Scout kneeling to build a long blue straw tunnel, with other scouts behind

Sparks for Cub Scouts

Hands-on STEM kits for single- or multi-rank dens, Lion through Arrow of Light, designed for every scout to take what they make home.

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Sparks for every level Cub in your pack

Sparks designed for challenges at each rank.

What each rank can build

  • Lions Kindergarten

    Build a straw-and-connector tower and rebuild it taller with Straw Structures, or bring an air-powered creature to life with Monster Mouths.

  • Tigers 1st grade

    Build pathways that guide a ball to its goal with Mazes, or make a lever creature that moves with Art Machines.

  • Wolves 2nd grade

    Launch a rubber-band copter with Flying Machines, or invent a grabbing, extending arm with Linkages.

  • Bears 3rd grade

    Hand-crank an illustrated story with Screen Machines, or design a spring-driven racer with Wind-Up Vehicles.

  • Webelos 4th grade

    Build a motorized wiggling machine with Strawbots, or an air-powered grabber with Monster Claws.

  • Arrow of Light 5th grade

    Wire a battery-powered car with Electric Vehicles, build a cam-driven moving scene with Scene Machines, or make a scribbling robot with Drawbots.

Sample leader guide: Build it up, knock it down

A Straw Structures leader guide with a printable sign-off sheet.

Read the guideDownload the PDF · Print the sign-off sheet

Scouting America does not endorse, approve or certify third-party products. The den leader signs requirements off.

Questions

How long does a Spark take?

Most take 30 to 45 minutes. Straw Structures takes 30 to 60. Screen Machines, Monster Claws, Electric Vehicles, Scene Machines and Drawbots take 45 to 60.

Can a den finish an adventure in one meeting?

Yes, the Lion adventure Build It Up, Knock It Down. The Straw Structures leader guide covers all three requirements in one meeting, with activities of up to 20, 20 and 15 minutes. The guide plans for one pack per scout.

What do I need for that meeting?

Floor space and a ruler or measuring tape. Scissors to share are handy for trimming a bent straw. To get ready, watch the video and build one yourself, about 10 minutes, once.

Does the guide work for other ranks?

Yes. It lines up with Designed by Tiger, Council Fire for Wolves, Modular Design for Webelos and Engineer for Arrow of Light. The guide shows which requirements each activity covers. It doesn't list a Bear adventure.

Do I need an account for the leader guide?

No. The PDF and sign-off sheet open without an account. The sheet has one line per scout, with room for 20.

Still have questions?

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FutureMakers does not claim that Scouting America endorses, approves, or certifies these products.

Sparks to explore

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What Sparks Include
Hands connecting red straws with blue connectors beside a bag of straws and a build guide
No prep, ready to share

Small Group Packs come individually bagged for ten. Hand them out and start. No sorting, no shopping list, no prep the night before.

An open Flying Machines Class Pack with bagged parts and build guides
As low as $4.20 per learner

A Class Pack is packed in bulk for 25 scouts, with a bag for each scout, for $105 to $122. That's $4.20 to $4.88 per learner.

Hands building a Flying Machines copter
Watch the build first

Every Spark's shop page has a short video of the build, so you can see what your scouts will make before the meeting.

Large straw structures in red, yellow and blue forming cubes and tall towers in a room
Build it, change it, build it again

Sparks are made to take apart and rebuild, so scouts can test an idea, change it and try again.

Straw StructuresStraw StructuresPre-K-8thJoin jumbo paper straws into shapes and 3D structures, from towers as tall as learners to team builds that reach the ceiling.$69.50for 10 · $6.95 per learnerMonster MouthsMonster MouthsK-5thDesign a monster with an air-powered mouth that opens and closes, then give it a face and a backstory.$59.50for 10 · $5.95 per learnerMazesMazesK-8thUse gravity to guide a ball down a path of ramps from start to finish, then connect your maze with a partner's.$69.50for 10 · $6.95 per learnerLinkagesLinkagesK-8thBuild linkage mechanisms from cardboard levers and pivots, then camouflage them to create a scene that tells a story.$69.50for 10 · $6.95 per learnerFlying MachinesFlying Machines1st-8thBuild a rubber-band-powered flyer, design symmetrical wings, and test how each design flies.$59.50for 10 · $5.95 per learnerScreen MachinesScreen Machines1st-8thBuild a cardboard scrolling screen, then write and illustrate a story that plays like a tiny movie.$59.50for 10 · $5.95 per learnerScene MachinesScene Machines2nd-8thBuild a hand-cranked automaton, then create the characters and story it brings to life.$59.50for 10 · $5.95 per learnerDrawbotsDrawbots2nd-8thBuild a vibrating machine with marker legs that makes its own abstract art, then rebuild it to draw something new.$69.50for 10 · $6.95 per learnerLion and Tiger Adventure BundleLion and Tiger Adventure BundleK-1stThis bundle brings together three Sparks built for the youngest scouts in the pack, where the whole point is to build something, knock it down...$198.50for 10 · $19.85 per learnerWolf and Bear Adventure BundleWolf and Bear Adventure Bundle2nd-3rdThis bundle is for scouts who are ready to test, measure and try again. Flying Machines are reusable copters that scouts build three different...$188.50for 10 · $18.85 per learnerWebelos and Arrow of Light Adventure BundleWebelos and Arrow of Light Adventure Bundle4th-5thThis bundle is built for the oldest scouts in the pack, and it does not talk down to them. Scene Machines are hand-powered automata: scouts bu...$198.50for 10 · $19.85 per learnerMulti-Rank Den BundleMulti-Rank Den BundlePre-K-5thMost packs do not have a full den at every grade, so a Lion and an Arrow of Light end up at the same table. These three Sparks were chosen to ...$198.50for 10 · $19.85 per learner