River Crossing Riddle
Sections
Challenge Areas
Scout Method Elements
SPICES Growth Areas
The Adventure
Have a go at this classic riddle to get all the items safely across the river.
Plan
Gather equipment that may assist you in solving the riddle. Be creative with what might help you. For instance, you may find it useful to have props to act out the scenario or you might find paper and the pencil most useful.
Do
On one riverbank, there are three items/animals: a python, a monkey, and a bag of bananas. You must transport all three items to the other side of the river in the fewest trips. However, the boat can only hold one person (who is needed to paddle the boat) and one item/animal at a time.
The python cannot be left alone with the monkey, and the monkey cannot be left alone with the bag of bananas. You may do trips across the river without any items in the boat.
In your patrol, work out how to transport everything from the first river bank to the second river bank.
Review
- Did you manage to solve the riddle? You can check your answer against the suggested solution.
- What skills did you use and develop to solve the puzzle?
- Did you find that other members of your patrol had different approaches to solving the riddle? How?
Safety
- Depending on what you use to assist you in solving this puzzle, there may be different dangers present. Consider the different options available and ensure they are appropriate for the age group.
Variations
- The three objects/animals can be interchanged for any animal or object to fit different themes.