The Webelos Fix It adventure is not a required badge, but it should be! It teaches young scouts practical, everyday skills for taking care of a house. From resetting breakers to fixing an overflowing toilet, these are things everyone should know yet every parent may not think to show their kids.
I never learned these things from my father, and I managed to figure them out. However, it would have been nice to have had someone show me. Plus, there's the added bonus of bonding with your kids as they "help Daddy around the house." Isn't that what scouting is all about aside from the outdoors activities?
We found a cool video on Youtube to help teach the kids about tools as part of this adventure that is very informative and, done by Disney, keeps the kids interested:
The Fix It Adventure requirements:
1. Put a Fix It Toolbox together. Describe what each item in your toolbox can be used for. Show how to use three of the tools safely.
2. Be Ready. With the help of an adult in your family, do the following:
a. Locate the electrical panel in your home. Determine if the electrical panel has fuses or breakers.
b. Determine what sort of fuel is used to heat your home.
c. Learn what you would do to shut off the water for a sink, a toilet, a washing machine, or a water heater. If there is a main shut-off valve for your home, show where it is located.
3. Describe to your Webelos den leader how to fix or make safe the following circumstances with help from an adult:
a. A toilet is overflowing.
b. The kitchen sink is clogged.
c. A circuit breaker tripped, causing some of the lights to go out.
4. Let’s Fix It. Select and do eight of the following. You will need an adult’s supervision for each of these Fix It projects: a. Show how to change a light bulb in a lamp or fixture. Determine the type of light bulb and how to properly dispose of it.
b. Fix a squeaky door or cabinet hinge.
c. Tighten a loose handle or knob on a cabinet or a piece of furniture.
d. Demonstrate how to stop a toilet from running.
e. Replace a furnace filter.
f. Wash a car.
g. Check the oil level and tire pressure in a car.
h. Show how to replace a bulb in a taillight, turn signal, or parking light, or replace a headlight in a car.
i. Help an adult change a tire on a car.
j. Make a repair to a bicycle, such as adjusting or lubricating the chain, inflating the tires, fixing a flat, or adjusting the seat or handlebars.
k. Replace the wheels on a skateboard, a scooter, or a pair of inline skates.
l. Help an adult prepare and paint a room.
m. Help an adult replace or repair a wall or floor tile.
n. Help an adult install or repair a window or door lock.
o. Help an adult fix a slow or clogged sink drain.
p. Help an adult install or repair a mailbox.
q. Change the battery in a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector, and test its operation.
r. Help an adult fix a leaky faucet.
s. Find wall studs, and help an adult hang a curtain rod or a picture.
t. Take an old item, such as a small piece of furniture, a broken toy, or a picture frame, and rebuild and/or refinish it. Show your work to an adult or your Webelos leader.
u. Do a Fix It project agreed upon with your parent or guardian.
