As a volunteer tasked with planning an activity for this month’s Cub Scouts Pack meeting, I wanted to create something collaborative and memorable for our diverse group of ~60 Scouts (Grades K-5) with a Thanksgiving theme. My goal was to connect gratitude with the strong community of Scouting. I designed a large puzzle activity where each Scout would receive two pieces. The prompts were: (1) “What are you grateful for?” and (2) “Draw a picture of what you like about Cub Scouts.” We planned to assemble the final puzzle and proudly display it for a month or two in the temple where we hold our monthly meetings, a testament to our Pack’s unity.

We set up tables with blank puzzle pieces and an array of art supplies—markers, colored pencils, crayons, and, somehow, glitter pens made their way into the supplies : ) I placed a guide sheet at each table, where mixed-age groups of Scouts (ages 5 to 11) sat. I allotted about 40 minutes for the Scouts to dive into their creations.

Before the meeting, I wasn’t sure how receptive the Scouts would be, as meetings often focus on Scouting requirements, like the knife skills practiced during last month’s pumpkin carving. As a first-time facilitator for this many age levels I also wondered whether I could manage it. I couldn’t believe how both the parents and children completely immersed themselves in the process. The tables became hubs of focused creativity, and I heard so many “I’m not done yet” or “Already?!” when I gave them 10- and 5-minute warnings.

While the Scouts went upstairs for their Code of Honors activity and awards ceremony, a small group of parents and I worked to piece together the final puzzle. We noticed a number of pieces went missing. A few of the Scouts loved their creations so much that they could not bear to part with them! I had to make an impromptu announcement and pry the pieces away from a few reluctant artists. Parents laughed when they saw one Scout “stole” 10 pieces.

When the children returned downstairs, they immediately gathered around the completed puzzle, pointing out their pieces, thrilled at the scope of the whole picture, and celebrating their collective effort. It was a powerful teaching moment about being a “Piece of the Pack.”  The kids ended up looking for their pieces and I changed my mind about the puzzle display – a number of the kiddos asked for new blank pieces to continue creating at home.

The workshop was a hit and proved that a simple, art-based exercise focused on gratitude and community can be deeply impactful.  The greatest success was not the hanging of a large picture, but the deep personal connection each Scout made with their piece of the Pack.