Design and make your own board game to take family game night to the next level of fun. WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A BOARD GAME Posterboard, cardboard or cardstock Game tokens, such as small toys Blank note cards or construction paper Dice Pencil, markers, crayons, paint and stickers Paper Ruler WHAT YOU’LL DO TO…

In her four years as a Cub Scout leader, Sara Banks had often heard that packs should remain active over the summer. But in Pack 555 in Midland, Ga., all that happened in June, July and August was sending boys to Cub Scout day camp and Webelos resident camp. As part of her Wood Badge…

Part 1 of an exclusive summer camp story by the author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Nobody likes bug bites. And some insects can spread serious diseases, such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus and dengue fever. You can avoid biting insects using this three-part strategy. 1. DON’T GO WHERE BUGS ARE. Mosquitoes, ticks, no-see-ums, horseflies and the like generally emerge with warmer temperatures in spring. They thrive in wet places,…

Wilderness first aid, or WFA, refers to the prevention, assessment and treatment of an ill or injured person in a remote environment where definitive care by a physician and/or rapid transport is not readily available. In other words, if you’re in the middle of nowhere (technically, more than an hour away from advanced care), you…

The Polar Bear Backpack Cooler ($130, polarbearcoolers.com) is designed to keep ice frozen for 24 hours in 100-degree heat. I poured about 8 pounds of pellet ice into this insulated backpack along with a few drinks and placed it directly in the sun for six hours on a 90-degree day. When I checked on it,…

Q: What sleeping bag should I use if I don’t want the heat to get to me? — Gus, Atlanta, Georgia A: Many factors affect a sleeping bag’s comfort: rectangular or mummy design, temperature rating, down or synthetic insulation — it can be tough to find the right fit. Your easiest solution can be to…

In 2012, not long after moving to the Big Island, as the island of Hawaii is known, Truman Wold revived Troop 1, which is celebrating its 90th birthday this year. Based in tiny Pa’auilo (population 586), the 14-member troop now serves boys from across the northern part of the island and will soon be joined…

This story was originally published in the May-June 2017 issue of Scouting magazine. Summer is the perfect time for Scouts to earn the BSA’s special aquatics awards. Each of these awards, which focus on specific aquatic activities, is represented by a colorful patch worn on the swim trunks. What aquatics awards are available? Scouts can…

Tesomas Scout Camp Samoset Council Rhinelander, Wis. For nearly 70 years, Smiley the Tent has cheerily greeted Scouts entering Tesomas Scout Camp. The camp’s logo — a smiley-faced tent — was designed by The Walt Disney Company in 1952, and it’s featured on the sign for the nearly 1,200-acre camp. With about 65 merit badges…