Take A Hike!


Put on two pairs of socks, lace up your boots, grab your walking stick(remember those bear bells) and head for the outdoors! When asked why they joined Girl Scouts, most girls will answer "to go camping". But what do you do when you get there? My suggestion is to take a hike! So make the memories that will last a lifetime and take them into the outdoors!

On this page you will find several ideas for theme hikes. Some can be adapted for the urban setting. But if there is a park or forest nearby...take them there.

Before you go consult your local Girl Scout council for outdoor trainings in your area. And remember to ALWAYS consult your copy of Safety Wise before starting any trip(even it's only around the block!).

Most important of all...HAVE FUN!!! Be enthusiastic about the activity because if you treat it like a chore so will the girls.




Map Hike: You can make a map of any area! Map out your meeting place, show where the restrooms and emergency exits are.
Make a map of the block surrounding your meeting place, show where the buildings are, the street names and which direction north is.
Map out your camp site, show where the tents are, the campfire, the flag pole, the latrines, the dining hall, the main pathways, the roads and landmarks.



Treasure Hunt: Make a reasonably detailed map of your site. Hide a prize and mark it with an "X" on your map. Stand back and turn the girls loose.
Another variation is to copy the original map(without the "X"), split the girls into teams of two(the buddy system), hide a prize for each team(one per girl is a good idea) in different spots around your site, remember to mark the prize spots on each teams map, stand back and turn them loose!



Nature Signs: Look for signs of all the living creatures about you. Write their names and draw a sketch of each animal, bird, insect, or reptile you may happen across.



Color Hike: Divide a piece of cardboard into sections(uniform supply shops will usually give you the shirt cardboard for free). Write the name of a different color in each section. As you hike look for things that match your color chart and write their names in the correct sections.



Shape Hike: Same as Color Hike, just draw shapes on the cardboard. (triangle, square, oval, circle, rectangle, diamond, heart) Look for things that match the shapes as you hike and write their names inside the matching shape.



Scientist Hike:Give each girl, or buddy team, a 36 inch length of string or yarn. Every so often on your hike stop and ask girls to place their strings on the ground in circles. Now see what is inside each circle, compare with other girls...what is different or the same and why.



Nature Scavenger Hunt: Copy off a list of things for the girls to look for on their hike. Remind the girls not to disturb anything. Some examples are:



Have Fun!