Greetings, loyal readers! Last time we took you through an edge-of-your-seat rundown of our upcoming SCVNGR badges, Mother’s Day was coming up, and we hope you had a great one! However, we also hope you didn’t think we were going to forget about Father’s Day, which falls on June 17th. We have an amazing badge lined up there as well, though as we mentioned last time, let’s think of it as a “supplement” rather than passing it off as a present to your dad, shall we? He might not say anything at first, but you never want to mess with a guy that manly.

After that is the moment we’ve all been trained to wait for eagerly since kindergarten – the official First Day of Summer! Sure, the weather’s been warming up already by the time the Summer Solstice rolls around (there’s a reason they also call it Midsummer), and sure, you might not have quite the same endless three months of freedom stretching out in front of you like you did when you were younger, but there’s still something irresistible about it being official: it’s summer! Hooray, summer! Beat the heat and celebrate with this cool badge, available to everyone who checks in on June 20th.

Closing out the month from June 25th through July 8th is the Championships at Wimbledon, the most famous tennis event out there. Spectators traditionally mix up a heaping bowl of Pimm’s Cup and feast on strawberries with double cream. This strikes us here across the pond as less of a “tradition” than an “excuse for deliciousness,” but to be fair, that could be said of a lot of holidays. Either way, we hope you’ll love this badge we’re serving for the full two weeks. Unless you’re a tennis player yourself – then we hope you’ll cherish it.

While we try to figure out the proper recipe for the perfect batch of Pimm’s Cup (lemonade? mint? cucumber? Who knows), make sure to stir up your badge collection by playing SCVNGR all through June. And, of course, keep an eye on this blog for further updates about cool badges, challenges, events, and more!

Written by Megan Cunniff

Let’s face it, Bostonians: our waterfront is pretty amazing. Museums, shops, cruises, beautiful ocean views, and the city’s best spread of food trucks. (And did we mention lobster?)

That’s why The Boston Harbor Association is launching Summer on the Waterfront, a massive celebration of everything the waterfront has to offer. We’re taking all that awesome, adding SCVNGR and LevelUp, and what do you get? A summer that’ll — wait for it — blow you out of the water.

Okay, you know us, we had to put in at least one pun. But this will genuinely rock your world. We’ve built a SCVNGR trek that’ll put a new spin on some of Boston’s biggest landmarks and cultural powerhouses, places like ICA, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and even out to the Boston Harbor Islands. You can explore and play all summer long — and unlock chances to win awesome prizes!

On top of that, LevelUp will be active at over 150 merchants in the area, everywhere from Boston Harbor Cruises to Ben & Jerry’s and James Hook Lobster Co. (Let’s mention this again, we can’t stress the following enough: LOBSTER!) The great rewards you’ll earn for becoming a regular at your favorite Waterfront places will be more than enough excuse to come back again, and again, and again…

Summer on the Waterfront launches with a huge kickoff party on Saturday, June 2nd from 2-4PM on the Rose Kennedy Greenway at High Street. There’ll be a steel drum band, free snacks, and face-painting, as well as SCVNGR + LevelUp staff on hand to get you started having the greatest summer ever.

Get ready. Visit SummerOnTheWaterfront.org for more!

Written by Megan Cunniff

Ahh, spring, when a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of…badges. (What? No, no, we’re pretty sure it’s badges. What were you thinking of?) Keep your eye on your calendar and your finger hovering over your SCVNGR app this spring and summer, y’all, because we have a ton of seasonal badges waiting for their moment in the sun.

First up is this Northerner’s yearly excuse for pulling out the word “y’all” – the Kentucky Derby! We’re ponying up a brand new badge for everyone who checks in on May 5th. We don’t horse around about any holiday important enough to have its own speciality drink, and the mint julep is one of the best, barn-none.

Now, it’s time to put a halter all the horse puns and move on…to Mother’s Day! If you have — or if you ARE — one of those cool parents who are into current technology, think of a social check-in during Sunday brunch as the greatest gift a kid can give their mom. Except for flowers. And maybe jewelry. But think of the badge, available during all day May 13th, as the icing on the cake. (Ooh, a cake, that’s another good idea…)

On May 28th we have Memorial Day, an exciting picnic opportunity for humans, ants, and talking cartoon bears alike. Pack up your pick-a-nick basket or fire up the grill for an awesome BBQ. Either way, today is the day to kick off a whole season of eating outdoors with friends and family. (The more cynical among you might note that early humans ate outdoors every day before inventing housing. We would suggest that the more cynical among you shut up and eat some watermelon. Mmmmm! Watermelon!)

We don’t want to spook you (oh no, it’s back to the horse puns) with too much more info, but check back soon for a list of awesome badges for June and beyond. We’ll give you a hint on what’s to come: there’ll be least one more occasion-based drink. In the meantime, make sure to snatch all of these up – they only come around once a year! Play early, play often…

Post written by Megan Cunniff

Handcrafted artisanal root beer. A steaming-hot cup of French Roast coffee. A double scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. What do all these have in common? For one thing, they’re all so mouthwateringly good that you’re probably tempted to stop reading and go grab some right now–hey, stop! Don’t go anywhere!

Still with us? Good. They’re also all products available from local companies which have committed to using Fair Trade ingredients. This is where Fair Trade Boston comes in: they’re a coalition working toward accessibility and awareness of the many Fair Trade options in Boston. And they’re partnering with SCVNGR to launch an amazing trek that’ll get you informed and excited!

On Saturday, May 12th, from 12-3PM, visit ten businesses across Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline where you’ll be able to learn about the benefits of Fair Trade, complete fun challenges on SCVNGR, and unlock sweet rewards like free coffee or ice cream at each location! Finish up at the Equal Exchange Cafe at 3PM for Fair Trade ice cream floats (brought to you by Ben & Jerry’s and Maine Root). The Fair Trade fans who come out on top with the highest number of points will receive grand prizes sponsored by local cafes and shops!

Head here to register for the event and receive more information, or visit fairtradeboston.org to learn more about Fair Trade Boston. (Okay, now you can stop reading and go get that scoop of ice cream!)

Post written by Megan Cunniff

If you’re a soccer fan, we have some great news for you!  

No, we’re not enrolling SCVNGRbot in a league for soccer-playing robots – we thought about that one too, but we were told that it wouldn’t be fair to the other bots.

It’s even better than that: the LA Galaxy and Herbalife have teamed up to sponsor a great series of challenges that are sure to rev up the crowd during Galaxy games!

You might remember the LA Galaxy from their amazing performance last season, winning both the Major League Soccer Cup and the Supporters’ Shield for best season record. And now, when you’re in The Home Depot Center rooting for a repeat, you can play SCVNGR to unlock cool rewards like ticket and merch discounts, a 2011 Championship pin, or even a chance to win a VIP suite for up to 15 people!

The challenges will run throughout the 2012 regular season in two sets, so make sure to check back for fun new ways to play every time you visit the stadium! But since we know you can barely wait for the next game already, here’s a sneak peek of some challenges you might see:

- Who’s the Biggest Fan: Spot the craziest, most die-hard supporter in the stadium! Is it a ACB, Riot Squad, Galaxians or a newcomer? Snap a photo of the most die-hard Galaxy fan!

- Celebrate Good Times: Keane flips, Juninho sambas, Magee impersonates a famous wrestler… Describe your goal celebration if you scored the game winner.

For all you Galaxy super-fans, taking a SHOT at these challenges should definitely be one of your GOALS this season (alright, that’s enough with the soccer puns, I’m really kicking myself over here…)

Visit www.scvngr.com/lagalaxy to get started!

Post written by Megan Cunniff