Beginners Guide to Outdoor Skills
In a time where the average child spends more and more time a day in front of a screen, it’s essential that we encourage kids to get outside! While you likely understand the importance of outside time, what if you still have personal barriers to overcome to create that outdoor experience for Girl Scouts? If you didn’t grow up camping or in a culture or community that emphasized outdoor play and recreation, it can be overwhelming and challenging to engage in it now as an adult. But we as adults can become the barrier to Girl Scouts’ access to the outdoors—without our permission, resources, and enthusiasm, many kids don’t get the opportunity to go outside even if they want to. Getting outside with your Girl Scouts gives them the chance to try something new, work together, and lead the experience. So, start small, take it one step at a time, and work your way up—you and your Girl Scouts will reap the benefits of the outdoors in a big way. Below we’ll explore a few topics that might help you feel a bit more prepared to plan and lead an outdoor adventure with your Girl Scout(s).
Start with the basics.
Is there a specific activity your Girl Scouts want to do but you don’t know where to start? A great place to begin is by taking a look at the Safety Activity Checkpoints document. Girl Scout Safety Activity Checkpoints are detailed procedures for ensuring safety while planning and participating in particular activities such as swimming, hiking, archery, horseback riding, outdoor cooking, camping, and more. You’ll find information on how to include Girl Scouts of all abilities, gear you may need, having proper supervision, preparing for emergencies, and other safety topics specific to the activities you and your Girl Scouts will be participating in.
There are so many badges that get your Girl Scouts outside. They cover topics such as eco learning, bugs, gardening, geocaching, outdoor arts, hiking, and more! Badges are a great place to start if you’re looking for more ideas, guidance, or structure when introducing a new outdoors topic. Don’t forget, keep it Girl Scout-led! Let your Girl Scouts decide which outdoor topics they’re most interested in exploring.
We have a handful of introductory, self-paced trainings available in gsLearn. In Campfire Fun, you will learn safety, techniques, and tips for teaching Girl Scouts how to build, light, and tend a campfire. S’mores & More is a great follow-up training to Campfire Fun. This training will provide you with the basic skills to lead your Girl Scouts in their first simple cookout. You can roast marshmallows, make pie iron pizza, or cook hot dogs. You’ll learn tips, safety guidelines and group management techniques for both stick/fork and pie iron outdoor cooking styles. If you aren’t able to find these two trainings in your gsLearn account contact us and we will make sure they’re assigned to you.
Looking to practice your outdoor skills before leading your Girl Scouts in an adventure? Check to see if your service unit is offering any outdoor volunteer trainings! Additionally, connecting with other troop leaders or Juliette mentors in your area could be a great way to learn more about a topic or activity and learn about new ways you can get your Girl Scouts outside.
There is no one right way to be outdoors.
Being in the outdoors doesn’t necessarily mean you have to hike 10 miles or sleep multiple days in a row in a tent. You can go on a hike within your city. You can paint a picture while sitting at a sidewalk bench. You can camp in your backyard. You can host a troop meeting in a park. As long as your Girl Scouts are spending time outdoors, learning new skills, having fun, and staying safe, then mission accomplished! As always, keep progression in mind—and maybe you’ll eventually work your way up to a backpacking trip…or maybe you won’t and that’s okay, too!
You don’t have to be outfitted in fancy, name brand gear to go on an outdoors adventure. Outdoor recreation can be really expensive (you can’t exactly go kayaking without the kayak), but it doesn’t have to be. There’s a wide spectrum of outdoor experiences, and that spectrum also encompasses cost. While you can pack up and head out to go camping at the Badlands National Park for a week, you and your Girl Scouts can also learn about wild animals at the local park around the corner from your regular meeting spot. Many of the outdoor badges can be adapted to fit what you have access to. For activities that might require costlier gear, look into stores that offer gear rentals (like REI) or borrow from your service unit, friends, or family. Some colleges and universities also have outdoor recreation programs that rent gear to the general public. Other great options are nature and interpretive centers, which often have free or low-cost resources (like activity backpacks) that you can check out to use on-site.
Sometimes we only think of nature as remote, pristine landscapes, but if you look around, nature is actually everywhere. National Geographic has a great list of activities to help you connect with nature wherever you are. Use apps like AllTrails and TrailLink to find hiking and biking trails in your area.
Not everyone wants to tent camp, and that’s ok!
The beauty of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is that it encompasses so many things that Girl Scouts are interested in, like science, art, technology, friendship, and entrepreneurship. While Girl Scouts has a long and rich history of outdoor adventure and camping, it doesn’t have to be the only thing that Girl Scouts do. That being said, spending time outdoors and trying new things is part of a well-rounded Girl Scout experience. If you want to have an overnight, outdoor adventure with your Girl Scouts but don’t want to tent camp, you could look into other options such as renting a cabin or yurt at a nearby Minnesota or Wisconsin State Park. You can also rent cabins at our own Girl Scout camp properties!
If you are interested in camping but aren’t sure where to start, dive into the next session which covers tips and resources for beginner campers.
Tips for Beginner Campers:
Tip #1: Prepare Yourself First 
Tip #2: Prepare As A Group
Tip #3: Incorporate a Variety of Activities
Tip #4: Consult an Expert
Tip #5: Choose Your Location and Time Intentionally
Tip #6 Prepare for the Unexpected
