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Updated October 2019
*This post contains affiliate links.
Earning the purple Daisy Girl Scout petal, “respect myself and others” is a real life lesson for the girls in your troop. This part of the Girl Scout Law is important because in order to get along in life, you need to get along with others. It is also healthy for people to a have healthy self-esteem.
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This petal stands for “respect”, this is an abstract concept for kindergarten and first grade girls who are between the ages of five and seven. The girls will need a concrete lesson in order to earn this part of their Daisy. Because the girls are young and unable to write, having an extra volunteer or two will help this meeting go more smoothly.
The materials you will need for this Daisy Girl Scout activity are:
I’m Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis
9 x 13 white construction paper
Crayons or markers
Glitter glue in assorted colors
Glittery stickers or peel and stick on rhinestones
You can start off your meeting by reading the book I’m Gonna Like Me. This book tells the tale of a little girl who likes herself. Laura Cornell’s delightful illustrations really hammer the point home.
After reading the book aloud, ask the girls to think about three things they like about themselves. Talk to them about the things they can do to keep liking themselves, like being clean, exercising, and eating healthy foods.
Then have them share those things. For the craft, you can use 9 x 13 paper and have them draw a full body picture of themselves. They can then dictate to you and your volunteers the three things they like about themselves that they shared earlier.
Once the dictation is done, have them use glittery glue to highlight their hair and glittery stickers and rhinestones to decorate their clothing.
For the second part of the meeting, you will need to do a demonstration with your co-leader. Respecting others means protecting their feelings and being kind-acting towards them like you would want to be treated.
Have your co-leader say something to you that would not be kind. For example, she could say, “Your hair is a mess” or “I do not like the shirt you are wearing today”. In response, you act sad.
Ask the children what did your co-leader do that was disrespectful. Have a brief discussion.
Now re-enact the scene, but this time your co-leader acts kindly and says, ‘Gee, your hair look great today!” or “I love that new shirt you are wearing!” Talk with the girls about the difference between the two episodes. How would they want to be treated? You can also do another reenactment with each of you telling the other one thing they like about the person.
To close this activity, break the girls into pair or triads. Ask them to find one or two nice things to say about each other-not necessarily about their appearance, but how they like the way they tell a joke or share the craft materials. Your co-leader and you should mediate what is being said.
At the end of the meeting, hand out the healthy snack, making sure that the girls take the time to wash their hands.
