Achievement 5 Let’s Go Outdoors

Baloo Archives

There is so much to do and learn outdoors!  You can have fun exploring nature and looking at trees, flowers, and animals.  You can walk, run, play games, and ride a bike. It’s even fun to sit outside!

Achievement 5F - Family activity

You can listen to a weather report on the radio or television. But it’s more fun to tell what the weather is like by going outside and using your five senses to observe what the weather for yourself.  Your five senses are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.  Some people can’t use all five senses fully, such as people who are sight impaired or hearing impaired.  Often, people who can’t use one of their senses have learned to use their other four senses very well.

5F Go outside and observe the weather.  Use your senses to help you describe what the weather is like.  What do you see?  Is it sunny?  Is it dark?  Do you see stars, clouds, sunshine, rain, or a rainbow?   What do you hear?  Do you hear thunder, rain, or the blowing wind?  Maybe you hear traffic noise, children playing, or birds singing. How does the weather affect noises like these?  What do you smell?  Do you smell flowers or freshly cut grass?  Maybe you smell the aroma of someone cooking or the odor of farm animals.  The air and wind bring these smells to your nose.   What do you taste?  If the wind is blowing across a dusty place, you may get dust in your mouth.  Does the air taste like dirt?  Does it taste like salt?  What can you feel?  Is it cold or warm?  Do you feel the wind blowing?  Do you feel rain or snow?

There is a Character Connection on Faith associated with this Achievement.  Don’t overlook this important part of the program.  Have the Adult partners be sure to carry out the discussion and have the Tiger explain what he knows (This is done by completing the first part of achievement 5F) and then explain how he feels about things he cannot see (The sun at night, the moon during the day, wind).  And finally, in discussing what you believe in but cannot see, what faith is and how you develop faith.  Faith is one of Cub Scouting’s 12 Core Values.  Don’t miss this chance to discuss Faith with your Tiger.  Commissioner Dave

Achievement 5D - Den Activity

Many trees and bushes have leaves that turn colors and fall to the ground in autumn.  Some trees have needles that stay on all year long.  You may live in a place where cacti grow.  Cacti have spines or scales instead of leaves.  Go outdoors with your adult partner and collect some leaves or needles to take to your den meeting for this activity.  Be sure to collect only fallen leavers, or get the permission of an adult before removing a live part of a tree or bush.

5D With a crayon or colored pencil and a piece of paper, make a leaf rubbing.

Materials:  writing paper, leaves, crayons

Place a leaf, vein side up, on a smooth surface, and cover it with a piece of thin writing paper.  Hold the paper firmly in position and gently rub the crayon over it.  The crayon strokes should all be in the same direction and with just enough pressure to bring out the details of the leaf.  The finished design can be displayed in your home, decorated and framed. Your leaf rubbings can also be made into greeting cards or given as a gift.

Achievement 5G - Go and See It

Walking is great exercise, and it’s fun to be outdoors. When you walk, you see more things in the outdoors than you would if you went by fast on a bicycle, or in a car or bus.

5G Take a hike.

Your den may go to a special outdoor place for a hike, or you may take a simple walk in your neighborhood.  Be sure to take into account the size and ability of your Tiger.  There are many state Parks and other parks with short nature trails that have built in rest areas where you stop and read the commentary along the trail (Station 1, station 2,).  These may be perfect for your Tigers. 

 Wherever you go, it’s fun to be outdoors! Remember, three quarters of Scouting is Outing.

Tiger Theme Related Activities

(But Wolf and Bear Dens are welcome to try them, too!!)

Most of these ideas relate to Achievement 3.  This theme gives you many ways to work on this requirement. CD

Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe

Circle Ten Council

Family Activity

Have A Family Meeting And Discuss

When to Call 911
Sometimes people are confused about when to call 911. These are examples of when not to call 911:

You can't find your favorite toy or last night’s homework

Your cat got into a fight with another cat

Your brother or your friend dares you to call

You have a nasty hangnail

Never call 911 as a joke or just to see what might happen. When the emergency dispatcher has to take the time to talk to people who don't have a real emergency, other people who call and do need help right away might have to wait.

The only time you should call 911 is if a person is badly hurt or in danger right now!

Can you call 911 if there's been a car accident? Yes!

Should you call if you see a crime, like someone hurting someone else or breaking into a person's house? Of course!

What if someone suddenly seems very sick and is having a hard time speaking or breathing or turns blue? Call right away!

What if someone collapses or passes out? Absolutely call!

What if someone's house is on fire? Definitely call!

Talk to your boys about when they should call 911. If their not sure whether there's a real emergency and there are no adults around, it's a good idea to make the call. Just remind them, "When in Doubt, Dial It Out: 9-1-1." They could save someone's life!

Den Activity

Emergency information is available from local libraries, the American Red Cross and the local fire departments. Some free handouts can include family disaster supply kits from the local fire department and the Red Cross.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas to consider:

Does your group have emergency supplies at the meeting site? Are there food supplies, warm blankets, flashlights, and water tucked away, just in case?

At home, how do you shut off the gas, the water and the electricity?

What neighbors can help? Have a neighborhood emergency plan ready. Who can be called when needed?

Every Tiger Cub will experience fire drills and storm drills at school. Do you have one established at your meeting site?

No program concerning fitness should leave out the subject of NUTRITION! Tiger Partners should plan to have some discussion of the importance of good nutrition. You might have a den discussion of the variety of good food for proper growth and development. See Achievement 3D and the related Character Connection.

Fitness

Tune: On Wisconsin

Circle Ten Council

Hurry, Tigers,

Build your muscles,

Get in shape for play.

When we feel our very best,

We’ll do our best each day.

(Rah, rah, rah)

Keep on running, keep on jumping,

Trying to improve.

When we’ve grown a little older,

We’ll still be on the move.

Go and See It Outing Ideas

Visit a dentist office

Visit a nursing station

Visit a walk in clinic

Visit a paramedic unit

Visit a hospital

Visit a nutritionist

Visit a fitness center

Visit a doctor’s office

Health Poster/ Food Intake Chart

To drive home the idea of nutrition’s importance, have the boys make posters on that theme. After they have been displayed at the Pack meeting, see if a local grocery or health food store will let you display them for a week. Here are some ideas for posters. Another activity would be to have the boys chart their food intake for a week and then review them together at the next meeting