Girl Scouts of the USA created a new Outdoor Adventurer badge in 2015.
Girl Scout Brownies go on amazing adventures and learn new things to do outdoors. This badge is featured on the Girl Scout S'mores sash and on the back of the cookie.
Step 1: Play outdoors in a new way []
Start your adventure by finding a new way to get moving outside! Maybe set up a sprinkler and dance through it with friends. Climb a big hill and have a picnic at the top. It’s all up to you—just get outside and try something new!
CHOICES — DO ONE:
- Try an outdoor challenge. How could you take something you like to do outside and make it a bit more adventurous? Invite a friend to climb a hill that’s taller than the ones you’ve climbed before. Partner up and bike a little farther or in a new place. Or think up your own idea! Just make sure to get permission for whatever you decide to try.
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- Explore the night. After the sun sets, and out how the world outside changes. Grab a flashlight, team up with an adult, and go for a nighttime walk around your neighborhood. Search for nighttime critters. Chase re ies. Listen for sounds. Do you hear crickets or frogs? Do you see the Big Dipper in the sky? Use the stars as your disco ball and dance!
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- Have fun with water. Take a rowboat on a lake or river. Slip o your shoes and wade in a creek. Jump over the shallow waves at the edge of the ocean. Skip a stone across a pond. (How many skips can you get before it sinks to the bottom?) If you know how to swim, take a dip in the ocean, lake, or pool.
Step 2: Explore nature []
Nature is the hundreds of plants and insects you see when you hike a trail. It’s the puffy clouds in the sky. It’s the sound of frogs croaking. It’s the smell of owers. It’s the way a worm feels slimy when you touch it. Nature is awesome. It’s surprising. Sometimes it’s even weird. Let’s explore it!
CHOICES — DO ONE:
- Go on a nature hike. Go on a treasure hunt to collect leaves, pinecones, shells, acorns, and odd-shaped rocks. Follow tracks on a trail—were they left by humans or by other creatures? Or go bird watching and count how many di erent kinds of birds you see.
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- Create a scent diary. Bring a notebook and draw or write about the things that create the unusual, amazing, and mysterious scents you can nd outdoors. (You can even tape things that you nd into your notebook!) Do you smell pine from a tree? Leaves or wild owers? A camp re burning? How does the air smell after a rain? Whether exploring on a trail, in a local park, or in your own backyard, make sure to stop and close your eyes to take in the scents. Can you describe what you smell?
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- Sky watch. On the next page, learn about di erent kinds of clouds. Then go outside and look at the sky. What colors and shapes do you see? Are the clouds white or gray? Can you see through them, or are they thick and u y, like cotton candy? Are the clouds moving? Watch the sky at di erent times of the day to see how it changes. Draw at least ve of the di erent cloud shapes and colors you’ve seen.
Step 3: Buddy up and play outdoor games []
Playing outdoors is fun, of course! And playing outdoors with your friends is even better. It can also help you get ready for your outdoor adventures. So play away!
CHOICES — DO ONE:
- Play a survival game. Develop your senses by playing the Survival Tent Game or get stronger and faster playing Capture the Flag.
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- Play a night game. Grab some friends and a ashlight, and head outdoors after the sun goes down! Try a nighttime scavenger hunt and check o things you might see or hear, like the North Star or crickets. Or play a game of ashlight tag.
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- Play a water game. Experience fun ways to be around water and get wet! Fill small balloons with water, and use them to play catch with a friend. (Remember to pick up and throw away the balloons that break!) Who can stay dry the longest? Or do a water limbo dance: Try moving underneath a water stream from a hose without getting wet. If you’re in a pool or lake, play a tag game like Marco Polo.
Step 4: Learn a camp skill []
Camping out is a great way to experience the outdoors. Whether it’s in your backyard or on a campsite, learn something that will come in handy on a campout.
CHOICES — DO ONE:
- Prepare a camp re. Collect dry twigs, wood shavings, sticks, and large wood for a re. Stack your materials into three separate piles: What can be used for tinder? Kindling? Fuel? Then, make an A frame with three pieces of kindling, just like in the drawing. Leave a space under the crossbar. Lay a handful of tinder against the crossbar inside.
For More FUN! If you’re somewhere you can safely build a camp re, ask an adult to check your fire setup. Then ask her to light it to see if it works! Don’t worry if it doesn’t. Try to figure out why, and then ask the adult to try it again!
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- Tie an overhand knot and a square knot. There are many kinds of knots. Learn these two: the overhand knot, which is made with one piece of rope; and the square knot, which is also known as the joining knot. Follow the steps in the picture, and then tie something, like a bundle of clothes or food in a bag. The overhand knot is also known as a stopper—can you see why?
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- Learn to roll a sleeping bag. The smaller or tighter you make your sleeping bag, the easier it is to carry. Practice rolling and tying your sleeping bag tightly. If you have a sleeping bag that goes into a “stu sack,” or a bed roll, that’s ne, too! Practice rolling it as tightly as you can before you stu it into the sack or tie it up.
Step 5: Care for the outdoors[]
Find an outdoor space you love, and think about how to make it even better. Outdoor adventurers are champions of the world outside!
CHOICES — DO ONE:
- Improve a trail. Tell a family member or your troop leader that you’d like to help out at a city or state park. You can do things like help clear an old hiking trail or think of ways to remind people to protect plants and wildlife.
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- Care for animals. How can you help other living things around you? You might put up a bird feeder or create a birdbath out of a recycled container. You could plant owers like zinnias and marigolds to attract hummingbirds. Or pile up lots of dead branches and leaves to give small animals a place to nest and hide.
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- Help an outdoor space you love. What’s your favorite outdoor place? What could you do it make it even better? You could talk with your troop leader about planting new bushes or trees. Or get together with your troop and come up with your own ideas!