Thursday, October 20, 2016

Free Daisy Girl Scout Coloring Pages

Updated November 2019

One of the most important things I learned during my first year as an elementary school teacher was classroom management. My second grade class had 25 children, and some of them had some very real behavioral issues (Yeah, welcome to teaching. Why give these kids to the teacher across the hall who had over 20 years experience under her belt? But I digress...)

Managing your troop of kindergarten and first grade Daisy Scouts is necessary for your meetings to run smoothly. For someone like myself who has been doing this for a living since 1987, it comes as second nature . For those who have never been in charge of a large group of children, the task can seem overwhelming.



Leader Resource-Free Printable Daisy Girl Scout coloring pages

Photos from Pixabay

This is where good management comes in. Children will get themselves into mischief or misbehave if they are bored or undirected. If there is nothing to do, then they will find something to do...and it may not be to your liking.

There are two times during a meeting when girls typically get into trouble. The first is when the meeting starts. Latecomers take you off task, and waiting for them to arrive causes the others to get antsy. You can use free Girl Scout coloring pages as a "sponge" activity to get the girls who have already arrived on task. Have the girls at the table with the crayons or markers and the page you have run off. Have your co-leader at the table talk about the page, which can be one for earning a petal and a springboard for your meeting.

If your troop meets after school like mine did so latecomers are not an issue, then you can use free Daisy coloring pages for those who finish early the craft or activity that you planned. Again, have your co-leader or parent volunteer sit with the girls to keep them focused.


Here are some websites to find your free Daisy Girl Scout coloring pages.


Coloring Book Fun


Colortime

Making Friends (Superhero Girl Scout Law Coloring Pages)

Twisty Noodle


AZ Coloring

Best of Coloring

Supercoloring


For Girls (from Girl Scout website)


Remember, if you are printing at a local store like Staples, save your receipt so you can be reimbursed. You might want to run off several meetings worth at a time to save yourself a trip. Girls who miss the meeting can be given the extra paper the next time she shows up.


Wednesday, October 12, 2016

How to Earn the Girl Scout Daisy Money Counts Leaf

Discover how to earn the Girl Scout Daisy Money Counts Leaf with your troop, which is the first Financial Literacy leaf to do.



*This post contains affiliate links.




Updated January 2021

*Please bear in mind that we are in a pandemic. Skipping cookies this year or having a small sales goal is perfectly acceptable. Years ago, Girl Scout Daisies were not permitted to sell cookies. Their safety and yours is paramount.

The Financial Literacy leaves are easy to incorporate during Girl Scout Cookie season. Late fall, right before the holidays, is the perfect time to introduce them because advertisements on television, radio and online are all focused on what to buy for someone or what you want someone to buy for you during the upcoming holiday season.

The first leaf to introduce is the Daisy Girl Scout Money Counts leaf. Be prepared to see that young children are not money savvy, and for many, they have never handled coins or bills before. When I was growing up, candy could still be bought for a penny, candy bars for a nickel or a dime, and packs of Donny Osmond cards for 7 cents. When Staples used to have the penny sales a few years ago during the Back to School season, I took my children there to buy items with coins. There is little opportunity for children to do that today.


The point of this leaf is not to make this seem like school, but to introduce money in a fun way.  


Here are activities you can do to help your girls earn the Daisy Money Counts leaf.


How to Earn the Daisy Girl Scout Money Counts Leaf



Image created on Canva

Step 1 to Earn the Girl Scout Daisy Money Counts Leaf 
Understand Different Kinds of Coins


Before your meeting, you will have to decide whether you are using real coins or play money. Then put the same type and amount of coins in individual baggies for each girl so they can do the activity.


Sit in a circle and do not hand out the girls their individual bags of coins until you are ready to use them. Teacher tip: A child will not pay attention to you, but they will start playing with any object set in front of them.


Hold each coin and talk about it-what is it worth?  Whose picture is on it? Then hold one up at a time in random order and have the girls shout out which coin it is.


Hand out a bag to each girl and have them empty it in front of them. Call out the name of a coin and have each child hold it up.  Then have them make a pattern based on the name of the coin you say. For example, "Lay out each coin as I say it. Penny, penny nickel, nickel, penny, penny, nickel, nickel: etc. Repeat a few times with different combinations. Collect the coins when done.


Another activity you can do with the bag of coins is to have the girls sort them. Place four paper or foam bowls in the center of the floor. Ask the girls to take turns and place whatever you call in the correct bowl. For example, "Place two pennies in the penny bowl."  The bowls can have a coin taped to the outside so the girls know which one to place it in.


A third thing you can do is have the girls examine each coin with a magnifying glass. Discuss how they are the same and different.


Step 2 to Earn the Girl Scout Daisy Money Counts Leaf 
Know More About Paper Money




When it comes to paper bills, I would use play money. This is an investment because there are activities you can do with them to teach the girls about money and giving change when they are older Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts.

Give each girl a play one dollar bill and talk about it. Repeat for the other bills. Then ask them how many one dollar bills equals a five dollar bill? A ten dollar bill? In teams, they can count the money together.


Step 3 to Earn the Girl Scout Daisy Money Counts Leaf
Find Out the Cost of Fun


If you are going to be selling cookies, what are you going to do with the money you make? Many girls want to go to a fun place like Build-a-Bear or make your own pottery class. Of course, this costs money! Talk with them about planning such an activity at the end of the troop year. 


You can use your phone to look up the cost of the trip and break it down for the girls to see.'


In addition, you can ask them what things they like to do that do not cost money and see if you can incorporate some of them into a meeting. For example, going on a hike will cost nothing or playing at the park has not cost as well. Taking a craft class at the library or visiting the Fire House are two more free activities you can do with your troop.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

The Ultimate Girl Scout Investiture Ceremony Resource List for Daisy Leaders

Updated August 2023


There are many different ceremonies that are a part of Girl Scouting, and one of them is the Investiture. Simply stated, this ceremony is to welcome girls to the sisterhood of Girl Scouting. Many new Daisy troops hold one a few weeks into the genesis of their troop. Older girls welcome new scouts to their troop by having a Rededication/Investiture ceremony.

This is  very simple and should not be something to cause a brand new leader any kinds of stress. You can do this towards the end of a meeting or at the very beginning, your choice. It is done with parents so they can see their daughters begin their Girl Scout career.



Resources for Daisy Girl Scout Leaders for planning their Investiture ceremony. Simple and easy.

Photo from Pixabay

Hosting a Daisy Girl Scout Investiture ceremony should take place after meeting a few times simply because you do not know the girls all that well and they know very little, if anything, about being a Girl Scout. You get time to practice the Girl Scout Law and Girl Scout Promise and begin to gel as a unit. 


Before the ceremony, make sure you have purchased the Girl Scout Daisy and Girl Scout pins ahead of time. Girls should have purchased a yellow tab for this.


During the meeting before your ceremony, the girls can make a simple invitation. 

Materials
  • Blue Construction paper
  • Printed Daisy flower coloring page that fits on the front of the card
  • Ceremony details printed out to fit on the inside of the card
  • Glue
  • Crayons
  • Scissors
Have the girls color in the Daisy, cut it out and glue it to the front of the blue construction paper.  On the inside, have them glue the details that you have printed out.  For example, you can write:

Daisy Troop 12345
Invites you to their 
Investiture Ceremony
on
October 21, 2016
at
6:30

Here are some great resources for your short and simple ceremony.

Teachers Pay Teachers-A Daisy poem for you to read.

Girl Scouts of Kentucky have a short and sweet ceremony.


Daisy Leader Garden is a blog post where a leader of kindergarten Daisy Scouts shares what she did. Not traditional, but her troop had fun!


Troop 2932's leader shares what she did with her Daisies.


Scouting Out Adventure is another leader's Investiture ceremony.


There are also many videos on YouTube featuring Daisy Investiture ceremonies. This will help those who are more visual.


Are you planning on having a Daisy Girl Scout Investiture Ceremony? Please share what you did and how it went!