"Children leave the right to rest and leisure and to engage in play and recreation activities appropriate to their age"

Children in Uganda make up their own games and use whatever is to hand for equipment.

Whilst the adults are busy in the fields, the older children are left to look after their younger brothers and sisters. During harvesting, the children are given the responsibility of keeping the birds and monkeys away from the fields, so they compose songs, hit empty tins and make games out of scaring the birds away.

When the girls are given the job of collecting firewood they take the opportunity of turning it into a game. When the boys have to look after the goats and the cattle, they invent games to while away the time and play their flute or harp. Wrestling is a very popular game with the boys.

Children in the villages make their own amusements and collect materials to make toys to use for games, for example banana fibres make good balls, ropes and dolls. They also use the fibres for weaving mats and making table mats and hats. They use clay for modelling. Children love to go on picnics and a visit to a zoo is a rewarding experience for them.

Activity - Games of Skill

1. Hand push. Two teams stand facing each other with their toes touching and their palms together at shoulder height. In this position each tries to push the other's hand until one in forced to step back. The person who forces his opponent backwards is the winner. Add up each team's points.
2. Two teams. When a number is called, competitors stand on their left foot and clasp their opponent's right hand. Each must try to pull the other over so that he touches the ground with his right foot or his left hand.
3. Supply each group with a different object such as an old sock, a wooden spoon, an empty tin and a handful of small stones. Ask each group to make up a game that uses their object and be prepared to demonstrate it. Have duplicate objects ready if necessary.
4. Make a collage out of natural objects. Give each group an assortment of magazines, a large sheet of paper, felt tipped pens and some paste. Ask them to make a collage or draw and colour what they consider are today's childrens' needs for instance health care - medicines, doctors, nurses. Education, teachers, books, paper and pens, toys, friends, food, the correct sort, love, family, a clean world and peace.
5. Go for a walk in the countryside and find small pieces of fallen branches. Does the shape resemble anything? Join a number of twigs together with instant glue to make animals.

 

 

Activity - Values

Give each member a sheet of paper on which the following words are written - belongings, health, religion, money, courage, truth, friendships and knowledge.

Ask each Cub Scout to think carefully about each word and then to give the most important one eight points, the second seven points and so on. They are to do this on their own. Then make up a chart for each group with the words across the top and the members' names down the left hand side. Make a group chart taken from each member's own sheet.

Discuss the results altogether.