Scouting is all about outing, and Cub Scouts are all about swag. With the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award, you can recognize Scouts who are active in the out-of-doors. 
WHO CAN EARN THE CUB SCOUT OUTDOOR ACTIVITY AWARD? All Cub Scouts, from Tiger Cubs through Webelos Scouts. To earn the award, Scouts must attend an age-appropriate Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos Scout resident camp; complete rank-specific requirements; and complete a specified number of other outdoor-oriented requirements. (New this year, Tiger Cubs can attend Cub Scout/Webelos Scout resident camps with their adult partner or guardian; read more about this change at bit.ly/tigercubs.) Requirements for the award vary at each level; see below.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR TIGER CUBS? Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos resident camp, complete one requirement in Tiger Cub achievement 5 (“Let’s Go Outdoors”), and complete three qualifying outdoor activities.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WOLF CUB SCOUTS? Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos resident camp, assemble the “Six Essentials for Going Outdoors” (Wolf elective 23b) and discuss their purpose, and complete four qualifying outdoor activities.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BEAR CUB SCOUTS? Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos resident camp, earn the Cub Scout Leave No Trace Award (Bear elective 25h), and complete five qualifying outdoor activities.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WEBELOS SCOUTS? Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos resident camp, earn the Outdoorsman activity badge, and complete six qualifying outdoor activities.
CAN A BOY EARN THE AWARD MORE THAN ONCE? Yes, he can earn it once during each program year, so long as he meets the requirements.
CAN A SCOUT REPEAT AN ACTIVITY FOR CREDIT IN A SUBSEQUENT YEAR? Yes. However, leaders should encourage boys to build on skills and experiences from previous years when working on the award for a successive year. Youth are not expected to participate in a different camp experience each year, but if that is possible it may help continually challenge youth in different ways and give them new and fun things to do.
WHAT RECOGNITION ITEMS DO RECIPIENTS RECEIVE? The first time a boy earns the award, he receives the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity emblem (No. 14235; shown above). It goes on the right pocket flap of his uniform shirt. Each additional time he earns the award, he receives a Wolf Track pin (No. 14236) that’s worn on the pocket flap emblem.
WHAT ACTIVITIES QUALIFY FOR THE CUB SCOUT OUTDOOR ACTIVITY AWARD? Thirteen specified activities qualify, including participating in a nature hike or pack overnighter, explaining the buddy system, earning the Summertime Pack Award, and exploring a local city, county, state, or national park and discussing how a good citizen obeys park rules. See the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award brochure (No. 13-228) for a detailed list.
DO THE ACTIVITIES HAVE TO BE DONE AS A PACK? Some, such as attending a pack overnighter, are by definition pack activities. Others, the den or family can do.
DURING WHICH PERIOD MUST THE REQUIREMENTS BE COMPLETED? Requirements for each rank must be completed during the time period a Scout is eligible to be working on that specific rank.
HOW DOES OUR PACK APPLY FOR THE AWARD FOR SCOUTS? Submit a copy of the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award application (No. 512-013) to your local council for each Scout.
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I have Tiger cubs that have attended a council sponsored event of Parent Cub weekend camping. They also have finished all other requirements for this except the day camp / resident camp. Historically I don’t believe our council or BSA would allow tigers to go to resident camp. By the time a Tiger goes to resident camp they would be Wolves. Also since all of my Tigers came to scouting due to Fall Round up they would not have had a chance to have gone to day camp. With that said a Tiger would have no chance to ever earn this award, correct?
Would parent cub weekend count as the “Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos resident camp” requirement.
I would count the event as it includes camping, which is more “camping” than you would do at a day camp, which counts. The type of event you describe is listed on this page under “Cub Scout Camping.” http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Parents/Activities/camping.aspx
I’m also thinking of Tigers and the program year. We “graduated” the tigers to a wolf cub den, as our day camp people said to do (btw, we are a new pack). So aren’t these tigers, that are in a wolf den, still under tiger req,s for the outdoor award?? We are having our annual planning meeting in August, we are thinking the program year is September to August. For this award, aren’t the scouts still under tiger req’s?
The general consensus is that just-graduated Tigers can earn their Tiger OAA the summer after they graduate. The link below should show you the “prevailing opinion” in the comments below the original post. Have fun!
http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/award/cub_scout_outdoor_activity-704.asp
I recently posted this question, but did not receive an answer.
Would attending the Council Tiger Safari fulfill the OAA requirement for day camp?
Yes – please can someone define what is meant by “day camp” and “resident camp”? Are these only the certified camps run by Councils – those that are accredited? Or, to be more inclusive, would a pack’s overnighter or day camp count as “day camp” or “resident camp”?
We are an overseas pack based in Turkey and while we have a pack overnighter twice a year, it is not realistic that our boys attend a U.S.-based certified/accredited camp. That said, we’ve met all the other requirements.
My own son has been to a Council camp in AZ – but I do not want to have him be the only one in our Pack to get this if it is not attainable for everyone else.
Thank you in advance for any clarity you can provide on what constitutes the “camps” that boys must attend to be eligible. The BSA website does not define this well enough.
Cindy,
That’s a great question and valid concern. Please feel free to contact your district advancement chairman (the same scouter that works with the troop for eagle projects and eagle boards of review. The troop committee chair should know how to contact them.) For your case, I would encourage awarding your scout, and in our district, Mediterranean-TAC, many packs put together a day camp during the summer from 1-5 days, as well as the awesome cub scout resident camp at Camp Bayern, either July 11-13 or July 14-18.
Camp Bayern
Cub Scout Weekend: July 11- 13
Cub Scout Week: July 14- 18
Camp Director: Cristina Priddy crpriddy@bsamail.org
Boy Scout Session1: July 19- 25
Boy Scout Session 2: July 26- August 1
Camp Director: Pete Maskovich peter.maskovich@scouting.org
Is it possible to use non-BSA camps towards this award? For instance, my boys attend a week-long resident camp a couple times a summer where they are doing many of the same activities done at scout camps (archery, boating, fishing, crafts, games, campfires). They also attend a few weeks of our local YMCA’s day camp.
We also have done our council’s winter day camp, so it hasn’t prevented the boys from earning the award each year, but I’ve always been curious about the non-BSA camps – as they are still being very active outdoors, which is the point of the award.
If a boy earns the award with one Pack, then transfers to another Pack……does the award go with him, or does he have to re-earn it? I’m assuming the award goes with him, but not sure.
Great question Karen. Most of the kids in our unit cannot afford the Council run Day Camp or Resident Camp and we have structured our program to include 4 to 5 camp outs a year that are free to attend (everyone just pitches in a little for the food for the weekend) so everyone has an opportunity to go to camp. The requirement to attend a Council run camp seems very restrictive in that only those who can afford it can achieve it, even if all other requirement are fulfilled. I would very much like an answer on this. Do our unit run camps fulfill the “Day Camp”/”Resident Camp” requirement?
The bit.ly link is pointing to some pack’s google calendar…
First, Wolf Track pins (No. 14236) are no longer available. They were recalled in 2020 and have not been re-stocked since. The Scouting program needs to re-issue them or provide a replacement. The “award” can be achieved every year but once they receive the patch there is no physical “award” to earn/receive, no pin, no new patch. You can print them a certificate, that in my experience ends up in the bottom of a backpack, drawer, or recycling bin. Second, Webelos is typically a two year program (Webelos / Arrow of Light) with two ranks but no way to track awards like Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award that may have been earned the second year of Webelos. This award is great idea but needs some tweaking to update it and make it a great award for all to earn and have some physical “swag” recognition.