You don’t need access to a national park or the woods to enjoy the outdoors! So, start planning outings in your neighborhood and community today. Consider participating in the Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge and get a patch after you complete 25 outdoor activities! You don’t have to be a Girl Scout to do the activities or receive a fun patch!
Did you know that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with improved mood, focus, and confidence? Whether you spend that time becoming a rockstar at rock climbing, making a splash in the puddles around your neighborhood, or watching wandering wildlife at a park, you reap benefits.
Anytime of the year is a great time to get outdoors, with summer being the top outdoor season for most families. But with summer days comes the risk of hotter days. Here’s some suggestions to have a “cool” experience while venturing out into nature.
- Focus on avoiding outdoor activities during the hours of the day when temps are the highest ( that’s not always at the noon hour).
- Drink a lot of water and stay hydrated. Bring a cooler with ice and snacks. Snack on water-intense foods like watermelon, cucumbers, and tomatoes to maintain hydration levels on the go.
- Utilize the shade! I have a go-to park with lots of trees on a trail for walking my dog. It’s a lifesaver during the summer!
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and wear a brimmed hat or cap. While a brimmed hat keeps harmful rays off faces, it might also hold in heat. Be sure to give your scalp a break once you’re under some shade. That will help cool down the body and prevent that sweaty moisture from absorbing the air’s heat.
- Use high-quality, broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30+) and reapply it every two hours.
- Ice cubes to the rescue! If things get really hot, grab some ice cubes from your cooler. Rub the ice on the body’s pulse points: wrists and neck, the insides of elbows and knees, the tops of feet, inner ankle bones, inner thighs and temples. Blood vessels there are closer to the surface of your skin, so the ice can cool the blood that passes through them more easily and quickly – and then that cooled blood will move through your body.
Though getting kids outside is important for their physical, mental and emotional development, parents need to keep an eye on the heat index – a combination of temperature and humidity.
Download the freer Outdoor Challenge activity sheet with 50+ fun activities to see what’s possible right outside your own front door today! And stay safe and cool while having fun outdoors!
https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/gsusa/forms-and-documents/activity-zone/all-ages-levels/GSUSA_Girl-Scouts-Love-The-Outdoors-Challenge_worksheet.pdf
Interested in becoming a Girl Scout? Attend a Discover Girl Scout event where you’ll get information and receive a free activity book and craft along with a free patch! https://www.gsccc.org/en/discover/discover-girl-scouts.html
Families are invited to a free Join Us event to find out about Girl Scouts! Receive a free patch and activity book with a craft!
· Saturday, June 27, 9:00-10:00 a.m Camp Outback, Chesapeake
· Monday, July 6, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Camp Apasus, Norfolk
· Tuesday, July 7, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Camp Outback, Chesapeake
· Saturday, July 18, 9:00-10:00 a.m. Camp Outback, Chesapeake
· Monday, July 20, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Camp Apasus, Norfolk
· Tuesday, July 21, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Camp Outback, Chesapeake
· Saturday, August 22, 9:00-10:00 a.m. Camp Skimino, Williamsburg
S’more Fun
Play S’more Bingo, make a s’more craft, and enjoy creating and eating s’more trail mix. Plus, get a free patch and activity kit to take home!
All events will be held on Saturday, August 8.
· Camp Skimino, Williamsburg, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
· A Place for Girls, Chesapeake, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
· Camp Apasus, Norfolk, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
