For over a century, Girl Scouts have been taking action within their communities to make the world a better place. When Girl Scouts take action, they are identifying a problem and creating a sustai…

The Get Moving Journey is part of the "It's Your Planet—Love It!" series. Get Moving Journey as a Sleepover Take the Energy Hog Challenge. This workbook includes a lot of information, including information on different types of energy, a quiz for auditing your home, an energy journal, and suggestions for family Hog Buster energy pledges. A LA Times article highlighted the impact Girl Scouts can have on energy conservation using the Girls Learning Environment and Energy (GLEE) program: Science pr

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Waking up and starting the day on the right foot is important whether you are se...

WOW Wonders of Water is part of It's Your Planet-Love It series. 1. Explore the wonders of water by finding out more about its importance and how it's used around the world. 2. Plan a Take Action project, such as making informative posters, promoting recycling at school, or planting low-water gardens. 3. Earn 4 leadership awards: The LOVE Water Award, the SAVE Water Award, the SHARE Water Award, and the WOW! Award. If you're a Girl Scout volunteer, go to Volunteer Toolkit for complete meeting pl

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the parts of the Girl Scout Law is to “Use Resources Wisely”. As a child...

WOW Wonders of Water is part of It's Your Planet-Love It series. 1. Explore the wonders of water by finding out more about its importance and how it's used around the world. 2. Plan a Take Action project, such as making informative posters, promoting recycling at school, or planting low-water gardens. 3. Earn 4 leadership awards: The LOVE Water Award, the SAVE Water Award, the SHARE Water Award, and the WOW! Award. If you're a Girl Scout volunteer, go to Volunteer Toolkit for complete meeting pl

The Get Moving Journey is part of the "It's Your Planet—Love It!" series. Get Moving Journey as a Sleepover Take the Energy Hog Challenge. This workbook includes a lot of information, including information on different types of energy, a quiz for auditing your home, an energy journal, and suggestions for family Hog Buster energy pledges. A LA Times article highlighted the impact Girl Scouts can have on energy conservation using the Girls Learning Environment and Energy (GLEE) program: Science pr

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the parts of the Girl Scout Law is to “Use Resources Wisely”. As a child...

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the parts of the Girl Scout Law is to “Use Resources Wisely”. As a child of the 70’s, I used to watch the Public Service Announcements with Woodsy Owl, who taught us to not pollute. People who cared for the environment were seen as “crunchy granola types” and were very advant garde for the time. The only reason adults of that time were conservationists was to save money. Turning out the lights when they were not in use was not to save the Earth, but to save your parents’ wallets. My children have grown up with recycle bins at home, at school, at local parks, and at our synagogue. This is simply a way of life now and throwing paper goods or cans and bottles is only done by accident. Canvas bags are kept in my car for quick errands and a large bag of them is taken to the supermarket for each weekly trip. Image from Pixabay and used by the author in Canva Many children today are also eating a lot cleaner that I did as a child. Bologna sandwiches on Wonder Bread with Hi C punch in my thermos and a Twinkie for dessert was a normal lunch. Today, kids are eating non-sulfate lunch meats on wheat bread or bringing hummus with vegetables as a lunch. Juice is organic or kids simply drink water. Snacks are natural and made with no high fructose corn syrup. Because the concept of saving the earth, eating healthy and using natural products is a part of our lifestyle now and even our school curriculum, earning the Brownie Household Elf Badge is an easy Try It to earn in one meeting. Step 1 Save Energy This is an easy part of the badge to earn because the girls should have a wide knowledge base. Read one of these books for children that is directly related to saving energy as a launch for discussion. This book for kids is available on Amazon This book shares the story of what happens to a community that has a power blackout. It is available on Amazon. One way to extend this discussion at home is to put the girls "in charge" of making sure the lights are turned off when a room is empty. Have them search for "vampire energy eaters", aka,things that are plugged in when not in use. Have them ask an adult to unplug it for them. Step 2 Save Water Another quick step is to discuss ways that you can save water. Shorter showers, turning off the water when brushing their teeth and not letting the water run when the dishes are being done are just a few things to list. Your co-leader or you can write down the response to send in a follow-up email to parents. Step 3 Go Natural (craft) Materials Spray bottle Ingredients to make your cleaner (your choice-sites for recipes below) Paper or plastic tablecloth to protect the table Sieve for pouring Labels for bottles Many household cleaners are full of strong and powerful chemicals that can cause reactions in some people. Our ancestors knew the cleaning power of baking soda and vinegar long before Windex was invented. You can have the girls make their own natural spray cleaner. You can purchase cheap spray bottles at the Dollar Store or a big box retailer. Depending on what you decide to make, you can make your own labels for the girls to place on them once the mix has been made. Here are a few sites for you to check out and see which natural cleaner you want to make. 10 All Natural Cleaning Solutions to Scrub Every Inch of Your Home 2 Chemical-Free Recipes for DIY Spring Cleaning 25 DIY Green Cleaning Recipes for The Whole House Step 4 Reuse or Recycle As a teacher, I have always saved everything because you never know when it can be repurposed for a craft! In past generations, things were rarely tossed out, they were used up until they could not be used anymore. This is a great time to do intertwine a community service project. For the Bronze Award, my troop made toys for the animals at a local no-kill shelter. We made cat toys our of toilet paper tubes and tug toys for dogs out of tee shirts. If these crafts are not for your troop, then they can decorate canvas tote bags that they can bring to the store when they are out shopping with their parents. Instead of a boring old bag, they can really bling theirs out! Use stampers, jewels, Sharpies...anything you want! Available on Amazon, this tote bag comes in a bulk set of 12 and measures 8 inches by 8 inches with a 5 inch drop handle. Fabric Markers from Amazon Step 5 Clear the Air (craft) Having fresh air to breathe inside our homes is important. Sometimes things get stinky and we need to make it smell fresher. If you want, bring in a can of freshener and have the girls try to read the ingredients. Pretty scary! Image from Pixabay and used by the author in Canva Instead, you can use another spray bottle and make your own room freshener. Here are some recipes that do not require heating. Homemade Air Freshener Top 12 Green DIY Air Fresheners How have your girls earned the Brownie Household Elf Try it?

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the reasons Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts is to give girls ...

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the reasons Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts is to give girls from all kinds of backgrounds skills that they needed. Many of those skills included being in the great outdoors. There are many vintage photos of Ms. Low and her groups of scouts outdoors and enjoying their surroundings. Earning the Brownie Hiker Badge is perfect for an early fall or a spring meeting. If you are a troop that meets over the summer, this is also a great time to earn this badge as well. Because there is prep work involved, this badge will take up more than one meeting. The actual hike, Step number 5, will take place on another day. Be sure to have a rain date in case the weather is not cooperative! Step 1 Find a Trail While the guide for earning this badge has experts coming in to speak or finding a trail, in reality, second and third grade girls cannot choose which place they want to visit. This is an adult decision. However, girls can choose what kinds of things they would like to see and do while on the trail! Make a list and see what things you can actually accomplish while on the trail you have selected. This would also be a good time to discuss what kinds of supplies need to be brought along. Unlike a trip to the theme park where mom usually schleps along, girls will be responsible for carrying their own supplies. Discussions about the kind of footwear and clothing that needs to be worn, as well as safety rules, would be a good starting point for this meeting. Make Your Own Backpack (Craft) This meeting would be a good time for the girls to make their own drawstring backpacks to decorate. Materials Drawstring Backpack Fabric markers or Sharpies Stampers (optional-girls might enjoy stamping nature scenes on their backpacks in addition to drawing on them) Set of 15 canvas bags from Amazon Have the girls put their troop number somewhere in their design and their initials on the outside of the bag. I am not a fan of having children write their names on things, as someone they do not know can call out their name. Initials will identify the bag. Step 2 Try Out a Hiking Skill This is a fun step that will take your troop outdoors. Create a trail map of the outside of your meeting area and place signs for the girls to find. You may also want to add trees, plants and flower to the trail so this activity is a bit more detailed. After the trail has been completed, have the girls remove the signs. This is a great time to share the “Leave No Trace” rule, which is to leave a site just as you found it. Another thing to do is to go over trail signs. This print out will help the girls become familiar with them. Step 3 Pick the Right Gear Although the requirements states that an older Girl Scout or hiker should talk to the girls, this is not really necessary to complete this step. Ask the girls what they wear to a certain activity, for example, to a softball game or to a tap class. Then ask them why they would not wear a football helmet to play softball or ballet shoes to a tap class. This leads to the discussion of what to wear on their hike. Some of the items chosen will depend on the kind of weather you are hiking in-a crisp fall day will require a hoodie, but a late spring day would require short sleeves and sunscreen. Some must haves are: Closed to shoes like hiking boots or sneakers and socks A hat or visor to protect them from the sun A backpack with a water bottle, a small first aid kit, hand wipes and snacks Make Your Own Hat (craft) If you are not doing the make your own backpack, then the girls can create their very own hat to take on the trail. It is an important accessory to keep the sun off sensitive scalps and to keep bugs out of the girls' hair. To make the hats "pop" you can use any of the following materials: Sharpie Markers Fabric Paint Fabric Pens (I have to say that this is one of my favorite craft items) Peel and Stick Foam Stickers Pack of 12 Hats Available on Amazon Another craft can have the girls quickly put together is a small First Aid kit. Have them fill a travel soap container with a few Band Aids and some Neosporin samples (ask your pediatrician for them.) Have them label the top with their name in Sharpie. Step 4 Pack a Snack for Energy While hiking, the girls will get hungry. This is where trail mix comes in to help them curb their hunger pangs. At a prior meeting, ask the girls what their favorite salty and sweet treats are. Once you have compiled a list, shop for those ingredients. On meeting day, put them in paper or plastic bowls and tell each girl to write her name on a baggie. Put the bowls in different sections of the room and have your co-leader supervise one table while you supervise the other. Start the girls with the larger items, such as cereal, pretzels, and crackers. The second table will have sweet items like chocolate chips, M&M’s, raisins, dried fruit and mini marshmallows. Explain that they will take more of the salty items and less of the sweet. Avoid nuts if there are allergies or the place where you meet is peanut/tree nut free. Because the girls are making their own special blend, there will hopefully be no complaints about what they are eating! Make sure each girl has 1-2 pre-packaged wipes in her backpack so she can eat with clean hands. Step 5 Go on Your Hike (and don’t forget your camera!) The big day is finally here! You have your permission slips, your field trip approval number, extra volunteers and all of the right gear for your girls. Now it is time for the fun to begin! Here are some fun activities to do with your girls. Go on a Scavenger Hunt Make a Nature Bracelet Go on an ABC Scavenger Hunt Nature Walk Ideas for Kids Create a Nature Notebook Paint Chip Nature Walk What have you done with your troop to earn the Brownie Hiker badge?

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the parts of the Girl Scout Law is to “Use Resources Wisely”. As a child of the 70’s, I used to watch the Public Service Announcements with Woodsy Owl, who taught us to not pollute. People who cared for the environment were seen as “crunchy granola types” and were very advant garde for the time. The only reason adults of that time were conservationists was to save money. Turning out the lights when they were not in use was not to save the Earth, but to save your parents’ wallets. My children have grown up with recycle bins at home, at school, at local parks, and at our synagogue. This is simply a way of life now and throwing paper goods or cans and bottles is only done by accident. Canvas bags are kept in my car for quick errands and a large bag of them is taken to the supermarket for each weekly trip. Image from Pixabay and used by the author in Canva Many children today are also eating a lot cleaner that I did as a child. Bologna sandwiches on Wonder Bread with Hi C punch in my thermos and a Twinkie for dessert was a normal lunch. Today, kids are eating non-sulfate lunch meats on wheat bread or bringing hummus with vegetables as a lunch. Juice is organic or kids simply drink water. Snacks are natural and made with no high fructose corn syrup. Because the concept of saving the earth, eating healthy and using natural products is a part of our lifestyle now and even our school curriculum, earning the Brownie Household Elf Badge is an easy Try It to earn in one meeting. Step 1 Save Energy This is an easy part of the badge to earn because the girls should have a wide knowledge base. Read one of these books for children that is directly related to saving energy as a launch for discussion. This book for kids is available on Amazon This book shares the story of what happens to a community that has a power blackout. It is available on Amazon. One way to extend this discussion at home is to put the girls "in charge" of making sure the lights are turned off when a room is empty. Have them search for "vampire energy eaters", aka,things that are plugged in when not in use. Have them ask an adult to unplug it for them. Step 2 Save Water Another quick step is to discuss ways that you can save water. Shorter showers, turning off the water when brushing their teeth and not letting the water run when the dishes are being done are just a few things to list. Your co-leader or you can write down the response to send in a follow-up email to parents. Step 3 Go Natural (craft) Materials Spray bottle Ingredients to make your cleaner (your choice-sites for recipes below) Paper or plastic tablecloth to protect the table Sieve for pouring Labels for bottles Many household cleaners are full of strong and powerful chemicals that can cause reactions in some people. Our ancestors knew the cleaning power of baking soda and vinegar long before Windex was invented. You can have the girls make their own natural spray cleaner. You can purchase cheap spray bottles at the Dollar Store or a big box retailer. Depending on what you decide to make, you can make your own labels for the girls to place on them once the mix has been made. Here are a few sites for you to check out and see which natural cleaner you want to make. 10 All Natural Cleaning Solutions to Scrub Every Inch of Your Home 2 Chemical-Free Recipes for DIY Spring Cleaning 25 DIY Green Cleaning Recipes for The Whole House Step 4 Reuse or Recycle As a teacher, I have always saved everything because you never know when it can be repurposed for a craft! In past generations, things were rarely tossed out, they were used up until they could not be used anymore. This is a great time to do intertwine a community service project. For the Bronze Award, my troop made toys for the animals at a local no-kill shelter. We made cat toys our of toilet paper tubes and tug toys for dogs out of tee shirts. If these crafts are not for your troop, then they can decorate canvas tote bags that they can bring to the store when they are out shopping with their parents. Instead of a boring old bag, they can really bling theirs out! Use stampers, jewels, Sharpies...anything you want! Available on Amazon, this tote bag comes in a bulk set of 12 and measures 8 inches by 8 inches with a 5 inch drop handle. Fabric Markers from Amazon Step 5 Clear the Air (craft) Having fresh air to breathe inside our homes is important. Sometimes things get stinky and we need to make it smell fresher. If you want, bring in a can of freshener and have the girls try to read the ingredients. Pretty scary! Image from Pixabay and used by the author in Canva Instead, you can use another spray bottle and make your own room freshener. Here are some recipes that do not require heating. Homemade Air Freshener Top 12 Green DIY Air Fresheners How have your girls earned the Brownie Household Elf Try it?

.

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the reasons Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts is to give girls ...

How to earn your Cadette Breathe journey in a camping setting

WOW Wonders of Water is part of It's Your Planet-Love It series. 1. Explore the wonders of water by finding out more about its importance and how it's used around the world. 2. Plan a Take Action project, such as making informative posters, promoting recycling at school, or planting low-water gardens. 3. Earn 4 leadership awards: The LOVE Water Award, the SAVE Water Award, the SHARE Water Award, and the WOW! Award. If you're a Girl Scout volunteer, go to Volunteer Toolkit for complete meeting pl

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 We use our five senses without even knowing it, and we can make the girls more a...

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Crafting badges are easily the most popular with girls. Yes, many like to go ...

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the reasons Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts is to give girls ...

the Babysitter badge is part of the “It's Your Planet - Love It!” badge set introduced in 2011. For the badges released in 2011, scouts must complete all of the activities listed to earn the badge. Kids of different ages have different needs, desires, and behaviors. In this step, do one choice to find out more about three of these age groups: newborns, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, young kids (ages 5 – 7), and older kids (ages 8 – 10). Take notes on what you learn about these questions (you m

The Independence badge is part of the “It's Your Planet - Love It!” badge set introduced in 2011 from the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Get to know yourself and what you're capable of so you can feel confident on your own. Get transportation smart Make your clothes look great Break a bad habit Help around the house Show off your independence! When you've earned this badge, you'll feel more confident doing things on your own—and know how to help others be confident in you.

WOW Wonders of Water is part of It's Your Planet-Love It series. 1. Explore the wonders of water by finding out more about its importance and how it's used around the world. 2. Plan a Take Action project, such as making informative posters, promoting recycling at school, or planting low-water gardens. 3. Earn 4 leadership awards: The LOVE Water Award, the SAVE Water Award, the SHARE Water Award, and the WOW! Award. If you're a Girl Scout volunteer, go to Volunteer Toolkit for complete meeting pl

Ok, so, not only was I late to this meeting, no particular reason, just forgot we started at 6:15, thought it was 6:30, but I forgot the key ingredients to the snack. I’m blaming pregnancy br…

The Detective badge is part of the “It's Your Planet - Love It!” badge set introduced in 2011. Create a crime scene for the girls to use their powers of observation. You can do the whole Mystery Festival sessions from the Lawrence Hall of Science, or just do part of it for the badge. Shake up a room activity. We did this from the badge book. We had the girls look around the room, then sent them down the hall to get drinks from the drinking fountain (a good distraction). While they were gone, the

This easy at-home experiment is a great way to

We've always heard that plants use water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide to make their food and that they give off oxygen, but we can&...

I use this as a follow-up to ProjectWET's A Drop in the Bucket* demonstration. Each student will need: -97 blue beads -2 white beads -1 green beads Students string their beads onto a length of lanyard lacing. They can string them in any order - I happen to prefer the symmetric approach, but the white and green beads can be placed anywhere on the cord. The beads represent all the water on the planet. The blue beads are salt water. The white beads are frozen water. The green bead is liquid fresh water. It's a great visual reminder of how precious a resource fresh water is. I've done this activity with students as young as preschool (I count out the 97 beads for them) and as old as 6th grade. *You start with 1000 ml of water - that's all the water in the world. Pour out 30 ml. 970 ml are salt water. 30 ml are fresh water. From the 30 ml, pour out 6 ml. 24 ml are ice. 6 ml is liquid fresh water. From the 6 ml pick up 1 ml. 5 ml are unusable (pollution, etc.). 1 ml is usable water. So in summary: 970 ml - salt water 24 ml - trapped as ice 5 ml - polluted or otherwise unusable 1 ml - water usable for human consumption

The Get Moving Journey is part of the "It's Your Planet—Love It!" series. Get Moving Journey as a Sleepover Take the Energy Hog Challenge. This workbook includes a lot of information, including information on different types of energy, a quiz for auditing your home, an energy journal, and suggestions for family Hog Buster energy pledges. A LA Times article highlighted the impact Girl Scouts can have on energy conservation using the Girls Learning Environment and Energy (GLEE) program: Science pr

The Get Moving Journey is part of the "It's Your Planet—Love It!" series. Get Moving Journey as a Sleepover Take the Energy Hog Challenge. This workbook includes a lot of information, including information on different types of energy, a quiz for auditing your home, an energy journal, and suggestions for family Hog Buster energy pledges. A LA Times article highlighted the impact Girl Scouts can have on energy conservation using the Girls Learning Environment and Energy (GLEE) program: Science pr

It's Your Planet - Love It!: A Leadership Journey Girl Scout Daisies Another Journey completed! I can hardly believe it. We had so much f...

Once again, I follow the LEARN – SEE – DO model for the Journey. We learned about food, saw how it works in our community and did something about it. OPTION 1 LEARN We began with pullin…

It's Your Planet - Love It!: A Leadership Journey Girl Scout Daisies I can't tell you how much fun Tessa has been having with this Journe...

WOW Wonders of Water is part of It's Your Planet-Love It series. 1. Explore the wonders of water by finding out more about its importance and how it's used around the world. 2. Plan a Take Action project, such as making informative posters, promoting recycling at school, or planting low-water gardens. 3. Earn 4 leadership awards: The LOVE Water Award, the SAVE Water Award, the SHARE Water Award, and the WOW! Award. If you're a Girl Scout volunteer, go to Volunteer Toolkit for complete meeting pl

The Get Moving Journey is part of the "It's Your Planet—Love It!" series. Get Moving Journey as a Sleepover Take the Energy Hog Challenge. This workbook includes a lot of information, including information on different types of energy, a quiz for auditing your home, an energy journal, and suggestions for family Hog Buster energy pledges. A LA Times article highlighted the impact Girl Scouts can have on energy conservation using the Girls Learning Environment and Energy (GLEE) program: Science pr

The Gardener badge is part of the “It's Your Planet - Love It!” badge set introduced in 2011. Girl Scout Juniors learn how to help plants and flowers grow. This badge obviously works better if started in the early Spring, although some could be done in the Fall with planting bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocuses, etc.). The best way to get inspired about gardening is to explore and enjoy a well-cared-for garden. Take a tour of one of the gardens below to start learning about how gardens are plante

WOW Wonders of Water is part of It's Your Planet-Love It series. 1. Explore the wonders of water by finding out more about its importance and how it's used around the world. 2. Plan a Take Action project, such as making informative posters, promoting recycling at school, or planting low-water gardens. 3. Earn 4 leadership awards: The LOVE Water Award, the SAVE Water Award, the SHARE Water Award, and the WOW! Award. If you're a Girl Scout volunteer, go to Volunteer Toolkit for complete meeting pl

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the parts of the Girl Scout Law is to “Use Resources Wisely”. As a child...

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Crafting badges are easily the most popular with girls. Yes, many like to go outdoors and do activities, but when the weather does not permit going outside, badges that focus on making things save the day for leaders. Girls can earn the Brownie Potter badge by taking a field trip to a pottery store and painting an object of their choice. This will fulfill the requirements, but it may also empty your troop bank account, as these places are on the expensive side. Instead of a field trip, why not do this fun activity with your girls? Masterpieces cannot be rushed, so if necessary, use two meeting times to complete the five requirements. Step 1 Find Some Pottery Bring some pottery pieces from home and let the girls touch them. Talk about how it is useful for everyday items. Step 2 Learn More About Clay Since you want to keep the girls interested, you can play a quick fact game with them. You stand in front of the room with the word “True” written on a piece of paper while your co-leader holds one that reads “False”. The read facts about clay and see which side of the room the girls will go to. Of course, you will have to change up the true facts to false, but that is easy to do. Here are some sources for facts. 7 Interesting Clay Facts Clay Facts and Word Search (good for early finishers) Step 3 Make a Pinch Pot Materials Plastic tablecloth Box of Mexican Clay Sharp pencil for each girl or plastic knife and fork Foam plate to carry project home Mexican Potter from Amazon Now is the time for the girls to get busy! Making a pinch pot is a simple thing for girls to do and can be finished during your meeting. Here is a short YouTube video tutorial for you to have the girls view or to watch yourself so you are prepared for the meeting. If you have extra clay and time, you can also make a coil pot as well. Step 4 Make an Art Piece (craft) Art is one of the best ways for a child to express herself. What constitutes a piece of art? That is up to you. Something the girls will enjoy making is their own polymer beads. When these dry, they can be made into necklaces or bracelets. Sculpey Clay is one of the best things to use to make beads. Sculpey Clay from Amazon Here is a tutorial on how to make beads-she provides a supply list in the beginning. If you make some in advance, store the open clay in a plastic bag so it will not dry out. Step 5 Paint and Glaze Glazing is the part of pottery where the finished piece is sealed. If you are not going to go on a field trip to see this in action, you can do this step with this fun activity. Materials White tiles, 4 x 4 in size Sharpies Scrap paper Pencils Spray Sealant Plates for carrying the tile On scrap paper, the girls are going to create a design that they will transfer to the tile. Once they are happy with the design, they can use Sharpies to create it. Once that is complete, take the tile outdoors and spray it with sealant so it will not smudge. How has your troop earned the Brownie Potter badge?

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 One of the parts of the Girl Scout Law is to “Use Resources Wisely”. As a child...

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Waking up and starting the day on the right foot is important whether you are seven years old or seventy. Being organized and “ready to launch” gets any person’s day off on the right start. With the right clothing set out the night before, bookbag packed and lunch in the refrigerator ready to go, it is the starting point of a great day! Earning the My Great Day Brownie badge is easy to do and can easily be done in one meeting. Image from Pixabay and altered by the author in Canva Step 1 Start Your Day Right If you have a regular routine to starting your meeting, this is the time to do it out of order. This will confuse the girls and be a great start to discussing why it is important to be organized. You may even want to throw in how you “forgot” to bring the craft materials for today’s project and see how they react. Then start your meeting as you normally would. Talk about why routines are important-from setting their alarm clock to setting out their clothes the next day (and checking the weather forecast to see what they need to be comfortable). It is very stressful to not know what to wear, time is ticking and the school bus is on it’s way! Step 2 Sort Your Stuff (craft) Step 3 Make Homework a Breeze Everything should have a place or a home so it can be found when you need it. While some people are naturally more organized, others can use a little more help in this department. This helps with doing homework. Ask the girls how they can be more organized when it is time to do their work. Do they need a break when they get home? A snack? Time to run outside before settling in? You can have the girls create a desk organizer two different ways. Organizer #1 Materials Cleaned out aluminum cans (one for each girl) White wrapping paper Labels Glue/tape Crayons/markers You will want to save your aluminum cans from the recycling bucket and wash them out for this craft. I prefer to do things like this instead of asking the girls to bring it in so I know that I have what I need and I can prep the materials before the meeting. No surprises and the meeting is off to a great start! Precut the wrapping paper so it is the correct size for the cans (cut extra pieces in case the girls make a mistake). Give each girl a piece of wrapping paper to color and decorate. Then have them glue it to the can. Organizer #2 Acrylic organizer Foam plates Puffy paint A second way to make an organizer is to purchase this acrylic one that has many compartments. ` Acrylic Organizer from Amazon The girls can decorate them with puffy paints and bring them home on heavy foam plates. Step 4 Plan Ahead Using a paper calendar may be old fashioned, but it makes sense to me! Seeing what you have planned each and every day is one way to stay organized and never worry about your battery dying like on your phone! To make this easier, print out a calendar for the next month. Tell the girls that they are going to color code their activities. For example, if they have dance every Tuesday and Thursday, then in blue marker they should write “Dance” and the time. If they have soccer, then use a red marker to write “Soccer”on those days. Of course, use green marker to write in your Girl Scout meetings and trips! You can download a free calendar month here or here. Step 5 Get Others Organized One way to help out at home is to make a family chore chart for dinner. Some jobs to include are: Dinner prep Setting the table Clearing the table Wiping down the table Washing the dishes Loading the dishwasher You can find different chore charts to print here. Image from Pixabay and altered by the author on Canva How have you earned the Brownie My Great Day badge?

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Waking up and starting the day on the right foot is important whether you are seven years old or seventy. Being organized and “ready to launch” gets any person’s day off on the right start. With the right clothing set out the night before, bookbag packed and lunch in the refrigerator ready to go, it is the starting point of a great day! Earning the My Great Day Brownie badge is easy to do and can easily be done in one meeting. Image from Pixabay and altered by the author in Canva Step 1 Start Your Day Right If you have a regular routine to starting your meeting, this is the time to do it out of order. This will confuse the girls and be a great start to discussing why it is important to be organized. You may even want to throw in how you “forgot” to bring the craft materials for today’s project and see how they react. Then start your meeting as you normally would. Talk about why routines are important-from setting their alarm clock to setting out their clothes the next day (and checking the weather forecast to see what they need to be comfortable). It is very stressful to not know what to wear, time is ticking and the school bus is on it’s way! Step 2 Sort Your Stuff (craft) Step 3 Make Homework a Breeze Everything should have a place or a home so it can be found when you need it. While some people are naturally more organized, others can use a little more help in this department. This helps with doing homework. Ask the girls how they can be more organized when it is time to do their work. Do they need a break when they get home? A snack? Time to run outside before settling in? You can have the girls create a desk organizer two different ways. Organizer #1 Materials Cleaned out aluminum cans (one for each girl) White wrapping paper Labels Glue/tape Crayons/markers You will want to save your aluminum cans from the recycling bucket and wash them out for this craft. I prefer to do things like this instead of asking the girls to bring it in so I know that I have what I need and I can prep the materials before the meeting. No surprises and the meeting is off to a great start! Precut the wrapping paper so it is the correct size for the cans (cut extra pieces in case the girls make a mistake). Give each girl a piece of wrapping paper to color and decorate. Then have them glue it to the can. Organizer #2 Acrylic organizer Foam plates Puffy paint A second way to make an organizer is to purchase this acrylic one that has many compartments. ` Acrylic Organizer from Amazon The girls can decorate them with puffy paints and bring them home on heavy foam plates. Step 4 Plan Ahead Using a paper calendar may be old fashioned, but it makes sense to me! Seeing what you have planned each and every day is one way to stay organized and never worry about your battery dying like on your phone! To make this easier, print out a calendar for the next month. Tell the girls that they are going to color code their activities. For example, if they have dance every Tuesday and Thursday, then in blue marker they should write “Dance” and the time. If they have soccer, then use a red marker to write “Soccer”on those days. Of course, use green marker to write in your Girl Scout meetings and trips! You can download a free calendar month here or here. Step 5 Get Others Organized One way to help out at home is to make a family chore chart for dinner. Some jobs to include are: Dinner prep Setting the table Clearing the table Wiping down the table Washing the dishes Loading the dishwasher You can find different chore charts to print here. Image from Pixabay and altered by the author on Canva How have you earned the Brownie My Great Day badge?

*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 We use our five senses without even knowing it, and we can make the girls more aware of them while earning the Brownie Girl Scout Senses badge. The activities for earning this badge are a lot of fun and can easily be completed in one Brownie meeting. Once the meeting has started, ask the girls to name the five senses. List them on the board (if you have one) and ask why each one is important and how life would be different without one of them. You can talk about how the founder of the Girl Scout of America, Juliette Gordon Low, was mostly deaf due to an accident on her wedding day. Her disability did not stop her from doing something great with her life! You can also talk with the girls how to protect their senses from harm. For example, they can protect their sight while outside by wearing sunglasses and not staring directly into the sun. They can protect their hearing by not listening to music played too loudly while wearing earphones or earbuds. Staying away from hot surfaces and wearing gloves when it is cold protects their fingers, and therefore, their sense of touch. Image created by the author in Canva Here are activities to earn the badge. Because some of these activities use food and other items that may be related to someone’s allergies, make sure that every girl can participate safely before doing it with your troop. Step 1 Look Around Materials A large bag with 10-15 random items of your choosing Paper and pencils for each girl Timer With our eyes, we have the power to observe everything around us (especially if we look up from our phones!). Hand out a piece of paper and a pencil for each girl and have her put it down by her feet and not in her hands. Tell them that you are going to dump the contents of the bag onto the table and that they will have 15 seconds to see what they are. Then you will take the objects away and each girl will quietly write down exactly what she saw in detail. She should be as descriptive as possible. For example, if you have a pink sock, then the girls should write “pink sock” and not just “a sock”. After a minute, have the girls share what they wrote down. Then take out the contents of the bag to see what was missed. You might also want your co-leader to keep track of the objects that were mentioned the most. Was a neon green pencil selected more than an empty water bottle? Was a large juice carton mentioned more than a sewing needle? Talk about the discrepancies and why they might have occurred. Use Optical Illusions -Another Look Around Activity Our sense of sight tells us much about the world. But is what we see truly what it appears to be? Run off optical illusions sheets for each girl. Number each page so everyone is looking at the same object. Discuss what they see-or what they think they see! Optical Illusions book from Amazon Use a Mirror for the Look Around Activity The girls can use a mirror for this activity to earn the Senses patch. Materials One mirror for each girl Paper Crayons With the girls, talk about what a reflection is and how a mirror works. The challenge for this activity is for the children to write their first and last names backwards, so when they look at it with a mirror, it appears the right way! Step 2 Listen to the World Make a Sound Guessing Game Life is full of sound. Take time to listen! Materials CD/phone app of different sounds that you have made Paper Pencil Have each child number their paper. Play a sound and have them write their guesses. When all of the sounds have been heard, let the girls share what they thought it was. Then tell them the answer. Afterwards, go outside if you can and listen to the sounds around you. Step 3 Put Your Nose to Work Make a Bag of Smells Life is full of odors. Here is an activity to see if the girls can identify what they are. Materials Brown lunch bags labeled 1,2,3,4, etc. (as many as you want to prepare) Bar of soap Onion Banana Cookies Broccoli Spices Flowers Paper for writing guesses Pencils Ask the girls what smells their noses find pleasing (cookies baking, turkey roasting) and bring happy memories. Then ask what smells they do not like (make sure to remind them to keep it appropriate). Line up the girls and have them put their nose in a bag. Do not let them peek inside and make sure they do not tell what they think it is. Have them write the number of the bag and their guess as to what it is. When all of the girls have finished, go bag by bag and share the guesses. When all have had a turn, remove the item from the bag. Do this for each bag you have. Step 4 Take a Taste Test If you have no food allergies, then this is a tasty activity for you to do with your troop. Materials Marshmallows Salty pretzels Sour Patch Kids candy Small piece of bitter chocolate Plate for each girl Parts of the tongue sheet run off for each child Talk about the four different tastes that our tongues have while the girls are looking at the sheet. Ask them what their favorite foods from each group. While you are talking, have your co-leader make a plate for each girl. Explain to the girls that they cannot eat the food until you tell them which one to try. Start with the marshmallow and have them point to the part of the tongue that senses this taste. Repeat for each food on the plate. Step 5 Touch and Feel Image created by the author in Canva Make Sensory Boxes This activity tests the girls sense of touch. If you do not have a sink nearby, then make sure you have plenty of wipes and a trash can nearby! You may want an additional volunteer for this to help the girls clean up between guesses. Materials Containers filled with different foods, such as cooked spaghetti, pudding, grapes, whipped topping, Jello, apples, crackers Wipes, napkins, paper towels Large piece of cardboard with a hole cut out, large enough for the girls to put their hands in Chart for the girls’ guesses Before the meeting, make a chart with each girl’s name and leave a space for each guess. Your co-leader will be the scribe for each girls’ guess, because their hands will be sticky! Have each child place her hand in the container that is hidden behind the cardboard. She will whisper the guess to your co-leader. When everyone has tried each item, share their guesses and reveal the results. *If you do not want to use food, use common items found outside and around the house, like rocks, sand, pine cones, a plastic spoon, paper, aluminum foil, etc. What has your troop done to earn the Brownie Senses badge?