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Whittling

Cub Scouts · Adventure, Elective

Printable worksheet (PDF)

Whittling teaches you to use a pocketknife safely and carve something of your own. You'll learn the rules, care for your knife, and make two carvings. It's a classic Scouting skill that takes patience and care.

Why it's worth it

Whittling is a classic Scouting skill. You'll learn the Cub Scout Knife Safety Rules, practice the safety circle, and show you can open, close, clean, and pass a pocketknife the right way. Then you'll carve two things of your own, maybe from soap, a potato, or a stick. Being trusted with a knife is a big step, and it shows how much you're growing up.

Start this week

  1. Read the Cub Scout Knife Safety Rules with your adult and talk about each one.
  2. Ask your den leader which kind of pocketknife the den will use and whether you can borrow one.
  3. Get a bar of soap to carve first, since it's soft and easy.
  4. Practice the safety circle with a pencil in your hand and an adult watching.

Stay safe

  • Always carve away from your body, keep a clear safety circle, and only use your knife with an adult watching.
  • Close the knife whenever you aren't cutting, and never throw it or walk around with it open.

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).

Note: A Bear must earn this adventure before using any knife at a Cub Scout activity.

  1. Requirement 1

    Read and understand the Cub Scout Knife Safety Rules and promise to follow them

    Tip: Read the safety rules with an adult and promise to follow them every time.

  2. Requirement 2

    Demonstrate the knife safety circle

    Tip: Hold your closed knife out and turn slowly. If you can touch anyone, you need more space.

    For example: Before you open your knife, hold it closed with your arm stretched out and turn in a slow circle. If you can touch anyone or anything, move until you have a clear space all around.

  3. Requirement 3

    Show you can take care of your pocketknife and use it safely

    Tip: Practice opening, closing, and passing the knife, and keep it clean and dry.

    For example: Show you can open the blade with your fingers away from the edge, close it with your palm on the back of the blade, pass it closed, and wipe it clean and dry before putting it away.

  4. Requirement 4

    Make two carvings with a pocketknife

    Tip: Start with soft wood or a bar of soap. Carve away from your body with an adult watching.

    For example: Your two carvings might be a fish or turtle carved from a bar of soap and a marshmallow roasting stick whittled from a branch, always cutting away from your body.

Talk about it together

  • Which knife safety rule do you think matters most, and why?
  • How did it feel the first time you carved by yourself?
  • What did you learn from a cut that didn't go the way you planned?
  • What would you like to carve next?

Good questions to ask an experienced whittler

  • What was the first thing you ever carved?
  • How do you keep a knife sharp and safe?
  • What kind of wood is best for beginners?

Helpful reads

For leaders & parents

  • Keep adults close by during every carving session and teach the safety circle first.
  • Use soap or soft wood for first carvings so scouts can succeed safely.

People & places that can help

Pairs well with

Counts toward

More Bear 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.