One of the hardest things about being a den leader is making the plan for your den to get their adventures done. Every den is different, but here is the formula I use for making my plan:

1. Get a copy of the Den Leader Guide for your den. Many of these are available online in PDF format. I found it incredibly helpful though slightly overkill as our meetings are only one hour long and some of the meetings for the guide feel like they could be three hours long.

2. Grab a copy of the Cub’s book for your den. Again, much of this is available online in PDF format.

3. Make a calendar of your den meeting dates. This lets you know what you have to work with. For our pack, we typically have three den meetings a month and one pack meeting (the last Tuesday of each month).

4. Know your weather patterns. I’m in coastal Georgia, so I can do most outdoor activities year round. Not everyone else can. This is helpful to know in your planning.

5. Map your required adventures and one elective first. Read through the Cub’s book for each adventure’s requirements (I matched mine up to the modified requirements by starring in the book the ones that were still required and crossing out the ones that no longer were). Be on the lookout for items that can overlap or may have similar tasks that could be completed in the same meeting.

6. See if there are activities that you can piggy back for requirements. For example, our council does four campouts each year at their campground. I plugged in for camping and hiking requirements of two adventures to be done during these outings.

7. Don’t be afraid to assign homework. I want our meetings to be activity time, and some items, like developing a prayer or learning a song for Duty to God, can more easily be done at home and brought back for discussion at another den meeting. Just be sure to let parents know enough in advance so they can get it done.

8. Once you are done with the required adventures, start plugging in the electives. Don’t be ashamed to go with your strong suit, or to make the ask of parents to help pull off ones they may have experience to share.

The Cubs can complete anything if you set the right expectations.

If you are a Wolf den leader, feel free to check out my Wolf Year plan for a jumping off point in your planning. You may also want to check out these Den Leader Resources available from Scouting.org.