Want to learn, develop, and gain new outdoor skills? Lead Girl Scouts of all ages in planning and participating in safe and enjoyable activities outdoors!
Start with these basic outdoor skills while you're at one of our camp properties. Want to take a step further and try more advanced skills? We've got you covered with everything you need to make the outdoor experience both safe and fun! Visit the Volunteer Training page to learn more.
Planning an outdoor adventure is half the fun! Learn ten essential things you should put into your adventure pack. Then, find a comfortable backpack and see which of these items you can find around the house to get yourself ready:
Please refer to the Safety Activity Checkpoints (SACs) to review additional information.
Did you know? This outdoor skill is covered in several of the GSK training courses. Visit the Volunteer Training page to learn more!
Resources:
Knot tying is a great skill to have! Whether you are building a shelter or anchoring a rope to a tree, these ten basic knots are important to know. Check out a few resources below to get started:
10 Essential Knots for Girl Scouts
The outdoors can be a tough place, so it is always important to take care of yourself while you adventure! Make sure you have a hiking buddy to keep you company, check the weather and dress in layers, pack water and snacks, and remember a first aid kit!
Will it stand? Use natural materials in the woods around you to create a shelter that can shield you from the outdoor elements. Work as a team to gather materials such as branches, vines, and rocks. Consider what other materials may be helpful for creating a secure structure – can you find them in the wild? When you’re done, practice Leave No Trace by returning all-natural materials to the wild!
With a compass, you can find your way anywhere in the world. Even though these days, you might use your cell phone, an app, or the GPS system in your car to get directions, you can accomplish the same thing with a compass.
The most important thing is to learn the four basic directions found on a compass. Look at your compass and you’ll see these letters arranged around the edge of the compass housing in a circle: N stands for north. E stands for east. S stands for south. W stands for west. These directions are known as the cardinal points of a compass. If you can read a clock, you can read a compass—the directions, or cardinal points, are arranged on a compass the same way as the numbers on a clock.
Now that you know the four directions on the compass, play a game or create a scavenger hunt to practice your skills.
Resources:
Did you know? This outdoor skill is covered in the Camp Out training course. Visit the Volunteer Training page to learn more!
Aquatic environments are rich in biodiversity and fun! So,who is ready to get their feet wet? Whether you’re challenging yourself to walk up a creek bed or looking for many of the diverse fish, crustaceans, reptiles, or amphibians, you can spend hours enjoying the nature fed and nourished by creeks!
Tip: Camp Shantituck is a very popular location to visit and stomp around in the creek!
Learn more about Wildlife Diversity throughout Kentucky and Indiana.
Aquatic environments are rich in biodiversity and fun! So,who is ready to get their feet wet? Whether you’re challenging yourself to walk up a creek bed or looking for many of the diverse fish, crustaceans, reptiles, or amphibians, you can spend hours enjoying the nature fed and nourished by creeks!
Learn more about Wildlife Diversity throughout Kentucky and Indiana.
Put on your walking shoes and get outdoors to enjoy nature! Using a map of your Girl Scout property or outdoor area, find a hiking trail that interests you! Next, head out on your trek. Be sure to stay on the trail and practice Leave No Trace!
Take only pictures and leave only footprints. Practicing Leave No Trace is a crucial part of the Girl Scout Law.
Investigate the seven Leave No Trace Principles. Play a Leave No Trace game, such as Surface Hopscotch, On Display, Tip Toe Through the Crypto, or other similar game. Decide on one thing that you could do to start practicing leaving no trace at meetings and/or at home.
Resources:
Ready for treasure hunting but you don’t want to use tech? Letterboxing is the activity for you! Decipher clues, hike through the woods, and leave your special stamp in each letterbox. If there is not letterboxing set up at your camp, consider creating one or two letterboxes for future Girl Scouts to use!
Letterboxing is currently set up at Camp Shantituck and Camp Pennyroyal. If you would like to inquire about setting up this activity at our other properties, please reach out to our Outdoor Program Manager, EB Willenbrink.
No matter the weather or season, there is always wildlife to be found in nature! Create your own scavenger hunt or use ones below that challenge your nature knowledge. Search the woods for different plants, animals, fungi, and insects! You can use professional field guides or new technology such as the Seek or iNaturalist apps for smart phones.
Challenge your sense of sight and direction by taking a hike after dark! Pack a flashlight, test your nocturnal knowledge, and identify the critters who only come out when the sun sets. Discuss how the animals you may see have special adaptations that allow them to see, hunt, and survive in the dark.
Ready, set, go! The outdoors is a great place to gather with friends and play games! Some games don’t require any equipment, such as hide-and-seek, I Spy, Simon Says, or Red Light Green Light. If you have some equipment on hand, consider games like Gaga Ball, Spud, Four Square, and more.
Visit the GSK Pinterest Page for more fun, or click here.
Pack your own first aid kit! Prepare for small scrapes and bruises you may encounter in the woods. Using an accessible household item like large plastic bag or a plastic container, pack yourself some band aids, gauze, alcohol wipes, plastic bags, tweezers, hard candy, and a portable ice pack!
Learn knife safety, how to use a pocketknife, and how to whittle. Younger Girl Scouts can learn with cardboard knives or plastic knives and soap. Please refer to the Safety Activity Checkpoints (SACs) to review additional information.
Did you know? This outdoor skill is covered in the Camp Out training course. Visit the Volunteer Training page to learn more!
There are many types, shapes, and sizes of tents that you may use. Familiarize yourself with the tent you plan to use before you go camping. Make sure to count all ropes, poles, stakes, and tent pieces to ensure that you have all of them before you leave home.
SWAPS stands for Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere. They are small souvenirs made by Girl Scouts, given to Girl Scouts, to symbolize a troop, memory, or special adventure. Consider what symbol you’d like to represent and then create a small craft that can be pinned on a sash, hat, or shirt.
Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana
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