Make tasty energy balls from dates

• Take a look at our guidance on food preparation. 
• You could run our kitchen hygiene activities before this session.
• Always have a hand washing station, washing hands regularly throughout this activity, and taking extra hygiene precautions when handling food. If you're using gloves to prepare food, treat them like your hands. Wash any gloves before using them and in between if necessary.
• Spray and wipe down all working surfaces and tables with anti-bacterial spray before and after use, and wash any equipment you’re using in hot soapy water.
• Take extra hygiene precautions when handling raw meat, such as regular hand washing.
• Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate, having separate equipment for raw and cooked meat, and washing up equipment as soon as it's been used. 
• Make sure food is properly cooked before you serve it. Always cut through poultry and meat to make sure it's fully cooked, especially when barbecuing food. Make sure it's cooked slowly and thoroughly, and not just done on the outside.
• Always follow cooking instructions and never use food past its use-by date. 
• Keep food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible.

• At the start of this activity, remind everyone of kitchen or indoor cooking safety rules and how to act safely. Always tie hair back, tuck in neckers and loose clothing, and wear closed toe shoes. Take a look at our kitchen safety tips.
• You may want to run a demonstration on how to use the equipment safely, such as for cooking or chopping ingredients. You could use our kitchen safety activities before this session.
• Make sure any cooking equipment or heat sources, such as ovens and hobs, always have adult supervision, including during free time and arrival times. If anyone struggles with sensing danger, you should consider providing extra adult supervision. This could be especially helpful at unstructured times, such as breaks or waiting to cook.
• Remind everyone to keep their fingers away from any knives. You may want to use blunt, child-friendly knives, or you could also have ingredients pre-chopped.
• If you’re using a gas stove, tabletop hob plates or a mini oven, make sure it’s on a stable heatproof surface and in a clear and open area, with plenty of ventilation. Gas appliances and sources can increase risk of carbon monoxide exposure. Take a look at our guidance on different cooking methods and carbon monoxide.
• You may want to put child-safe locks on cupboard doors to prevent access by young people, especially for cupboards containing matches, cleaning products or chemicals.

• People can work in small groups or as a whole group to bake or cook. Each group should have adult supervision.
• You may want to be in groups, but everyone to use the same cooking source, rather than having each group have their own.
• You may wish for groups to make or prepare the ingredients in a wider, more spacious area, then invite each group into the kitchen to cook one at a time. 
• Remember the groups not using the kitchen or cooking will still need to be supervised, always following the Yellow Card. 
• Make sure you have all the ingredients ready. You may want to pre-chop or pre-measure some activities.

Scouts is open to everyone. We don’t identify exclusively with one faith, and we welcome people of all faiths and of none.

We know it’s important for people to learn about each other, including understanding different faiths and beliefs. Scouts always respects people’s beliefs, faiths and cultures, and everyone should be open to learn.

As an inclusive and values based movement, we support our members to engage and learn about different faiths and beliefs in an exciting and meaningful way, even if they don’t have a faith themselves.  

Celebrating and understanding differences, including differences in faiths and beliefs, is an important part of our Scout values, which are:

• Integrity: We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
• Respect: We have self-respect and respect for others.
• Care: We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
• Belief: We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
• Co-operation: We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.

Our value of Belief and its exploration helps Scouts to learn from other faiths and beliefs. This encourages them to develop or build their personal beliefs and understand their shared values, whether faith-based on not. 

We know that learning about faiths, beliefs and different attitudes can help to break down barriers, helps us all to recognise what we have in common, and teaches us to value and respect other people. It also helps us to build up respect, acceptance and knowledge for each other, leading to a more co-operative and inclusive society. 

In our diverse society, people can sometimes feel cautious talking about  this sensitive subject. However, it's important that Scouts offers young people safe, exciting and open spaces to explore faiths and beliefs. They should be able to engage in personal reflection, as they question and develop their opinions and understanding of the world around them.

Making time for personal reflection and developing our beliefs means exploring the places, people, communities, celebrations or stories which hold meaning for us, and it may not necessarily mean exploring a faith. 

For example, someone’s shared values may be their Scout Values and that person may choose to reflect on them at important times, such as when they make their Promise. Others may choose to reflect at certain times of the year, such as a faith-based festival, birthdays, meaningful events or at New Year. Some people may still celebrate events, such as Christmas, but use it as a time to celebrate family, friends and loved ones, as well as for charity and giving.

Discover more about Faiths and Beliefs in Scouts.

• Islam’s the second largest religion in the world. It has over one billion followers, who are called Muslims.
• There are five pillars of Islam: the declaration of faith (Shahadah), praying five times a day (Salat), giving money to charity (Zakat), fasting (Sawm) and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).
• The five pillars of Islam provide a framework for a Muslim’s whole life – it’s about putting their faith first, not trying to fit their faith around the rest of their life.
• Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic year. It lasts for around 30 days and is measured from one sighting of the crescent Moon to the next.
• One of the pillars, Sawm, is about fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Scholars agree that several groups of people aren’t required to fast, including children, the elderly, people who are menstruating, pregnant, or breastfeeding, and people who are ill.
• The nightly meal that breaks the fast after sunset is called Iftar. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr.