The Girl Scout organization is meant to empower young girls by teaching them the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie. They are trained to excel in service, tradition, responsibility, charity, leadership and teamwork. Instead of listening to boring lectures to teach these skills and values, however, Girl Scouts perform fun activities to learn these lifelong lessons firsthand, and they earn patches for their uniform as demonstration of their new knowledge. If you are the leader of one of these troops or a parent who wants to get more involved, why not try suggesting one of these fun Girl Scout activities?
Culture - Being a Girl Scout means being exposed to and accepting other cultures. If your Girl Scout troop is comprised of many girls from different cultures (i.e. Hispanic, African American, German, Indian, etc), why not have a cultural potluck where each girl brings in one common dish from her culture. For example, the Hispanic girl may want to bring in tamales while the Indian girl may want to bring in naan or saag paneer. Have each girl give a short presentation on some aspect of their culture. For example, the German girl may want to give a presentation about the famous German composer Bach and play some of his symphonies. The African American girl may want to talk about the famous jazz singer Billie Holiday and play some of her music. Give the girls free reign to speak of some aspect of their culture they feel most proud of, whether it be the music, the traditions, the dress or the people in it. This will not only help the girls learn more about their culture and other cultures but teach them how to speak in front of others.
Communication - Talk to one of the leaders of a Girl Scout troop in another state and set up a pen pal program. Have interested girls from your troop fill out a questionnaire that details some of their hobbies and interests. Send a packet of these questionnaires to the Girl Scout troop in the other state and have them send their filled out questionnaires back to you. Pair the girls up based on shared interests and set up guidelines on how many times a year they should write to each other. Promote these letters to be written during scheduled Girl Scout meetings where they can draw pictures or send photographs of themselves.
Gratitude - Throughout the year, many individuals and corporations help Girl Scouts out by offering them a store-front to sell cookies or by providing refreshments, donations and supplies. Teach your troop about being gracious by having them handwrite thank you notes and cards to those who have helped their troop. This will teach them a valuable life lesson on being grateful for any help or gifts they may receive.
Education - There is nothing better than a field trip! Many museums, theatres and corporations offer free or reduced admission fees for Girl Scout troops. Take the kids to a bakery to show them how bread gets made or to a science museum to learn more about fossils and history. Plan a Saturday matinee showing of a ballet or musical that is in town. If you plan in advance and speak with the right people, you may even get a behind-the-scenes look at these places (i.e. meeting the cast of a musical before or after the show).
