New at Olmsted in 2026!

What are the picks for 2026?

As we do every summer, we have updated our program schedule. Some badges have been rotated out and some badges have been rotated in.

The biggest change this year is the program areas! Culture Craft and Handicraft are officially combining on the schedule. Expect to find all your favorites once again at the Culture Craft & Handicraft Pavilion.

And speaking of Culture Craft and Handicraft, in addition to a few new badges, Leatherwork and Basketry are scheduled sessions this year instead of being part of Open Program. But don’t worry! Anyone feeling creative is welcome to drop by at Open Program times for Craft Time. Use the time to work on your merit badge crafts or just for fun crafts with the staff.

You will notice Mammal Study at Ecology has a (MTW) note next to it. We anticipate this badge will only take 3 sessions to complete, so use the fourth day to have some fun at open program – with open shoot at the ranges, open swim or boating at Aquatics, or open craft time.

Down at Scoutcraft, the sessions for First Aid merit badge are now one and a half blocks – 80 minutes – to have enough time for all the requirements. Make sure to plan for that in your schedule if you want to take that badge!

Another change for this summer is the introduction of Scouts BSA Test Lab activities. These are topics that are potential new merit badges which you can help test out. After completing the requirements for the activity, Scouts will visit the Tech Center to fill out the survey, give feedback on their experience, vote for if it becomes a merit badge or not, and get their completion certificate. If the badge is approved as a merit badge, you can get credit for earning the badge by presenting your certificate. Is this your first time hearing about the Scouts BSA Test Lab? Learn more here: https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/test-lab/

Check out the full list of new for 2026 badges and activities below and be sure to check out the full program schedule in the Downloads section to start planning your week of fun!