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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
Are your Junior Girl Scouts ready to tackle the Outdoor Junior Journey? From backyard to backcountry camping and everything in between, we've put together the plan to help your troop earn their Outdoor Journey as Junior Girl Scouts.
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 unit includes everything you need for a comprehensive habitat study. The worksheets can be used to supplement any curriculum and with pair with any non-fiction texts of your choosing. Included: *Junior Biologist Badges *Junior Biologist Field Guide * Worksheets to be included in the field guide -Habitat Notes, Amazing Adaptations, Classifications, Picture Glossary, Non-Fiction Facts, My Favorite Animal, My favorite Plant, Venn Diagram, Field Notes, Final Report, Tree Map. * Habitat Definition Craftivity * Habitat Project- Habitat Mobile or Flap book As always, thank you for stopping by! Don't forget to leave feedback! Leaving feedback earns you points for future TpT purchases! Simply refresh your page after downloading. I'd love to hear from you or have you join me at: FACEBOOK
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
Join us on our Junior journey as we explore the AMUSE Junior Journey for Girl Scouts. Our guide is packed full of tips and plans to complete this journey in a day or in multiple meetings for your girls.
Grab your pens and lets’ scribe! Do you have a passion for writing, but not sure where to start? Look no further! The Junior Scribe Badge is waiting for you to unlock your inner writer with these fun activities.
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 To Junior Girl Scouts, who are anywhere between 9-11 years old, the past is a ...
Last year my Junior troop completed the Journey: Agent of Change. The concept is not overly exciting, so I had to get creative to maintain their attention. I liked this Journey because our "Take Action" Project was essentially our Bronze Award Project so by incorporating this Journey we 'get 2 for the price of 1.' I have had several people ask for tips for this Journey, so hopefully you can sift through my information and find something worthwhile for your troop. The Scavenger Hunt at a local outdoor mall was a huge hit and one of the "funnest events" so claims my daughter. This game could easily be adapted to any mall and even enjoyed in the winter months. Agent of Change is all about recognizing girls as individuals and all their talents. Looking at famous people and isolating why they became famous and how. And emphasizing the fact that even though you are only one person you can make change all by yourself, "Power of One". Disney is really good at highlighting boys and girls who have made a big impact in their community in a short segment called "Friends for Change". I encouraged the girls to imagine what our troop could do if we took all our powers as individuals and turned a project into a troop effort and capitalized on all our individual talents - "Power of Team". Finally if we were able to find a community issue where our talents could be used to make a difference, we could affect the community and hopefully get the community to embrace as well - "Power of Community". So I tasked the girls to look at how we could pool our talents, identify an issue in our community and make a change, which is essentially the "Take Action Project" AND the Bronze Award. So after discussing several issues, the girls identified that our community needed recycling at our high school stadium, Dragon Stadium, especially since the stadium sells a large number of plastic items. So the girls put together a plan, met with key people including the CISD School Board, went on field trips to the landfill, foam recycling plant and invited a recycling representative to one of our meetings. We arranged to have a dumpster placed at the stadium and a system for recycling within the stadium. Our troop kicked off the project at graduation when ONLY water bottles were handed out and we recycled nearly 3000 water bottles! 9 of my 16 girls got their Bronze Award, the others who were not able to attend will complete their Bronze the 1st home game this season and they will be at every home game working towards their Silver as well. We hope to expand the recycling effort to other sporting events. So a large portion of this Journey was spent on the "Take Action Project/Bronze Award". However, I tried to impress the point of the "Power of One" by encouraging each girl to investigate a person they truly admire, most chose women, but men were not exempt. Then we shared who they admired. Most girls chose singers or actors, but a few chose people like Michelle Obama and Anne Frank. Next, we had a Coffee and Cake Cafe with a person we admired in our community. That was fun! Each girl was asked to stand up and tell why they had invited their special person. Many girls chose their Mom or teachers, the principal, one girl choose a city board member and another a babysitter they loved. A few also chose a grandparent. We enjoyed coffee, tea and petit fours. The girls also wrote a letter and provided a gift to their "Special person". This hopefully hit home the concept of "Power of One". One meeting we played a game: True, False, Wish Each girl wrote down something true about themselves (most people would probably not know) on an index card Something False on an index card Something they wished was true Next we went around the circle and read one card, the troop had to decide whether it was true, false or a wish. This was really fun and insightful. The girls really enjoyed Power of Team! I created a court case scenario about an adorable puppy that was dumpster diving behind the chic-fi-la which is clearly against the law. My co-leader was the puppy and I was the prosecutor. (we showed a picture of the puppy) She talked about how the puppy had been abandoned and lost it's mother at a very young age and that the puppy had siblings that were hungry, it was a matter of life and death. Then I presented the side of the city, how scavenging the dumpsters can create a rat problem and cause a health problem for chic-fi-la, possibly running the owners out of business and then they could not feed their families. The girls had to individually (Power of One) side with the puppy or prosecutor and then the troop had to make a majority decision and all had to agree to the outcome similar to a real court case - Power of Team. (Surprisingly they all sided with the prosecution. They agreed the puppy was wrong even though he was cute and could not help being hungry). We talked about courts and juries and made the relation. The girls wanted to create their own cases and debate forever. They loved this, it was easy to keep them involved. For a field trip we went on a Scavenger Hunt at Town Square, another Hit! The girls had a blast! I created a bunch of riddles and the girls had to find which store I was referring too. They also earned their "Digital Photographer" badge if they took a picture at every store AND got all the hints right! I have included my rules for the Scavenger Hunt and my riddles. Finally, the Power of Community was our Take Action Project and Bronze Award. They interacted quite a bit with the community when they went before the school board and collected plastics at graduation. They were encouraged to educate the public as well by writing newspaper articles. I would pull lines from each of the girls articles when I composed articles, making them feel a part of the effort. We also did an extensive search on what products can and cannot be recycled and how items were recycled like paint, medications, steel, foam, old furniture, electronics, anything that cannot go in the curbside recycle bin. Any questions, let me know. And if your troop did something unique to earn the Agent of Change Journey please post below for other readers. If you would like these attachments in pdf Format simply e-mail me: [email protected]
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 Music is an integral part of our lives. We can remember the songs of our youth, even if we have not heard them in years, and we are instantly transported back to that era. We wake up to music on our clock radios, listen to music in the car while traveling from one place to another, work out with our favorite tunes downloaded to our phones or devices, and have music playing in the background where we work and where we shop. Music sets the tone for what is happening in television shows we watch, as well as the films we view. Yes, music is inescapable! Both the girls and you are going to enjoy earning the Junior Girl Scout Musician Badge. Image created by the author in Canva Step 1 Explore How Music is Made Here is a fun and easy guessing game that will have your girls “tuning in” to what they are about to do. Hand out each girl a piece of paper and a pencil and have them number them 1-20. Then play this YouTube video and have them guess what instrument is being played. You can also ask them to describe how they are feeling when they hear each one. The answers for this video can be found in the comments section on YouTube. Just click here and scroll down. Step 2 Travel Around the World of Music Listen to songs from other countries and ask the girls how the music is the same and different from what they listen to. Available on Amazon Step 3 Music Poll Badge Connection There are all kinds of music. Have the girls brainstorm different styles on a large sheet of paper. You may want to have some of your own ready to be played (jazz, hip hop, rock, folk, etc.) After the brainstorming session, go online and find examples of this music for the girls to listen to. Step 4 Make Your Own Music This part of the badge can go in one of two directions. First, you can have the girls make their own musical instrument. There are dozens of ideas on Pinterest for you to use. The second way this part of the badge could work, and it could be combined with Step 5 Perform Your Music. Here is a YouTube video a Girl Scout troop did to parody a Taylor Swift song. Your girls may want to work as a group, and with your guidance, create their own parody from a popular song they all like. Step 5 Perform Your Music If the girls play an instrument and have performed in the school concert, that can count towards this part of the badge. You can also have the girls bring in their instrument and perform a song for the troop for this step. Image created by the author in Canva The Girl Scout Junior Musician badge is one that can be earned outdoors if your troop is unable to meet indoors.
Starting a brainstorming discussion may be as simple as asking the questions: “Who (or what) do you want to help?” “What do you like to do?” Pairing the two might make a pro…
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*This post contains affiliate links. *Updated April 2023 Shopping…it is an activity that most girls love! During the years your girls are Juniors, the awareness of brands and where people shop becomes more evident. The tween years are ones that advertisers heavily market to because they have many wants and Madison Avenue knows how to trigger them. Earning the Girl Scout Junior Savvy Shopper badge is one where we can help guide girls to see what they truly need and what they are convinced they want. Image created by the author on Canva Step 1 Explore Your Needs and Wants Materials One piece of posterboard divided with one side for “Needs” and the other side for “Wants” Pictures of needs and wants cut out from magazines and Sunday circulars Glue At this age children have probably learned all about needs versus wants in school. Briefly talk about this and ask some questions: We need cars to get to work. But do we need a $60,000 car versus one that is $10,000? We need to wear clothes. Does it matter where you buy them? We need to eat food. Is the store brand always better to eat than the name brand? Photo from Pixabay Lay the pictures on the table and have the girls talk about where they need to glue the different items. Talk about why they chose the categories they did. Step 2 Look Into Why You Want What You Want Ask the girls why they want something. What influences them? Commercials? Ads in a magazine? A website? Who influences them-A celebrity? A best friend? An older sibling? Talk about fads from your childhood. For me, it was Wacky Pack stickers, mood rings and Klick Klacks. Have the girls heard of these things before? What is a fad now that they feel that they must have? How do they know about it? Step 3 Find Out What Makes People Happy About What They Buy In small groups, give the girls five minutes to talk about one thing they absolutely love that she bought or one thing she wishes she had not wasted her money on. Then have the groups share. Step 4 Learn How to Decide What to Buy Here is an opportunity to go on a field trip and do community service. Go to the grocery store or a big box store with your troop and some parent volunteers. Give them each group ten dollars and the mission to buy as much nutritious food as they can for that amount. Have a meeting place where the girls can compare their purchases and see what each of them picked. Image created by the author on canva Check out and if possible, deliver the packages afterwards. Make a Plan to Buy Something You Need or Want This final step is perfect for teaching the girls how to spend their cookie money. Tell the girls how much money the troop earned and ask how it needs to be earmarked, What percentage will go to a charity? What percentage will go to a big trip or event? How much will be saved for next year? Creating and planning are both very important parts of being a savvy shopper. You cannot spend what you have not earned!
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Camping and Girl Scouts go hand in hand. It was one of the goals of founder Juli...
Join us on our Junior journey as we explore the Agent of Change Junior Journey for Girl Scouts. We are sharing our tips and plan to complete this journey in a day or over a few meetings.
As they explore their own talents and learn about women who have made the world better, Juniors following the Agent of Change Journey also discover the benefits of teamwork—whether it’s talking abo…
HJournal wishes Girl Scouts a HAPPY 100th ANNIVERSARY ;-) (3/12) These illustrations are from the Girl Scout Handbook, circa 1949 and Cadette Girl Scout Handbook, circa 1963. I was hoping this post might be of interest to fellow Girl Scouts enthusiasts. It's kind of a collection of my favorite Girl Scout Memoirs. I also like to collect old Girl Scout and Boy Scout books and memorabilia. Parades I was in charge of the t-shirts for our local Girl Scouts. They might be plain, but they hadn't made t-shirts in a few years and I really didn't have anything to go by. We had them in time for the Peanut Festival Parade, Dothan, Alabama (fall 2000). Our first parade was the Peanut Festival Parade in the fall of 1998. Shown with Mrs. Alabama and in the second photo--our troop leaders: me and Mrs. Lolley. Then we moved north to Ozark and my troop and a sister troop sponge painted sweatshirts (a badge requirement of course!) for the Christmas Parade '01. Thinking Day My husband helped us by cutting the Eiffel Tower out of cardboard. Then he lit it up with Christmas tree lights. It was a sight to behold in the dark. I had my girls make the display for a homeschool project. I found striped fabric with France's flag colors. I helped with one Thinking Day '01 and made these "passports" for the girls to get stamped at each troop's booth. Every troop had a different country. I remember we did Ireland and France. We actually had a girl from Ireland in our troop. She was my daughter's best friend. We gave a Bon Bon candy to each "visitor" to our France booth (Feb. 2002). Patches and Badges My co-leader, J. Lolley, came up with this cute idea for our Daisies' and Brownies for a simple uniform. We decided not to use the Daisy smocks. That's why I put all of Elise's patches on a banner (shown above). One of the girls from our troop, actually won the G.S. card design contest for our district. Woo Hoo :0) Uniforms I worked real hard with the parents to make sure the Try-its and official insignia were properly placed. With kids, it's real important to receive badges as soon as possible. It's not practical to have a full-blown ceremony every single meeting so we would announce at least two ceremonies a year and lock in the date. Badges earned in between those dates would be recognized as part of a regular meeting and the girls could go ahead and get them on their sashes. I really wanted the girls to learn to sew on their own badges once they became Juniors. Occasionally we would use meetings to go over this. The girls were given needles and corresponding thread and we would sit in a circle on the floor while I went around to show each girl how to sew them on and give them help if needed. If there were a lot of badges to put on, I would sew them on myself rather than let them get lost. I rarely had to reorder badges because of this. Activities Every year we asked the girls what they wanted to use their cookie money for and the number one answer was, "Go to the Beach!!!" We never did do that, (except when we lived in Port St. Lucie-2000!) but we did use the money for practical things like going to Girl Scout Camps as a troop to earn badges. And of course we had parties. We went on a trip to Florida Caverns State Park, Mariana, FL which is close to Dothan. Our troop did a lot of activities at Landmark Park in Dothan, Alabama. My Daisies and I were actually asked to be in a Girl Scout commercial for Alabama and it was filmed at Landmark Park! This was taken at Girl Scout Day at Landmark. Little Brother was a tagalong to many Girl Scout functions. We also gave service to Landmark Park '02 when we showed guests how to make Cornhusk Dolls. In 1998, the Dothan troop planted daylillies at the elementary school's garden (shown on bridge). Making Corn Husk Dolls Meetings Meetings were usually held at a church or a leader's home. Most of the ones in Ozark were held at my home 2001-2002, but when we needed more room to make quilts for the children's hospital we held meetings at the local library's meeting room. Swaps Collection Swaps are small crafts that G.S. give as gifts or trade with other scouts. They are sometimes referred to as potlatch. Their origin is Native American. POTLATCH is the ceremonial exchange of gifts practiced by Native Americans of Northwest Coast tribes. The custom stems from the legend explaining why birds have colored feathers. As the story goes, two Indian girls plucked feathers of a magic bird and distributed the multicolored plumage to the colorless birds living in the forest. From that time on, birds have had brightly colored feathers, and those gifts were remembered at potlatch ceremonies. Swaps can be simple or complex, cheap or expensive, whatever the maker desires. Each girl needs to decide how many swaps she wants to make. This is the same number she will receive. Larger troops may want to make several kinds of swaps so that the girls will have more opportunities to trade. Probably 10-15 per girl is a good number to aim for. Swaps can be made during a troop meeting, during a special meeting called for the express purpose of making swaps, or examples shown at the meeting, with the swaps to be made at home. One suggestion,which might be helpful for younger gilrs, is to have a mother/daughter evening to mass produce the swaps in one night. You can demonstrate some of the ideas listed below, or just provide an assortment of beads, ribbons, felt, pipe cleaners, etc. and let their imaginations run wild. Or you may want to have your group plan a swap and then consider the cost, materials needed, how long it will take, etc. Swaps are usually only an inch or two in size and attach with a safety pin. Traditionally they are pinned on a swap hat. This hat could be part of your troop identificationNall a certain color, with troop number decorated on with fabric paints. On the day of the swap, each girl will come with a shoebox (or something) with her swaps in it, and will mingle with other girls, trading her swaps for others that interest her. Hopefully, the swaps will have small safety pins attached and can be pinned to a swap hat or jacket. Leaders may want to come prepared with a few extra swaps for girls who were absent when they were made. Why swap? To promote friendship. To learn to talk to other people. To have mementos of a good time. To share our handiwork with other scouts. Girls on wider opportunities and adults at national meetings swap patches and handmade items. These often reflect the area the scout lives in. Camp swapping is a great background for this. (This was found on the internet many moons ago!) I have a few more Swaps shown at my post: Some Favorite Campy Things. First Aid Kit Autograph Book Bed Roll Buddy Burner Caterpillar Clover American Flag Friendship Knot Mess Kit Peppermint Peanut Baby Pretzel Scottish Bonnet Warm Fuzzy S'more
If your looking for ideas to make your meeting more fun while teaching your girls more about women in the past, you have come to the right place. Using some of these activities below to learn and focus on ideas during the frontier times. Your girls will get a understanding how girls lived and survived during the pioneer days. Below are a few ideas to get you started. Playing the Past Activity Booklet Before jumping into some ideas, do you want to skip all the planning? If so, use this Activity Booklet which will take your girls on a journey to imagine what it was like to live in the past. The girls will first examine what her typical day looks like, then compare it to the day in the life of a frontier girl. The girls will walk through a frontier girls life, while doing “Pioneer Activities” to let the girls walk in the shoes of someone in the past. At the end they will compare how different life today is from the life of someone in the past. In addition to the walk in my Shoes activities, the girls will learn more about the frontier through a fun relay matching game, and sing a song from frontier times. Learn more and get yours today! Be sure to also checkout these other activities your girls will love: Creative Writing Fun: Scribe Activities Shop The Smarter Way: Savvy Shopper Activities Focus On What Matters: Staying Fit Activities How To Be A Amazing Detective Activities Other Fun Activities To Try Covered Wagon Craft and Snack What is better than having a snack that fits into the badge you are earning. It is even better when the food you are eating teaches your girls something and it is a fun craft before enjoying the treat. Fun Facts about cover wagons: The covered wagon used to cross the plains. The cloth top protected people and possessions from extreme weather conditions. The covered wagon was invented in 1749 in Pennsylvania. A typical covered wagon weighed about 1,300 pounds when empty, and they tried to keep the weight of the added cargo to no more than 2,000 pounds. Share these facts with your girls while making this cute cover wagon snack that I found on another blog. Here are the complete directions for the covered wagon snack craft. Games from the 1800s Dare Base – Any number of girls can play this game, but the two teams must have the same number of players. Two bases are made about 30 yards apart. The teams are called A and B. Members of team A see how close they can go to the base of team B without getting tagged. This is continued by each team alternately with the opposite team. Any person tagged must go to the opposite base as a penalty. The object of each team is to see how many members or players they can get for their base. The team capturing the largest number of players at the end of a given time wins. Blindman Bluff – A blindfolded girl is led into the center of the circle. As that girl turns around three or four times, the people in the circle chant: “How many horses has your father got? “Three.” “What colors are they?” “Black, blue and gray.” “Turn about, and turn about, and catch whom you can.” The blindfolded player then tries to capture someone and guess their name. If the player does not guess the right name, they must try again with a new person. When successful the person captured and named correctly, must in turn be blindfolded. Chain Tag – Two people are chosen to be “it” in Chain Tag. Those chosen clasp each other’s hand and begin chasing others. When they tag someone else, that person needs to link hands with one of them to make a chain of three. The chain grows longer as more people are tagged. Charades – Include pioneer activities like fishing, plowing, making a fire, sewing clothes by hand, cutting down a tree, riding a horse, planting a garden, pushing a handcart, etc. Learn About Clothing in Pioneer Time Period Amazon has a pile of different paper doll booklets. This one particular I loved because it showed the mid-Victorian-era costumes including elegant evening dresses, bridal gowns, and daytime wear. Outfits are accompanied by hats and fanciful hair styles of the period. There are 2 dolls and 16 costume to put on them. Get yours here: Paper Dolls 1860-1879 (Victorian Paper Dolls) Pinterest and Youtube Ideas I loved… Make your own Pioneer Journal with your girls. This idea came from another blogger I found on pinterest. Get the complete directions here If you are crafty and want to make bonnets or each of your girls If you don’t want to spend the time planning, our Activity Booklet has step-by-step instructions with activities that don’t require any planning other than gathering supplies and printing booklets. What do we do after your girls complete the activities? Well of course give them the badge to display proudly on their vest, they earned it! Additionally If you are like many leaders we want to award our girls when they complete something even beyond just the patch. One great way to show achievement is with a certificate. Don’t worry you don’t have to make them, I found a resource that has done all the work for you and all you have to do is print them and customize the certificates with each girl’s name, badge or award earned, date, and troop leader. Editable certificates perfect for awarding girls after earning a badge. More Resources For You Beyond This Site I get asked a lot what other resources are out there on the internet for Leaders. I have done some digging over the years and have used many of the resources myself. I compiled a list of some great companies that sell patches, programs and also other bloggers offering amazing resources that may fit your needs even better than my site did. Checkout what I found.
Before I get started, please note that a lot of the prep work can be done by the girls in a meeting. But we were going to be pressed for time, so I did as much prep work beforehand as possible, because I wanted to do all of this in one meeting. It was a lot, but was GREAT! Now, you can use the suggested activities in the Junior binder, and that's fine! But as usual, I went a little outside the box. Do what works best for you and your troop! But you might enjoy one of the activities here. It took a little over an hour and a half for the actual meeting activities (which we completed, except for the shoe prints, which were a take-home for most girls), but there was a LOT of prep time! And we were careful to keep an eye on the clock. It could've taken 2 hours to do. Or you can break it up into two meetings. Whatever works. We began the meeting with a bit of a discussion about what a Detective is, and all about different codes (including the Code Talkers), etc. When talking about Morse Code, be sure to tell your girls that when it is written as a message, the dashes should be slightly elevated on the paper -- this ensures it is read right-side-up, not upside-down. (It also makes the dashes easier to see.) Make a point to talk about the different ways Morse Code can be used: light, sound, writing, etc. My 15 girls were split into three patrols (patrols are typically Juniors and up, and the next step up from buddies/pairs; here's a bunch of info about patrols), we had three stations (one overflow area for shoe prints), and the girls rotated, spending about 20 minutes at each station. If you're moving quickly, skip naming patrols and electing leaders, etc. Just split them up randomly and go! I had two parent volunteers on hand -- it depends upon how many girls you have (we had 15 for this meeting), as to how many you will need. More parents arrived towards the end, and it was great to have several helpers! I would recommend three volunteers if possible, so you can float from station to station and continue elaborating on how it ties into being a detective. To earn our badge, we did Fingerprinting, Shoe Prints, Color (Secret) Codes, Morse Code Necklaces, and DNA extraction. (We had a scavenger hunt Halloween party afterwards, which tied in nicely to the Detective Badge, and I'll list details in Part Two.) You will need at least 3 tables for this meeting, and will have to do clean up as you go. If you're going to have a snack, do it first! And I recommend removing vests before you begin the meeting, as it will get messy. I have a big Thirty-One large utility tote that I carried everything in, atop my wheeled file box (which held things like my soft cooler for the rubbing alcohol, portable recycle bin, paperwork, flag, etc.). The activity supplies were placed in labeled gallon Ziplocs where possible, and instructions were included, so I didn't have to waste time explaining it to my volunteers. They read over the instructions during snack. The only cumbersome thing was the poster frame. All of the items listed are to accommodate 15 girls. Adjust as needed. As always, you might find a shortcut to the way I did it. If so, please post and let me know how it worked! I tend to overcomplicate things at times. . . . FINGERPRINTS: You will need the following items for this activity: (Do at home ahead of time unless you are spreading this badge over more than one meeting. You can have the girls do more prep work, but it's very messy. It's up to you): - 3-4 full sized (9"x11") sheets of sandpaper - 1 four-pack of graphite sticks (Michael's, drawing/art section, or Amazon) - 1 piece of paper that's been folded in half then re-opened - Plastic gloves (optional) (Bring to meeting:) - 5 small plastic containers (reusable Glad or other brand works well) - 20+ index cards (they might mess up, so have spares) - Pre-printed fingerprint cards (see below) - 5 makeup brushes (big and old -- these will be pretty much ruined, so use cheap ones!) - 1 small container hand lotion - Poster frame (or similar acrylic type surface -- our tables are wooden and have grooves, so we needed something very flat) - Clear packing tape - Scissors - 2 stamp pads (washable ink) - 1 roll paper towels - Access to a sink for hand-washing (soap) - Pencils or pens to write names on things Tiny Glad containers worked great for fingerprint powder Prepare before meeting: - I used one four-pack of graphite sticks from Michaels (art/drawing section). You can use regular pencils (it's a pain though as you have to stop and sharpen them constantly), sidewalk chalk, or powdered cocoa. I've not tried any of that though. The graphite worked well. - Wearing plastic gloves (optional, but it's very messy. Seriously), scrub the graphite against the sandpaper (just like you're coloring the sandpaper). Periodically tap the powdered graphite onto a sheet of paper that's been folded in half then opened (powder collects in crease). Pour powder into your small plastic container and make sure the lid is on tightly. In the end you should have 5 containers. Each one will be plenty for three girls to use. (5x3=15. Adjust yours as needed for how many girls you'll have.) - Print out individual fingerprint cards: You can use card stock or regular paper for this. Cut them up ahead of time if you'll be pressed for time during your meeting. Create a sample stamped card to use as reference. Pack up everything with instructions in case there are other volunteers assisting. What to do in the actual meeting: - Have each girl write her name on an index card. Set aside. - Have each girl write her name on the card, then stamp her fingerprints onto it. - Wash hands. - Apply small amount of hand lotion (otherwise the fingerprints won't show up). - Press fingertip firmly onto poster frame. - Gently pick up some powdered graphite with a blush brush and tap it over the fingerprint. - Use the brush to gently reveal the fingerprint. - Cut off a piece of packing tape (it's easiest to have the adult helpers doing this) and press it gently keeping the edges unstuck so they can peel it off easier. - Peel it off and stick to an index card that the girl has written her name on. - Wash hands really well. :) SHOE PRINTS: This was our overlap/do-at-home activity. So if a girl finished an activity before others in her patrol, and had already cleaned up, she could do this. You may need to use some of your graphite, or some chalk, or just have them walk around on asphalt or dirt. We did not have enough time for this for most girls, so we sent it home with them. You could elaborate on it a bit, if you want it to be a more involved activity, and have the girls leave a shoe print on paper, then have each girl walk around with the paper and try to match it to the actual shoe, etc. Because of time, we needed a quick and easy fifth activity, so this was it. Shoe prints won't work if their shoes are squeaky clean. COLOR CODES (Steganography): This was based off of some research I did into Chromatography. Which was cool! But opted instead for steganography, which is basically hiding messages in pictures or text. More info on it here. Also, steganography is a hard word to say, seriously. It look like it could mean "if dinosaurs could write" or something. Practice saying it before you get to the meeting. This is an example of a much easier way to approach it. But, it wouldn't take 20 minutes and I needed comparable time for each activity. I'm glad I opted for way more complicated. The girls had a great time figuring it all out. Do what works best for you! Here's the thing. On my versions (scroll down to the red images), I can see the Morse Code symbols on the electronic version on my computer, but when I printed them out? Could not see them unless I knew to look for them. I tested it on my Daisy. She couldn't see anything but red designs. But when viewed through red glasses? We could both see the symbols clearly. So while you might be able to see something here on this site -- try printing it out and see if you still can (or not). Hopefully these will work. If not, Google is your friend! :) A great online resource for making Morse Code messages can be found here. Please note: If you have girls who are colorblind, a steganography activity probably won't work. But they can still participate if you're using a coded message like mine below (and not just colored letters to form a message, like above). Just have them work with a partner. The partner uses her red glasses and copies down the Morse Code, while the colorblind girl translates the code. You will need the following items for this activity: - Colored glasses (I made five total. Each pair was used three times) - Colored messages (variety for each group, so not everyone is working on the same message) - Scrap paper (one per girl) - Pencils (ditto) - Morse Code Key (see below) - Helper cheat sheet so the volunteers could help prompt girls if they got stuck Prepare before the meeting: - Print out the sheets below and cut each in half (each sheet has TWO messages on it; each girl needs one message -- the last message probably won't work for your troop, so discard it) - Print out the Morse Code keys (one per girl) - Create a volunteer/helper cheat sheet with translations (keep this one folded away) - Paperclip one message, one scrap paper, and one Morse Code key for each girl in each patrol (I had three groups of five, with one left over spare for each in case someone's didn't print out well). Make sure you use different red sheets for the girls in each patrol, so they aren't all working on the same message. - Bundle each patrol's packets together, so it's easy for your volunteers to pull out a new batch for the next group - Make your glasses (see below) Red cellophane glasses: You will need the following to make your own (one per girl, per group. You don't need to make each girl a pair of glasses if you're doing these activities as rotations. Just make the total you'll need per group): - Card stock - Cellophane (I used clear pocket divider cover things; you could use thick shrink wrap from packaging, etc. Just has to be thick and clear. Saran wrap won't work. Does your school have a laminating machine? I bet there's a bunch of scrap plastic you could use.) - Red Sharpies (fresh is best) - Tape - Scissors Follow the steps below to make your own. I made five glasses, but didn't bother to put ear pieces on them. The girls just held them with one hand, and it worked fine. If you have time, add ear pieces. Make sure the marker on the cellophane pieces is DRY before you tape the red cellophane over the holes in your card stock, or else you'll end up with red ink everywhere. If your marker doesn't go on smoothly, use your finger to spread the ink around. It'll make a mess though, so wear gloves (also, rubbing alcohol works well for getting Sharpie off tables. Ha!) I traced the front shape of the 3-D type sample glasses I had on hand, onto a folded piece of card stock. Then cut out the shape and unfolded. After you've cut out the glasses shape, mark roughly where to cut out for eyes, keep the shape folded in half, and use an X-Acto knife to cut the slots for the red cellophane. Use a red Sharpie to color the cellophane, which should be larger than the eye hole, but smaller than the card stock. You're going to tape the red cellophane inside the glasses shape. Red Sharpie transfers pretty easily. This is what the inside should look like with cellophane taped in. Once you're done, close and tape the card stock edges shut. Ta-dah! Homemade spy glasses! Print out all this stuff: You don't have to use my stuff. You can find others online, or make your own! But here's everything we used for the meeting. You will cut the red cards in half, and each girl in each group rotation/patrol gets a different one (so they aren't all working on the same message at the same time): "We are a great troop" and "Girl Scouts is awesome" Each word is on its own line. "This is super fun" and "Morse code is cool" "Secret codes are cool" and "Miss Renee rocks" And okay, so that last one is unusable for your troop, unless you happen to have a Miss Renee... Ha! So, just discard the #6 and use 1-5 for your group rotations. If you have more than 5 in a patrol, have them work in pairs. Each girl gets a copy of this to use and to take home and keep. Remind them that when Morse Code is written, the dashes are typically raised slightly so you know you're not looking at it upside-down. That's why the color sheets all have raised dashes. I didn't use the numbers, but it's nice to include them for reference. What to do in the actual meeting: Make sure the girls coming from the Fingerprints table have washed their hands well. Smudged graphite can really mess with this activity. Give each girl her paper-clipped bundle and a pencil. Tell her that each line of code is ONE word and to copy down the code exactly as she sees it. Don't try to translate it until you have everything copied down on your scrap paper. That way if they make a mistake, it's easier to find where they went wrong. (Reiterate how careful detectives are!) You can have them draw one of these: "/" in between each letter, if that helps. Some of my girls used their pencils to trace/color over the code on the actual paper, which made it visible without the glasses. Very clever girls! MORSE CODE NECKLACES: You will need the following items: - String/cord (pre-cut, one per girl. Make these a bit longer than necessary, to accommodate knots) - Pony beads (variety, round) - Tube beads (like these; see below) - Morse Code sheets (see above) Prepare before the meeting: Make a sample necklace for yourself. Tie knots in between the words (or you could tie single knots in between letters and double knots in between words. Whatever you like). I used the same color beads for letters (so all my E letters were one color, etc.), but you don't have to do that. The round beads are dots. The tubes are dashes. The girls LOVED this! Bucket of (tube) beads at Michaels. Super cheap and worked great! My "Miss Renee" necklace DNA EXTRACTION: Lots of great instructions online. Here's one example. Here's another. But don't worry; it's not nearly as complicated as it sounds. The key is to do it at least once at home so you won't stumble in the meeting, since timing is key. The measurements don't have to be exact, honestly. But try to get close if you can. It's more about proportions. We finished the patrol/group rotations for the other activities, cleaned up, and then everyone did this together, in pairs. All my adult helpers pitched in, which was GREAT! This can get tricky in terms of timing, especially the last step, so having more hands on deck is good. You will need the following items: - Rubbing alcohol, chilled (I put mine in a cooler with ice the night before, and brought the cooler to the meeting with me) - Small clear acrylic cups -- we worked in pairs for this, so I had two per pair. (You could use mixing bowls and cups instead, or go super fancy and get beakers. I just went to the Dollar store and bought cheap punch-size acrylic cups) - Wooden popsicle sticks (skewers can work too. Toothpicks are a bit too small, IMO) - Plastic spoons - Dish liquid (any brand will do. I've heard Dawn works well but I used a clear liquid. It was fine) - Sturdy Ziploc baggies (don't get the cheap ones, they'll rip) - Frozen strawberries -- THAWED! (Frozen ones work best, because once they thaw, they're already mushy. Plus, they have the tops cut off). I bought two bags but really only needed one. You don't need a ton, maybe three or four per girl, if they're medium-sized berries) - Salt - Paper napkins (or cheesecloth if you have it. We just used generic paper napkins -- they were the soft, super cheap cheap, double-ply kind. Not the Disney Princess style that have a more solid outer layer. You want something that liquid can pass through easily, but that won't tear) - Measuring cups/spoons - Water - Clean up towels for spills Prepare before the meeting: Run through it at least once beforehand. I should've done it twice, because I forgot a step early on during the meeting and had to start over. Which was no big deal, but that meant we ran over a little time-wise. So definitely do the experiment at home first, and I'd advise doing it twice just to be safe. The night before, chill your alcohol and grab a cooler, so it'll still be cold for your meeting. And don't forget to thaw your strawberries! If you leave them out overnight on the counter they should be nice and mushy for your meeting the next day. What to do in the actual meeting: Talk to the girls about how detectives use DNA, and what DNA is (I was surprised that some had no idea, so we had a nice little quick intro to genetics). 1. Pass out the cups (two per pair), plastic spoons (one per pair), popsicle sticks (two per pair), and napkins (extras on hand in case of spills or tears, etc.). 2. Give each pair of girls a sturdy Ziploc, and scoop some mushy strawberries into each one. Make sure the baggies are very well sealed, with the air pushed out. Set aside. 3. Put 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup water, and 1 tablespoon of dish liquid in one cup per pair of girls. 4. Have them use the spoons to gently mix the solution. This will be the extraction liquid. Set it aside. 5. Take turns gently mushing strawberries in baggies for ~2 minutes, or until it's as mushy as possible (they loved this part!). Set aside. 6. Have them place the napkins carefully over the top of the second cup. Press down in the middle so it sags well, and the strawberries won't spill over. Set aside. (You can use rubberbands to hold it in place, or just fingers.) 7. Add three tablespoons of the extraction liquid to the mushed strawberries baggy. You're done with the extraction cup (but hang on to it in case you need to re-do one). 8. Re-seal baggy (air pushed out) and work it through for another minute or so, until it's very well blended with the strawberries. Don't overwork it! You want to be gentle -- don't make bubbles. 9. Open the bag and carefully pour into the cup with the napkin on top. Have one girl hold the napkin in place with the middle pushed far down, while the other pours the mixture. Watch it drip into the cup. 10. Very gently pick up the edges of the napkin, so the mushy strawberry solution is contained within, then gently squeeze it so you get as much liquid into the cup as possible. 11. Carefully pick up the cup, then tilt it slightly. Pour a small amount (about 1-2 tablespoons? Test it at home and see) of chilled alcohol down the side of the cup (if you pour it straight in and it splashes, the experiment won't work as well). 12. Set the cup down and watch. It should start to work immediately. See the white layer forming? The alcohol is pulling strands of DNA from your mixture! 13. Use popsicle stick to carefully dip and grab the DNA strands. Randomly Googled image. I was too busy to take pictures of our actual experiment, but it was cool! Next up? Detective Part Two -- Halloween Scavenger Hunt.
It is important to start your scouting year on the right foot, especially as your girls get older. Here is how I led my troop's very first Girl Scout Junior meeting.
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 How many times have we heard the expression “Practice makes perfect”? From the time we are children practicing our multiplication tables, an instrument or a sport, this is a mantra that we have all heard. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a great athlete. As younger Girl Scouts, children are exposed to many different ideas and activities. In fact, for the two years that girls are Brownie Scouts, they earn badges called Try Its. As leaders, we want them to try and experience new things, the way the founder Juliette Gordon Low intended. The Practice With Purpose badge is unique because girls can really do this on their own. In fact, it really is better for the girls to do it alone or with a small group of girls in the troop who share the same interests. As the leader, you will give the girls guidelines and deadlines to earn the Practice With Purpose badge. In order for them to prove that they have completed the five steps, parents will have to be on board and sign each activity as it is completed. You may want to create a Word document to send to parents as each part of the requirements is accomplished and checked off the list. Step 1 Decide on Your Goal At your meeting, the girls are going to be exposed to the ideas behind this badge. They are to think of a goal in a sport that they love. Included in this list is not just the typical sports of soccer, field hockey or lacrosse; dance and cheerleading, two activities that girls this age do actively participate. If you want the girls to complete the badge requirements on their own time, it has to fit into their already busy life. Have the girls write down their goal and then talk about it with their coach or teacher. Then have the parents hand in to you the paper that was signed by the adult in charge. Proper footwear like these Skechers for girls from Amazon is important when doing sports related activities. Step 2 Increase Your Endurance No one runs a marathon as soon as they put on their running shoes and no one ever does an cartwheel on the balance beam the first time they try. For this part of the badge, girls must pick one activity within their sport to focus on and increase their endurance. Maybe they can only run for one minute and must walk the rest. Or perhaps she can only do ten jumping jacks without having to stop and take a rest. Is a complete split the intended goal? Whatever it is, figuring out how to get there and practicing is the main objective of step 2. Girls need to chart their progress with parental help or from assistance from a coach or specialty instructor. Under the watchful eyes of a parent or coach, the girls will increase their ability to incorporate strength into their initial goal. Strength does not necessarily mean lifting weights, but whatever she needs to build her muscles for this particular step. Step 3 Build Up Your Strength Under the watchful eyes of a parent or coach, the girls will increase their ability to incorporate strength into their initial goal. Strength does not necessarily mean lifting weights, but whatever she needs to build her muscles for this particular step. Step 4 Drill for Skill Again, the adult who is helping the girl needs to help her pick a particular skill she needs to improve on and have her practice it. If a girl in the troop is on the same team, they can work on a skill together. It doesn’t matter if she needs to stick a vault landing, stand on the top of the cheer pyramid, or learn how to field a fly ball, it is the practice that will help her achieve her skill level. Step 5 Practice, Practice, Practice! When the other four steps have been completed, then it is time to put it all together and practice. Girls need to develop a schedule that works for them and stick to it. Parents can be supportive by making sure that these practice sessions do not run too long and that they actually take place. Once they have completed the five steps, parents will make sure that all five forms the leaders have had them sign have been handed in. It is their responsibility to hand these to you, because as Juniors things need to be more girl-led. Your troop will enjoy earning the Junior Practice With Purpose badge on their own or with a friend.
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Unlike generations of the past, many of today’s youth are not in the best of shape. Years ago, children walked back and forth to school, regardless of the weather outside. After school, we jumped on our bikes, played ball on unorganized sports teams with our friends, and walked wherever we needed to be. For various reasons, kids today do not have the opportunity to do these activities that kept us outdoors and in better health. Kids today also spend way too much time on electronic devices that permit them to live a sedentary lifestyle. Computer games, texting endlessly to each other and even the overabundance of homework for older students create an environment that makes activity take a backseat. Your troop can get active and earn the Junior Staying Fit Badge, which works alongside the Agent of Change Journey. Image created by the author on Canva Step 1 Start Moving Before you have this meeting, be sure to email the parents and let them know that their daughters need to come in with comfortable clothes and sneakers. You are going to exercise and wearing the wrong clothing will make the girls uncomfortable and could potentially cause an injury. You can do any kind of movement for this part of the badge. For example, you can have all kinds of relay races, sports stations or do some old school aerobics. Put some fun Top 40 tunes on your phone and have the girls exercise to the beat. Step 2 Get Fueled After your exercise session, the girls will be thirsty and perhaps even a bit hungry. Offer them a smorgasbord of healthy foods-cut up fruit and vegetables, nuts (if there are no allergies). While they are eating, talk about why this food is perfect for staying fit and not a pastry or bag or chips or cookies. Step 3 Learn How to Stress Less In the old Junior Program, there was a badge called Stress Less. My troop earned it while they were in fourth grade, You can read Part One of what we did here and Part Two in this blog post. It did take us two meetings to earn it, but if you want to use any of the ideas for this part of the badge, they are explained in full detail for you. If you want to create something from the new program, then talk to the girls about journaling…writing down your feelings. Spiral notebooks from Amazon Give each girl a spiral notebook and assorted stickers to decorate the front cover to make it her own. Glitter Stickers from Amazon Step 4 Get the Truth About Health While this step calls for yet another guest speaker, you do not have to do this. Kids have been learning about healthy habits while at home (we hope) and while at school. You can play a game instead. In my fourth grade Hebrew School class, I save paper and get the kids moving by having them stand in one place and then move to the correct answer space. For example, if there are multiple choice questions, they move to a spot assigned to that letter. Movement can be a hop, a jump, or some other movement that is not running, as that causes accidents. Here is a ready made questions for you to use. Dozen Quizzes for Different Parts of the Body Want more for the girls to do? Here are some fun Healthy Food Printables. Step 5 Help Your Family Stay Fit This is an easy step to accomplish.Talk to the girls about different activities they can do with their families to stay healthy. Write them down and send it in an email to the parents.
Grab your pens and lets’ scribe! Do you have a passion for writing, but not sure where to start? Look no further! The Junior Scribe Badge is waiting for you to unlock your inner writer with these fun activities.
Easy meals for Juniors to earn their Simple Meals cooking badge
Looking to earn the Junior Staying Fit badge? Check out these 6 fun activities that promote fitness and healthy habits. From active games to nutritious cooking, these activities will keep girls engaged while helping them develop a lifelong commitment to staying fit. Start earning your badge today and embrace a healthy lifestyle!
Juniors earn their Outdoor Journey by completing their three outdoor badges and then doing a “Take Action Project”. To complete this journey, Juniors should: Earn Animal Habitats badge Earn Camper badge Earn Eco Camper badge. Complete a Take Action Project The capstone “Take Action Project” should focus on making the outdoor world a better place....
Looking to earn the Junior Social Butterfly Badge? Check out these 5 fun and interactive activities that will help your girls become social butterflies and practice good manners in any situation. From activity booklets to board games and setting the table properly, these ideas are sure to engage and educate your troop. Get ready to have a blast while earning this badge!
Checklists below include badges released as of July 2024! If you'd like checklists for the retired 2001 set of badges, please scroll...
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Flowers are an important part of our world. They provide beauty to our homes both inside and out. What looks more beautiful than a house surrounded by bright and colorful flowers? Floral arrangements convey emotions we may not be able to express. A bouquet of roses can be one way that one person tells another that s/he has deep feelings or love for the other person. When a friend or family member dies, flowers are often sent as a way to express your condolences. If an apology is in order, many times flowers can help express the sincerity of the one who needs to apologize. Here is an easy lesson plan to help your troop earn the Junior Girl Scout Flower badge. Image created by the author in Canva Flowers are also an important part of our ecosystem, as they provide food for insects and herbivores. The Girl Scout Flowers badge can be earned while on a field trip to a florist or be earned during your regular meeting time. Step 1 Uncover the Science of One Flower If the weather is cooperative and you are in an area that has lots of different flowers, then the easiest thing to do for this part is to go on the flower hunt. You will need magnifying glasses for each girl, as well as a notebook and pencil for sketching. Available on Amazon Set of 12 Mini Notepads from Amazon Step 2 Look Under the Petals This is more fun if it is hands on. Go to the supermarket or local produce store and buy one or two bouquets of flowers so that each girl can compare two that are similar. Have some fact sheets about these flowers for the girls to read. They can compare the similarities and write them down in their notebook. Step 3 Find Out How Flowers Help People Girls can make no sew lavender sachets as one of the steps for earning the Junior Girl Scout Flowers badge. Photo from Pixabay Flowers not only help people emotionally, but they also help them physically as well. Aloe vera helps in the healing of cuts and burns, chamomile is known for easing indigestion and insomnia and lavender helps us unwind and relive stress. For this step, the girls can make no-sew lavender sachets. Materials White fabric squares cut to the size you feel is best Sharpie markers Lavender A bag of lavender flowers is perfect for making the sachets with your girls. Available on Amazon Have the girls select two squares and create designs on each one. When they are done drawing, place lavender in the center of the clean side. With a hot glue gun, used with adult supervision, they can glue them closed. Step 4 Have Fun With Flowers Here is another step that lends itself well to crafts. Since your girls are older, you can do a more complicated flower craft. Here are some video tutorials on how to make different paper flowers. Step 5 Send a Message in Flower Code To keep expenses down instead of creating a corsage, why not have the girls make a boutonniere? Here is a video with easy directions. Materials One flower for each girl Sprig of leaves or baby’s breath Floral tape Large stick pin Here is the video tutorial.
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated August 2023 Writing is one of the most powerful ways to get your point across. A well writt...
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated April 2023 Have you ever wished that you could be one of this people who are great at making small talk? Can you start a conversation with anyone and keep them interested in continuing to talk to you? My father was one of those people. He was so well read that it did not matter who you were or where you came from, he could make you feel like his best friend by the end of you conversation. Photo from Pixabay and used by the author in Canva With technology overtaking the lives of our children, so many of them have phobia of answering the phone and actually talking to another person. It seems so foreign to them when all they have to do is text. It is important for children to learn conversational skills, as well as good manners, in order to be ahead in life. Helping your girls earn the Junior Girl Scout Social Butterfly badge will help guide them in the right direction. Step 1 Hold a Conversation We have all been there…invited to attend an event and we do not know anyone or maybe we have to be at a business event for our spouse and it is important to be able to speak with confidence to others in his industry. Learning to have a conversation is one of the most important skills we have to master in order to be successful adults. Over 27 years ago, my husband had to take the Dale Carnegie course as part of his training as an office manager. I read the books he brought home, and one of the most important of the series was Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. While young girls do not have to master all what this best seller has to say, there are many important points you can help them learn to get them started on their way. A summary of the book and the main principals can be found here. While your takeaway may differ from mine, the most important things for a girl to learn are: Look the person in the eye (not at their phone, off in the distance, not to another person-that signals lack of interest and on the hunt for an escape) Use the person’s name when a question is asked. Ask an open ended question (Why did you choose to play soccer?) Smile when you are listening. Don’t argue or criticize. Another thing you many want to have on hand is a list of conversation starters. You can glean a list from this website that has 101 of them! Step 2 Use Table Manners Many years ago, I read a quote that I have used for years in my classroom teaching. The quote is, “Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.” It always leads to a great discussion. For example, imagine two equally qualified candidates vying for the same job. The hiring committee takes each person out separately for a business lunch. One candidate uses polite table manners while the other eats sloppily-talks with his mouth full, reaches across people to get the salt and pepper shakers, does not pass the basket of rolls around. I ask my students who will get hired? Photo from Pixabay I also remind my students that their table manners, like it or not, are a reflection upon their parents. How do your want others to think of you parents? Everyone reading this has been to a meal with another person whose manners are less than stellar. It can make the meal uncomfortable. My mom used to say, “You weren’t raised in a barn” when she saw a lapse in good table manners. The one subject you may need to tread lightly with in this step is the use of electronics at meals. I have always very strict rules about this. In my home, no television is permitted at meal time, the phone is not allowed to be answered (our landline) and no cell phones at the table. When we go out to eat, my children are supposed to keep their phones in the car or give them to me to put in my pocketbook. Electronic games that are offered at some restaurants as an amusement are not permitted as well. Photo from Pixabay If other families have rules that differ from yours, then say that. All families are different and while we are at Girl Scouts, we are going to not have phones or other electronic interruptions at the table. How can you have a good conversation with the people you are with if you are ignoring them for someone else? Ask your girls what good table manners are. Here is a free printable that you can use with your girls. Make some of the silly. Have them stand up if it is a good manner or sit if it is bad manners (you have to change the words). You can serve a snack at a table and have the girls practice their good manners. Image from Pixabay and used by the author in Canva Step 3 Be Prepared for Special Occasions Ask an adult how they planned a special occasion. Possibilities are: Holiday Meal Wedding Engagement party Bar/Bat Mitzvah Confirmation Step 4 Say Thank You The thank you card is going the way of the Dodo bird. I am old fashioned-I believe a handwritten thank you note is an appropriate way to show appreciation, especially if the gift was sent in the mail and the person did not thank you directly. A phone call is a great substitute, a text is not. Available on Amazon Ask the girls to write a thank you card to someone. Talk about who works around the school that is often under appreciated-the custodians, the school secretary, the teacher aides…have the girls write a note to them. Show them the proper way to write one and to be specific about what they are thanking the person for. Step 5 Practice Being at Ease Assign one girl at a time to greet a parent who is not her own and with whom she is not all that familiar with. Ask them to say hello and how their day was.
