Easy Girl Scout Craft for Founder's Day

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Updated October 2019

I know it is still August, but you should be planning your fall meetings by now if you are getting ready for Back to Troop. With the busy-ness of back to school shopping for your family, last minute summer getaways, and getting what you need for sports and other after school activities, time will surprisingly sneak up on you.

Wouldn't you feel ready for your fall troop meetings if you have already planned them out and have the supplies ready to go?

For me, that is a resounding "yes"! I always had my yearly calendar laid out and the supplies I needed for the first few meetings ready to go. Since I am a teacher, summer is my prep time and fall is my most busy time work-wise. Having my Girl Scout meetings and outings planned for September and October made it so much easier on me both mentally and physically.

Photo from Pixabay

One of the core values of celebrating Girl Scout Founder's Day is to do a service project. It does not have to be elaborate, especially if you are leading Daisy Scouts. It should be fun and meaningful, as that is what Juliette would have wanted. 

Here is a cute craft for your troop to do and then give to others.

Available on S&S Worldwide

This Velvet Bug Tote Bag comes with 12 easy to color totes and it also includes the fabric markers.The bags measure 6" x 4.5". Directions for the activity can be found on the sales page under the "Activity Ideas" tab and are easy to download. In fact, when you download the sheet before you order, you will find a $10 off coupon for your purchase of $39 or more.

The time to do this craft is about 30 minutes.

After the girls have colored the tote in, have them fill it with sucking candies, Hershey Kisses, trial size hand lotions or hand sanitizer that you have purchased, and a note or picture wishing the person a wonderful day. These totes can be donated to a senior citizen home.

Earn the Violet Daisy Petal Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout Create Sisterhood Jewelry

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A part of creating a brand new Daisy troop is to create a sisterhood among the girls. This is especially true if you have a group that comes from different area schools. You need something that unites them as a troop. That is where the earning the Violet Daisy petal, be a sister to every Girl Scout, comes in.

Photo by camomile on Morguefile and altered by the author

Doing a craft that everyone in the troop will have, and can wear or bring to every meeting identifies the girls in the troop when they are in school. It can be a part of their uniform!

Beading is an easy craft for girls to do. It promotes fine motor skills and most girls this age enjoy doing something like this. You can create a troop necklace, bracelet or keychain that every girl can go home with.

Materials

Letter Beads
Pony Beads
Gimp
Keychain

S&S Worldwide is great place to buy your beads because they sell each letter individually. No more leftover beads! You can create something that says "Troop _____" (add your number). 

Individual Letter Beads Available on S&S Worldwide

Available on S&S Worldwide

Add a bag of pony beads to be used as spacers, put it on blue gimp  and you have an easy craft for your troop to do!

Girls can wear their troop jewelry any time and others will know that they are happy and proud to be a Girl Scout!

Why Games for Girl Scouts is a Book Every Leader Must Have

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Games for Girl Scouts is a book every leader must have.  In order to have successful meetings with your troop, you’ll have to be good at time management.  There will be occasions when you have ten or fifteen extra minutes left over at the end of your meeting.  Other times, you may want to play some games to help you earn a badge. For both of these occasions, this book will comes in handy.

Games for Girl Scouts is an investment for the leader. For only a few dollars, this book will become part of your Girl Scout leader bag of tricks. There is no need to spend hours searching the internet to find activities your girls when you have a short amount of time.  Everything you need is here.

Photo from Pixabay

This book is for all levels and it will grow with you as your troop matures.  This simpler activities that you would play with Daisy Girl Scouts will evolve into the more complicated games that Juniors and older girls can do independently.

The book is divided into 10 different chapters:

Chapter 1 Getting Started (how to use the book)

Chapter 2 Getting to Know You Games (great for the beginning of the troop year or when a new girl joins)

Chapter 3 Quiet Games for Indoors or Outdoors 

Chapter 4 Active Games for Indoors and Outdoors 

Chapter 5 Relay Games

Chapter 6 To-and-Fro and Inbetween

Chapter 7 Simple Games to Make and Play

Chapter 8 Girl Scout Lore and Skills (traditions)

Chapter 9 Nature Awareness Games

Chapter 10 Wide Games and Special Events

Each chapter is divided into several subtopics.  Under each of these subtopics are many games from which to choose.  

Next to the name of each activity there are symbols. The symbols will tell you whether the activity can be played indoors or outdoors (or both), whether it is for a small group or a large group, and what age group it would be appropriate for.  There is even a symbol to tell you if the game is international in its origin.  International games are perfect to help celebrate World Thinking Day or earn badges and patches.

Available on Amazon

In this guide, you are told exactly what materials you need so you can easily prepare for your meeting.  Most of the things you will need are already around your house or are inexpensive to buy. Leaders are given clear and concise directions for each game.  In addition, there are drawings for games that need further illustration, and there is even music for those activities that involve scouting songs.

In the back of the book, there is a list of resources for leaders and for children.  The index is divided not only alphabetically, but also using the symbols of who the games are good for.

Games for Girl Scouts is a must-have book for all Girl Scout leaders.  The information and activities in this book will take you through all of your years as you manage your troop.