What do guitar-strumming bears and top hat-wearing clydesdales have to do with cold-weather camping?

You’d have to watch December 2018’s episode of Tales From the Campfire to find out. And honestly, upon first watch, you may still not have an answer to that question. But take a closer look (be sure to keep the personalities of the youth you serve in mind):

The team at Boys’ Life has created a web series and comic to entertain readers and, more importantly, break down Scouting and everyday topics central to a Scout’s experience. And since the Boys’ Life team is involved, you know this series is bound to be kind of really immature.

But seriously, these videos are made with a young sense of humor in mind and incorporate important themes that support youth development for older kids and teens.

How leaders can use Tales From the Campfire as a learning tool

Did you know there are already nine episodes of Tales from the Campfire? Plus, Boys’ Life premieres a new one each month.

Here’s how that can make your unit’s meetings more fun (and a lot easier to plan).

Over the course of your next few crew or troop meetings, start off by showing one episode – make sure you’re connected to wifi, and pull the video up on a computer screen or tablet. Then, hit play and use the episode as a jumping-off point for a discussion related to a Scouting topic.

If your wifi connection is iffy, you can text or email an episode’s link to Scouts and their parents. Then ask them to watch the video before your meeting. When they arrive, they should be prepared to discuss a topic covered in the episode and how it relates to Scouting.

Here are some of the skills and program elements covered so far in Tales From the Campfire:

Not only will using this series at meetings help teach valuable Scout skills, it’ll also liven up your unit’s time together (which is awesome because entertained Scouts are engaged Scouts.)

How to watch Tales From the Campfire

Check out the full series on Boys’ Life. There, your Scouts will find funny character bios and the comics that inspire the series. Plus, they’ll be able to comment with ideas for future episodes.

What are some other ways you balance fun and learning in crew and troop meetings? Drop us a note in the comments so others can learn from your experience!

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