*This post contains affiliate links. Updated February 2024 If you find yourself short on meeting dates, you can use this resource to earn multiple Daisy petals at once.
Helping your Daisy Girl Scouts earn their petals is fun. Their enthusiasm is infectious! With ten petals and the center to work on, doing activities to finish the daisy takes up the bulk of your time together. Doing a project for multiple petals is also a good way to revisit the petals you have already earned. It is also a great way for leaders who lead a first grade troop to catch up.
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated October 2019
As a Daisy Girl Scout leader, you will need to help the girls earn the orange Daisy petal, "Responsible for What I Say and Do." As they grow from Daisy Scouts to Brownies, to Juniors and beyond, they will need to run certain parts of the meetings, as well as the Pledge of Allegiance, the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout Law.
The girls will need to have a Kaper chart for different jobs. A chore chart will help the girls be more responsible at home, earning the orange petal. You can also use this craft to earn the yellow petal, "Friendly and Helpful", as they are being helpful, too.
At the beginning of your meeting, ask the girls what the word "responsibility" means. Ask them what they are responsible for at their Daisy meetings, in their classrooms, and in their homes. Then ask them what happens when jobs don't get done. Think of some scenarios, for example, what if a teacher did not prepare her lessons for the day? What happens if you do not take care of your pet? What happens is no one goes to the grocery store? Tell the girls that they are going to make a chart that lists five chores they will be responsible for at home.
Materials
8 x 11 construction paper, all the same light color, one for each girl (prepped for them-see directions)
Markers
Prep Work On a piece of construction paper, write ________________'s Responsibility Chart. Number from 1-5 and write lines. Leave enough room for the girls to trace her hand. Make a few extra copies of the chart in case one of the girls makes a mistake.
Image created by Hannah Gold on Picmonkey
Time for the Craft In pencil, have the girls trace their hand. They can decorate the hand with markers. When they take them home, have their parents talk about what chores they will write in.
At your next Daisy Girl Scout meeting, ask the girls what their chores are and if they are actually doing them! See if they are really earning the orange Daisy petal or if they need a new lesson in being responsible.
Always have some Daisy Girl Scout coloring pages available to keep the early finishers occupied while the others complete their craft. This will keep these girls out of trouble so you can hep the others complete the task at hand.
Girl Scouts have many reasons to celebrate during the month of October. Not only is there excitement about the local Council Halloween dance, it is also a special Girl Scout holiday. On October 31, 1860, Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA, was born in Savannah Georgia.
Photo created on Canva
During the month of October, Girl Scouts spend time learning about Ms. Low and doing community service projects in honor of her birthday. Daisy Girl Scout leaders can spend time teaching their girls about the life of Ms. Low and can also, if they wish, tie it in with earning the orange Daisy petal. This activity is a fun and hands-on way to teach your troop about Girl Scout Founder's Day. It should be set up in stations, with an adult at each one. Have every area prepped and ready so things will run more smoothly. Things You'll Need For This Meeting
A book about Juliette Gordon Low or facts and pictures of her
Introducing Daisy Girl Scouts to Juliette Gordon Low
There are many wonderful children’'s biographies about Juliette. You can start the meeting by asking your troop how they think the Girl Scouts started. The responses you receive will be very interesting coming from the mouths of five and six year old girls. After your initial discussion, you can either share some facts and pictures of Ms. Low or you can read about her life from a book. The pictures should elicit some interesting observations about how girls and women dressed way back when!
When you are done discussing Juliette'’s life, it is time to talk about being responsible. Ask the girls what that means and what they are responsible for at home and at school. Tell them they are now going to have a new job at home.
The girls are going to plant Daisy seeds, since Juliette’s nickname was Daisy, and it will be their responsibility to water and take care of them. Talk about basic plant care, like the need for sunlight and how not to overwater the plant.
Each girl will get her own pot to color. Once they are done coloring them, they will go to the planting station. A volunteer will have newspaper lining the table, along with a trowel, potting soil and watering can. Each girl will put in her own dirt, and with an unsharpened pencil she will poke three holes into the dirt. She will then put one or two seeds in each hole and cover it up. With supervision, the girls can water their plants.
To keep the girls accountable for watering and caring for their plant, give each girl a sheet of paper that you have created. On this paper, have a space for the girl’s name and two columns – one for the date (that you have already filled in for the next two weeks) and one for watering. The girls have to check the date if they water the plant. Use your meeting date as the first time for it to be watered and have the girls check it off. They will have to be responsible and return the sheet to you at the next meeting.
Celebrating Girl Scout Founder’s Day and earning the orange Daisy petal, responsible for what I say and do, is a fun combined activity that Daisy Girl Scouts will enjoy. If you need more Girl Scout Founder's Day ideas, you can also read more blog posts here.
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated August 2021 Girl Scout Kaper charts give the girls jobs that teach responsibility, promote teamwork and sisterhood, and keep the meetings flowing. Kaper Charts Help Your Girl Scout Meetings Run Smoothly No matter how old the girls in your troop are, from the youngest Daisy Scouts to the oldest Ambassadors, every person needs to have a part in running the meeting. While young girls will not participate in planning the activities you will be doing, they can help out in other ways.A guide for this is a Girl Scout kaper chart.A kaper is a chore that is assigned to each girl. This is one way for leaders to have decisions already made and not assign an arbitrary job to a scout. Can you actually remember who helped to pass out the papers two weeks ago or who was assigned to clean up duty? This takes the guesswork out of who has to do lead the Pledge of Allegiance and who leads the Friendship Song at the end of the meeting.
Why Should Leaders Use Kaper Charts?
The Benefits of Everyone Pitching In
There are many benefits for leaders who use this system of assigning chores. First of all, it keeps things organized and equal. A kaper chart prevents whining and cries of "It's not fair! I don't want to do that!". Assigning tasks is not arbitrary, but done on a scheduled rotation. Kapers are not punishments, they are expectations. If a girl is assigned a job that she does not like one week, the next time you are together she can look forward to having a different job to do, as kapers rotate. Everyone has to pitch in, as there are no excuses when it comes to doing a chore.
It is also a valuable life lesson as each day passes, there may be things that we don't want to do, but we must for the betterment of everyone. Sure, I don't like to empty the dishwasher, but if I don't, then dirty dishes will pile in the sink and create a mess, bring bugs, and have odors from food that is not washed away. So, I empty the dishwasher to prevent all of these things from happening! Also, having jobs at each meeting teaches the girls patience. Sometimes, we actually have to wait to have a turn at a job. Another benefit is that girls have a sense ownership of the tasks they are assigned to do and a sense of pride when they complete the job.
Materials for Creating Your Charts
Kaper charts can be made simple or elaborate-it depends on the leader and how crafty she is and how much time she wants to devote to making her chart. One thing to bare in mind is that over the years, girls will come into your troop and others will leave. Make sure whatever you create can easily be changed.
Therefore, it is important to create a kaper chart that can adjust for the natural ebb and flow of attrition that is a part of scouting. If you don't do this, then you will need to make a new chart every year. Whatever you make, be sure to save your receipts so you can be reimbursed with your troop dues.
In my Teachers Pay Teachers shop, I created colorful Girl Scout Kaper Chart job cards for each level. These are both colorful and inexpensive. Simply print, cut them out, and adhere to your poster board!
The kinds of jobs your troop will do will largely depend on these factors:
The age of the scouts
How many girls are in your troop (Smaller troops need fewer jobs and younger troops need simpler jobs)
Since troop size varies, so will the jobs that are given. It is imperative that every girl gets something to do, that everyone matters and is needed. Therefore, no job is too big or too small.
By yourself or with your co-leader, brainstorm the kinds of jobs your girls can handle. See which ones can be done solo and which need a patrol or group to complete. When your girls are older, then they can assign the jobs to each other.
Here are just a few examples of jobs that girls can do at each meeting:
Lead the Pledge of Allegiance
Lead the Girl Scout Promise and Girl Scout Law
Take attendance
Set up craft stations
Pass out papers
Bathroom buddy
Clean up crew
Lead songs
Lead a game
Lead goodbye
Kaper Chart Ideas and Leader Resources
Daisy Girl Scouts are in kindergarten and first grade, and at the beginning of the year, only a handful can red. Kaper charts need to use pictures as guides for each assignment. Using the girls' photograph is also a helpful visual clue for what job she is assigned to do at the meeting.Brownie Girl Scouts and older can help make the chart at their first meeting and help contribute to creating new jobs.
Being responsible is a part of growing up. We are not doing our children a favor by doing everything for them. When I taught public school, year after year I was constantly amazed at how many children were not responsible for any chores around the house, not even making their own beds. While in my classroom, they enjoyed organizing, prepping and cleaning up. They thought it was fun!
Taking care of pets, setting the table for dinner, and making her own bed are chores that kindergarten and first grade Daisy Girl Scouts can easily do. Children love to be helpful, as it makes them feel more grown up. It also gives them a feeling of pride and accomplishment to say, "I did it myself!". Here is a lesson plan for helping your girls earn the orange Daisy petal "Responsible for What I Say and Do".
Get Volunteers!
Because you will be using permanent marker, you will need some help when the girls are using them for this activity. Find an adult volunteer or two or ask an older Girl Scout troop to assist you.
Materials You Will Need to Earn the Orange Daisy Petal
Photo from pixabay.com
Sharpie markers
Large craft sticks
Washi tape
Empty baby food jar for each girl
Extra volunteers
*If you think the girls will be too messy with permanent markers, have them bring smocks to the meeting. Bring extras for those who forget.
After you have recited the Pledge of Allegiance, the Girl Scout Law and the Girl Scout Promise, it is time to begin your meeting. You can ask the girls what the word responsible means. If you have access to a white board, you can use tally marks or numbers to keep track of the responses to the following questions.
Ask the girls if they have any pets and what chores they are responsible for their pets' care (walking the dog, putting out water for the cat, feeding the fish).
Then ask if they have to make their bed, set the table or clear the table.
Ask what else they are required to do at home.
Once you have all of the responses, talk about personal responsibility. Things like taking a bath or shower, brushing your teeth and hair, and eating right are all part of respecting ourselves and being responsible.
At this point, you can choose to read a book about responsibility or goright to the activity this mommy blogger came up with using washi tape and craft sticks.
Make sure that each girl has chores that she is actually responsible for and at least five to seven of them.
PS-You might enjoy doing this activity with your troop to earn the Orange Daisy petal!
Being responsible is a part of growing up. We are not doing our children a favor by doing everything for them. When I taught public school, year after year I was constantly amazed at how many children were not responsible for any chores around the house, not even making their own beds. While in my classroom, they enjoyed organizing, prepping and cleaning up. They thought it was fun!
Taking care of pets, setting the table for dinner, and making her own bed are chores that kindergarten and first grade Daisy Girl Scouts can easily do. Children love to be helpful, as it makes them feel more grown up. It also gives them a feeling of pride and accomplishment to say, "I did it myself!". Here is a lesson plan for helping your girls earn the orange Daisy petal "Responsible for What I Say and Do".
Remember to get volunteers! Because you will be using dry erase marker, you will need some help as the girls are doing this activity. Ask a parent or member of an older Girl Scout troop to assist you.
Materials You Will Need to Earn the Orange Daisy Petal
Be sure to get everything together before your meeting!
Items you will need for this meeting:
Dry erase poster board
Sharpie markers
Rulers
Stickers
Magnet strips
Extra volunteers
Optional: Book about being responsible, wallet size photo of each girl to be brought to the meeting, glue sticks
After you have recited the Pledge of Allegiance, the Girl Scout Law and the Girl Scout Promise, it is time to begin your meeting. You can ask the girls what the word responsible means. If you have access to a white board, you can use tally marks or numbers to keep track of the responses to the following questions.
Ask the girls if they have any pets and what chores they are responsible for their pets' care (walking the dog, putting out water for the cat, feeding the fish).
Then ask if they have to make their bed, set the table or clear the table.
Ask what else they are required to do at home.
Once you have all of the responses, talk about personal responsibility. Things like taking a bath or shower, brushing your teeth and hair, and eating right are all part of respecting ourselves and being responsible.
At this point, you can choose to read a book about responsibility or go right to the activity.
Set an Example
It is always best to have a sample project completed for the girls to see. They need a visual and you need to be sure each step is doable for young children.
Each girl is going to get her own piece of dry erase poster board. At the top, have her write____________'s Chores with a permanent marker. Make sure all girls have done this step before moving on to the next. Then have her write the number "1" and draw a line after it with the ruler. Repeat for up to four chores. They will leave the lines blank, so they can write in dry erase markers new chores to do at home each week. Have the girls glue their wallet sized photo in one of the corners of the paper. Then they can decorate it with the stickers you have purchased. When all decorating is done, give each girl two magnetic strips to place on the back.
Happy New Year! It is time to get back into your Daisy Girl Scout leader mode after spending a week or more off from school with your kids. You are now ready to begin your journey through the second half of your first Daisy Girl Scout year. These meeting ideas will get you through to May, when many troops stop meeting for the summer.
Just like the first eight Daisy leader meetings, you can do most of these activities in any order you wish. If you live in a cold area, you may have to adjust your schedule for snow days, as when school is closed you won't be meeting. Be sure to remember to plan it out with you co-leader and share the responsibilities of planning your meetings. Get everything you plan to do in writing, send her an email with what you both agreed to set out an accomplish, and tackle each meeting together.
Sales Alert!
Look for after holiday sales for savings on craft materials for the rest of the year. Remember to bring your troop checkbook and your Tax Exempt ID paper.
Your Ninth Daisy Girl Scout Meeting-Earn the Orange Daisy Petal Responsible for What I Say and Do
Many adults make New Year's resolutions at the beginning of the year. You can tie in this idea with earning the orange Daisy petal and being responsible for your own actions. Talk to the girls about what it means to be responsible.
Ask them if they have any responibilities to do at home, like make their bed or clean up after dinner. You can read a book about being responsible at this point or just jump right into the activity.Tell your girls that Daisy Girl Scouts need to be responsible for bringing their books and vests to each troop meeting. Being organizedis being responsible, so they are going to make their own Daisy Girl Scout tote bag and keep all things Girl Scout related in that bag;. They will be responsible for bringing the bag to every meeting from now on.
Earn the Orange Daisy Petal with These Craft Items
Here is everything you need for your girls to make their own "responsibility bags". The great thing about this craft is that the girls will use their bags for years to come. The Sharpies and fabric markers are an investment, because if they are stored properly, they can also be used for many years for all kinds of crafts and community service projects. Foam flower shapes can be used for all kinds of projects, too. Cards, making gift bags, and puppets are just a few uses for them.
If you live in a cold climate with heavy snowfall, it may be wise not to plan any field trips until spring. That way you do not spend a lot of time planning an activity that has to be cancelled due to inclement weather. You don't want to disappoint the girls!
Your Tenth Daisy Girl Scout Meeting-Earn the Yellow Daisy Petal Friendly and Helpful
Being friendly and helpful ties in nicely with being responsible. For this activity, the girls are going to create "helpful" slips to leave around the house. Complete directions for earning the yellow Daisy petal can be found in this article.
If you know of an older Brownie or Junior troop who wants to be friendly and helpful, ask them to come to a meeting and help the girls make bracelets or some other cool project. This promotes sisterhood among the different Girl Scout levels. The older girls also serve as role models to the younger girls.
If your Daisy troop is selling Girl Scout cookies, you will need to plan a meeting or two around that. Girls earn badges and leaves for cookie sales!
Your Eleventh Daisy Girl Scout Meeting-Earn the Light Blue Daisy Petal Honest and Fair
In February, we celebrate the birthday of two of our greatest presidents, Washington and Lincoln. Both have stories that tie in with being honest. There is the tale about George chopping down the cherry tree and how he could not tell a lie when asked if he did it. And of course, there is "Honest Abe" Lincoln!
Discuss with your girls why it is important to be honest and not lie, and how they feel if someone has not been truthful to them. Following the discussion, you can do with activities with fair and unfair spinners or unequal amounts of candy to drive the point across.
Make Contact
If you are following this guide, this would be the time to make contact with an organization that needs assistance so you are prepared for the March community service project.
Your Twelfth Daisy Girl Scout Meeting-World Thinking Day Activities
Photo from pixabay.com
Celebrate this special Girl Scout holiday!
Every year on February 22nd, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world honor each other and the sisterhood of Girl Scouting with World Thinking Day. Each year World Thinking Day has a theme, and according to the Girl Scouts of America website, the year 2015 is dedicated to ending poverty.
World Thinking Day used to be a patch earned and placed on the back of the vest. It is now an official Girl Scout award that Daisy Girl Scouts can earn! You can earn the award one of two ways.There are a list of activities just for Daisies at the Girl Scouts of America website. Just follow those to earn the award.If you want to do something else, you can pick a country and do hands on activities for it. For example, let's say you want to study Japan. You can:
1. Make passports for Japan. This passport, and those for other countries can be found at the Making Friends website.
2. Do a Japanese craft like origami.
3. Bring in a Japanese dessert for the girls to eat with chopsticks
4. Make a Girl Scout Swap that ties into that country.
Your Thirteenth Meeting-Earn the Spring Green Daisy Petal Considerate and Caring
Photo by Hannah Gold
Like the yellow Daisy petal, this one revolves around being empathetic towards others. When I was a Daisy Scout leader, my girls decorated shoe boxes and filled them with items for little girls who lived in a homeless shelter. The directions for this activity can be found in this blog post onhow to earn the spring green daisy petal considerate and caringand on this one as well.
Your Fourteenth Daisy Meeting
Field Trip!
With the weather becoming milder, now is the perfect time to go on a field trip. There are many places that your girls can go to for free or fro a small fee. Be sure to get all of your paperwork done in advance and that all of the proper coursework has been done.
Trip approvers need at least two weeks advanced notice to get your outing approved...be nice and give them four. Remember, safety first! Safety guidelines and instructions for all kinds of field trips can be found at your local council website under Safety Checkpoints.
Your Fifteenth Meeting-Earn the Rose Daisy Petal Make the World a Better Place
Spring is here! With Earth Day being celebrated on April 22nd, this is the perfect time for this activity. Anything that has to do with recycling will be perfect to earn this petal.The book Miss Rumphius is one of the best to share with your girls while earning this petal.
Because of Spring Break, my troop has always met only once during the month of April. If you find this happening to you and you want another meeting, schedule a field trip for the girls or have an informal meeting at a local park or playground.
Your Sixteenth Daisy Meeting-Earn the Purple Daisy Petal Respect Myself and Others
Respect is important no matter what age you are. The girls need to respect each other and get along, and they need to respect your co-leader and you and the time you put into each and every meeting.And most importantly, they need to like themselves.The Jamie Lee Curtis book entitledI'm Gonna Like Me is the best book to start the meeting.
You made it...the final Daisy Girl Scout meeting of the year! Since you have already earned all of your Daisy petals, it's time to celebrate. Look how far your girls and you have come since September.If you are planning a party, make sure to contact the parents in advance to bring in items and ask for a few volunteers to stay. The girls will be excited and extra coverage is always needed at times like these.
Plan a fun Daisy craft that is simple to make and present the girls with a certificate of completion. They aren't bridging, but finishing the first year of Girl Scouts is an exciting milestone for them. Once the party is over, sit back, relax and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
