Activities for Girl Scouts - September
Have some activities to share?  Email program@bdgsc.org to share your ideas with other leaders!

During the month of September, your Girl Scout Troop might want to try some of the following
activities:

•   Activities for Daisy Girl Scouts
•   Activities for Brownie Girl Scouts
•   Activities for Junior Girl Scouts
•   Activities for Girl Scouts ages 11 to 17
•   Information About Ceremonies
•   Flat Stacie

Daisy Girl Scout Activities
Daisy Girl Scout Song: Flowers are Dying (Round)
(1) Flow'rs are (2) dying, (3) Autumn winds are (4) sighing, sighing

Daisy Girl Scout SWAP: Daisy Stones
Supplies: clear stones (decorative glass), pins, glue, scissors, printed diasy pictures (or girls could draw their own).
Instructions: Glue picture to bottom of stone. Cover completely. Attach pin.

Daisy Girl Scout Craft: Butterfly Wand
Supplies: pipe cleaners, cone coffe filters, popsicle sticks, glue, markers/crayons

Instructions: Glue pipe cleaner to popsicle stick. Open coffee filter at seam.  Decorate-leave a little room at seam where it will be attached to stick. Use pipe cleaner to attach to popsicle stick. Bend pipe cleaner for antenna.

Daisy Girl Scout Activity: Keep Away
Instructions: Pick 1 girl to be in the middle; the rest of the girls form a circle around her. Someone starts by passing the ball to another player across the circle. The girl in the middle tries to get the ball. If she does, the person who threw it is now in the middle. Continue until at least everyone has had a turn throwing or being in the middle-or everyone is tired!

Daisy Girl Scout Ceremony: Thank You For the World So Sweet
Thank you for the world so sweet
Thank you for the food we eat
Thank you for the birds that sing
Thank you Lord for everything.

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Activities for Brownie Girl Scouts
Brownie Girl Scout Song: We're All Together Again (Greeting Song)
We're all together again; we're here, we're here!
We're all together again; we're here, we're here!
Who knows when we'll be all together again,
Singing all together again, we're here, we're here!

Brownie Girl Scout SWAP: Brownie Stones
Supplies: Clear stones (decorative glass), pins, printed brownie elves and glue

Instructions: Cut out elves and glue to bottom of stones. Cover completely. Attach pin & label.
 

Brownie Girl Scout Craft: Glove Puppets
Supplies: scissors, glue, yarn, red felt, cotton balls, wiggly eyes, gloves (1 per girl)

Instructions: Stuff each finger with a cotton ball and tie it closed with a piece of yarn (this makes the heads). Put two eyes on each head. Cut out red felt mouths for each head and glue  in place. Use yarn for hair.

Brownie Girl Scout Activity: Simon Says
Instructions: 1 girl is picked to be the leader first. All others stand in line/group. Leader states things/actions for girls to do, some with "Simon Says..." and some
without. Those that perform the action without the "Simon Says..." are out. Take turns being leader.

Brownie Girl Scout Ceremony: For Health and Strength
For health and strength,
And daily food,
We praise thy name,
Oh Lord.

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Junior Girl Scout Activities
Junior Girl Scout Song: Autumn Leaves
Scamper, little leaves, about
In the warm September sun.
I can here the old wind shout,
Laughing, laughing, as you run.
By and by to rest you'll go,
Weary of your lively play;
Still thw same old wind will blow,
Laughing in the same old way.

Junior Girl Scout SWAP: Mini Bouquet
Supplies: Plastic thimbles-also know as communion cups, craft foam, pipe cleaners, buttons, pins, glue gun and scissors

Instructions: Cut flower tops from foam. Poke hole in middle for pipe cleaner stem. Thread top end through buttonholes and bend to hold. Cover bottom of "vase" with hot glue & add flowers. Attach pin & label when dry.

Junior Girl Scout Craft: Starfish
Supplies: White glue, toothpick, wax paper, yarn, paper clip and sand/glitter
Instructions: Squeeze glue out in  a star shape onto wax paper-adjust with toothpick if needed. Fold paper clip into a 'V' shape and put it at the end of one "arm" in the glue. Sprinkle with sand, glitter, etc & shake off excess. Let dry and peel off wax paper. Can put string through loop to hand or wear.

Junior Girl Scout Activity: Charades
Instructions: Write the names of kids' books, movies, games, songs, TV shows, etc. on slips of paper and put into a bowl/hat. Pick someone to begin. Whomever guesses correctly can go next. Everyone has a turn drawing a slip and acting it out.

Junior girl Scout Ceremony: Spirit Grace
We all come from the spirit;
And to it we shall return,
Like a drop of rain falling to the ocean.

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Activities for Girl Scouts ages 11 to 17
Girl Scouts 11-17 Song: Girl Scout Goodbye Round (4 part)
O come and sing a song,
Before we go our way.
If you're a Girl Scout you'll soon find out,
We'll meet another day.

Girl Scout 11-17 SWAP: Girl Scout Transfusion
Supplies: green food coloring, water, glue gun, small plastic bottles, plastic lacing, pins, labels, green pen/marker

Instructions: Mix food coloring and water; put in bottle. Use glue gun to stop up bottle. Tie/glue plastic lacing around top of bottle. Add pin. On label write "Girl Scout Transfusion" in green ink.

Girl Scouts 11-17 Craft: Bangle Bracelets
Supplies: charm beads, large hole decorative beads, bangle bracelets (or could use memory wire-use pliers to twist ends to hold beads)
Instructions: Unscrew end of bangle. Thread on beads in pattern of choice. Screw end back on.

Girl Scouts 11-17 Activity: Pass the Life Savers
Supplies: life savers, toothpicks

Instructions: Done as a relay. Divide girls into 2 teams. Each girl gets a toothpick. Girls should stand in a line. girls hold the toothpicks in their mouths adn pass the life saver down the line using the toothpick. They should not use their hands; try to keep them behind the back if possible. If the life saver and/or toothpick is dropped that team must start over. The first team to get to the end wins.

Girl Scouts 11-17 Ceremony: Rock You Grace
Tune of "We Will Rock You"
Heavenly Father, Lod and King,
You provide us with everything
We've got food on our plate,
Tastin' great.
Thank you for the food we already ate.
Singing thank you Farther, Thank you!
Thank you Father, Thank you!

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Information About Ceremonies
Information from GSUSA Ceremonies in Girl Scouting.

Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Each Girl Scout meeting should have opening and closing ceremonies. This is a good tradition because it gives a definite beginning and ending to the meeting. Openings and Closings should be simple and short in duration. You could have a flag ceremony, read a poem, sing a favorite song, play a short game, or recite the Girl Scout Promise. During the year, build up a collection of poems, readings, games, songs and Friendship Circles that the girls enjoy. Vary the ceremonies so girls will appreciate these special times of coming together.
1. Ask girls to form a circle with you. Have them sing a song of their choice and in turn call out their own names – “Megan’s here,” Chris is here,” etc. Variation: include the Girl Scout Promise and/or Girl Scout sign.
2. Form a circle: join hands and sing” Make New Friends” drop hand s and say, “Good night girl Scouts!”
3. Form a circle joining hands and spell out “O-U-T” in unison. Repeat the spelling with Each girl saying a letter. The girl who says T leaves the circle. Continue until one girl is left who says “Good night girl Scouts”

Investiture and Rededication Ceremonies
An investiture is a ceremony to welcome new girls or adults into Girl Scouting. It is a very meaningful step in the life of each person as she becomes active in girl Scouts for the first time.

A rededication is a ceremony for girls and adults who have already been invested. It is a time for them to reaffirm their belief in the Girl Scout Promise and law and to reflect upon the meaning of Girl Scouting in their lives. Usually it is held at the beginning of each Girl Scout year (October).

Because of the importance of these events, a beautiful and meaningful ceremony should be planned and carried out. Many troops/groups have a joint investiture and rededication ceremony each year.

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Flat Stacie Project for Girl Scouts/Girl Guides
Directions to start the project:
You can read the story Flat Stanley, by Jeff Brown, to your Girl Scouts or tell them what happened (while sleeping one night, Stacie’s bulletin board fell on her.  When she woke up, she was very surprised!  Her parents tried to think positively about this change, and told her she could go visit anyone she wanted to, because it’s very cheap to mail her).  Or have the girls begin the journal with their own stories of how Stacie got flattened.  Or both- it’s a fun book!

Next, have the girls make the doll using the templates, or have the girls design their own doll. Cardstock is a good weight- not too heavy or thick for mailing, but sturdier than paper. If you are going to use the templates, you can either print it on paper, then glue to cardstock, or just make a copy onto cardstock. Put your name, troop number and address on the back of the doll. This is to be sure your doll and journal comes home.  I recommend having the dolls laminated.  This prevents amputations, which is very traumatic for Stacie and her Moms!  Next, have them make a journal. Again, put your name, troop and address inside the front cover. I would recommend that the journals not be any bigger than folding a sheet of notebook paper in half, to help keep the postage down. Cardstock or construction paper is a good weight for the covers- have the girls decorate it.
Next, the girls should start the journal. It should be written from Stacie’s point of view. They can begin with a story of how Stacie got flattened. If they want to become pen pals, make sure it’s OK with each interested girls’ parents, then let the leader you are exchanging with know, so she can see if any of her girls are interested.  The next step is to mail the doll and journal to her new temporary home!

What you receive:
You will receive a Stacie and her journal. She is a guest at your meetings, and for the girls to take home. Make a big deal out of it!  Have fun! Take pictures! Have the girls involve the doll in whatever your troop is doing, and whatever family activities they are doing at home. Use your imagination! The sky’s the limit! Each girl should write in the journal. They can also talk about families, weather, location (nearest big city), population (how many schools in your town/city), what’s special to your location (favorite local activities, sports, hobbies, sites of interest, industries), what they like best about where they live, what they would change, what’s important to them, what projects your troop is working on, read any good books lately?   When you receive her, try to e-mail the leader she came from so she knows Stacie arrived at her destination.  Estimate a return date as well. Try to e-mail again when you’ve actually sent her back, so leaders can be on the lookout for her. The girls will be unbelievably excited when they hear that their Stacie is on her way home!  In the journal or with them, you can include pictures, postcards, patches, local maps, SWAPS, anything you and your girls can come up with!  Anything specifically from your area that the girls you’re sending back to would have no other way of getting is great!  Keep the doll for about 2 meetings, so depending on how often you meet, you would have the doll for 2-4 weeks. If you want them longer, just let the sending leader know, so the girls aren’t worried about their doll.

Activities to tie in:

• Have maps showing where Stacie has gone, & where the doll you received came from.
• Make clothes to send back with the visiting Stacie, or 1 set to send and 1 to keep.
• If each of your girls makes a doll to keep the visitor company, have plays with the dolls, have a pajama party- take pictures.
• Make up games; game boards- send back, take pictures.
• Make houses, cars, bikes- use in plays and games; send back, take pictures.

Whatever your girls are interested in, anything special or different in your area- do it! Send it! Use your imagination! We want girls to learn about scouting in other places as well as a little history, geography, and social studies!  They won’t even know they’re learning it’ll be so much fun!

If you have any questions as you get started, please e-mail Kathie. You can do it as many times as you want. There are three exchanges each year- October, January and late March/early April. Just e-mail Kathie that you would like to do it again, and you’ll be put back in the pile!  Have fun!

Flat Stacie Templates

To get involved in the Girl Scout/Girl Guides Flat Stacie project, contact Kathie at gsggflatstacie@yahoo.com or
Girl Scouts of Western New York
50 Batavia City Centre
Batavia, New York 14020

Send the following information:

1. Troop/Group Leader's Name
2. E-mail
3. Address
4. Girl Scout/Girl Guide ID#
5. Troop #
6. Grade Level of Troop (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior or Ambassador)
7. Council Name

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