Activity Badges are a huge part of the Scouting experience. They give young people a chance to learn new skills, explore their interests, and celebrate their progress as they grow.
Many of these badges can be worked towards through everyday activities, weekend adventures, or longer residential stays. Whether you’re a Scout leader looking to plan a session or a parent helping your child track their goals, it’s helpful to understand how badges are earned and how different experiences can support them.
What are Scout activity badges?
Scout Activity Badges are designed to recognise a young person’s effort, growth, and achievement in specific areas of interest. They offer a structured yet flexible way for Scouts to explore new hobbies, develop practical skills, and build confidence in a wide range of subjects.
From outdoor adventures like navigation and camping to creative pursuits such as photography, performing arts, or digital skills, each badge represents a meaningful step in a young person’s journey. Others focus on important life skills such as money management, emergency aid, and communication, preparing Scouts for the challenges of everyday life.
Each badge has its own set of requirements, which vary by section (Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers). These might include:
- Practising a skill regularly over time (e.g. physical recreation or hobbies)
- Learning something new and demonstrating understanding (e.g. fire safety or local knowledge)
- Taking part in a specific event or experience (e.g. Nights Away or community impact)
Some badges are individual challenges, encouraging personal responsibility and self-motivation. Others lend themselves well to group activities, especially those involving outdoor learning, teamwork, or longer residential experiences.
Badges can be completed in a variety of settings, at weekly meetings, at home with family, or during organised trips and camps. Leaders can adapt how they support badge work based on the needs and abilities of their group, helping each Scout achieve their goals in a way that feels meaningful and achievable.
How to earn Scout activity badges
Earning activity badges is a core part of the Scouting experience. Each badge comes with its own set of requirements, giving young people a chance to explore different interests and challenge themselves in new ways.
While some badges can be achieved during regular weekly meetings, others may involve longer-term projects or taking part in special activities, trips, or residentials. Many leaders choose to integrate badge work into their programme naturally, using hands-on experiences, outdoor learning, and team-based tasks to meet the criteria.
Below are just a few examples of popular Scout activity badges and how your unit can work towards them in a practical, engaging way.
Navigator
The navigator badge encourages Scouts to develop essential map-reading and navigation skills. That includes being able to use a simple map to locate places, understand basic symbols, and recognise the four cardinal points of a compass.
Practical activities like orienteering are a great way to help Scouts meet these requirements. Whether you’re in a local park or out in the countryside, navigating unfamiliar areas helps build confidence and independence.
Water Activities
Ideal for Scouts who enjoy being in or around water, the water activities badge covers a variety of water-based activities. Depending on the stage and section, Scouts might go swimming, try canoeing or kayaking, build a raft, or learn water safety skills.
Supervised water sessions, either through local groups or on residential trips, offer great opportunities to tick off badge criteria while building confidence and practising teamwork.
Physical Recreation
The physical recreation badge is all about getting active and staying fit. Scouts work towards it by regularly taking part in a sport, fitness routine, or physical hobby over a number of weeks, from hiking and cycling to dance or martial arts.
The key is showing dedication, tracking progress, and demonstrating a positive sporting attitude throughout the activity.
Staged Activities – Nights Away
Staged badges like Nights Away mark how many nights a young person has spent away from home with Scouts. These trips don’t have to involve tents; they could include staying in lodges, bunkhouses, or even unique venues like museums!
It’s a great way to celebrate independence, shared experience, and the adventure of being part of a group. Every additional night contributes towards the next stage of the badge, giving young people clear goals to aim for as they gain more experience.
Which other activity badges can be earned at PGL?
There’s something really special about learning in the great outdoors. When young people step away from the classroom or meeting hall and into a new environment, their curiosity, confidence, and sense of adventure can really come alive.
For many Scouts, a group trip or a residential is the perfect setting to work towards their Activity Badges. Whether it’s trying a new water sport, building a shelter, or simply spending a night away from home, these experiences offer hands-on ways to meet badge requirements, with plenty of fun and friendship along the way.
Here are just some of the badges that can be supported on a group residential or outdoor adventure:
Squirrels (ages 4–6)
- Explore Outdoors
From hunting for mini-beasts to splashing in puddles, this badge encourages Squirrels to get hands-on with the natural world around them. - Hikes Away
A gentle group walk, perhaps through woodland or around a lake, can count towards this staged badge, helping build a sense of achievement from a young age. - Swimmer
Whether it’s paddling, floating, or getting used to the water with help from grown-ups, this badge is all about feeling safe and happy in aquatic settings.
Beavers (ages 6–8)
- Camp Craft
Activities like helping to pitch a tent, pack a rucksack, or cook marshmallows over a fire introduce Beavers to the joys of camping and outdoor living. - Communicator
From taking part in group discussions to sending secret messages, this badge encourages teamwork and simple communication skills, perfect for residential games and activities. - Explore
Whether they’re spotting animal tracks or following a basic trail, Beavers can learn so much just by paying attention to the world around them.
Cubs (ages 8–10½)
- Map Reader
Fun challenges like orienteering or finding clues using simple maps help Cubs build confidence in basic navigation. - Water Activities
A great chance to try canoeing, raft-building or kayaking in a safe, supportive setting, activities that often tick off multiple badge elements at once. - Staged Activity Badges – Nights Away
Cubs earn this badge by spending nights away from home on camps or residentials. Each night counts, helping build confidence and independence step by step.
Scouts (ages 10½–14)
- Dragon Boating
This energetic, team-based water sport is ideal for adventurous Scouts—it’s fast-paced, exciting, and a fantastic way to bond as a group. - Fire Safety
Learning how to prevent and respond to fires—both indoors and at camp—is a valuable life skill. Sessions might include practice drills or talks from fire service professionals. - Climber
With proper instruction, Scouts can try climbing walls or natural rock faces, learning techniques, rope work, and how to use safety gear responsibly.
Explorers (ages 14–18)
- Leadership
Older Scouts often take the lead, whether that’s guiding younger groups, helping plan activities, or taking responsibility for part of the trip. - Survival Skills
Building shelters, cooking on fires, and learning how to stay safe in the wild gives Explorers a real taste of independence and self-reliance. - Camper
From choosing the right site to managing a cooking rota, this badge celebrates practical planning and responsibility across a full camping experience.
How earning badges supports scouts’ development
Scout Activity Badges are designed to support well-rounded personal development. Each badge reflects time spent learning something new, building confidence, and developing real-world skills that will stay with young people for life.
Here’s how earning badges can help shape a Scout’s growth:
- Confidence and independence
Tackling a new challenge, whether it’s lighting a fire, reading a map, or staying away from home for the first time, helps young people believe in their abilities. With each badge, they build confidence through doing. - Resilience and perseverance
Many badges require consistent effort over time. From keeping up a fitness routine to mastering a practical skill, Scouts learn how to stick with something, even when it takes a few tries to get it right. - Teamwork and leadership
Some badges are best completed in groups, encouraging communication, cooperation, and shared responsibility. As Scouts move through the sections, they also have opportunities to guide others and develop leadership skills. - Problem-solving and practical thinking
Badges often involve hands-on activities, fixing things, finding their way outdoors, or responding in emergencies. These tasks teach valuable decision-making skills and build self-reliance. - Exploration and creativity
Whether it’s earning a badge in art, science, performing, or outdoor adventure, Scouts are encouraged to follow their interests, think creatively, and discover new passions along the way.
Badges offer structure and motivation, but also freedom to explore. They’re a powerful way to keep young people engaged, active, and curious, while reinforcing the values and skills that Scouting is built on.
Go on a Scout Group adventure with PGL!
Ready to start earning your Cub Scout activity badges? Filled with excitement and endless opportunities, get ready to embark on an adventure on a Scout Group residential! From weekend camping trips to outdoor expeditions, our experienced PGL leaders are here for you every step of the way.
If you have any questions, get in touch with our friendly and experienced team today.
