Cub Scouting is all about adventure! To earn their rank badge, Bear Cub Scouts complete seven "adventures," which are collections of themed, multidisciplinary activities. They also complete safety exercises. Below, you'll find the exact requirements.
For your convenience, this page also has the activities to be completed for each adventure. Look for them further down the page.
Bear Rank Requirements
1. Complete each of the following Bear required adventures with your den or family:
a. Baloo the Builder
b. Bear Claws
c. Bear Necessities
d. Fellowship and Duty to God
e. Fur, Feathers, and Ferns
f. Paws for Action
2. Complete one Bear elective adventure of your den or family’s choosing.
3. With your parent or adult partner, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide, and earn the Cyber Chip award for your age.*
*If your family does not have Internet access at home AND you do not have ready Internet access at school or another public place or via a mobile device, the Cyber Chip portion of this requirement may be waived by your parent or adult partner.
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Click on the arrow by the adventure you want to review. This will show the activities for the adventure and will give you a link to a page with the articles I've written to help you and your Cub Scout complete them.
Bear Required Adventures
Your Cub Scout must complete all six of these adventures to earn his Bear badge.
Bear Adventure: Baloo the Builder
Click here for fun ideas for this adventure.
Complete all of the following requirements.
1. Discover which hand tools are the best ones to have in your toolbox. Learn the rules for using these tools safely. Practice with at least four of these tools before beginning a project.
2. Select, plan, and define the materials for the project you will complete in requirement 3.
3. Assemble your materials, and build one useful project and one fun project using wood.
4. Apply a finish to one of your projects.
Bear Adventure: Bear Claws
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Complete the following requirements.
1. Learn about three common designs of pocketknives.
2. Learn knife safety and earn your Whittling Chip.*
3. Do one of the following:
A. Using a pocketknife, carve two items.
B. With a pocket knife, safely perform each of these tasks:
(1) Demonstrate how to cut a piece of rope, twine or fishing line;
(2) Open a sealed box without damaging the contents;
(3) Open a can with a can opener tool on a pocket knife;
(4) Remove and replace the screws on an object with the screwdriver tool on a pocket knife;
(5) Open a letter.
Bear Adventure: Bear Necessities
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Complete Requirements 1 – 4. Requirements 5 and 6 are options
1. While working on your Bear badge, attend one of the following:
A daytime or overnight campout with your pack or family
An outdoor activity with your den or pack
Day camp
Resident camp
2. Make a list of items you should take along on the activity selected in Requirement 1.
3. Make a list of equipment that the group should bring along in addition to each Scout’s personal gear for the activity selected in Requirement 1.
4. Help set up a tent. Determine a good spot for the tent, and explain to your den leader why you picked it.
5. Demonstrate how to tie two half hitches and explain what the hitch is used for.
6. Learn how to read a thermometer and a barometer. Keep track of the temperature and barometric pressure readings and the actual weather at the same time every day for seven days.
Bear Adventure: Fellowship and Duty to God
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Complete the following requirements.
1. Discuss with your parent, guardian, den leader, or other caring adult what it means to do your duty to God. Tell how you do your duty to God in your daily life.
2. Complete at least one of the following:
A. Identify a person whose faith you admire, and discuss this person with your family.
B. With a family member, provide service to a place of worship or a spiritual community, school, or community organization that puts into practice your ideals of duty to God and strengthens your fellowship with others.
3. Complete at least one of the following:
A. Earn the religious emblem of your faith that is appropriate for your age, if you have not already done so.
B. Make a list of things you can do to practice your duty to God as you are taught in your home or place of worship or spiritual community. Select two of the items and practice them for two weeks.
Bear Adventure: Fur, Feathers, and Ferns
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Complete Requirement 1 and three others.
1. While hiking or walking for one mile, identify six signs that any mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, or plants are living near the place where you choose to hike or walk.
2. Visit one of the following: zoo, wildlife refuge, nature center, aviary, game preserve, local conservation area, wildlife rescue group, or fish hatchery. Describe what you learned during your visit.
3. Name one animal that has become extinct in the last 100 years and one animal that is currently endangered. Explain what caused their declines.
4. Observe wildlife from a distance. Describe what you saw.
5. Use a magnifying glass to examine plants more closely. Describe what you saw through the magnifying glass that you could not see without it.
6. Learn about composting and how vegetable waste can be turned into fertilizer for plants.
7. Plant a vegetable or herb garden.
Bear Adventure: Paws for Action
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Complete Requirement 1 and two others from Requirements 2-4.
1. Learn about our nation’s flag. Display it at home for one month. Say the Pledge of Allegiance and learn its meaning.
2. Do at least one of the following.
A. Find out about two famous Americans. Share what you learned.
B. Find out where places of historical interest are located in or near your community, town, or city. Go and visit one of them with your family or den.
3. Do at least two of the following.
A. With your school or den, visit a local sheriff’s office, police station, or fire department OR talk with a fire safety officer or law enforcement officer visiting your school or den. Find out what skills the officers use to do their jobs. Ask questions that will help you learn how to stay safe.
B. Make a list of emergency numbers and discuss with your family where the list should be kept. Show your family that you know how to call for help in an emergency. Talk with your family about people who could help you if a parent is not available.
C. With your family, develop a plan to follow in case of an emergency, and practice the plan at least three times. Your family can determine the emergency, or you can develop several plans.
4. Do at least one of the following.
A. Do a cleanup project that benefits your community.
B. Participate in a patriotic community parade or other civic event that honors our country.
Bear Elective Adventures
Your Bear must complete ONE of these adventures to earn his Bear rank badge. But you aren't limited to just one--your family or your den may choose to do as many of these as you would like.
Bear Elective Adventure: A Bear Goes Fishing
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Complete at least three of the following.
1. Discover and learn about three types of fish in your area. Draw a color picture of each fish, record what each one likes to eat, and describe what sort of habitat each likes.
2. Learn about your local fishing regulations with your den leader or a parent or guardian. List three of the regulations you learn about and one reason each regulation exists.
3. Learn about fishing equipment, and make a simple fishing pole. Practice casting at a target.
4. Go on a fishing adventure, and spend a minimum of one hour trying to catch a fish. Put into practice the things you have learned about fish and fishing equipment.
Bear Elective Adventure: Bear Picnic Basket
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Complete at least three of the following.
1. 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.
2. With a family member or den leader, prepare for cooking by explaining the importance of planning, tool selection, sanitation, and cooking safety.
3. Select and prepare two nutritious snacks for yourself, your family, or your den.
4. 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.
5. 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.
Bear Elective Adventure: Beat of the Drum
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Complete requirement 1 and two others from requirements 2-4.
1. Learn about the history and culture of American Indians or other indigenous people who lived in your area long ago.
2. Create a legend by building a diorama, writing a story, or presenting a skit.
3. Complete one of the following:
A. Make a dream catcher.
B. Make a craft similar to one made by American Indians or indigenous people.
C. Make a drum. Once your drum is complete, create a ceremonial song.
4. Complete one of the following:
A. Visit an Order of the Arrow dance ceremony.
B. Visit an American Indian event or an event presented by other indigenous people.
C. Learn and demonstrate ceremonial dance steps.
D. Create a ceremonial dance.
Bear Elective Adventure: Critter Care
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Complete all of the following.
1. Complete one of the following:
A. If you have a pet, make a list of tasks that you did to take care of a pet for two weeks.
B. If you do not have a pet, research one that you would like to have and prepare a report about the care it needs.
2. Complete one of the following and share with your den, pack, or family:
A. Make a poster or PowerPoint about your pet or a pet you would like to own. Share your presentation with your den, pack, or family.
B. Make a poster or PowerPoint explaining three ways that animals can help people.
3. Complete at least one of the following and share with your den, pack, or family:
A. Visit with a local veterinarian or an animal shelter caretaker. Find out what types of animals he or she might see on a regular basis and the types of care he or she gives to them.
B. Learn about careers that involve the care of animals. What education, training, and experience are required?
Bear Elective Adventure: Forensics
Fun ideas for this adventure coming soon!
Complete all of the following.
1. Talk with your family or den about forensics and how it is used to help solve crimes.
2. Take your fingerprints and learn how to analyze them.
3. Complete one of the following:
A. Learn about chromatography and how it is used in solving crimes. Do an investigation using different types of black, felt-tip markers. Share your results with your den.
B. Do an analysis of four different substances: salt, sugar, baking soda, and cornstarch.
4. Complete one of the following:
A. Visit the sheriff’s office or police station in your town. Find out how officers collect evidence. [Note that this may be during the same visit as “Paws for Action”]
B. Learn about the different jobs available in forensic science. Choose two, and find out what is required to work in those jobs. Share what you learned with your den.
C. Learn how animals are used to gather important evidence. Talk about your findings with your den.
Bear Elective Adventure: Grin and Bear It
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Complete at least four of the following.
1. Play a challenge game or initiative game with the members of your den. Take part in a reflection after the game.
2. Working with the members of your den, organize a Cub Scout carnival and lead it at a special event.
3. Help younger Cub Scouts take part in one of the events at the Cub Scout carnival.
4. After the Cub Scout carnival, discuss with the members of your den and your den leader what went well, what could be done better, and how everyone worked together to make the event a success.
5. With your den, develop a thank-you cheer to recognize those who helped organize the Cub Scout carnival.
Bear Elective Adventure: Make It Move
Fun ideas for this adventure coming soon!
Complete all of the following.
1. Create an “exploding” craft stick reaction.
2. Make two simple pulleys, and use them to move objects.
3. Make a lever by creating a seesaw using a spool and a wooden paint stirrer. Explore the way it balances by placing different objects on each end.
4. Complete one of the following:
A. Draw a Rube Goldberg–type machine. Include at least six steps to complete your action.
B. Construct a real Rube Goldberg–type machine to complete a task assigned by your den leader. Use at least two simple machines and include at least four steps.
Bear Elective Adventure: Marble Madness
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Complete requirements 1-4. Requirement 5 is optional.
1. Discuss with your family or den the history of marbles, such as where and when the game began. Talk about the different sizes of marbles and what they are made of and used for.
2. Learn about three different marble games, and learn to play one of them. Learn how to keep score. Learn and follow the rules of the game. Play the game with your family, friends, or your den.
3. Learn four or five words that are used when talking about marbles. Tell what each of the words means and how it relates to playing marbles. Share this information with your den.
4. Complete one of the following:
A. With your den or family, make a marble obstacle course or marble golf course. Share what you create. Invite everyone to go through your course.
B. Create your own game using marbles, and design rules for playing the game. Share the game you created with your den, family, or friends. Explain the rules and how to play the game.
C. With your den or family, create a marble race track. Have at least two lanes so you can race your favorite marbles against each other.
D. Make a marble maze.
5. With the help of an adult, make a marble bag to hold marbles.
Bear Elective Adventures: Roaring Laughter
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Complete at least four of the following.
1. Think about what makes you laugh. Write down three things that make you laugh.
2. Practice reading tongue twisters.
3. Create your own short story. Remove some nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs from the story, leaving blanks. Without telling the story, have a friend insert his or her own nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in the story you created.
4. With a partner, play a game that makes you laugh.
5. Share at least two jokes with members of your den to make them laugh.
6. Practice at least two run-ons with your den, and perform them at a pack meeting or campfire program.
Bear Elective Adventures: Robotics
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Complete at least four of the following
1. Identify six tasks performed by robots.
2. Learn about some instances where a robot could be used in place of a human for work. Research one robot that does this type of work, and present what you learn to your den.
3. Build a robot hand. Show how it works like a human hand and how it is different from a human hand.
4. Build your own robot.
5. Visit a place that uses robots.
Bear Elective Adventures: Salmon Run
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Complete requirements 1-4 and two others.
1. Explain the importance of response personnel or lifeguards in a swimming area. Tell how the buddy system works and why it is important.
2. Visit a local pool or swimming area with your den or family. Go swimming or take a swimming lesson.
3. Explain the safety rules that you need to follow before participating in boating.
4. Identify the safety equipment needed when going boating.
5. Demonstrate correct rowing or paddling form. Explain how rowing and canoeing are good exercise.
6. Show how to do both a reach rescue and a throw rescue.
7. Demonstrate the front crawl swim stroke to your den or family.
8. Name the three swimming ability groups for the Boy Scouts of America.
9. Earn the BSA beginner swim classification.
Bear Elective Adventures: Super Science
Fun ideas for this adventure coming soon!
Complete at least four of the following and explain what you learned.
1. Make static electricity by rubbing a balloon or a plastic or rubber comb against another material, such as a fleece blanket or wool sweater. Explain what you learned.
2. Conduct one other static electricity investigation. Explain what you learned.
3. Do a sink-or-float investigation. Explain what you learned.
4. Do a color-morphing investigation. Explain what you learned.
5. Do a color-layering investigation. Explain what you learned.
Bear Elective Adventure: A World of Sound
Fun ideas for this adventure coming soon!
Complete all of the following.
1. Make an mbira.
2. Make a sistrum.
3. Make a rain stick.
