout draw his Scoutmaster to look like Pedro the mailburro. Unless he can make the caricature really funny.)

STEP 3: EXAGGERATE

Now we’ll draw a caricature of Abraham Lincoln. Begin by making a big circle that represents his size 3XL skull. Draw a scaled-down rectangle for Abe’s jaw. The triangle for the chin should match the jaw. (Figure 4)

Add the shapes of Abe’s face. Place the eyes low on the skull to emphasize his humongous forehead. The triangle for the nose should be fairly typical. Since his ears are rounded, represent them with half circles. Shift the lower lip to the left. Finally, sketch a few lines for the shape of Abe’s hair. (Figure 5)

Next, sprinkle your drawing with details. Make the eyebrows thick and heavy. Put the eyelids at half-mast to give the eyes a world-weary appearance. Place some natural waves in the hair and tight squiggles in the beard. Now, shade in the dark areas. (Figure 6)

This is how history remembers Lincoln—worn down by war, sad and solemn, thinking great thoughts. We’ve captured him perfectly for, say, a sculpture.

But caricatures are supposed to expose a person’s personality. Folks of his time said Abe didn’t look like his photographs — the pictures couldn’t capture his lively expressions.

We have to add some humor.

So here’s a quick lesson in cartoon expressions. Once you’ve gotten the hang of drawing a likeness of Abe, add some crazy eyes and a wild mouth to give him a wide variety of looks and moods. Use the ones shown here as examples or inspirations.

Now you have the skills you need to draw exaggerated caricatures of Abraham Lincoln. You can show him as he really was — full of life.

If your first drawings don’t turn out well, try again. The more you practice, the more you’ll improve.

Once you get good at Lincoln, use what you’ve learned to draw caricatures of other U.S. presidents. Draw your parents. Your siblings. Your friends.

Draw your teachers, but do so with all the love and respect that their high positions deserve.

Remember the three most important steps to drawing great caricatures: Practice, practice, practice!

A STORIED HISTORY

Exaggerated pictures of people first appeared on cave walls. As long as people have been drawing, there have been portraits with buggy eyes and big noses.

But caricaturing is believed to have begun in the mid to late 1400’s — the same time the printing press was invented. Suddenly, knowledge could be widely and cheaply distributed. One result of this information revolution be-came known as the Reformation.

Religious reformers used printed pamphlets to attack the Roman Catholic Church. Since many people of that time couldn’t read, simple pictures illustrated the pamphlets. The drawings showed church leaders as grotesquely evil and ugly.

Exaggerated portraits didn’t have a name until the late 1500’s. That’s when an Italian art school run by the Carracci family developed a fast style of informal portraits called “caricature.” The word comes from caricare, which means “to overload” (such as to overload a wagon).

HEY, ISN’T THAT …?

Abraham Lincoln loved humor. Folks of his time said Abe was so funny, he could make a cat laugh.

Most everyone admires Lincoln now — some experts rate him the best U.S. president ever. But during the Civil War, many people hated Abe. Leaders in the South considered him a threat to their way of life. Leaders in the North brushed him off as a country bumpkin unfit for his job.

As a result, cartoonists from both South and North took aim. Old Abe became one of the most caricatured people in history.

So by drawing Abe, we’re following a long tradition.

Plus, it’s fairly easy to draw a likeness of Lincoln. Even if your drawing looks like a naked mole rat, add a beard and stovepipe hat and your friends will say, “Hey, it’s Abe Lincoln!”

"How to draw funny caricatures" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

The result? Lots of laughs — and some surprisingly good chow.

Orange Peel Cakes

THE CHALLENGE: Bake cakes in the coals.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 8 oz. box Jiffy yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 large, thick-skinned oranges

Cooking a cake on coals is a snap when you use a hollowed-out orange peel instead of a pan.

The Scouts combined the cake mix, egg and water and stirred up some batter. Then they cut a small “lid” in the top of each of six big navel oranges and scooped out the insides, just like carving a pumpkin. They were very careful not to damage the shell.

The Scouts ate the orange pulp, then poured the cake batter into the gutted oranges, each about two-thirds full.

They popped the “lids” back on the oranges, wrapped them in heavy foil, and set them on the coals for about 20 minutes, turning them often.

THE RESULT: The orange-peel cakes were a hit. Spongy and moist, with a hint of, well, orange, they could be eaten with a spoon or peeled for a hot orange cake.

Pinto Bean Fudge

THE CHALLENGE: Don’t think about it — just keep stirring.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• Butter for greasing pan

Pinto Bean Fudge is for real, thanks to a long-ago camper who discovered that a can of pinto beans can be substituted for a pound of butter when making fudge.

To make it, the Scouts combined sugar and milk in a large pan and boiled it for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. They then added the remaining ingredients (including the beans!) and stirred until the marshmallows melted. Finally, they poured the finished fudge into a shallow, buttered pan and tucked it in the cooler to chill.

THE RESULT: Delicious, with no hint of an aftertaste from the pinto beans.

Dingle Fan Chicken

THE CHALLENGE: Can something called a “dingle fan” cook chicken at all?

EQUIPMENT:

• Long pole (a broom handle works well)
• 6-inch length of chain
• Heavy string
• Wire
• Wire cutters
• Paper plate
• Skewer or short stick
• Large and small rocks
• Instant meat thermometer
• 2 “S” hooks or additional wire

INGREDIENTS:

• Whole chicken
• Seasonings
• Butter for basting

Dingle fan roasting is for campers who have better things to do than fuss over their food. Rather than endlessly basting and turning a piece of meat over a fire, campers can let this fan-powered rotisserie do the work.

The Scouts wedged a long wooden pole between two rocks so that it angled very near — but not directly over — the flames. Next, they attached a short length of chain to the end of the pole using the wire and “S” hooks.

The next step was to make the dingle fan by sticking a paper plate on the end of a metal skewer. The fan would be attached to the chain, from which a raw chicken would hang. (Be sure to leave enough space between the fan and the flames, since that plate could catch fire if it’s left too close.) A small rock or other was attached to the free end of the skewer to counter-balance it and make it level.

If everything was set up correctly, the heat from the fire should hit the fan, causing the chicken to slowly rotate throughout the cooking process.

All we needed now was a chicken, innards removed, seasoned and buttered and bound in string.

Once dangling from the chain, the chicken wouldn’t need tending other than basting it occasionally with butter. After about two hours, it should be fully cooked, but the Scouts planned to check it with the meat thermometer to be safe.

THE RESULT: Even after falling into the dirt a couple of times, the Dingle Fan Chicken was a thing of beauty. The fan had worked. The chicken was golden and crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside.

Jiffy Pop Salad

THE CHALLENGE: Turn pop corn into a meal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package Jiffy Pop popcorn
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
• 3/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup minced chives

Jiffy Pop Salad combines popcorn, bacon and celery mingled with mayonnaise for an unusual flavor combination.

The Scouts popped popcorn over the camp fire, blended it with the remaining ingredients and served immediately.

THE RESULT: Not surprisingly, this recipe isn’t a huge hit with all the Scouts, although it got good reviews from some of the tasters.

Solar Oven Bread

THE CHALLENGE: Bake a loaf of bread … without fire or electricity.

EQUIPMENT:

• Jar, painted black on the outside
• 2-foot by 4-foot sheet of cardboard
• Aluminum foil
• Clear plastic bag

INGREDIENTS:

• Premade, refrigerated bread dough (or make it homemade)

Cooking with the power of the sun is ideal for campers who want to try something fun and different.

Our solar oven called for bending a 2-foot-by- 4-foot sheet of cardboard into the shape of a funnel and covering the inside with aluminum foil. When the funnel is angled toward the sun, heat builds up in the base of the funnel.

The Scouts made bread dough and kneaded it for about five minutes before putting it into a two-quart jar, spray-painted black to make it absorb more heat. They could have also used premade, refrigerated dough.

Before putting the jar into the funnel, the Scouts slipped it into a clear plastic bag, then blew air into the bag and closed it with a twist tie. This extra step created a “greenhouse effect” around the jar, allowing for additional heat build-up.

If all went well, the dough would rise inside the jar and, perhaps, bake.

THE RESULT: The Scouts kept their eyes on the solar oven all afternoon and had given it an occasional nudge to keep it in the path of the sun’s rays. Its temperature had peaked at 310 degrees. Not only had the dough risen, it had baked to perfection, filling the jar.

Ice Cream Football

THE CHALLENGE: Make ice cream without a freezer

EQUIPMENT:

• 2 (1-quart) zip-top bags
• 2 (1-gallon) zip-top bags
• 1 (8-pound) bag of ice, crushed or in cubes
• 1/2 cup rock salt
• Newspaper
• Heavy-duty tape

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

You need milk, cream and sugar to make ice cream, plus rock salt and lots of ice. As long as the ingredients keep moving and stay cold enough, the mixture will turn into ice cream.

The Scouts measured the ingredients into a quart-size zip-top bag, and squeezed out all the air and sealed the bag. They placed this bag inside the other quart bag and sealed it. Then they put this double-bagged ice cream mix inside a gallon zip-top bag.

They then filled the gallon-size bag with ice, sprinkled the ice with rock salt and sealed the bag. They placed this bag inside the other gallon bag and sealed it again.

Now for the football part.

The Scouts wrapped the bags in layers of newspaper and secured the bundle with duct tape. The resulting “football” was ready for about 20 minutes of passing — to keep the mixture moving — before being spiked into the ice chest.

THE RESULT: The ice cream was cold and delicious.

"How to Cook Some Goofy Grub" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

• Listen to portions of BL’s interview with Ken Burns
• See the winners in the Join Scouting Video Contest
• See the winners in the Smoking Stinks Video Contest

Ken Burns knows a little something about making movies. His famous documentaries, including “The Civil War” and “Baseball,” have won many awards over the years.

BL sat down with Burns, a former Scout, and asked for his best advice on making movies.

“Filmmaking is difficult but unbelievably rewarding,” he says. “It involves a lot of details that require a lot of patience. If you remember some of these basic tips, you can’t go wrong.”

TELL A STORY. The most important thing is to know what you want to do in your video. What’s the story you want to tell? You’re going to be leaving something that is going to last a long time. Take advantage of this opportunity. Say you have a grandfather who was in World War II. Talk to him and get his story. You can record any great experiences like this. Long after the subjects are gone, you have a record — and this becomes our new family albums.

LIGHTING. Today’s video cameras respond in very low lighting situations, which is good, but this can lull a filmmaker to “sleep.” And quite often it’s important to have better lighting on your subject.

Shoot practice footage first and see what it looks like. You might be shooting somebody in a living room and it’s a little murky, but it looks O.K. in the viewfinder. Then when you review the video, it doesn’t look good. Consider positioning your subject next to a window where there’s more light, turn on a light in the room or in a particularly dark situation, add your own light to make it more beautiful.

THE LOOK. Do you want a handheld or steady look to your video? The handheld approach gives you some intimacy, but it also has problems: The audience can get a little dizzy. If you choose to go this way, concentrate on being as steady as possible.

For a steadier look, put the camera on a tripod and don’t move it around too much or too quickly. Constantly moving the tripod doesn’t work very well unless you have a fluid head — an expensive piece of equipment that attaches to the top of the tripod and lets the camera move in a fluid motion while panning or tilting.

You can always change the shot and move to a different angle. Follow the action but don’t do wild, unnecessary movements. That’s what makes a video look like just home-movie stuff.

SOUND. Always be aware of the sound around you. Our ears tend to filter out that noisy refrigerator, the traffic outside, the TV or radio in the next room, other chatter. With film, these sounds get in the way. Remember that the microphone on the camera doesn’t filter out sound as our ears do.

FRAMING. Figure out how to frame things well in each shot so that they’re pleasing to the eye and also help tell your story. Once again, take advantage of the instantaneous feedback of video to see if your techniques are working.

EDIT. Whether you use a PC or Mac, there is a lot of easy-to-understand home video-editing software to help you shape your film into a coherent story. You don’t have to assume that whatever you shot is whatever you get. You have the ability to edit.

NO RULES. There really are no rules in filmmaking. Even the jerkiest, murkiest, loud and noisy films can sometimes be unbelievably effective. But that’s because the filmmaker wanted them that way. If you don’t want them that way, do everything you can to prevent it.

It’s important in any art form for people to experiment. There’s going to be that one person who figures out how to break all the rules and make a masterpiece. At the same time, you have to know what you want to do and how you’re going to do it. And if you can get there by breaking some of the rules, that’s great.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and good luck.

"Tips for making movie magic" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

It’s not as easy to get an autograph in person as it was when your dad was your age.

Professional athletes today tend to keep their distance, and some will sign autographs only for money. Still, there is a way to get autographs both from current players and from players who have been retired for years: the U.S. mail.

Think you know the rules of baseball? Make the call in our quiz.

Here’s How:

• Go through your sports trading cards and identify a player you would like to ask for an autograph. It’s probably best to start with less well-known players, because they’re less likely to receive as many requests.

• Write a polite, friendly letter asking the player to autograph your card. Remember that athletes, like all celebrities, receive many requests from fans. Writing a thoughtful letter is key.

• If the player is still active, simply mail him your request in care of his team. Addresses for all Major League teams can be found at mlb.com. For retired players, most libraries will have a book or two containing player addresses. Try Jack Smalling’s “The Baseball Autograph Collector’s Handbook,” available in some libraries or at baseballaddresses.com. This book, updated periodically, contains more than 11,000 addresses of players, coaches and umpires.

• Once you have a player’s address, mail the letter and the card with a self-addressed stamped envelope, and be patient. It can sometimes take months to receive a reply. Good idea: Send only cards of which you have duplicates. Some players won’t respond, and you’ll never see the card again.

• When you do get a signed card back, be sure to send a thank you note.

Laugh your way to the ballpark with these baseball jokes

What Autographs Do You Have?

Tell us which autographs you’ve collected and how you got them in the comments field below.

"How to Get a Player’s Autograph" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 1 large can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits. Pillsbury Grands! Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits or the equivalent work well. Avoid using “flaky” type biscuits.
• Vegetable oil
• Frying pan or Dutch oven
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup confectioners or powdered sugar
• 2 lunch-size brown paper bags

WHAT YOU’LL DO

SAFETY FIRST! Hot oil can splatter, burn or catch fire, so please ask an adult for help before trying this recipe.

1. Separate the refrigerated biscuits.

2. Use a knife to cut a hole in each biscuit. You can also use the cap from the vegetable oil for perfect circles.

3. Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a frying pan or Dutch oven and add as many biscuits as will fit. The hot oil can splatter, so be very careful!

4. Fry the biscuits for a few minutes, flipping them over with a fork or tongs when they are golden brown.

5. When the doughnuts are done, remove them from the pan and put them on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.

6. For cinnamon-covered doughnuts, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a paper bag. Add the doughnuts and shake well until the doughnuts are covered.

7. For powdered sugar doughnuts, put the confectioners sugar in a paper bag. Add the doughnuts and shake well until the doughnuts are covered. This works best if the doughnuts are still warm.

8. Remove doughnuts from bags and enjoy.

9. Don’t forget to cook the doughnut holes, too!

"How to Cook Camping Doughnuts" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

"Choose Pedro’s Wacky Adventure" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Using common objects around the house, you can demonstrate cool scientific laws. Here’s how:

Keeping Water Separate

Fill two identical glasses with water. Add two tablespoons of salt to the water in one glass and stir well. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water in the other glass.

Cover the glass containing the colored water with a sheet of paper, turn it upside down and place it on top of the glass containing salt water. (Be sure to do this trick over a saucer or bowl.)

Gently pull the paper out from between the glasses. The colored water and the salt water will remain separate.

How Does It Work?

Salt water is heavier than colored water, so the two stay separate as long as the boundary between them isn’t disturbed. Try turning the two glasses over, though. The heavier salt water will now be on top, so it will flow down and mix with the colored water.

A Can That Can “Walk”

Place an empty aluminum can on its side on the floor. Blow up a balloon and tie a knot in the end. Rub a tissue back and forth on the balloon.

When you put the balloon near the can, the can will start rolling toward the balloon.

How Does It Work?

When you rub the balloon with a tissue, the balloon gets a negative electric charge of several thousand volts. When you put the balloon near the can, electrostatic induction affects the molecules in the metal. The outside of the can gets a positive charge, so it is drawn toward the balloon and starts rolling in that direction.

A Candle That Sucks Water

Place a candle upright in the middle of a saucer. Fill the saucer with water. Light the candle. Place a glass over the candle. When the flame goes out, the water in the saucer will get sucked into the glass.

How Does It Work?

When the candle is burning inside the glass, the heat makes the air expand, so some of the air escapes outside the glass. The candle goes out after it uses up all the oxygen, so the air inside the glass cools. As it cools, the pressure inside the glass drops. Some of the carbon dioxide formed by the flame dissolves in the water as well, decreasing the pressure even more. The water outside the glass on the saucer is forced into the glass by the higher aire pressure outside.

A Flying Trash Bag

Hold the mouth of a black trash bag in one hand. Use a hair dryer to blow hot air into the bag.

Seal the mouth of the bag with tape. Tie a long piece of string around the tape so you can hold it. Take the bag out into the sun. The bag will rise slowly into the air. (It’s best to do this trick in an open area on a windless day.)

How Does It Work?

Since the bag is black, it absorbs heat from the sun. That heat makes the air inside the bag expand and become lighter. When the bag and the air inside are lighter than the surrounding air, the bag starts to rise.

Bending Light Through Water

Punch a hole in a clear plastic bottle two inches from the bottom. Put your finger over the hole, fill the bottle with water and cap it to keep it from draining out.

Darken the room and cover part of a flashlight with your fingers to make the beam narrower. When you take the cap off the bottle, the water will flow out in an arc. Shine the flashlight at the stream from the side of the bottle opposite the hole. The light will bend with the arc and create a bright glow where the water hits the sink.

How Does It Work?

When the light in the stream strikes the boundary between the water and air, much of the light is reflected back into the stream. The light continues this internal reflection all along the arc formed by the falling water. The same principle is used to transmit light signals through flexible optical fibers.

Reading Through an Envelope

With a black felt-tip pen, write a three-letter word in large letters on a white piece of paper. Place the paper in a brown envelope, and insert that envelope into a white envelope. The writing on the paper should now be impossible to read.

Get a piece of dark construction paper or tear out a page from a magazine that is printed on both sides. Roll up the paper into a four-inch-long tube. When you hold the tube against the envelope, you’ll be able to read the writing inside.

How Does It Work?

Usually you can’t read the writing inside an envelope because of the light reflected off the envelope’s white surface. But the tube blocks that reflected light, so you see only the light coming through the envelope.

Egg Into Bottle

Find a glass bottle that has a mouth slightly smaller in diameter than an egg. Pour some hot water into the bottle (be careful!), shake it vigorously and empty the water.

Peel a soft-boiled egg and place it on the mouth of the bottle. Leave it there for a while and it will get sucked inside.

How Does It Work?

The vapor from the hot water drives the air out of the bottle. Once the egg seals the top of the bottle, the air can’t get back in. As the water vapor cools, it turns back into water, causing the pressure inside the bottle to drop. The higher pressure of the outside air pushes the egg into the bottle.

Toothpick Torpedo

Dab a little shampoo on the blunt end of a wooden toothpick.

Drop the toothpick in a pan of water. The toothpick will start moving in the direction of the sharp end.

How Does It Work?

Shampoo contains agents that reduce the surface tension of liquids. As the shampoo on the end of the toothpick dissolves, it reduces the water’s surface tension around it, thus releasing the water’s hold on that end of the toothpick. The water around the other end of the toothpick still has surface tension, so it pulls the toothpick in that direction.

To learn more amazing science tricks, check out the book “Amazing Science Tricks” by Michio Goto

"Amazing Science Tricks with Common Household Items" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.

Keith Baldassare wants to make you a better skateboarder. And he has the skills to do it. In September 2008, Keith broke the Guinness World Record of 46 consecutive skateboard frontside ollies on a half-pipe. Keith’s amazing final tally: 348 ollies.

With a few ramps in his backyard, he has a great spot to practice right at home, which he does almost every day. Except that Keith doesn’t call it practicing.

“It’s just having a good time with my friends, being creative, doing whatever we want skating.”

Here are some skateboarding tips from Keith:

TIP 1: LEARN HOW TO FALL

It’s a fact, Keith says. “Be prepared for falls when you’re starting.” That’s why it’s important to learn the right way to take a tumble.

If the fall is too big for you to just land on your feet: Use your feet for a second as a stepping point. Tuck up into a ball (something like a skier’s tuck position), and then tumble and roll onto your shoulder.

And, Keith adds, always wear safety gear!

TIP 2: LEARN HOW TO DROP IN ON A RAMP

Start with the tail of your board on the edge of a ramp. Next, push down with the front foot and stay centered over the skateboard.

TIP 3: LEARN HOW TO OLLIE

You’ll be airborne for this trick, which can be done on either a flat surface or on a ramp.

Kick down on the tail of the skateboard and then level out the board by sliding your front foot forward. Think of it as sort of a jumping motion with the board “glued” to your feet.

This will take lots of practice. But once you master the ollie, you’ll have the foundation for many other tricks.

Click here to find more skateboarding tips and tricks.

"Skateboarding Video Tips and Tricks" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.