Junior Staying Fit Badge
The Staying Fit badge is part of the “It's Your World - Change It!” badge set introduced in 2011. It replaces the retired Fun and Fit, Highway to Health, and Stress Less badges.
Activity #1: Start moving
Try 30 minutes of aerobic activity three times each week. Grab your jump rope and friends, go for a jog, have a hula hoop contest, ride your bike or put on your favorite music and get dancing. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and try something new. You can also ask local gyms or community centers if they have a class you can attend. Many gyms will let you try one class for free!
Activity #2: Keep your fit body fueled
Brainstorm a list of healthy foods and what benefits they provide your body. Usechoosemyplate.gov as a resource. Head to your local grocery store and have an alphabet challenge. Find a healthy food option for each letter of the alphabet and write it down. Many local grocery stores, like Schnucks and Dierbergs, will happily give Girl Scout troops a tour of the store and provide some helpful tips about snacks and foods that are good for the body.
Activity #3: Know how to stress less
Sometimes just writing down your emotions can help you feel better. For one week, write down or draw how you feel each day. Take a week off, and then record your feelings for another week. What differences did you have? Did you feel different during the week you didn’t record? How have your entries changed? Add some creativity to this activity to help relieve stress. Using a spiral notebook, add stickers, cut-outs from magazines, colored pencils and markers to decorate the front and back covers. Tie ribbon to the spiral binding for an extra touch of fun.
Activity #4: Get the truth about health
Madeline R. Lalia, MD
Contact a health professional, like a pediatrician, school nurse or pharmacist, and invite them to speak with your troop. Don’t forget to prepare questions to ask, including health tips for girls your age.
Madeline R. Lalia, MD
Dr. Madeline Lalia is a pediatrician on Long Island. She received her medical degree from SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center, followed by a pediatric endocrinology fellowship also at that facility.
She has had a private pediatrics practice in Hewlett for over 20 years. Currently, she is also the school pediatrician for Nassau BOCES.
Dr. Lalia is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
She is affiliated with North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and South Nassau Communities Hospital. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Nassau Pediatrics Society. Dr. Lalia joined Mount Sinai Five Towns Medical Group in March 2014.
Activity #5: Help your family stay fit
Get your family involved! Find something that everyone can do together, and then go do it! It can be anything from riding bikes, going on a hike, swimming, jumping rope and more. If it’s a rainy day and chores need to be done, make a fun challenge out of it.
Additional Resources
- The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls by Cara Natterson is a book that covers a lot of useful information for 10+ years old. It discusses how to take care of your body, covering "questions about periods, your growing body, peer pressure, personal care, and more."
- The Feelings Book: The Care and Keeping of Your Emotions by Dr. Lynda Madison is a companion book the the Care and Keeping of You series. It covers "tips on how to express your feelings and stay in control, plus get sensitive advice on handling fear, anxiety, jealousy, and grief. Learn how to stay in the driver's seat of your own emotions!"
- Media Smart Youth website. Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active!® is an interactive after-school education program for youth ages 11 to 13 designed to empower young people to: become aware of—and think critically about—media’s role in influencing their nutrition and physical activity choices; build skills that help them make informed decisions about being physically active and eating nutritious food in daily life; establish healthy habits that will last into adulthood; and learn about media and create their own media products to educate their peers.