Knot your average relay: Let the challenge begin!
Get ready to race and tie in the 'Knot Relay'! This high-energy activity challenges Scouts to work together, master essential knots, and pack their ropes neatly—all while competing against the clock. It's a fun way to build teamwork, communication, and knot-tying skills in a dynamic and engaging format.
Before you begin
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Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely
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Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers
What you'll need
- Several lengths of rope
What's the objective?
Patrols race to complete the following tasks in order:
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Tie a Reef Knot
- Tie a Figure Eight Knot
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Tie a Clove Hitch
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Pack up the rope neatly (e.g. coil it correctly)
The first Patrol to successfully complete all the steps, wins! Ready, Set, Tie!
Set Up
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Divide Scouts into Patrols of equal size (2–4 per Patrol works best)
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Provide each Patrol with a length of rope for each Scout
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Mark a starting line and set up a designated area for knot-tying about 3 meters away
Starting the Relay
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Patrols line up at the starting line
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At the signal, the first member of each Patrol runs to the knot-tying area, ties a reef knot, and runs back to tag the next team mate
Progress Through the Knots
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The second teammate runs to the knot-tying area, ties a figure eight knot, and runs back to tag the next person
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The third teammate ties a clove hitch and runs back
Packing the Rope
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Once all three knots are tied, the final task is to pack up the rope
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Each Patrol member must participate in coiling or securing their ropes
Winning the Relay
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The first Patrol to complete all tasks and return to the starting line with ropes neatly packed wins the relay
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A Leader should verify that each knot is tied correctly and the ropes are properly packed
Change the challenge level
Try some of the following ideas to increase the challenge of your Knot Relay.
- Require Scouts to tie knots while blindfolded
- Patrols must tie all knots using only one hand
- Apply a time penalty for any incorrect knots or messy coiling
- Add a small obstacle course to navigate between the starting line and the knot-tying area
- Include more advanced knots like a bowline or round turn with two half hitches
- Introduce a time limit for each Scout to tie their knot before they must move on
Reflection
This activity emphasizes teamwork, communication, and knot-tying proficiency while offering flexibility to suit various skill levels and group sizes.
- How did you work together during the relay?
- Did any one need help learning the knots?
- How did you communicate who did which challenge?