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Build It

Cub Scouts · Adventure, Elective

Printable worksheet (PDF)

Build It lets you use real tools to make something you can keep. You'll learn tool safety, check that your work is straight and even, and build a project from start to finish. It feels great to say you made it yourself.

Why it's worth it

Carpenters, engineers, and anyone who fixes things around the house use the same tools you'll learn here. You'll find out how to use a hammer, saw, and square safely, and why straight and even matter. At the end you'll have something you built yourself, like a birdhouse or toolbox, that you can use for years.

Start this week

  1. Ask your adult to show you the tools your family already has and what each one is for.
  2. Find something at home that is level, like a table, and something that isn't, then test both with a level or a level app.
  3. Pick two project ideas, like a birdhouse, a toolbox, or a bookend, and sketch them.

Stay safe

  • Wear safety glasses, clamp your work, and use saws and hammers only with an adult right beside you.

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

    Learn some basic tools and how to use each one properly; learn why safety matters when working with tools

    Tip: Have an adult show you a hammer, saw, and screwdriver. Wear safety glasses and keep your hands clear.

    For example: Learn the job of each tool: a claw hammer drives and pulls nails, a handsaw cuts boards, a screwdriver turns screws, clamps hold wood still. Safety glasses go on before any tool comes out.

  2. Requirement 2

    Show how to check that work is plumb, level, and square

    Tip: Use a level on a table, a square on a box corner, and a string with a weight to check plumb.

    For example: Level means flat side to side: put a level on a shelf and check the bubble. Plumb means straight up and down: hang a string with a weight next to a door frame. Square means a perfect corner: check a box with a carpenter's square.

  3. Requirement 3

    With guidance from a parent, legal guardian, or your Webelos den leader, pick a carpentry project that must be plumb, level, and/or square; list the materials and tools it needs

    Tip: Pick a simple project like a birdhouse or toolbox and write down every tool and material you'll need.

    For example: A simple toolbox plan: two end pieces, two sides, a bottom, and a dowel handle. Tools: tape measure, pencil, saw, hammer, square, sandpaper. Materials: a pine board, a dowel, nails, wood glue.

  4. Requirement 4

    Build your carpentry project

    Tip: Build it step by step with an adult nearby. Check level and square as you go.

    For example: Measure twice and mark with a pencil. Clamp the board before your adult helps you saw. Check each corner with the square before you nail it, then sand the edges smooth.

Places to visit

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

  • A home improvement store's kids' workshop

    Many stores host free hands-on building workshops for kids, with pre-cut kits and staff to help.

    How: Have your adult check the store's website or ask at the service desk for upcoming kids' workshop dates.

  • A building site or a Habitat for Humanity build, viewed from outside

    You can see how builders use levels, string lines, and squares on real walls.

    How: Have your adult ask a site supervisor or the local Habitat office if a den can watch from a safe spot or meet a builder.

Talk about it together

  • Which tool did you feel nervous about at first, and how do you feel about it now?
  • What was the hardest part of keeping your project square?
  • If you built it again, what would you change?
  • What could you fix or build at home now that you know these tools?

Helpful reads

For leaders & parents

  • Pre-cut wood for safety and keep a ratio of adults to scouts that allows close supervision.
  • Ask a local hardware store if they offer kids' workshops or donated scraps.

People & places that can help

  • Local hardware or home improvement store — Many host free kids' building workshops.
  • A family member or neighbor who builds things — Can show you tool skills up close.

Pairs well with

Counts toward

More Webelos adventures

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