Summertime Fun Activities
Time to pack up the family for a little road trip.
As promised in my Xanadu post, here’s a list of requirements from the various programs that may blend well with (or inspire) your family summer plans.
Well, this is part one. There are so many possibilities with merit badges alone that I scooted them into their own post, coming up later today.
If you’re specifically looking for outdoor activities (camping and more), check out my Before You Go Camping post for a succinct list of requirements for Cub and Boy Scouts.
Possible summertime-fun requirements:
Faith in God Serving Others requirement 7: “Plan and hold a parent-child activity, such as a dinner, picnic, hike, day trip, or service project.”
Faith in God Developing Talents requirement 5: “Visit an art museum or attend a concert, play, or other cultural event. Share your experience with your family or activity day group. ”
Tiger Scout requirement 1G: “Go to a library, historical society, museum, old farm, or historical building, or visit an older person in your community. Discover how family life was the same and how it was different many years ago.”
Tiger Scout elective 22: “With your family or with your den, have a picnic — indoors or outdoors.”
Tiger Scout elective 41: “Visit a train station, bus station, airport or boat dock.”
Tiger Scout elective 42: “Visit a zoo or aquarium.”
Wolf Scout requirement 10c: “Plan a walk. Go to a park or a wooded area, or visit a zoo or museum with your family.” and 10f: “Attend a concert, a play, or other live program with your family.”
Wolf Scout elective 18a: “Help plan and hold a picnic with your family or den.” and 18b: “With an adult, help plan and run a family or den outing.”
If you like to fish, check out the six fishing activities for Wolf Scout elective 19 Fishing.
Likewise for the Cub Scout Fishing Belt Loop and Pin.
Wolf Scout elective 23h: “With your den or pack or family, participate in a worship service outdoors.”
Bear Scout requirement 3d: “Find out where places of historical interest are located in or near your town or city. Go and visit one of them with your family or den.” (Great for the Stay-cation!”)
Bear Scout requirement 5d: “Visit one of the following: Zoo, Nature center, Aviary, Wildlife refuge, Game preserve.”
Bear Scout requirement 9e: “Make some trail food for a hike.” and 9g: “With an adult, cook something outdoors.”
Bear Scout requirement 10a: “Go on a day trip or evening out with members of your family.”
More camping, hiking, picnic-ing and outdoor fun options in the five requirements for Bear Scout requirement 12: Family Outdoor Adventure.
Bear Scout elective 1c: “Visit a planetarium.”
Bear Scout elective 5a: “Help an adult rig and sail a real boat. (Wear your PFD.)”
Bear Scout elective 9b: “Visit an art museum or picture gallery with your den or family.”
Bear Scout elective 15c: “Visit a burned-out forest or prairie area, or a slide area, with your den or your family. Talk to a soil and water conservation officer or forest ranger about how the area will be planted and cared for so that it will grow to be the way it was before the fire or slide”
Bear Scout elective 16d: “With your family or den, visit a livestock exhibit at a county or state fair.”
Bear Scout elective 23e: “Mark a map showing the way to a place you would like to visit that is at least 50 miles from your home.”
Webelos Scout Family Member activity badge requirement 8: “Tell what your family does for fun. Make a list of fun things your family might do for little or no cost. Plan a family fun night.”
It would be easy to earn the Webelos Scout Traveler activity badge while on a family trip. Be sure to leave some time beforehand for your scout to help map and plan the trip.
Webelos Scout Geologist activity badge requirement 8: “Take a field trip to a geological site, geological laboratory, or rock show. Discuss what you learned at your next Webelos den meeting.”
Webelos Scout Naturalist activity badge requirement 4: “Visit a museum of natural history, nature center, or zoo with your family, Webelos den, or pack. Tell what you saw.”
For several camping and hiking activities, including helping to pitch a tent and cook outdoor meals, see the Webelos Outdoorsman activity badge.
Webelos Aquanaut activity badge requirement 6: “With an adult on board, show that you know how to handle a rowboat.”
Cub Scout Art Pin requirement 1: “Visit an art museum, gallery, or exhibit. Discuss with an adult the art you saw.”
Cub Scout Astronomy Pin requirement 6: “Visit an observatory or a planetarium. Give a report on what you learned to your den.” (If you do this, see if you can talk to an astronomer to fulfill requirement 5.)
Cub Scout Citizenship Pin requirement 10: “Attend a community event or visit a landmark in your community.”
Cub Scout Collecting Belt Loop requirement 3: “Visit a show or museum that displays different collections.”
Cub Scout Communicating Pin requirement 12: “While traveling, make a list of road signs, animals, or license plates that you see.”
If you’re going on a family trip, be sure to check out the requirements for the Cub Scout Family Travel Belt Loop and Pin.
Cub Scout Geology Pin requirement 11: “Visit a mine, oil or gas field, gravel pit, stone quarry, or similar area of special interest related to geology.” Visiting with a geologist fulfills requirement 12. If you go to a cave, have your scout complete requirement 13: “Draw the inside of a cave showing the difference between stalactites and stalagmites.”
Cub Scout Heritages Pin requirement 2: “Attend a family reunion.” In fact, if you do this you may want to read through the requirements for the Heritages Belt Loop and Pin.
Cub Scout Music Pin requirement 6: “Attend a live musical performance or concert.”
Cub Scout Nutrition Pin requirement 11: “Visit a farm or ranch. Talk with the owner about how the farm or ranch produces food for families.” (We have an olive farm nearby that features a restaurant where you can eat freshly-baked bread and olive oil. Oh yeah baby. That’s nutritional, right?)
Cub Scout Photography Pin requirement 8: “Visit an art exhibit that features photography. Write a list of some of the things you saw and felt during your visit.”
Cub Scout Science Belt Loop requirement 3: “Visit a museum, a laboratory, an observatory, a zoo, an aquarium, or other facility that employs scientists. Talk to a scientist about his or her work.”
Cub Scout Wildlife Pin requirement 1: “Visit a wildlife sanctuary, nature center, or fish hatchery.” and 7: “Visit with a person who works in wildlife conservation, such as a park ranger, biologist, range manager, geologist, horticulturist, zookeeper, fishery technician, or conservation officer.” and 8: “Visit a state park or national park.”
Cub Scout Bicycling Pin requirement 7: “Go on a “bicycle hike” with your family or den. Obey traffic rules related to bicycling.” and 9: “Visit a bicycle race or exhibition.”
If you go hiking, check out the Cub Scout Hiking Belt Loop and Pin, just released this year.
Another new one, great for summer activities, is the Cub Scout Horseback Riding Belt Loop and Pin.
If you do any outdoor activities, check out the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award, a special award that’s fun to earn and can be earned again in each successive year of Cub Scouting.
Boy Scout Second Class rank requirement 1b: “Using a compass and map together, take a five-mile hike (or 10 miles by bike) approved by your adult leader and your parent or guardian. (If you use a wheelchair or crutches, or if it is difficult for you to get around, you may substitute ‘trip’ for ‘hike’ in this requirement)”
Boy Scout First Class rank requirement 2: “Using a compass, complete an orienteering course that covers at least one mile and requires measuring the height and/or width of designated items (tree, tower, canyon, ditch, etc.).”
**Look for Merit Badges in an upcoming post**
Duty to God Deacon – Educational, Personal and Career Development requirement 6: “Attend a cultural event such as a church, school, or community play, music program, or musical.”
Related posts:
Belt Loops and Pins, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Duty to God, Faith in God, Outdoor Activities
[...] if you missed my other list of Summertime Fun Activities. Since there are 126 merit badges, and BSA is big on the great outdoors, I decided to put the merit [...]