"To learn skills that will help me enjoy the creations of our Father in Heaven."

• DRIED FLOWERS: With permission of neighbors. Go around the neighborhood and pick small flowers and learn how to dry them. Learn the names of the flowers and if they grow in sun or shade. (When the flowers are dried. Use them for a craft. See the Arts and Crafts section for a great idea.)
• BACKYARD CAMPOUT: Look at the stars, discuss the wonders of the universe and learn a bit about cooking outdoors, but mostly just have fun!
• NATURE HIKE: Go on a hike and observe nature.
• FIRE BUILDING:Learn to build a fire in the backyard or park fire pit. Roast marshmallows and make smores.
• HOMEMADE OBSITCAL COURSE: Gather things in your backyard IE: chairs, water hose, broom,etc... Have the children use these items to make an obstacle course. Time them as they run through the course. They will have a blast and it is great exercise.
• GO FISHING: Find a person who is a skilled fisherman to teach the girls how to fish and then spend an hour fishing. If you find out what day is a free fishing day, it won't cost anything.
• SMORES AND MORE: Go to a park and heat up some charcoal in the cooking area. While it is getting hot, the girls can play games. Roast marshmallows and make smores. They will talk about it for months.
• FIND THE HIDDEN TREASURE: Learn how to use a compass. Have the girls find a hidden treasure. Give them instructions on how to locate it. IE: take 40 steps north, 10 steps southeast, 15 steps south etc... The treasure can be their refreshments !! What fun.
• TIN CAN LUMINARIES: Because outdoor fun and skills includes recycling, we made tin can luminaries. I had each girl bring a clean tin can from home (ie. soup can, vegetable can, etc.). You fill the cans up with water and freeze them. When frozen have each girl "decorate" her can by punching holes in the can with nails. Some of the girls made designs (stars, hearts, smiling faces). When they were done we let the water melt and put luminary candles in the bottom.
• FEED THE DUCKS: Find a place that has ducks. IE: a pond in a park, river etc... Take some bread and feed the ducks.
• GRASSY HILL FUN: Find a good grassy hill and think of all of the fun things that you can do on a hill. Roll down, run down, make up a game with a ball. Just have some good outdoor fun!
• NATIONAL PARKS: Find out if your state has any National Parks, Monuments, Forests or Historical sites. Using a map and information from the internet or your travel bureau teach the children where they are and what interesting things that they have. Try to go to one with the children or challenge the children to go with their family if they are to far away.
• PLANTING SEEDS: Collect egg cartons, soil and seeds. Plant seeds and wait for the seedling. In the meantime have each girl make a planter box. You could use wood or Wal-Mart deep meat trays. Transplant the seedlings into a beautiful individual creative flower box. The girl can take it home or decide to give it to another older person or whom ever. This combines a couple of areas for Achievement Days.
• PRETEND CAMPOUT: If you can't go camping then you can pretend to camp at the church. Set up a tent. Learn to set up different types of fires with sticks, straws or pretzels. Have "Smores" pop tarts, or make them in the microwave. Play some games and tell stories, sing or read a story around a pretend fire made with sticks and christmas lights.
• DAY CAMP: Last year our stake started taking the Achievement Day girls to the cub scout day camp. The girls were allowed to do all of the same activities that the boys do. IE bows and arrows, boating, crafts, sling shots, obstacle course etc... It is an all day activity but it is Fantastic!! Everyone all had a great time and many of the girls commented that they were finally "equal" to the boys.
• WINTER FUN: Brainstorm about all of the ways that you can have fun outside in the winter. For example, snowball fight, make a snowman, go for a walk, ski, tubing, etc...(if you live in a warm place, then come up with your own list) Then go outside and do one of the activities that they came up with. Challenge them to be more active in the winter and not stay inside all of the time.
• nature photo hunt go around a park or your neiborhood and take as many pictures of: flowers, gardens, trees, birds, deer, foxes, chipmunks,etc. present your ideas at the following achievement days. See if you can name everything you find?
• My mother-in-law has horses, so we took the girls over and they were taught a few of the basics about horses. Then each girl was led around on a horse for about 10 minutes or so. They loved it and one girl said it was the best experience of her life!
• LIFE SAVING SKILLS: One of the families in our ward has a swimming pool. We asked their college-aged daughter who teaches swim lessons and life gaurds to teach the girls life-saving skills. She spent about 20 minutes teaching the girls how to save a drowning person. For the rest of the time the girls just swam and played in the water. Afterwards we had popsicles! This was perfect for the hot summer weather, and we had the best turn-out ever!