senior outdoor journey

Badges and Journeys

• Highest Awards
• Program Partners
• For Older Girl Scouts
• Camp & Property Rentals

What will you try next?

Build skills when you earn a badge or journey.

Excited to go camping for the first time? Want to try your hand at coding your first website? Ready to work towards climate justice? As a Girl Scout, there are so many ways to try something new or take a passion to the next level. Badges and Journeys will build your skills and show the world what you’re capable of accomplishing.

Start exploring a world of possibility.

We add new badges, awards, and activities each year. There's always something new to discover.

Earning badges is a great way to try a new skill or get better at one you love.

Girl Scout Journeys give you the chance to dig into an interest and learn even more.

Additional Awards

In addition to badges, Journeys, and Girl Scouts’ Highest Awards, here are other awards that Girl Scouts can earn through Girl Scouts and community organizations.

All Grade Levels

Girls can learn what their faith and Girl Scouting have in common through earning faith-based awards, including the  My Promise, My Faith  pin and Religious Recognitions. You can earn the My Promise, My Faith pin once a year, every year you are in Girl Scouts. 

Additional Resources:

• My Promise, My Faith Award FAQ
• My Promise, My Faith Directions
• To Serve God Religious Awards

Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

Community Service Bars are earned by making a difference in the community and practicing Girl Scout values by volunteering at least 20 hours for an organization. Before starting, you should complete and submit the  Community Service Bar Application . Once approved, you should record all the hours you volunteer to share with your Troop Leader, who can purchase the Community Service Bar once you complete it. Learn more in    The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting .

Service to Girl Scouting Bars  are earned by volunteering at least 20 hours for the Girl Scouts. You might volunteer your time for a special event for younger girls, be an office assistant for your council or service unit, or help with special projects. You should record all the hours you volunteer to share with your Troop Leader, who can purchase the Service to Girl Scouting Bar once you complete.

The Journey Summit Award Pin is earned by girls who have completed three National Leadership Journeys at their grade level. The colored border around each pin corresponds to their grade level. This award can be earned by girls in all program levels: Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador. This is the highest award that a Girl Scout Daisy and a Girl Scout Brownie can earn.

Safety Awards are earned by following a five-step process for being safe, tailored for each grade level.  Find your grade level's steps in    The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting .

This award is earned by earning a Leader in Award (LiA) badge, and assisting younger girls by sharing your skills, passion, and experience over the course of six activity sessions. Learn more in the    Program Aide Girl Workbook . 

• Program Aide Facilitator's Guide
• Program Aide Evaluation

The  Girl Scout Global Action Award  calls for girls to address the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by discovering, connecting, and taking action in their communities and the world. There are two sets of content: one for younger Girl Scouts (Daisy, Brownie, Juniors) and one for older Girl Scouts (Cadette, Senior, Ambassador). The Global Action award is an official national award, so Girl Scouts can wear it on their vest or sash. 

  Seniors and Ambassadors

This award is earned by experienced campers by combining their love for the outdoors with their leadership skills and goals. Learn more about our  camp leadership programs.

Seniors and Ambassadors

This award is earned by mentoring younger Girl Scouts outside of the camp experience. Your VIT project should span a three-to-six-month period Learn more in    The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting .

Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors

This award is given to a Girl Scout who is a leader in her community.  To earn the Torch Award , a Girl Scout must complete one Leadership Journey, and serve a full term in a leadership position at her school, place of worship, library, community center, or other organization that is important to her.

All girls who participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program are eligible to earn the annual  Cookie Entrepreneur Family Pin , which they earn by developing essential business skills.

  All Grade Levels

This award is given to a girl who has shown presence of mind and true Girl Scout spirit saving life or attempting to save life without risk to the candidate’s own life.  Apply today .

This award is given to a girl who has shown extraordinary heroism saving life or attempting to save life with risk to the candidate’s own life.  Apply today .

Every year, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world celebrate February 22 as a day of international friendship called  World Thinking Day . To earn this award, Girl Scouts will explore the theme's meaning and plan and carry out a Take Action project that makes a difference. There are two sets of content: one for younger Girl Scouts (Daisy, Brownie, Juniors) and one for older Girl Scouts (Cadette, Senior, Ambassador).

Check out the latest badges and activities for Girl Scouts.

22 Awesome Outdoor Adventures For Seniors

Life is all about creating amazing memories and living life to the fullest. If you’re a senior and you agree with me, this is the article for you. It is filled with awesome outdoor adventures for seniors. From the easy & accessible ones to the amazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ready to unpack? Let’s go!

1) Swim With Wild Animals

I’ll start this list right away with one of the most amazing experiences anyone can have in life: swimming with wild animals. You can dive with sharks, swim with humpback whales, dolphins, manatees, stingrays, whale sharks. And you don’t have to go to the other side of the world, a lot of these adventures are possible in Florida or Mexico.

A couple of years ago we flew to Tonga together with Kirsten’s retired father to swim with humpback whales. A dream came true for all three of us. Let this travel documentary we made inspire you to follow your dreams too.

2) Hike A (Famous) Trail

Another great adventure for seniors is hiking a (famous) trail. If you love hiking this could be a great adventure for you. According to The Guardian, the trails listed below are the top 10 hiking trails in the U.S. These beautiful hikes take you through the most stunning landscapes and wilderness that will take your breath away. You can divide one trail into smaller hiking adventures throughout the years or take on the adventure to accomplish a famous trail in one go. Now, the only thing you have to do is to find a hiking buddy.

Top 10 Hiking Trails In The USA

• Pacific Crest Trail: California, Oregon and Washington, 2,663 miles
• John Muir Trail: California, 210 miles
• Continental Divide Trail: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, 3,100 miles
• Appalachian Trail: 14 states from Georgia to Maine, 2,185 miles
• The Long Trail: Vermont, 272 miles
• The Hayduke Trail: Arizona and Utah, 812 miles
• The Grand Enchantment Trail: Arizona and New Mexico, 770 miles
• The Ozark Highlands Trail: Arkansas, 218 miles
• The Ice Age Trail: Wisconsin, 1,200 miles
• The Superior Hiking Trail: Minnesota, 296 miles

Interested in hiking, my article The Complete Guide Why Hiking Is Good For Seniors will make you even more enthusiastic.

3) Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Adventures don’t have to be extravagant, there are amazing outdoor adventures out there that are close to home. For example, stand-up paddleboarding is a perfect surf adventure for seniors. It is a peaceful and fun activity that is great for strengthening muscles and reducing stress. You can do this activity at sea, river or lake nearby your house. Or take an inflatable paddleboard with you on the road trip to explore different areas while traveling.

In my article: Best Paddleboard For Seniors I’ve done extensive research on which paddleboard is best for seniors but also listed the physical and mental benefits of stand-up paddleboarding for seniors.

A favorite retirement activity is sailing. And if you think that you’re too old for sailing. Know, that you’re not. If you’re in reasonably good health you can enjoy a nice sailing trip. You can consider doing a day trip, weekend trip, or even an ocean crossing if you’re up for the adventure and challenge. Even if you’re inexperienced you can hire a crew to do the sailing for you and they only require you to help if you want to learn. Or take it to the next level and sell your house to live on a sailboat like the seniors in this video below:

5) Snorkeling

Another great outdoor adventure for seniors is to go snorkeling. When scuba diving is a step too far, snorkeling is a great low-key option to also enjoy the beautiful underwater world. The best snorkeling spots in the US are Florida, California, Hawaii, and US Virgin Islands. And with a full-face mask snorkeling has become a lot easier and you can enjoy 180-degree panoramic views.

6) River Rafting

For an amazing outdoor adventure and witness scenic nature from a river’s point of view, go on a river rafting trip. There are plenty of organizations that organize river rafting trips for seniors. And here are some amazing places to go river rafting.

Top 10 Places To Go Rafting In The USA

• Snake River (Wyoming)
• Colorado River (Arizona)
• Gauley River (West Virginia)
• Salmon River (Idaho)
• Kennebec River (Maine)
• Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)
• Arkansas River (Colorado and Arkansas)
• Rogue River (Oregon)
• Nenana River (Alaska)
• Chattooga River (Georgia)

7) Skydiving

Another once-in-a-lifetime outdoor adventure is to go skydiving. Perhaps you’ve always dreamed about skydiving, maybe now you reading is a sign you should pursue this dream. I skydived in New Zealand and it was amazing. It doesn’t get any more adventurous than this. And if you wonder if you’re too old for skydiving, know that there is a 103-years old guy out there that currently holds the Guinness World Records title for the oldest tandem parachute jump (male). 

8) Paragliding

A more smooth flying adventure that is more accessible is paragliding. My husband Leon has a couple of steel pins in his back, so he doesn’t do crazy stuff because of his back. But he did paragliding with me in Cape Town. And he loved it and was surprised it was a very smooth ride. Not the thrill of jumping out of an airplane, but still the experience of flying like a bird. So we can recommend this outdoor adventure to anyone who has the opportunity to do it.

See our experience in this video below:

9) Star Gazing

The night sky is a beautiful painting that we often don’t pay attention to. Or we live in a city where we are not able to see how stunning the stars are above our heads. So an amazing outdoor adventure is to go stargazing. It’s also a very peaceful activity that makes you look at life from a totally new perspective. According to Koa, these are the best spots to go stargazing.

Best Stargazing Spots In The USA

• Mauna Kea | Hawaii. …
• Bryce Canyon National Park | Utah. …
• Denali National Park and Preserve | Alaska. …
• Glacier National Park | Montana. …
• Cherry Springs State Park | Pennsylvania. …
• Big Pine Key | Florida. …
• Chaco Culture National Historical Park | New Mexico.
• Rocky Mountain National Park | Colorado
• Death Valley National Park | California
• Grand Canyon National Park | Arizona

10) Fly A Kite

Go back to your childhood and fly a kite. It is a great physical exercise while spending time being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air. Flying a kite creates the perfect opportunity for you to embrace the positive feelings of happiness, joy, and playfulness that comes with it. And most importantly feel youthful again. You can create your own kite or get the best kite for beginners at Amazon .

11) Hot-Air Balloon Flight

Book a hot-air balloon ride nearby and look at the world from a birds-eye view. The stillness during the ride and the view brings you in awe with nature and the world we’re living in. And give you a calming feeling. The most adventurous part of the ride is the landing.

12) Geochaching

You can go on an adventure in your home neighborhood or city with geocaching because if you like treasure hunts and solving puzzles, this is the outdoor adventure to try out! It’s a global outdoor treasure hunt where Hiders hide little treasures and give online clues for Seekers to find the cache by using coordinates.

It is a great solo activity or an adventure to take on with friends or family. With a GPS handheld navigator or (GPS on your smartphone) you can find these little treasures and become a Hider and be submerged into this popular sport.

13) Horse Back Riding

Hop on the back of a horse and experience an amazing outdoor adventure. The smell of a barn, the slow movement of a horse, the fresh air, and the scenery gives you a relaxing feeling and relieves stress. If you’ve never sat on a horse, then perhaps now is the time to do it. You can enjoy a horse riding tour in a beautiful national park or take lessons nearby.

Skiing is an awesome outdoor adventure. You can take a couple of lessons if you haven’t done it before. Or dust off your old skis and drive to the snowy mountains. And being a senior has an advantage there are ski resorts where seniors can ski for free. This article from The Points Guy lists 116 different ski resorts free for seniors.

15) Electric Surfing

During the winter we stay in the south of Portugal. The Algarve region has stunning beaches, which is where a lot of people from Europe retire to. And that is where I see many seniors enjoy electric surfing. It is a surfboard that moves without waves and is controlled by remote control in your hand. Like demonstrated in this video below:

16) Kayaking

Another fun outdoor adventure for seniors is to go kayaking. You can go kayaking at sea, river or nearby lake. With an inflatable kayak, you can take it wherever you go on the road. This inflatable kayak is a bestseller on Amazon and is perfect to bring on any future road trip or camping trip.

17) Whale-Watching

See nature at its best with a whale-watching tour. It is amazing to see these massive animals in their natural environment. And some of the best spots in the USA are California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Alaska. It is best to check out which month is the best chance to see whales because they migrate from south to north and back every year.

And please note that tours can harm whales and have an impact on their natural behavior, including their ability to feed, rest and rear their young according to many people working in marine biology.

18) Zip-Lining

Be like Tarzan and go zip lining. A thrill-seeking adventure that makes you feel alive. One of the best places to go zip-lining in Costa Rica. With a jungle packed with zip lines connected with each other, but there are also some long ones in the USA:

• Camelback Mountain Adventures, Camelback Mountain, Pennsylvania.
• Kapohokine Adventures Zipline Through Paradise, Hilo, Hawaii.
• Ziprider, Icy Strait Point, Alaska.
• Captain Zipline, Salida, Colorado.
• AVA Adventures, Idaho Springs, Colorado.

19) Gardening

Adventure is just how you look at it. One sees it as a thrill-seeking adventure and another person views it as learning something new. Or upgrading their talents. This is why gardening can be a great outdoor adventure for most seniors. It is one of the most popular activities in retirement. Gardening is great for your health and in my article 11 Science-Based Benefits Why Gardening Is Good For Seniors you can read more about it.

20) Sandboarding

Do you live in Utah, Oregon, Colorado, Texas, or California? Then you can try out sandboarding at one of these sand dunes for an awesome outdoor adventure:

• Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Kanab, Utah.
• Sand Master Park. Florence, Oregon.
• Great Sand Dunes National Park. Duncan, Colorado.
• Monahans Sandhills State Park. Monahans, Texas.
• Kelso Dunes. Kelso, California.

21) Hydrospeed

If you love river rafting or kayaking down rapids, but you want to try something new, then hydroseeding could be it. It is whitewater swimming with a floating board and flippers.

22) Obstacle Course

A great way to stay fit is to train for obstacle course races. It is a great opportunity to get dirty with a lot of mud. And it is fun to do with friends or family as a team. According to The Mud Run Guide , “The 5k Foam Fest is the easiest, all the way down to Spartan Race Sprint as the hardest “beginner-friendly” races.”

Kirsten Veldman

Since 2017, my husband and I have been location-independent retirees. With hundreds of articles written, I'm passionate about helping other retirees!

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She wants to explore new things, connect with friends and her community and make a difference in the world. And she’ll be able to do just that when she and her troop experience a Girl Scout Journey.

She’ll team up with friends to:

• Identify a problem they want to do something about
• Come up with a sustainable solution that will make a difference
• Create a team plan to make that solution a reality
• Put their plan into action
• Talk about what they’ve learned and what they’ll do next

Every Girl Scout grade level has different Journeys to choose from. Each includes a sustainable Take Action project and all the exploration, discovery and adventure to power a lifetime of leadership and success!

It’s Your World—Change It! 

Whether it’s planting a garden, painting a mural or launching a letter-writing campaign, Girl Scouts of all ages experience unique advocacy challenges, complete Take Action projects and discover what it means to be a leader who makes a difference in the world.

It’s Your Planet—Love It!

Girls learn about environmental topics, such as clean water and air, noise pollution, global warming, soil contamination and agriculture. Each Journey is packed with current environmental information and offers ways to improve life for everyone on the planet through a Take Action project.

It’s Your Story—Tell It!

Girls tell their stories through a range of creative approaches. They explore important themes, such as developing a strong sense of self, navigating healthy relationships and promoting well-being and confidence in themselves and others, which gets them involved in discussion about thinking critically and ready to complete a Take Action project. 

Engineering: Think Like an Engineer

Girls discover how to think like an engineer by participating in hands-on design challenges and completing a Take Action project.

Computer Science: Think Like a Programmer

Girls learn how programmers solve problems by participating in computational thinking activities and completing a Take Action project.

Outdoor STEM: Think Like a Citizen Scientist

Girls make observations and collect data by doing a citizen science project and completing a Take Action project.  

Girls get outside to explore and enjoy nature while completing a sustainable Take Action project. Fun activities, ranging from backyard camping to high-adventure exploration, build essential outdoor skills and inspire girls to become environmental stewards. 

Because Girls Scouts is girl-led, she and her troop will pick the topic that interests them the most, whether it’s caring for animals; taking a stand for girls; exploring science, technology, engineering or math (STEM); helping others; spreading kindness; protecting the environment; or anything else important to her.

As she and her Girl Scout friends go on their Journey, they’ll earn awards to put on their uniform. The badges they wear proudly let others know about the awesome things they’ve done as a troop. Girl Scouts can take pride in what they’ve accomplished and the amazing experiences they’ve had along the way.

Learn more about  badges  and the  Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Journey maps, find a list of the badges and journey awards that girl scouts can earn, including badge requirements at gsusa ..

• Ambassadors
• All Levels and Ages

LIFE SKILLS

Understanding take action activity, what is a take action activity, community service projects are different., activity details.

Time needed: 30 minutes

Materials needed: no materials required.

Setup:  Review the information below, then practice with the community service and take action project scenarios. Take Action and community service projects are different, but both are essential to Girl Scouting.

Community service projects are acts of kindness and important ways to help something or someone right now. They are commonly short-term projects that almost always multiply efforts that are already in place. Examples include collecting food for an existing food pantry, providing clothing or toiletries to people who have suffered during a disaster, cleaning up a rundown playground, or picking up trash at a park, forest, or beach.

Girl Scout Take Action projects address an issue by tackling the factors that cause or contribute to it. As you may expect, these projects have a far-reaching influence. They’re designed to change something for the better—forever. Projects associated with Journeys and the highest awards (the Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award) are Take Action projects.

When you take action, you work as a team to:

• Identify a problem
• Research the root cause of the problem
• Come up with a sustainable solution
• Develop a team plan
• Put the plan into action
• Reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what you’ve learned

Here are three ways to create sustainable change:

• Make your solution permanent
• Educate and inspire others to be part of the change
• Change a rule, regulation, or law

See whether an idea is a community service or Take Action project.

Break into small groups and provide each group with a different scenario listed in table below—or as a full group, review one scenario at a time and work together to determine if it is a community service or Take Action project.

• If it’s a community service project, brainstorm how you might make it a Take Action project.
• If it’s a Take Action project, brainstorm how it might meet the following requirements: 1) it identifies the root cause of a community issue, 2) it works WITH the community, and 3) it has long-term benefits for the community. Bonus: Can you imagine a goal you might set and how you might lead a team?

Community Service and Take Action Project Scenarios:

Now that you know the difference, you’re ready to go!

Prepare to take action by completing a Journey or, if you’ve already done one and you’re a Girl Scout Junior, Cadette, Senior, or Ambassador, get started on your Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award, respectively.

Troop Leaders: The instructions for all badge steps are available free of charge in the  Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit .

Girl Scout Activity Zone activities have been adapted from existing Girl Scout programming.

Explore more activities.

Create algorithms and rapid prototypes to teach others what they’re good at.

Learn a special skill that might come in handy at camp: knot tying!

Create a vision board to share your cookie business goals.

Journeys that last a Life Time

Explore what really matters to you and use your passion to change the world – that’s what Girl Scout Journeys are all about. 

While badges show the world you’ve learned a new skill, Journey awards say, “I found a way to make a difference”.

Girl Scout Journeys are multi-session experiences in which Girl Scouts team up and do hands on activities, connect with experts, and take lead on a Take Action project with their community. Once a Junior, Cadette, Senior, or Ambassador completes their Journey, they’re ready to drive lasting change in their communities by going for their Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award. 

Find everything you need to kick-start your adventure with your Girl Scout level’s Journey