Time needed: 20–30 minutes
Materials needed:
Setup: For this badge, you will get to choose your adventure—jog while you explore the outdoors or go on a hike and play games.
Activity: Before you begin your adventure, you will need to plan and train for it:
1. Stretch and work your muscles. Ask an adult to help you put down six pieces of masking tape on the floor in lines, spaced two to three feet apart. Then jump from one line to the next with both feet. Then do it on one foot. Then skip a line or two. You can also do the same thing, but backwards.
2. To get a good stretch, stand at the first line and bend down. Now, walk your hands out as far as you can go without moving your feet. Lie down and stretch to see how far you can reach between the lines. What else could you do to get your body ready for your adventure?
3. Find out what you need for your adventure. Ask an adult to make a list with you. Some things on your list might be a backpack, bug spray, hat, rain jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen, or anything else needed for the weather. Make sure to wear good running or hiking shoes. Bring extra water and a healthy snack. What else will you want on the trail?
4. Practice breathing from your belly. When you breathe, you get oxygen. Oxygen gives you energy for your adventure. Put one hand on your belly and take a deep breath. Your belly should move out like a balloon. As you breathe out, your belly should move back to normal. Practice breathing like this for one full minute. Breathe in for a two count and out for a two count.
5. Last, do a jogging game with an adult to get you moving. This game is called Run Like an Animal. Animals move at different speeds. Some are fast and others are slow. Ask the adult to call out different animals every 10 to 20 seconds, so you can copy their speeds as you jog. For example, sprint like a cheetah, run like a horse, jog like a pig, and walk like a turtle. Do you change the way you run when you go at different speeds? Which animal is your favorite?
Troop Leaders: The instructions for all badge steps are available free of charge in your Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit.
Girl Scout Activity Zone activities have been adapted from existing Girl Scout programming.