Young campaigners

Picture from the Scout Jamboree

We've got lots of fun campaigning activities for you to do. Whatever event you're holding, it's a chance to get one of our serious campaign issues across in an unusual way. Let us inspire you!

At the World Scout Jamboree

40,000 Scouts can't be wrong! We met up with them at their World Scout Jamboree to:

  • Set up a coconut shy with a difference. Instead of coconuts, we used drawings of grenades. You had to throw old books to knock them down. (Education beats conflict you see!) We've a drawing of a grenade (PDF 20KB) if you want to set up your own shy, or simply get drawing yourself.

Picture of world flags petition

  • Run an unusual petition. We got young people from all over the world to add their support to our campaigns by drawing their country's flag and then signing it with their thumb print. We ended up with flags from countries as far apart as Australia, Canada, Colombia and Sudan.

More fun activities

  • Paint campaign slogans (like Rewrite the Future, or End Child Poverty) onto wellies and hold a welly wanging competition. Who can throw their welly the furthest?
  • Make cups of FAIR INSTANT fairtrade coffee for everyone who signs your campaign petition. Money from each jar goes to Save the Children's education projects.
  • Play our Healthcare Top Trumps (PDF 527KB) to let everyone experience the conditions facing children in different parts of the world.
  • Write a message on a plate which "Dishes the Dirt" about Child Poverty in the UK - Download the End Child Poverty "Dish the Dirt" (Word 528KB) activity sheet.

 

Serious issues

These activities are fun, but we're also trying to get across some serious issues and show that campaigning works. Here's what someone had to say after one of our events on making healthcare free for children in Africa:

"Today has really helped with our citizenship studies. We've never studied about these problems in Africa before. This is real politics. We've learnt about real stuff that goes on around the world. We haven't just been doing made-up debates, like should 16 year-olds be allowed to vote. This is more practical. We learned that we can make a difference - as a country and as individual people."
Zara-Jo, 15

Get involved

Make your event count! If you want help planning your activities or need any materials, contact: Jonny Purchase, Youth Campaigner on 020 7012 6872 or email youthcampaigns@savethechildren.org.uk