Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Cabin Camper badge requirements.
Items Needed:
- Assorted canned foods (beans, corn, fruit, soup, pasta, veggies, etc.)
- Mixing bowls (one per group)
- Spoons for stirring and serving (one per scout or group)
- Optional: paper towels or wipes for cleanup
Instructions (Total Time: 35 minutes):
- Form Groups and Distribute Ingredients (5–7 minutes)
- Divide scouts into three small groups
- Give each group a bowl, spoon, and a mix of canned food items
- Create Camp Meals (10–12 minutes)
- Scouts work together to combine ingredients they think will taste good
- Encourage talking and teamwork before mixing anything
- Stir and serve the meal into smaller cups or onto plates, if desired
- Present the Creations (8–10 minutes)
- Each group shares what foods they mixed and why
- Scouts describe what kind of camp meal they made
- Taste and Talk (5–6 minutes)
- Scouts try samples from other groups (if safe and permitted)
- Share favorite combinations and discuss which ones they’d want to try on a real campout
- Clean Up and Reflect (3–4 minutes)
- Wipe down tables and bowls
- Talk about how this activity helped them practice preparing food while camping
Note to leaders – This activity is adapted from the GSUSA VTK Cabin Camper Meeting 2 plan. Yes, it really does suggest mixing canned foods in a bowl and sampling them without cooking. While this may not be a gourmet experience, it’s a valid option listed on The Badge Archive and safe for most shelf-stable canned items. Use your best judgment based on your scouts’ comfort and preferences. Heating the ingredients or reframing it as “hobo stew prep” is also an alternative. You can also look up several one-pot cooked meal to do instead.
The Badge Archive 