The Badge Archive

F.O.N. – United Kingdom (Girlguiding) Activities

These 12 activities are designed to be “carnival style” so a high volume of scouts can pass through quickly.

There are two main sections. The Leader Guide will walk you through an explanation of each of the 12 activity choices.

The Activity Signs will give a sample of what you could place on a card if you need them. It’s fun to have the cards available for scouts to vote on which activity to do or use at a Festival of Nations event.

Leader Guide

  1. Kim’s Game (Memory Challenge)
    • Place 10-15 small UK-themed items on a tray (teabag, toy bus, coin, stamp, etc.). Cover them with a towel. Reveal for 30 seconds, cover again, and ask the scout to name 3 items. This game was popularized by Robert Baden-Powell (founder of Scouting) in his book Scouting for Boys. It comes from the Rudyard Kipling novel Kim, where a spy is trained to notice small details.
  2. Welly Wanging (Tabletop Version)
    • “Wanging” means throwing. Use a small doll-sized rain boot (Wellington boot). Have scouts toss it into a bucket or through a hoop from 3 feet away.Welly Wanging is a real sport in the UK, originating in Yorkshire. It is often played at village fetes (fairs).
  3. Pancake Flip Challenge
    • Use a cold frying pan and a fake pancake (cut from felt or a beanbag). The scout must flip the pancake into the air and catch it in the pan 3 times in a row. On “Shrove Tuesday” (Pancake Day), towns across the UK hold pancake races where people run while flipping pancakes in skillets. The most famous is in Olney, England.
  4. Tiddlywinks Target
    • Use a “squidger” (large disc) to press down on a “wink” (small disc) to flip it into a cup. This is a classic Victorian parlour game developed at Cambridge University. It is still played competitively in England.
  5. Tea Bag Toss
    • Set up a nice ceramic teapot (lid open) or a teacup. Scouts stand back and try to toss a tea bag into the pot. The UK drinks approximately 100 million cups of tea per day! It is the national drink.
  6. Build Big Ben
    • Have a stack of 10 red plastic cups. The scout has 1 minute to stack them into a tower (representing the Elizabeth Tower/Big Ben) without it falling. Big Ben is the most famous clock tower in London.
  7. British Slang Match
    • Have 5 cards with US words (Fries, Sweater, Truck, Cookie, Soccer) and 5 cards with UK words (Chips, Jumper, Lorry, Biscuit, Football). Scouts must match them up. Highlights the fun differences in our shared language.
  8. Nessie Hunt (Sensory Bin)
    • Fill a bin with blue shredded paper or packing peanuts. Hide a small toy dinosaur (Plesiosaur). Scouts dig to find “Nessie.” The Loch Ness Monster is a Scottish legend said to live in the deep waters of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands.
  9. Keepy Uppy (Football Skills)
    • Using a soft foam ball or balloon, the scout must keep it in the air using only their feet or knees for 10 seconds. Football (Soccer) is the most popular sport in the UK. “Keepy Uppy” is a common playground challenge.
  10. Make the Guard Laugh
    • One leader dresses up (maybe a hat) as a “King’s Guard” and stands perfectly still. The scout has 30 seconds to make them smile or laugh without touching them. The King’s Guards at Buckingham Palace are famous for their discipline and not moving, even when tourists take photos.
  11. Post the Letter
    • Make a cardboard box painted red (like a UK Pillar Box). Scouts must run a letter through an obstacle course and “post” it in the slot. UK mailboxes are iconic bright red cylinders, originally designed in the 1850s.
  12. Conkers (Safe Version)
    • Tie a bead or ping pong ball to a string. Have another one hanging stationary. The scout must swing their string to hit the stationary ball. “Conkers” is a traditional British game played with the nuts of the Horse Chestnut tree.

Activity Signs

(Print 1/2 Sheet size)

Play: Kim’s Game

[Activity Sign 1]

Can you beat a Spy?

  1. Look at the tray of UK items for 30 seconds.
  2. We will cover them up.
  3. Can you name 3 things that are missing?

Fun Fact: This game was invented by the founder of Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell!

Source: Scouts UK – Kim’s Game

Play: Welly Wanging

[Activity Sign 2]

How far can you throw?

In Yorkshire, England, people compete to see how far they can throw a Wellington Boot (Rain boot).

Your Turn: Toss the mini-boot into the bucket!

Source: Upperthong Village Hall – Welly Wanging

Play: Pancake Flip

[Activity Sign 3]

Happy Shrove Tuesday!

In the UK, people run races while flipping pancakes in a frying pan!

Your Turn: Can you flip the pancake 3 times and catch it?

Source: Historic UK – Pancake Day

Play Tiddlywinks Target

[Activity Sign 5]

A Victorian Classic!

Use the large disc (squidger) to press down on the edge of the small disc (wink) to make it jump into the cup. This game was developed at Cambridge University and is still played competitively today!

Source: Christ’s College Cambridge – Tiddlywinks History

Play: Tea Bag Toss

[Activity Sign 4]

Time for Tea!

The British drink 100 million cups of tea every single day.

Your Turn: Can you toss the tea bag into the pot?

Source: UK Tea & Infusions Association

Play: Build Big Ben

[Activity Sign 6]

Race Against Time!

Big Ben is the most famous clock tower in London.

Your Turn: You have 60 seconds to stack these 10 red cups into a tower without it falling over!

Source: UK Parliament – Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)

Play: British Slang Match

[Activity Sign 7]

Do you speak “British”?

We share a language, but we use different words!

Your Turn: Match the American word to the British word. (Hint: A “Lorry” is a Truck!)

Source: Oxford International English – British vs American Vocabulary

Play: Nessie Hunt

[Activity Sign 8]

Search the Loch!

Legend says a creature lives deep in the waters of Loch Ness in Scotland.

Your Turn: Dig through the “water” (blue paper) to see if you can find the Loch Ness Monster hiding inside!

Source: History Hit – The Legend of The Loch Ness Monster

Play: Keepy Uppy

[Activity Sign 9]

Football Skills!

Football (Soccer) is the UK’s favorite sport.

Your Turn: Using only your feet or knees, can you keep the ball in the air for 10 seconds without it touching the ground?

Source: Phrases.org – Keepy Uppy

Play: Make the Guard Laugh

[Activity Sign 10]

Stone Faced!

The King’s Guards at Buckingham Palace are famous for never moving or smiling while on duty.

Your Turn: You have 30 seconds to make the “Guard” smile—but you are not allowed to touch them!

Source: The Royal Family – The Foot Guards

Play: Post the Letter

[Activity Sign 11]

Royal Mail!

In the UK, mailboxes are bright red cylinders called “Pillar Boxes.” They have been used since the 1850s.

Your Turn: Run the letter through the obstacle course and post it in the slot before time runs out!

Source: Anglotopia – Great British Icons

Play: Conkers

[Activity Sign 12]

A Nutty Game!

“Conkers” are the hard nuts from Horse Chestnut trees. For over a hundred years, British children have tied them to strings to play battle games.

Your Turn: Swing your string and try to hit the stationary ball!

Source: Historic UK – Conkers

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

Join the Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Leader Help Facebook Group
(Not an official GSUSA Group)

Join the Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Leader Help Facebook Group
(Not an official GSUSA Group)

See other Recommended Facebook Groups for some Scouting Organizations
(No official Groups)

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Published on January 26, 2026, by:

Tia Kennard

Click Here -> To see information References:

Disclaimer: The information published on The Badge Archive is built from the references listed below. These sources demonstrate that our content is grounded in facts and research, not opinion or speculation. Readers may consult them directly when looking for additional material.

Note: This is the complete list of all sources used across every Festival of Nations: United Kingdom resource. And yes, for those wondering, we really did read and watch every single one.

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