Pancake Tuesday
It’s that time of year again! Did you know? Pancake Tuesday (or Shrove Tuesday) is a religious tradition where families would use up their eggs and food at home for a feast together before the Lenten period. Now is the perfect time for you use Pancake Tuesday to start the new Sustainable Scouting from Home programme.
The Sustainable Team recently launched their new programme to help us to stay activities at home. You can earn a one-off Sustainable Scouting from Home 2021 badge and even work on your special interest badges or Better World awards too! Check out the badge requirements here and full list of programme on a plate here.
Here are 10 tips to get started on the new programme with your sections for Pancake Tuesday and get to know the SDGs! Make sure to share your activity on social media with #SSFH21 #SustainableScoutingFromHome
1. Switch off the Internet (briefly!) (see prosperity category)
While we are all zoomed out, why not use Pancake Tuesday as a day to disconnect? When making your pancakes, turn off the internet and enjoy distraction free cooking time at home. Take a picture of your pancakes and you can share them on a Jamboard document or share the screen at your next Zoom meeting.
2. Cook a Meal with Limited Ingredients (see people category)
Can you make your pancakes with ingredients already in your house? You could make up savory or sweet pancakes to use up leftover fruits or vegetables. Think caramelized bananas, melted chocolate bars, or even spinach and cheese pancakes for dinner!
3. Mindfulness (see people category)
Did you know? Mindfulness can achieved by practicing awareness in the present moment and accepting ones thoughts, emotions and feelings throughout the process. Cooking for some is a form of mindfulness which you can read about here. When you are preparing and cooking the ingredients for your pancakes, can you focusing your attention on the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the task at hand? What do you notice?
4. Switch off electricity (see prosperity category)
Get back to basics and find resources you already have at home to cook your pancakes! Can you challenge yourself to do this without electricity? Do have you have tea-light, matches and a tin or can at home? Try making mini pancakes on a DIY tin-can stove at home.
5. Find out about Fair Trade (see partnership category)
When making your shopping list for Pancake Tuesday, can you try buy only Fair Trade ingredients and toppings? If you cannot find Fair Trade options can you find locally grown options instead?
6. Twin your Scout Group (see partnership category)
Do you know of a group abroad you can reconnect with? Or would you like to twin your group for the first time? Food is a great way to share and experience different cultures. You could invite a group to your Pancake Tuesday session and share the religious tradition of Lent. What traditions could you learn about from another scout group?
7. Cleaner Cleaners (see planet category)
Did you know that washing -up after those delicious pancakes could be made into a badge-worthy activity too? Try make a washing-up cleaner for your dishes that is less polluting to the environment. Here are a few ideas to get you started!
8. Lighten your Carbon Footprint (see planet category)
What is the carbon footprint of your pancakes? Do you think it’s relatively high or low? What about the toppings like Nutella, sugar, lemon, cream, marshmallows and strawberries? There are lots of online calculators you can use like this one to find out! You can always simply ask your section to find out the different countries their ingredients and toppings came from and discuss the air miles and how far or how little the product travelled too.
9. Turn off the Tap! (see planet category)
Try a new washing up habit to save water after you make your delicious pancakes. Simply fill up a basin of water using hot water already in the tap instead of using the dishwasher or leaving the tap running to wash-up! A really simple action that helps saves our precious water.
10. Make don’t buy kitchen sponge (see planet category)
Feeling crafty? Instead of buying a new kitchen sponge, make one! Before you get stuck into making your pancakes, make the washing-up afterwards a little more enjoyable with a new cool and colorful sponge! Check out this video for some ideas.