Every Council's Own Girl Scout Fun Patch Program That Your Girl Scouts Can Earn from Anywhere: Outdoors

Welcome back to my very weird series in which I am listing, week by week, topic by topic, every single Council's Own Girl Scout fun patch program that your Girl Scouts can earn from everywhere!

My Girl Scout troop enjoys earning Council's Own fun patches, as well as official badges and retired badges. I usually look for a fun patch that they can earn in addition to a badge whenever we're planning a big project or a trip, etc. This list is essentially just my own research written down for easy reference.

This week's category: the Outdoors! This fun patch program includes fun patches that teach specific outdoor skills, as well as ones that encourage Girl Scouts to get outside in various types of weather. All the camping fun patches live in this category. I especially love all of the fun patches here that consist of a checklist of activities that Girl Scouts can do independently--I think this is a great way to encourage kids to incorporate a wide variety of outdoor activities into their daily lives outside of Girl Scouting.

For this list, I only included fun patch programs that fit the following criteria:

1. Girl Scouts can earn this fun patch wherever they are. I did not include any fun patch programs that have site-specific criteria, unless I felt that those criteria would be easy to substitute and still maintain the point of the fun patch program. I also didn't include fun patch programs that require time-specific criteria that have already passed, such as patches programs designed for the 2020 COVID lockdowns. I noted in the description of each patch when substitutions would be required.
2. Girl Scouts can obtain the council's requirements to earn this fun patch. I found several instances in which the council still sells a specific fun patch, but has deleted all the requirements from its website. If I couldn't find an easy link to those requirements from another site, I did not include the patch.
3. Girl Scouts can obtain the physical fun patch. There were also several instances in which councils still host the requirements for a fun patch program, but no longer sell the patch (or, as in the case of a few GSAK patches, they have fewer than ten remaining). If it is unlikely for a Girl Scout to be able to obtain the fun patch, I did not include it. The link to purchase each fun patch is in the caption for its graphic.

OUTDOORS

Adventure Club GSRV

Adventure Club, Girl Scouts River Valleys. Participate in three adventures. This fun patch program pairs well with any of the Outdoor badges. It's a good one for a troop to earn over the course of a Girl scout year.

Awesome Autumn Adventure GSGI

Awesome Autumn Adventure, Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa. Have fun outdoor adventures during autumn. This fun patch program pairs well with any of the Outdoor badges.

Backyard Challenge GSOFSI

Backyard Challenge, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. Encourages Girl Scouts to have adventures in their backyard or neighborhood. This fun patch program would be a good one for Girl Scouts to earn independently, especially if the troop doesn't meet over the summer break.

Bike Safety GSWPA

Bike Safety, Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. Be a safe bicyclist by completing this fun patch program. This fun patch pairs well with the Junior Independence badge.

Bits of Joy GSEOK

Bits of Joy, Girl Scouts of Easter Oklahoma. Camp and complete activities to earn this fun patch. This is a super simple and easy to earn camping fun patch that would be especially great for a younger Girl Scout troop to earn during a troop family camp or Service Unit Camporee.

Cave Explorer GSEIWI

Cave Explorer, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Learn about caves, their ecosystems, and how to conserve them while planning a real caving adventure. 

Duck GSSWTX

Duck, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. Camp or spend the day outdoors in the rain.

Geocaching GSMW

Geocaching, Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming. Earn this fun patch by geocaching! This fun patch would pair well with older or younger Girl Scouts in a troop with Juniors earning their Geocacher badge. 

Get Outdoors GSBDC

Get Outdoors, Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council. Complete the required number of outdoor activities during the designated time period to earn this fun patch. This is a great fun patch program to have Girl Scouts earn independently, perhaps with regular check-ins during troop meetings.

Get Outdoors GSCNWI

Get Outdoors, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Complete seasonal activities from this multi-patch program to experience a year's worth of fun outdoor activities. This fun patch program pairs well with any of the Outdoor badges. This would be a good patch program to use throughout the Girl Scout year to incorporate outdoor programming into troop meetings, as well as to encourage Girl Scouts to do outdoor activities independently.

Get Outdoors GSMIDTN

Get Outdoors, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. Earn flames by increasing your skillset in a variety of outdoor skills.

The Great Outdoors Summer and Winter Challenge GSME

The Great Outdoors Summer and Winter Challenge, Girl Scouts of Maine. Complete outdoor activities in summer and winter to earn the separate fun patches. These fun patches can be combined with any of the Outdoor badges, or earned during a camping trip.

Hammock Camping GSH

Hammock Camping, Girl Scouts of Hawaii. Teaches kids the delightful skill of hammock camping.

Introduction to Orienteering GSC

Introduction to Orienteering, Girl Scouts of Citrus. Learn how to Orienteer using this fun patch program. This fun patch program pairs well with any of the older Girl Scout Camping badges.

Knife Safety Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania

Knife Safety, Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. Make sure you can use a knife skillfully and safely by completing this fun patch program. This fun patch pairs well with any of the Outdoor badges, or any camping trips. My troop learned knife safety as part of our Outdoor Art badge.

Letterboxing GSOFCT

Letterboxing, Girl Scouts of Connecticut. Learn how to letterbox! This all-levels fun patch program is perfect for everyone else in a multi-level troop to earn when the Brownies are earning the Letterboxer badge.

Maple Sugaring GSGWM

Maple Sugaring, Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. Explore the history of maple sugaring and visit a maple sugaring operation. You can substitute the place-based activities in the fun patch requirements with your own local maple sugar operations.

Moon Mayhem GSCB

Moon Mayhem, Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay. Prepare for and take a full moon hike. This pairs well with many of the Outdoor badges, or to earn during an overnight camping trip.

Night Hike GSOFSI

Night Hike, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. Try fun hiking activities that you can only do at night. This fun patch program pairs well with the Cadette Night Owl badge and any of the Camping badges. 

Night Owl GSCM

Night Owl, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. Become comfortable with the nighttime aspect of overnight camping through fun games and activities. This fun patch program pairs well with any of the Camping badges, and would work especially well earned during a young troop's first overnight camping trip.

One Match GSOFSI

One Match, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. Join the One Match Club by mastering this specific skill! This fun patch program pairs well with any of the Camping badges. 

Operation Snowflake GSGWM

Operation Snowflake, Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. Try winter activities while learning how to stay safe in the cold. This fun patch program works well with the Snow or Climbing badges.

Outdoor Patch Program GSKSMO

Outdoor Patch Program, Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri. Earn bars as you master the specific skills of SWAPS, Leave No Trace, First Aid and Packing, Navigation, Knots and Knives, and Fire and Cooking. 

Outdoor Experience GSEWNI

Outdoor Experience, Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. Build up the skills needed for primitive camping. 

Outdoor Progression, GSSS

Outdoor Progression, Girl Scouts of Silver Sage. Level up a range of outdoor skills by earning this multi-patch set. This multi-patch program pairs well with the Outdoor badges. It's a good patch program to worth through over the course of a year or even a Girl Scout level.

Outdoors GSAK

Outdoors, Girl Scouts of Alaska. Try new outdoor activities. This fun patch program pairs well with any of the Outdoor or Camping badges. It would be a good patch to earn over the course of a Girl Scout year to encourage regular outdoor experiences.

Outdoor Skills GSME

Outdoor Skills, Girl Scouts of Maine. Earn this by completing outdoor activities at different levels. This is a great patch program for troops who've worn out all the Outdoor badges at their levels but still want to earn something during a camping trip, AND for troops for whom the Outdoor badges at their levels are too challenging. I always have a basic camping badge on hand for my newbie campers to earn!

Penguin GSSWTX

Penguin, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. Camp or spend the day outdoors in below-freezing temperature.

Sizzler GSSWTX

Sizzler, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. Camp or spend the day outdoors with a temperature greater than 100 degrees.

Skills GSMIDTN

Skills, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. Learn knife etiquette, fire building, trail signs, compass uste, and knot tying. This fun patch program would be a good choice during a weekend camping trip or camporee.

S'more Fun GSAK

S'more Fun, Girl Scouts of Alaska. Try outdoor cooking activities while planning your Girl Scout year. This is technically a "plan your Girl Scout year in light of a global pandemic" badge, but you can easily skip the activities like "learn how to Zoom" and focus on the outdoor cooking and girl-led planning.

Snow Much Fun GSGI

Snow Much Fun, Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa. Complete activities that prepare you to be outdoors in winter. This fun patch program pairs well with the Snow or Climbing badges.

Sunsational Summer GSGWM

Sunsational Summer, Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. Complete a variety of summer activities independently and with other Girl Scouts.

Trail Hiker GSMWLP

Trail Hiker, Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines. Hike five trails while learning more about trail hiking and hiking etiquette. 

Troop Camping GSSWTX

Troop Camping, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. Camp with your Girl Scout troop twice in a program year. This fun patch pairs well with any of the Camping badges.

Winter Challenge GSMISTS

Winter Challenge, Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore. Complete winter activities from a checklist. This fun patch program is a good one for Girl Scouts to earn independently, perhaps over the winter school break.

Winter Fun GSSS

Winter Fun, Girl Scouts of Silver Sage. Complete activities from a checklist to experience fun winter activities. This fun patch program pairs well with the Snow or Climbing badge. It's a good fun patch for Girl Scouts to earn independently over the school winter break.

Winter Survival GSWPA

Winter Survival, Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. Learn about winter safety and create a winter survival kit. This fun patch would pair well with any of the Snow or Climbing badges or a winter camping trip.

Here's a look at my complete fun patch series:

• Arts and Crafts
• Culture, Diversity, and Equity
• Games and Sports
• Geography/History
• Outdoors
• Practical Life Skills
• Reading and Writing
• Science
• Service Learning
• Social-Emotional Skills
• Technology, Engineering, and Math

Follow my Craft Knife Facebook page for more Girl Scout resources as I exhaustively compile them!

Trashion/Refashion Show 2023: Quick Change

It was about 4:00 pm on the Sunday of this year's Trashion/Refashion Show. The teenager and I were happily ensconced in our spot on the landing of the upper lobby's balcony, the one that replaced our previous traditional spot in the back of the audience in the balcony and our previous previous traditional spot on the floor in front of the accessible seats halfway back on stage right. We were eating our traditional snacks of fruit gummies and sparkling water in cans, and had bonus snacks of full-sized Lara Bars(!!!) from the complimentary snack table backstage. We were sitting in companionable silence, each on our phones (I have found a blog that does a snarky episode-by-episode recap of Gilmore Girls and I will do nothing else productive in my life until I have read the entire run of recaps, including those for A Year in the Life!), listening to a couple arguing in the lobby below. Whenever one of them said something especially shocking, we'd make expressive eyes at each other. We were anticipating the 5:00 backstage pizza delivery, the 6:30 opening of the house, and, of course, the 7:00 top of the show.

A thought suddenly occurred to me, so I looked up from my phone and told the teenager, "You know, I think this is one of my favorite days of the year to spend with you."

She said, "Right? We should do this more often."

Alas that our town's Trashion/Refashion Show happens only once a year! I eagerly anticipate it every spring, and it IS one of my favorite days, and favorite nights, of the year. 

As much as I love watching this kid grow up, watching her grow away from needing her mom's help is a little bit of lonesome--once upon a time, I sewed the kid's entire garment based on a single markered drawing, helped her with her hair and makeup, taught her a runway walk, helped her practice it, chaperoned her every second backstage, and escorted her through the final Model/Designer walk. The first year she sewed her own garment all by herself, I essentially reattached the entire thing together using safety pins and duct tape between the dress rehearsal and showtime. Even last year, I spent the whole week leading up to the show figuring out how on earth to create those dream moth wings of hers, finally finishing them so the teenager could paint them the day before. 

This year... well, let's see. I held her several extra emotional support hair ties for her, and her ipod. I figured out how to keep the tops of her sleeves secure around her upper arms after they kept slipping down. And I took the photos and videos that she requested. 

My help was so unnecessary to my own designer/model that I volunteered to do emergency mending for anyone in the show who needed it--and THEN I had plenty to do!

As always, this kid's concept and execution amaze me. Her idea for this year was a garment consisting of skirt, bodice, sleeves, veil, and flowy overskirt, all separate pieces:

The flowy, modest overskirt is easy to detach--

--resulting in a look appropriate for a night out dancing:

It turned out beautifully, and she wore it just as beautifully on the runway!

Afterwards, the teenager was thrilled that some of her friends had come to see her--

--and I managed to sneak in a little love, too!

And just in case you'd deluded yourself into thinking that you'd be able to see her face if only she would ditch that veil...

Always and forever our favorite mask! I need to pick up pack of 100 before we leave for England.

Next year will be the last year that this kid designs and models as a grade school kid. If she's accepted next year, it will be her fourteenth time accepted into the show and her thirteenth walk down the runway (fucking Covid). I don't know if it will be her last time participating, but it WILL be her last time as the child phenom who's been designing and modeling her own original garments since the age of four--there are a LOT of college students in the show every year!

Contemplating all that, I had another thought, so this morning I asked the teenager, "Hey, can I design you a garment next year?"

TEENAGER: "Hmm, I've never modeled two garments in one show before."

ME: "Right? Could be fun!"

TEENAGER: "Sure, why not?"

Even though the teenager will also do her own entry, I kind of love the idea, for me, of finishing out the Trashion/Refashion Show where I started it--designing and sewing a garment, with lots of love, a little bit of skill, and maybe a couple of secret staples, for this awesome kid.

P.S. Want to follow along with my craft projects, books I'm reading, dog-walking mishaps, encounters with Chainsaw Helicopters, and other various adventures on the daily? Find me on my Craft Knife Facebook page!

The Foster Kittens are Four Weeks Old, and Quarantine Guidelines Exist for a Reason

Beautiful Sage, shedding ringworm spores all over my couch...

Remember how last week I joked that we'd definitely ended the kittens' ringworm quarantine a week early and wouldn't we be sad/regret it if it turned out they actually had ringworm?

Hahaha yeah, you can see where I'm going with this...

family portrait on the kids' bathroom floor wearing the clothes I changed out of as soon as I left like a good cat foster mom

The animal shelter 100% told us to watch the cats for ringworm, and Dr. Google 100% told me that the ringworm incubation period is three weeks. But the two-week infection disease quarantine already feels soooo long, and we were so bored sitting on the kids' bathroom floor and changing into new clothes multiple times a day, and at four weeks old kittens are so cute and rambunctious and it's so fun to let them chase a ribbon across the living room floor and watch them wrestle on the couch and Ginger was going absolutely stir-crazy locked into a single small room with a bunch of kids.

And I mean, come on. I know the interweb SAYS the ringworm incubation period is three weeks, but that can't be right, on account of three weeks is boring and feels too long. I'm sure two weeks is perfectly fine!

So after the two-week infection disease quarantine was up, we had a lovely few days playing together all over the house. 

We got to celebrate Easter together:

I did remember to wash the quilt on hot, but I should probably soak that basket, too.

Ginger FINALLY got a break from the kids:

Yep, that's the desk I work at for half the day, every day.

The babies got more room to hunt and fight:

Why, yes, those ARE our couch cushions. You know, the ones where we rest our literal heads!

All over the kid, who's of course hanging out on my bed.

For Christ's sake yes that's my literal face. Just don't even talk to me anymore I'm too stupid to listen to words.

And we got to do tons and tons of my favorite activity, which is hanging out on the couch:

SO many couch cushions to wash in hot water and dry on high and then hang out on the clothesline in the sun just to be sure.

It was actually while we were hanging out on the couch, the kittens wrestling and chasing each other and crawling all over every possible surface that could ever possibly be contaminated, that I spotted this suspicious spot on my awesome little buddy Sage's arm:

Bare patch of fur with white-ish powder on it, the better to shed all over everything.

I swear, my lot in life is to never have a single moment of peace. I consulted with the animal shelter's foster program director the next morning to arrange to bring everyone in for a Wood's lamp test, and she told me that if they tested positive, it would be perfectly fine to return them. No foster family jumps with joy or anything at the idea of the pretty intense ringworm treatment, quarantine, and cleaning regimen, but there are foster families who are reasonably comfortable with it.

I'm not necessarily UNcomfortable with it, but considering that 1) the entire household is definitely exposed and most of our crap is definitely contaminated so I was already about to have to spend the next 48 hours doing nothing but cleaning, 2) within 72 hours we were about to have visitors who also probably didn't want to be exposed to ringworm, and 3) we are going to England soon and really, really, really do not want to have ringworm there, either, I decided that this wasn't the time to learn how to administer ringworm treatment to four foster kittens and one foster cat.

So the litter tested positive via Wood's lamp, my teenager and I said goodbye, I cried, and right now they're with a way more responsible family than us, getting their nice twice-weekly dips and twice-daily topical ointments and once-daily oral medicine and recovering from ringworm in plenty of time to be adopted right on schedule, and I'm still compulsively bleaching all the things that can be bleached and washing on hot all the things that can be washed on hot and looking suspiciously at things that can't have either and buying every tea tree oil bath and body product I can find while feeling a lot of random itches like the true hypochondriac I am.

And both kids have ALREADY been asking when we can get more foster kittens.

Just... after England, guys. Let's just not cause an international fungal incident and then we can spend the rest of our summer up to our itchy ears in kittens.