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Balancing Bears

Cub Scouts · Adventure, Elective

Printable worksheet (PDF)

Balancing Bears shows you the math hiding in nature. You'll make trail mix with math, look at animal patterns, and find symmetry in plants and creatures. Once you start looking, you'll see patterns everywhere.

Why it's worth it

Balancing Bears shows you that math isn't only in your workbook. It's in the trail mix you share, the stripes on a zebra, the wings of a butterfly, and the petals of a flower. Once you learn to spot patterns and symmetry, you'll start seeing them on every walk. Scientists and artists use these same patterns to understand and design the world.

Start this week

  1. With your adult, cut an apple across the middle and look for the star inside.
  2. Look at your face in a mirror. How does the left side compare with the right?
  3. Pick an animal with stripes, spots, or bright colors to learn about.
  4. Make a list of trail mix ingredients you could bring to share.

Stay safe

  • Ask about food allergies before sharing trail mix, and leave out nuts if anyone needs you to.

Requirements · 4

Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).

  1. Requirement 1

    Make trail mix using trail mix math

    Tip: Measure and mix ingredients, then figure out how to split the trail mix evenly.

    For example: Mix 2 cups of cereal, 1 cup of raisins, and 1 cup of pretzels. That's 4 cups. If 8 Scouts share it evenly, how much does each one get? (Half a cup.)

  2. Requirement 2

    Find an animal with a pattern in its appearance and investigate how it uses that pattern

    Tip: Pick an animal like a zebra or tiger and find out how its pattern helps it hide or warn others.

    For example: A monarch butterfly's bright orange warns birds that it tastes bad, a fawn's spots help it hide in patches of sunlight, and a zebra's stripes may confuse biting flies.

  3. Requirement 3

    Find examples of bilateral symmetry in nature

    Tip: Look for things that match on both sides, like butterflies, leaves, or your own face.

    For example: Bilateral symmetry means one side matches the other, like a mirror. Look for it in a butterfly, a maple leaf, a ladybug, a dog's face, and your own body.

  4. Requirement 4

    Find examples of radial symmetry in nature

    Tip: Look for things that spread out from the center, like flowers, starfish, or a cut apple.

    For example: Radial symmetry spreads out from the center like spokes on a wheel. Find it in a daisy, a starfish, a snowflake, a sliced orange, or a sand dollar.

Places to visit

Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.

  • A botanical garden, nature center, or zoo

    You can find dozens of flowers, leaves, and animals to check for symmetry and patterns in one visit.

    How: Have your adult check the website for free days or a kids' scavenger hunt, and bring a notebook to sketch what you find.

Talk about it together

  • Where did you find symmetry that surprised you?
  • How does an animal's pattern help it stay alive?
  • What's the hardest part of splitting something evenly?
  • If you designed an animal, what pattern would you give it, and why?

Good questions to ask a naturalist or garden guide

  • Why do so many flowers have petals arranged in a circle?
  • What's an animal pattern that fools predators?
  • Where can we find symmetry in this park or garden?

Helpful reads

For leaders & parents

  • Take a short nature walk where scouts hunt for both kinds of symmetry.
  • Have each scout bring one trail mix ingredient for the math activity.

People & places that can help

Pairs well with

Counts toward

More Bear adventures

Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.