Activity Ideas

Each Participating Group is responsible for running at least one activity. If a group brings multiple sleds they may be asked to run a second activity. The below are potential activities  that can be run and links to pages with ideas from other Klondike Derby's. They are sequentially numbered to allow easy identification to the activity coordinator.

Klondike Derby activities are setup in individual stations ("Towns") to allow the Scouts to put to use skills learnt at Scout meetings.  The team will travel between the Towns. At each Town a Klondike challenge is posed, and the Scouts use their skills to meet the challenge.

Scouters from each participating troop are responsible for setting up the Towns and obtaining needed supplies,  here are some ideas in story form to help you determine your event.


1. Customs Clearance (First station at beginning of the Derby) - Organizing Committee


Prior to the entering the Yukon, the Sled will be inspected by Customs officers . All required equipment for the journey must be confirmed. Customs will also to a Safety check . The Scouts will have to secure their items in such a way that when the sled is turned over nothing falls out. Customs will also do a visual confirmation that the Scouts are dressed for the weather  and once the sled is repacked will lift and turn the sled over to confirm packing. 

2.    Catapult Building

Patrol demonstrates lashings in the construction of a catapult.  Hosting Scouters will need Wood and rope and have the participants either make  Snowballs or can bring Tennis balls to be launched when built. Materials/Equipment Required: Spars, rope, tennis balls

3.    Tracking the lost expedition (Orienteering Activity)

Patrols use compasses to search for trail markings to find a lost expedition of scientists doing Arctic research. Materials/Equipment Required: Compass's

Issue with this activity: Scouts will follow the foot prints in the snow of previous groups. The destination should be moved for every rotation. You will need to bring compasses and set up a course.

4.    Don’t feed the Bears!!

Patrol demonstrates lashing and teamwork. Place all "food" (substitute items) into a bag and suspend from tree so bears cannot steal it during the night. Objective is "food" must be at least 4 m above ground, 3 m away from tree, 2 m below any branches, and rope must be against tree trunk until at least 3 m above ground. Materials/Equipment Required:  Bag, a suitable tree or trees and something to represent food

5.    Fire Building 

Patrol demonstrates starting a fire. An old prospector by the name of “Arctic Cat" (AC) recently passed away.  AC had been a Beaver/Cub/Scout/Venturer and Rover, and felt it fitting to bequest the “Claim” to Scouts Canada.  Your Patrol is currently on that site!  After surveying & examining the site it has been determined that “Arctic Cat ” secretly hid some  gold in tin cans filled & frozen with water! Your patrols task is to find & retrieve a gold nuggets from the tins “Arctic Cat” left behind.  Working as a team you will need to build & start a fire in order to melt the ice to free the gold.

6.    Ice Ravine Crossing

Patrol demonstrates rope work, knots and teamwork. Rope will be tied between trees to make a rope bridge.  Each Patrol must get themselves and their sled to the other side without falling into the ravine. Materials/Equipment Required:  Rope and suitably spaced trees

7.    Side Hill Maneuver

Patrol timed in moving its sled without damage over a steep uphill and downhill course. Going up requires co-operation to push sled and use rope around tree to hold sled in place between pushes; going down, use of subsidiary rope around trees for controlled descent of sled. If the course become icy, change the route

8.    Wall Crawl:

Patrols must work together, against time, making a human ladder to get all members over an eight-foot plywood wall.

Issue with this activity: Some work required to construct the wall. Make sure adults are spotting for safety.   

9. Rope Climb

Each member of the Patrol climbs a thick rope to a height of about 3 m. Any method that works, including direct ascent or pyramid of Scouts. Partial points for partial ascents. Everyone who tries should get at least one point. Materials/Equipment Required: Rope

10. Cold Weather First Aid  (Run in 2016)

It is -20 degrees Celsius and a hiker has slipped and fallen down an icy hill. He/she is conscious but his/her leg is broken with no bleeding or cuts and he/she can't move without great pain. After three hours, he/she has developed hypothermia and minor frost bite. A search and rescue patrol arrives on their Klondike sled, but the terrain is rough and the sled can only get within 10 meters of the hiker.  The patrol works together to perform first aid on the injured hiker. They need to diagnose and treat the frost bite and hypothermia and put a splint on the broken leg with available materials (eg. straight sticks that they find in the woods which they secure with bandages, neckers, belts, etc.). They then need to move the hiker carefully into the sled which is 10 meters away.

11. Winter Survival Techniques 

Search & Rescuers are asked to perform an ice rescue.  One member of the Patrol acts as he/she has fallen through the ice on a lake.  Patrol performs ice rescue using any one of the following techniques: Chain, board, self, rope or ladder using materials in the sled. After the Rescue the patrol explains what action they would take to ensure the safety and comfort of the victim. The patrol may also be asked about other ice rescue techniques, cold weather safety or preparations for cold weather outings.

12. Inner Tube Rescue

One member of the Patrol acts as he/she has fallen through the ice on a lake.  "Victim" sits on inner tube. Rope is thrown and he/she is pulled by patrol across finish line. Activity is repeated with different members of the patrol as the victim and the rescuer throwing the Rope.

13. Don’t spill the serum!!

Search & Rescuers must deliver serum to an ill prospector.  The serum (coloured water) is in an open plastic container with graduated markings, and carried in a relay-style race on the sled and by Scouts wearing snowshoes across varied terrain.  Team with less serum spilt wins!

14. Snow Blinded Obstacle Course

A long rope is run through the forest (over things, under things, around things) and the patrols attach themselves and their sled to the rope and follow the rope to its end.  However, all members of the Patrol are suffering from snow blindness and severe frostbite to their lips!!  Therefore, only one member can speak and see to lead the Patrol to safety.

15. Saw & Axe Challenge  (Run in 2016)

Patrols demonstate saw and axe knowledge and skills.  If 2-person saws are available, patrols can complete to see which team can saw the fastest through similar sized logs.

16. Snowshoe Challenge

Scouts put on snowshoes, following a challenging marked course (marked with flagging tape) and remove their snowshoes. Teams are scored on how quickly the all team members complete the course, and proper use and return of the snowshoes.

 Issue with this activity: Only reasonable if there is lots of snow. Groups will follow the snowshoe prints in the snow of previous groups. The flagged marked course will need to be changed for every rotation. .

17. Making Snow Goggles (requires pre-work)

Each Patrol will make snow goggles to prevent snow blindness.  Scouts will carve the goggles shape to fit their face, eye holes, and string holes.  Unfinished goggles can be taken home to complete. Quickly review knife safety with Scouts.  Have a first aid kit on hand in the event of an injury. Rough shape will be pre-cut out of wood.  Extra tools will be available. Scouts will need their pocket knives to carve the eye holes and rough shape.  need string to hold them on.  Also, first aid kit, etc.

18. Height and Distance Estimation

Patrol estimates the height of a tree or rock face, and a horizontal distance.

NOTES: Person planning this activity will need to have a lot of items to estimate and keep in interactive to keep the youth engaged for this activity for the full rotation duration.

19. Signaling  (Last Run in 2016)

Scenario: Patrols have five minutes to decide on a method of signaling a silent message to a line-of-sight outpost. Scorers give two Scouts a short message and send them to a visible point—for example, a point 75 yards down the trail— and instruct the Youth to signal the message back. For the transmitted messages , pick messages that the receiver cannot guess the complete message based on only a few words.  

Scoring suggestion for 10 point Scoring Sheet 

Material required:  

20. Scout Knots

Create a scenario where the Scouts will need to utilize their knot skills. The Bear Line activity is one scenario for them to utilize a few knot skills. The activity here is to utilize other knot skills. One idea along these lines if “Toxic Flood”: A chemical plant above the dam has blown up. Patrols have seven minutes to secure their sleds at least as high as their shortest Scout.

21. Prints in the snow  and tree Identification (soup kitchen activity)

1)    Patrols demonstrate their knowledge of various animal prints as they sip their soup and rest a bit.  Soup kitchen staff hand out the sheet of prints to each patrol.

2)    Patrol identifies common trees. This is usually done with evergreens, but a greater challenge would include trees that in winter can only be identified by their bark.

Klondike Derby - Committee Events (Organized at Overall Event Level)

22. Race for the North Pole 

Patrols pull their sleds around a course which will encircle the Klondike Derby Field.  Sleds will be released 4 at a time; at 60 second intervals. All members of the Sled need do the course. A sleds need to cross the finish line with all members of the sled.  

Scoring suggestion for 10 point Scoring Sheet 

23. Lunch in the Arctic 

Scenario:  Your patrol is well into your Klondike trip, weather forecast indicates a major snowstorm heading your way, you have 45 minutes before it starts and you will need to take shelter. You will need to use your one burner stoves, heat up your meals, eat, clean and pack away everything you used before the storm hits. There must be no trace of food or litter remaining at your lunch area. You will be marked on meal originality, use of stoves, no trace.

24.Ice Safety Rescue: The activity will test the youth's knowledge of ice safety, the "cold shock response", and hypothermia through a short period of questions and discussion.  The bulk of the activity will be on the youth doing (learning) various rescues: submitted "Ice Safety and Rescue" per the "Field Book for Canadian Scouting" pages 184 - 189 

• self rescue (and time to incapacitation)

• chain rescue (and why that's a poor idea)

• board (reaching object) rescue

• rope rescue

• ladder rescue


 Scoring suggestion for 10 point Scoring Sheet 


Description of Activities/Games (with less focus on Scout Skills):

25.    Help the Klondike Gold Miner

Your team has come across an abandoned GODL Mine CAMP. You need to retrieve the gold stock piled at the bottom of the mine.. The mine is old and many of the mine shafts have collapsed or are not stable. Help find the route to the gold.

26.    Smoosh Board Challenge

Search & rescuers work as a team to complete an obstacle course on the same set of skis. Materials/Equipment Required: Multi-person skies may be available from Event Coordinator

27.    Hunting for Dinner in the Arctic

Scouts use sling shots to fire dog kibble at metal pie plates (decorated as birds, hares, and geese) suspended.  Build in challenging variations (distance, obstacles, etc.).  Assign points to each type of animal.  Grade the shooters on accuracy.  Don’t worry about picking up the kibble; it becomes critter food!

28.    Fishing for Arctic Snapper (Run in 2016)

Bamboo sticks with string and metal weights become the fishing rods.  Mouse traps become the Arctic Snapper.  Set mouse traps at a challenging distance and Scouts try to catch as many as possible. Materials/Equipment Required: Bamboo sticks with string and metal weights, Mouse traps

29.    Jumping across ice burgs!

Look out!!  The ice field is breaking up and frigid water is surrounding the patrol.  the Search & Rescuers must jump all together on a few floating ice chunks (carpet/mats) to get their way back to land (approx. 50 metres).

30.    Snowshoe Shuffle

Scouts will demonstrate their snowshoeing knowledge and skill during a hike on showshoes while pushing their sled and a multi-patrol Earth Ball game. Materials/Equipment Required: Snowshoes

31.    Snow Snake Slide

The snow snake was a popular winter game played by many Aboriginal people before European contact. The game is played by making a trough in the snow for the stick to slide on when it is thrown. The method used to throw the snow snake resembles a pendulum swing with the throwing arm (hand) extending upwards in a backward motion while the balancing arm (hand) cradles the body of the stick. The purpose of the game is to throw the snow snake further than your opponent.

32.    Escape the Caribou Stampede!!

Look out!!  You feel the permafrost vibrate as a herd of caribou stampede towards you.  Get the scouts to take a run up and launch themselves on a crazy sled and see how far they can go.  Try different sleds to mix it up. Materials/Equipment Required: Crazy carpets and toboggans.

33.    Create a TV commercial

Skit time!!  give each patrol a box with the same items in it (a log, a coat, a roll of TP, string, newspaper, cans, wide marker, and any items they have in their pockets); challenge them to make up a 1-minute commercial skit and jingle using the kit.  Film patrols with a real camera and we’ll play the commercials during the banquet.




 Other Links (If you chose an activity outside of the above, please send a description to the Event Coordinator)