The countdown to Christmas is on!
MONDAY 12th December @ 18:30, St Thomas’ Church.
We are hosting a Scout Xmas Market on the 12th December at 6:30pm. Please come along and support us. Our Rother scouts have been busy making handmade products for you to purchase (They are working towards their fundraising badge along with many others for this project). We’ve got bird boxes, Xmas wall plaques, gift boxes and tags, tree decorations and lots lots more.
We hope you have a wonderful time. As we will not be meeting during the holiday, we’ve put together a selection of fun things to do together with the family to get everyone in a festive mood.
Most of these ideas can be linked into badges for your young person, just make a note, take a few pics and let your section leader have them when we start back in January 2023. The leader will then update your child’s badge records, it’s a great way to bump up the badge earning ?
Read a Christmas story together
There’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than with a Christmas story (or two!). Fantastically festive tales like The Snowman, The Jolly Christmas Postman, or The Nightmare Before Christmas will help you spread a little cheer and give you a chance to spend some quality time together. Why not make it a daily occurrence throughout December? Make a note and take to your section leader to link into badges.
Everyone can take turns choosing a story to read whilst you all chomp on some delicious festive snacks. Speaking of which…
Bake some Christmassy food
Nothing says Christmas quite like some brilliant bakes! So, get your pinny on and flour those work surfaces, because it’s time to get messy. Some of our favourite recipes include these The Snowman-inspired cookies and Christmas tree-shaped biscuits, but there are so many other Christmassy treats you can make. Spread the cheer further by making big batches of your creations and sharing them with neighbours, family and friends. This is a wonderful gift as well as a great and easy way to help out those in need.
Make and send some Christmas cards
Another lovely way to connect with friends and family is to make your own Christmas cards. You can download and use our Wimpy Kid and Christmasaurus card templates, or make one really personal to you. You could all dress up and take a nice family photo – great for relatives to keep and see how you’re all doing – or enlist the help of your pet and get them to pose for a photo (you will need some treats for this!). Or just grab all the art supplies you have and go for it!
Better still, you can buy some gifts from our Scout Xmas market!
Or watch some classic Christmas films at home
You can’t beat a good ol’ Christmas movie from the comfort of your own sofa. Turn it into a family weekend ritual during December and give everyone a chance to pick a festive film to watch. The only prep work you’ll need to do is make a hot chocolate, grab some sweet treats from a selection box and pick a spot on the sofa. If you have Netflix or Disney+, you could try Teleparty (formerly known as Netflix Party). It’s a Google Chrome extension that syncs video playback so you can watch films or TV programmes with friends and family online. There’s even a chat function!
See some Christmas lights
If you don’t fancy travelling to a Christmas light switch-on event, go for a walk around your neighbourhood and spot some luminous holiday displays. Great to do as a family, you can tally up the houses you see with white lights and those with multicoloured lights. You could also play ‘I Spy’ for all the Christmas trees you can spot in the windows of homes.
Have a video call with Santa Claus
Is it even Christmas if you haven’t visited Santa’s grotto? However, if you are strapped for time or anxious about going to one, thanks to the wonders of technology, you won’t have to miss out on seeing the main guy – you can have a video call with him instead. Santa’s Calling You allows you to book a private Zoom call with either Santa, Mrs Claus, or one of Santa’s elves, and you can even request them to read you a story. All you have to do is decide on a time and date!
Build a snowman
If you’re lucky enough to get some snow over the Christmas period (apparently it is forecast we can live in dreams),
take a trip outdoors – whether that’s to your garden or local park – and build a magical snowman together. All you need to do is grab some mittens, pull on those wellies, wrap up warm and get building! Don’t forget to take a carrot for a nose and an extra scarf to keep your wintery creation nice and warm.
Turn your home into a winter wonderland
Go all out with the Christmas decorations this year and turn your home into a festive wonderland! If you’re on a budget, get crafty and make some homemade decorations. Or buy from our Market. We’ve got step-by-step tutorials and plenty of printables: make a Greg the Sausage Roll bauble or some comic-like Wimpy Kid baubles. Or print out these Hetty Feather tree decorations. There are lots of tutorials online for making wreaths, festive garlands, and other ornaments. Then when it comes to decorating, you can make a day of it. Everyone can have a job – Christmas light technician, bauble colour consultant, tinsel specialist – or a room they’re in charge of turning into a festive utopia. Don’t forget to make a jolly playlist so you can all jam along whilst you decorate.
Donate this season
Christmas is a time of giving; there’s no better time to donate than during the festive season. As a family, go through any toys, games, books or accessories you no longer need and donate them to The Salvation Army, who run a Christmas Present Appeal. We know there’s nothing nicer than receiving a book for Christmas, so give £10 to BookTrust to send a special book gift to a vulnerable child. Many families struggle with the extra costs that come with Christmas, so why not contribute to Feeding Families by donating individual food items at a collection point or by putting together a whole hamper and delivering it to the family yourself?
Make a Christmas Eve box
Start a new tradition, if you haven’t already and make a Christmas Eve box you can all enjoy. Believed to have been inspired by countries such as Germany, where they open their presents on Christmas Eve, this is a fun way to maximise the Christmas spirit. Use a cardboard box, crate, or wooden chest, and then pack in a set of new PJs, homemade goodies, Christmas stories, films, board games – whatever you want!
Host a craft party
Looking for another fun but budget-friendly activity? Host a Christmas craft party with friends or family! Simply choose some cool things to make – such as this mason jar snow globe or paper plate Christmas masks – make sure you have all the supplies, snacks, and refreshments you need, and then schedule a time and date. You could even turn it into a contest and organise prizes for the winner, if you wanted to.
Family game nights
It wouldn’t be Christmas without playing a game (or several) with your family. Board games such as Cluedo, Scrabble, and Monopoly are good for those with a competitive streak. If you like team games, try Charades, Pictionary or Trivia. If you want to get really creative, you could make this Christmas tree bowling game using empty plastic bottles or toilet rolls, or follow this poke-a-pumpkin game tutorial but make it a Christmas tree instead.
Put together a scavenger hunt
Another fun activity to do at home, especially if it’s cold and wet outside, is a scavenger hunt. Put together a list of things to find, such as an ugly Christmas jumper, a red decoration or your favourite gift of all time. Alternatively, the organiser of the hunt could place different clues around the house that everyone has to search for together. The end reward can be a secret message or some yummy Christmas treats.
Adapted from www.penquin.co.uk
It’s the 15th century and China is facing invasion from the Huns, a nomadic tribe keen to conquer the land. In an effort to gather defence, one man from every family is called to arms. But for the patriarch of the Fa family – a former warrior of great fame and respect – there are issues preventing him from fulfilling his duties. In old age, he cannot walk properly, and is certain to perish as soon as he steps into battle. That’s when his brave daughter, Mulan – tired of being mocked for being too ambitious and too tomboyish – decides to go on a secret mission to prove her worth in a society she feels is yet to acknowledge it. One dark and stormy night, she prays to her family’s ancestors for protection before fleeing into the heart of the conflict, dressed in her farther’s armour and disguised as a man. What follows is a classic Disney story of bravery, honour and a quest for love and truth – with a difference. Released at a time where the only other princesses on screen were mostly seen swanning around in big ball gowns and fainting
‘The whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If one piece busts, even the smallest piece, the entire universe will get busted.’ Set in the fictional landscape of the Bath Tub (often compared to areas of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina), this is the tale of Hushpuppy, a heroic six year old who – faced with a changing climate that threatens to flood what remains of her childhood home – decides to fight back. Along the the way, she must sail the seas, battle ancient creatures unleashed from the melting ice caps, and find her feet in an increasingly hostile world. It’s a fable that’s hard to describe, but don’t let the quirky appearance fool you. Beneath the whimsey is a film of lasting depth: a celebration of friendship forged across generations, the power of imagination and the importance of never giving up. It’s a tough watch in places, with moderate swearing and several harsh truth bombs that reveal the deep divide between the rich and the poor. But watch it with young people aged eight and above and it’s sure to become a firm favourite. 
It’s 2001 in Malawi and the Kamkwamba family, like many others in the region, are struggling to make ends meet. Despite the burdensome financial costs, parents Trywell and Agnes try to keep on top of their children’s education. But when 13 year old William is forced to leave school after they fall behind on his payments, he becomes determined to help not only his family but the whole community, who are all doing their best to deal with an escalating famine
This film’s beautiful hand-drawn animations breathe life into the most magical of Celtic myths, capturing the story of the selkies – mythical creatures capable of theriantrophy: the art of changing from animal (in this case, seal) to human form. The story follows Ben, a 10 year old boy who lives with his father, Conor, sister, Saoirse, and sheepdog, Cu, in a lighthouse near the Irish shore.
Though this ’80s classic features several big scares and swears that will render it unsuitable for some young people, it remains an absolute favourite at camps and sleepovers – and it’s not difficult to figure why. 
When we’re introduced to nine year old Icare, aka Courgette, he’s alone in his bedroom, surrounded by worn down crayons and spilled beer cans. Downstairs, his mother burps and yells at the TV. A ripped up family photo lies on the floor and an argument breaks out. After a terrible fight, Courgette finds himself sent to a children’s home where, in the words of one long-time resident, ‘Everybody’s the same: there’s no one left to love us’. What follows is a hilarious, heart wrenching insight into the care system, from the point of view of those within it. Blending wry dialogue with hartwarming stop-motion animation and a great soundtrack, it’s a unique and irresistible tale of resilience, hope and humour in the face of life’s bleakest scenarios; a testament to the power of the families we create for ourselves, geniously disguised as a harmless children’s film. Suitable for adults (who’ll be bowled over by its brilliance and tenderness) and young people (who will rightly miss some of the film’s underlying themes, but gain lots nonetheless): we can’t recommend it highly enough.
Welcome to 3rd Brampton lockdown virtual group camp.
The intention, we understand, is to avoid damage to the statue as the important debate continues around the role of historical figures, following Black Lives Matters protests across the world. This is a vital moment to have honest conversations, acknowledge the huge strength of feeling and renew our commitment to education and understanding with empathy and humility. 
bring skills, kindness and courage to millions around the world. It was here that Robert Baden-Powell founded the Scouts by taking a small group of young people from diverse backgrounds to live and work together. Their aim was to learn about the great outdoors, work in teams, and show we had more in common than divides us. Since that first camp, Scouting has grown, year on year, to become today a worldwide family, some 54 million strong, in almost every nation on earth. It is, without doubt, one of the greatest youth movements in history.