Brownie - Hiker Badge
Badges earned:
Brownies: Hiker Badge (Steps 1-5)
Notes on Girls absent or special issues:
Time / Description / Supplies / Who will leadOpening Activity (10 min) / Snack
Circle (5 min) / Pledge of Allegiance
GS promise
Discussion (10 min) / Hiker:Step 1-Decide where to go
Show map of hike planned around school
Talk about Leave No Trace Principles
Have adult leaders act out not following the principles and have the girls suggest what the hiker did wrong.
1. Plan ahead
A hiker who goes on a hike without warm clothes or water
2. Stay on the trail
A hiker wanders off the trail and gets lost
3. Carry out what you carry in
A hiker who leaves his trash behind
4. Leave nature as you find it
A hiker who picks all the wild flowers
5. Be careful with fire
Girls who are running around a fire and almost fall in
6. Respect wildlife
A hiker who tries to pet a chipmunk
7. Be considerate of other visitors
A hiker who is being loud and doesn’t get out the the way to let others pass by going the other way
Notes: Girls had fun with this one and enjoyed telling the leaders what they were doing wrong. / Maps
Props
Game (10 min) / Learn about Trail Markers
Trail Markers Game (Hiker:Step 2-Practice a Hiking Skill)
Have the girls use trail markers to make a trail others can follow
1. Talk about what a trail is—a place to take a hike or walk that has markings/labels to direct you where to go. Have girls describe a trail they might have walked or hiked on, or you could talk about how road signs work. Why might trail signs be useful?
2. Divide girls into 4 groups. Have each group create a trail around your meeting place, using construction paper sticks, stones, and pebbles you have provided.
3. Swap trails and have the girls follow another group’s trail.
4. Talk about what worked, what didn’t and what you could use to make signs outside on a hike.
Notes: Girls had fun, but got a little chaotic. I gave each team a list of trail markers, but I should have had copies of the trail markers for everyone. I also should have had a big poster with them and gone over them with the girl before sending into the game. Overall a good one though and I would recommend it. Also would have been more fun with real rocks and sticks / print outs of trail markers
construction paper sticks, stones, and pebbles / All leaders will work with one group
Game (10min) / What to Pack? (Hiker: Step 3-Pick the Right Gear)
1. Gather the girls together and tell them you are going to decide what you need to pack for your walk (remind girls that this is the first Leave No Trace principle: Plan ahead).
2. Give them paper cutouts of various things (some good to bring on a hike and some not) and an envelope decorated with a backpack.
Items that you would take on a hike
o For example: clothes suitable for the weather, sturdy shoes, first aid kit, water, simple snack, map, compass, etc.
Items that you would not take on a hike
o For example: teddy bear, flip flops, laptop, messy snack
3. Split the girls into groups of 4 and have each be lead by a leader.
4. Have the girls look at each item and discuss in their group why or why they wouldn’t bring it on the hike and then put it in the backpack
5. Then gather the girls back together and have each group show a thing they did and did not bring on the hike and tell the group why they made that decision.
Notes: Girls had fun with this and it generated a lot of good discussion. At the end, I had one girl from each group choose one item from their backpack and present why the group included it. This worked well and I should keep doing this: where I have the groups report back to the whole troop on what they discussed. / Envelope decorated as a backpack
Printouts of items to bring and not bring on a hike / All leaders with work with one group
Activity (10 min) / Have the girls make their own trail mix to take home (Hiker:Step 4-Pack a snack for energy)
Talk with the girls about high energy hiking snacks
Bring an items to add to a trail snack mix: raisins, nuts (check for allergies), Cheerios, dried fruit, etc.
Have each girl choose the ingredients that she wants to put in her snack mix and add them with a spoon into her own ziplock bag.
Notes: Very fun. Only set up one station, but I should have set up two. / sharpie
ziplock bags
stuff for trail mix
spoons and bowls
Hike (20 min) / Hiking Skills
(Hiker: Step 5-Take a Hikes)
Now that you know where you will go on your walk (practice hike), go for it.
Notes: I had copies of the map and when we went on the walk, and we came to an intersection, I let the girls tell me which way to go. They had a blast and kept wanting to pick up trash (and make the a place better than they found it). Next time, I will bring gloves and trash bags. / Simple map of route
Paper
Writing utensils
Backup Activity (10 min) / Learn about plants and animals
Bring in samples of leaves from around your neighborhood and ask the girls to name the trees.
Ask the girls where they might look for certain plants or animals.
Where would you look to find:
- a frog
- a turtle
- a small bird like a chickadee
- a hawk
- an ant
- a beetle
- a mushroom
- a fish
Notes:Didn’t get to this one. / leaves
animal and insect pictures
Back up Game (10 min) / Layer Relay
Learn what it means to wear "Layers" of clothing. Discuss what types of clothes would be appropriate for different times of the year.
Then split the girls into teams and split the teams evenly on each side of the room.
One girl starts by putting on all the layers. She runs to the other side of the room and takes them all off.
The next girl puts on these same clothes and goes to the opposite side.
The team that finishes first wins.
Notes:Didn’t get to this one. / several sets of clothes that represent layers
Backup Activity (5 min) / Teach the girls a song they can sing while hiking.
If needed, use example below.
Goin' On a Lion Hunt (Audience echoes each line and sets up clap/lap-slapping rhythm.)
Goin' on a lion hunt.
Goin to catch a big one.
I'm not afraid.
Look, what's up ahead?
Mud!
Can't go over it.
Can't go under it.
Can't go around it.
Gotta go through it. (Make sloshing sounds and move hands as if wading through mud.)
Following verses:
Sticks. (Snap fingers.)
Tree. (Make gestures climbing up and down.)
Gate. (Make gate-opening gestures.)
River. (Make swimming gestures.)
Cave. (Go in it and find lion. Reverse all motions quickly to get home.)
Notes:Didn’t get to this one.
Clean up (5 min)
Closing
(5 min) / Song
Friendship Squeeze
Follow Up Email:
Dear all,
Today your daughter earned their Hiker badge
Please help your daughter fill out her award log in her Girl Scout notebook.
We earned the Hiker Badge by learning
- the 7 leave no trace principles
- how to prepare for a hike
- how trail markers work
- how to make trail mix for a high energy snack
- And did a short hike
If your daughter wants to do more with her hiking skills, some at home activities are:
- Try going on a night hike to see what stars come out.
- Visit a local park and go on a hike with your family.
- A hike can be long or short. Experiment with a hike around your neighborhood.
- Experiment with making snacks you could take on a hike.
- Walk somewhere that you usually drive.
- Lay trail signs around your home or yard and see if your family members can follow them. Trail signs we used are attached.