October 2024

Black History Month is a chance for us all to share, learn, celebrate and understand the impact of Black heritage and culture. 

Activities to try:

• Try craftivism and learn about Rosa Parks
• Discover Black History heroes
• More activities for Black History Month

Learn more about our race equity work in Scouts.

Rosh Hashanah is a special festival that celebrates Jewish New Year. It’s a time for celebration and reflection.

Activities to try: 

• Make a reflections paper chain
• Reflect with a game of snap
• Plan a visit to a synagogue

Learn more about faiths and beliefs in Scouts.

National Poetry Day encourages everyone to make, experience and share poetry. The theme for 2024 is counting.

Activities to try:

• Be a blackout poet
• Enjoy some Scottish poetry

World Space Week's an international celebration of space science and technology, and how it benefits society.

Activities to try:

• Make teddy space helmets
• Go stargazing
• Try a cosmic quest

World Animal Day focuses on animal welfare and creating a better future for animals.

Activities to try:

• Make a bird feeder
• Learn to identify birdsongs
• Craft some animal masks
• Try some animal yoga 

Take time to say thank you to a grandparent or important person in your life. You may even wish to use this day to say thank you to older members of your community. 

Activities to try: 

• Create light up cards
• Make handprint celebration cards
• Make bubble print gift wrap

Libraries Week celebrates all that libraries have to offer. Since 2023, it became Green Libraries Week.

Badges and activities to try:

• Create a community library 
• Squirrels Story Time activity badge
• Beavers Book Reader activity badge
• Cubs Book Reader activity badge
• Scouts Librarian activity badge

World Mental Health Day takes place every year on 10 October, with this year's theme being "It is time to prioritize mental health in the workplace”. 

Activities to try:

• Go forest bathing
• Create a breathing buddy
• Build a wellbeing box

Yom Kippur, which means the Day of Atonement, is marked in the Jewish calendar. It’s a time when Jews reflect and ask God for forgiveness. It happens 10 days after the beginning of Rosh Hashanah.

Activities to try: 

• Plan a visit to a synagogue
• Explore Judaism with Faith feathers

Learn more about faiths and beliefs in Scouts.

Recycle Week 2024 is all about rescuing recyclable items from the rubbish bin. 

Activities to try:

• Try junk modelling
• Turn old wrapping paper into gift cards
• Make recycled tin can characters

Declutter, then donate or recycle your unused electricals. Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be reused or recycled. Find your nearest donation or recycling point on the Recycle Your Electricals website.

International Pronouns Day is a day that aims to make respecting, sharing and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. 

Activities to try: 

• Try pronoun pairs
• Make a spoon puppet of an LGBTQ+ legend

Find out more about LGBTQ+ inclusion in Scouts.

National Burn Awareness Day raises awareness of the main causes of burns, such as hot drinks, hobs, hair straighteners and hot water bottles.

Activities to try:

• Find out how to help someone who's burned themselves
• Practise how to call 999 in Emergency superheroes
• Test your skills with Emergency scenario bingo
• Work towards your Emergency Aid Staged Activity Badge.

World Food Day is about ending hunger, making sure that everyone can access a healthy diet and building a sustainable future.

Activities to try:

• Support a local food bank
• Eat more sustainably with Food for thought
• Track your food footprint

JOTA-JOTI is the world’s largest radio and digital Scouts event. It's a great chance to take part in an international Jamboree and you can earn a special blanket badge too. 

Activities to try:

• Take part in a JOTA-JOTI event
• Try your hand at Amateur radio
• Play some virtual games

World Energy Saving Day is all about the importance of reducing our energy consumption and using renewable sources.

Activities to try: 

• Learn how to reduce your energy usage
• Make a DIY solar shower
• Build your own wind turbine
• Learn how to reduce your water usage

Apple Day is an annual celebration of apples and orchards. It's traditionally on 21 October in the UK, but events happen throughout the month.

Activities to try:

• Make a backwoods apple crumble
• Make an apple bird feeder
• Make some groovy smoothies

At 2am, the clocks go back by 1 hour, marking the end of British Summer Time (BST). Don't get caught out by the changing clocks and enjoy that extra hour of sleep!

Bring out your inner archer as you channel the legend that is Robin Hood. 

Activities to try: 

• Make your own mini bow and arrow 
• Try Archery or Soft archery

Halloween is celebrated in many countries around the world. Try some of our Halloween activities.

Activities to try:

• Make some mummies in That's a wrap
• Go on a spooky scavenger hunt