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Cub Scout Adventures >

Arrow of Light >

Little Free Library

Arrow of Light – 5th Grade

Citizenship

Required

Requirement 2

Little Free Library

Arrow of Light – 5th Grade

Citizenship

Required

Requirement 2

Little Free Library

Snapshot of Activity

Cub Scouts build a little free library from recycled materials and fill it with books to support their community.

Outdoor

If you want to know more about The Adventure Activity Key click here.

Supply List

SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist

For the library book box:

An unfinished pine frame with an inside measurement of 8″ x 10″
Pallets, or old discarded fencing or wood, wood should be the same thickness, no less than 3⁄4″
2″ x 2″ x 11″ board for the roof cleat
Pocketknife
Exterior wood glue
Pipe clamps
Two self-closing overlay hinges
Cabinet knob
A sheet of clear acrylic, large enough to be cut to fit into the groove in the back of the frame
Very fine-toothed saw (or utility knife if your acrylic is thin)
If your wood is 3⁄4″ thick, you will need 60 1 1⁄4″ exterior wood screws
Drill and drill bits for predrilling lag bolts and screws
Crosscut saw and ripsaw
1⁄4″ drill bit for vent holes
Sandpaper
Exterior paint

For the post:

4″ x 4″ x 5′ fence post
Two 2″ x 4″ x 6″ boards
2″ x 8″ x 14″ board
8 1 1/2″ exterior wood screws
8 3/8″ x 3″ galvanized lag bolts

Books for the library

Directions

Before the meeting:

Complete the SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist if you have not done so already for this project in requirement 1.
Become familiar with how to build a little free library Scout Life “How to Build a Little Free Library.”
Find a location for the little free library. Ask your Chartered Organization or other community groups if they have a place for it.
Ask Cub Scout parents or legal guardians to help collect the needed supplies.
Talk to Cubmaster about holding a pack book drive to stock the little free library.

During the meeting:

Review the SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist with the Scouts.
Collect more than enough boards to build the library, because some of the recycled wood will not be usable. Choose the cleanest wood from your pile. Remove any nails and cut off any unusable wood.
Cut the remaining boards to a rough length. The boards should not be too long when gluing and clamping them together. Sand all the edges and any rough spots.
Choose several boards close to the same length. Apply a thin layer of glue to all the edges and clamp them tightly together as shown. Allow each panel to dry overnight. Clamp and glue together enough panels to make all the parts of the library.
Use the drawings as a guide to cut to size the door frame, gable end supports and roof cleat.
Use the drawings as a guide to cut to size the roof, walls, floor and gable end sections. Glue and screw the walls, floor, door frame and gable end support together.
Glue and screw the gable ends to the supports. Screw the roof cleat to the inside of the gable ends. Glue and screw the roof in place. Drill two 1⁄4″ holes at the top of each gable end for ventilation.
Cut and fasten the acrylic window inside the door. Hinge the door to the door frame, and screw on the cabinet knob.
Paint the library any colors you wish. Mount your library on a post (4″ x 4″ x 5′) buried 2′ in the ground. Fill it with books, and your library is complete.

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Cub Scouts participate in a special nation-wide project to create holiday cards for military personnel. Please have letters mailed to the Scouting America National Service Center by November 7, 2025.