{"alias":"contentPage","byline":null,"standfirst":null,"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"sidebar","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re excited to introduce a new set of Activity Badges for Explorers, and they\u2019re not just shiny new additions to the programme. They\u2019re built differently. They\u2019re built to empower.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the heart of the Explorer Programme redesign is a simple but powerful idea: young people should shape their own experience. These new badges are all about giving Explorers the tools, space and support to do just that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EDesigned with purpose: The Experience Principles\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEvery badge is built around a set of experience principles. Think of them as creative prompts or mini-missions that help Explorers design their own journey. These principles guide the kind of activities young people can choose, and they\u2019re all about real-world learning, collaboration and self-discovery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s the line-up:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDiscover \u2013 Learn something new\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EMobilise \u2013 Bring others together\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ECreate \u2013 Bring something into existence\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EExperience \u2013 Try something out\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ESolve \u2013 Fix a problem\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EReflect \u2013 Know and care for yourself\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHeads up: Reflection isn\u2019t part of the Activity Badges, but it\u2019s baked into everything else we do, because thinking about what you\u2019ve learnt is just as important as doing it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EStructure that supports, not restricts\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo earn an Activity Badge, Explorers complete three activities, each linked to a different principle. We\u2019ll provide example activities to spark ideas, but here\u2019s the key: they don\u2019t have to follow our suggestions exactly.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs long as their chosen activities align with the principles, they\u2019re good to go. That means more flexibility, more creativity and more ownership.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike other sections where requirements can feel rigid, these badges are built to flex. Whether your Explorer is a budding coder, a community organiser, or someone who\u2019s just figuring out what they love, there\u2019s room for them to shape their badge around their interests and strengths.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EWhat this looks like in practice\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s an example of what this might look like in practice for the Chef Activity Badge:\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":true,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETo earn the Chef Activity Badge, Explorers complete three activities, each linked to a different experience principle.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s what that looks like:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiscover \u2013 Choose a recipe, a cooking technique or a traditional food, and find out about its history. \u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/strong\u003ETry making something using traditional methods and ingredients, avoiding modern techniques.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExperience \u2013 Hold a cooking competition with your Unit or District.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMobilise \u2013 Look at the social issues that surround our food production, and see if you can take any actions to reduce their impact.\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cbr\u003EThis could involve researching certain ingredients, or visiting production facilities or farms.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESolve \u2013 Plan a recipe or menu you\u2019d make in your usual kitchen facilities.\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cbr\u003EThen, try and make that using a different cooking facility, like a camping stove or campfire. Think about how you could improvise utensils and maintain hygiene.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreate \u2013 Create a menu for a specific event.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/strong\u003EThis could be anything from a gala-style dinner to a street food tasting night!\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E","label":"Chef Activity Badge: From kitchen to campfire"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIf your Explorer wants to do their Chef badge on camp, using backwoods cooking techniques (think foil packs, stick bread, fire pits and wild ingredients), here\u2019s how you might flex the requirements while keeping all five experience principles intact:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiscover - Research traditional outdoor cooking methods used by different cultures, like ember baking, clay cooking or spit roasting.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E Learn about the history of backwoods cooking and how people cooked before modern kitchens.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExperience - Run a backwoods cooking challenge with your Unit. Set up different stations (fire building, prep, cooking, serving) and try out various techniques.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E Make it fun, competitive and collaborative.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMobilise - Explore the environmental impact of food waste and packaging on camp.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E Work with your group to reduce waste, maybe by using locally sourced ingredients, reusable containers or cooking with minimal equipment.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESolve - Take a recipe you\u2019d normally cook at home and adapt it for the campfire.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E Think about how to improvise utensils (e.g. using sticks, foil or natural materials), manage hygiene and cook safely without a kitchen.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreate - Design a themed backwoods menu for a special camp event, like a \u0027wild feast night\u0027 or \u0027forest caf\u00E9\u0027.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/strong\u003EInclude starter, main and dessert, and think about how to present it creatively using natural materials.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E","label":"Adapting the badge: Backwoods cooking edition"}]},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFlex your programme with real-world issues\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother great example of how to flex a badge to reflect what matters most to your Explorers is through our \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022/volunteers/running-your-section/running-an-explorer-unit/meet-the-new-explorer-activity-badges/votes-for-16/#\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Votes for 16\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022#\u0022\u003EVotes for 16 resources\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese resources allow you to explore democratic participation through an alternative set of activities for the Democracy Activity Badge. They show how badges can connect to current issues while still meeting the badge\u2019s themes and using the Explorer experience principles to support learning.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom time to time, we\u2019ll provide extra support for national campaigns or topics of wider interest, helping you link badge activities to real-world issues. You\u2019ll find these ideas highlighted in tips boxes on badge pages, shared as blogs on Explorer pages, and included in your programme emails.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EFinal thoughts\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese adapted versions still meet all the Explorer experience principles, while giving young people the chance to shape badges around their interests and environment. The Chef and Democracy badges are both great examples of how the new programme encourages flexibility, creativity, and youth-led learning.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether it\u2019s cooking outdoors on camp or exploring how young people can influence decisions, Explorers build confidence, resilience and skills through meaningful, real-world experiences.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you can adapt badges like Chef or Democracy to suit your Explorers\u2019 passions and context, you can adapt any badge. The principles stay the same.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo whether it\u2019s cooking over a campfire, developing a campaign, or organising a community event, the badge is just the starting point. The real power lies in how young people shape it.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]},{"items":[{"type":"Image top","cta":"Use the activity finder","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWhether you\u0027re looking for an adventure, a recipe, a game, a craft or something else, our activity finder\u0027s bursting with programme ideas.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Activities","id":null,"url":"/activities/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Activity finder","image":"/media/20419/girl-looking-at-activity-finder-on-scouts-website-while-sat-at-a-tablemin.jpg?cc=0,0.07953088380733493,0,0.0766347327543211\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dae7ec2c3c5320","imageFocus":"","imageId":36686,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Image top","cta":"Explore the badges","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMaster something you love, or try something shiny and new. If it spurs you on or stirs your interest, we\u2019ve probably got a badge for it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Activity Badges","id":null,"url":"/explorers/activity-badges/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Activity and Staged Activity Badges","image":"/media/nshdbwm4/explorer-activity-badges.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dcff09eac26830","imageFocus":"","imageId":90044,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Image top","cta":"","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou asked, we listened.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWe\u0027ve brought together every Activity Badge requirement into a single downloadable and printable PDF, making it easier than ever to explore and complete your badges.\u003C/div\u003E","link":{"name":"Explorer Activity Badge Book PDF","id":null,"url":"https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk//media/xxvdykyy/explorer-activity-badge-book-pdf.pdf","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Activity Badge .PDF","image":"/media/sz1b2vb5/explorers-activity-seo.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dd23ffb58667a0","imageFocus":"","imageId":90726,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Image top","cta":"Check out the 6-week plan","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EA flexible 6\u2011week programme designed to help young people become familiar with the new programme while working towards earning their first badge.\u003C/div\u003E","link":{"name":"Getting started with the new Explorer Programme","id":null,"url":"/volunteers/running-your-section/running-an-explorer-unit/getting-started-with-the-new-explorer-programme/","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Getting started with the new Explorer programme","image":"/media/12uloqte/explorer-new-tomahawk-at-board.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dcfcbb32e9a890","imageFocus":"","imageId":89992,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Image top","cta":"What to wear at Explorers","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYou don\u0027t need a uniform to join Explorers. But once you\u0027ve settled in, you\u0027ll start speedily earning badges, and you\u0027ll need to know where to put them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Explorer uniform and badge placement","id":null,"url":"/explorers/explorer-uniform-and-badge-placement/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Uniform and badge placement","image":"/media/14955/scouts-uniform-01.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1daac282d8e70f0","imageFocus":"","imageId":28493,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis programme is designed to be flexible and easily adapted to the needs of your unit and every single young person who is a part of it. 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