Programme Ideas - The Beaver

A member of the Rodent family
An adult Beaver weighs between 15 and 34 Kilograms, can grow upto a metre in length plus 20cm of tail.
Has a thick coat of wool and fur
The two front paws are like human hands and has five toes, while the feet at the back have five toes but are webbed in order to aid swimming.
When Beavers swim under water they close their ears, mouth and nose to keep water out.
On land they move logs, mud and stones using their front paws.
Has excellent sense of smell and hearing.
Can be found in North America, Scandanavia and Eastern Europe.
They work mainly at night. Cutting logs down in Spring and early summer.Repairing and building its house in Autumn.
Beavers live in lodges, which are a mound of sticks, moss and stones with a domed roof which is plastered with mud. It can be found on the banks of rivers and streams.
Up to 12 Beavers can live in one lodge.
The Beaver is a very clean creature, which cleans itself and lodge regularly.
Baby Beavers are called Kits.
When in danger it slaps its tail on the ground repeatedly.
The following activities can be used with individuals or as part of a group.

To make badges with a Beaver on them and the child’s name.
To read a selection of stories about Beavers
To make a Beaver dam and lodge, using a mirror and sticks. Collected by the Beaver Scouts prior to the meeting.
To make a Beaver puppet out of various materials and make a uniform
To make Beaver biscuits
To make a Beaver bookmark from either felt or foam.
Play a selection of games based on the Beaver
To use the sense of smell to recognise substances in darkened jars
Go on a sound walk around headquarters
Make a collage of a Beaver using natural material collected on a scavanger hunt