National
Get Girls Outdoors: A Beginner’s Guide
If you are just beginning to help girls get outdoors, we have some great tools to get started! The outdoors have always been a place where Girl Scouts naturally develop courage, confidence, and character. You’ll love watching them flourish in these girl-led experiences.
Girl Scouts have long been pioneers in encouraging outdoor exploration for girls, and we have never wavered in that tradition. Now, more than ever, girls need to spend time outside, but getting them there might be easier said than done.
If you’re struggling to introduce your girls to the outdoors, use this super-helpful Outdoor Progression Chart, developed by GSUSA, to slowly introduce these new experiences.
Our national girl experts have created three initial steps to take when introducing girls to the outdoors.
First, ensure that your outing is girl-led. This, of course, is the cornerstone of the entire Girl Scout experience, but it is especially important that girls can ask questions, lend ideas, and come up with a plan together.
Next, offer girls age-appropriate ways to engage in cooperative learning. The video above will point out that Daisies can plan which snacks to bring on a hike, while older girls can choose their destination and pack their own materials.
Finally, make sure that girls are learning by doing. There are so many opportunities during outdoor adventures for girls to take the lead, even if they make mistakes, such as preparing food, pitching tents, leading a hike, and reflecting on their trip.
For more tips and tricks, visit the GSUSA resource page.
