What is a hungry Bear to do? His stomach feels empty and he might feel just a little cranky with everyone around him. In this Bear Picnic Basket adventure we are going to learn how to put a smile on that cranky Bear’s face. You will learn to cook at home, how to cook outdoors, and also what foods you can eat raw. You will also learn how to make healthy snacks that taste terrific, because a healthy Bear is a happy Bear.
Rationale for Adventure
This Adventure will help the Bear Scout learn some important basic skills and safety practices when cooking inside or outside, and also some ideas about selecting, preparing and eating raw foods. The skills learned in this Adventure can be the groundwork for the Cooking Merit Badge once the Bear becomes a Boy Scout. There are also many opportunities to use the points of the Scout Law as you work through this adventure.
Requirements
Complete at least three of the following:
- Create your own Bear Cookbook using at least five recipes you might cook or prepare either on your own or with some adult help. Include at least one recipe each for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a nutritious snack. Include one page with information about first aid. You should include one recipe for a breakfast item, one for lunch, and one for dinner, and two recipes for nutritious snacks.
- With a family member or den leader, prepare for cooking by explaining the importance of planning, tool selection, sanitation, and cooking safety.
- Select and prepare two nutritious snacks for yourself, your family, or your den.
- With the help of an adult, select a recipe to prepare in a kitchen for your den or your family. Help to select the needed ingredients, perhaps from a garden, grocery store, or farmers’ market. Cook and serve your planned meal. Clean up after the preparation and cooking.
- With the help of an adult, select a recipe to prepare in the outdoors for your family or den. Help to select the needed ingredients, perhaps from a garden, grocery store, or farmers’ market. Cook and serve your planned meal. Clean up after the preparation and cooking.
Takeaways for Cub Scouts
- Learning basic cooking skills
- Understanding how to read a recipe
- Practicing kitchen safety
- Preparing nutritious snacks independently
- A Scout is clean
Historical Requirements
2015 Handbook Requirements
Bear Handbook, page 154
Bear Den Leader Guide, page 111
- Do the following:
- Create your own Bear Cookbook using at least five recipes you can cook or prepare either on your own or with some adult help. Include one page with information about first aid. You should include one recipe for a breakfast item, one for lunch, and one for dinner, and two recipes for nutritious snacks.
- Demonstrate an understanding of meal planning, cooking tools, cooking safety, and how to change the amounts in a recipe.
- Go on a grocery shopping trip with your den or with an adult. Check the price of different brands of one single item, and compare the price of a ready-made item with the price of the same item you would make yourself.
- Do the following:
- With the help of an adult, select one food item, and follow a recipe to prepare it for your family in your kitchen. Once you have eaten, ask everyone what they liked or didn’t like. Explain what you would do differently next time. Make notes on your recipe of changes you want to make so you will remember them the next time you cook. Clean up after the preparation and cooking.
- With the help of an adult, select one food item, and follow a recipe to prepare it outdoors for your family or den. Once you have eaten, ask everyone what they liked or didn’t like. Explain what you would do differently next time. Make notes on your recipe of changes you want to make so you will remember them the next time you cook. Clean up after the preparation and cooking.
- Select and prepare two nutritious snacks for yourself, your family, or your den.
