Activities for Kids

New Girl Scout Badges Announced for 2020-2021!

Click here to get this information in a downloadable/saveable/printable PDF format.

Entrepreneur Badges

Toy Business Designer  Daisies come up with an idea for a toy, design it, make it better, and share it—just like entrepreneurs!

Budding Entrepreneur Brownies become entrepreneurs by making something, testing it out, and improving their idea to make it the best it can be.

Business Jumpstart  Juniors sharpen their entrepreneurial skills as they come up with an idea for something that solves a problem, get feedback, share their idea, and pitch it to others.

Business Creator  Cadettes think like entrepreneurs as they come up with a business idea that solves a problem, produce a prototype, solicit feedback, improve their idea, then create a business plan and pitch it.

Business Startup  Seniors learn more about the entrepreneurial mindset as they explore what it takes to create their own business.

Entrepreneur Accelerator Ambassadors think and act like entrepreneurs as they bring a business vision to life, learn how to work with a team, and motivate people to take a chance with them.

Access the Badge Requirements

  • In the Volunteer Toolkit (free!) in 2 meeting plans
  • Hard-copy badge booklet ($2.50 each)
    • available via online shop or in Council Shops mid-August
    • Digital download badge booklet PDF ($0.99 each)

Get the badge: available via online shop or in Council Shops ($3.00)

Mark Your Calendar

For these virtual events for girls:

Click here to get this information in a downloadable/saveable/printable PDF format.

STEM Career Exploration Badges

One badge per level for Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes

Girls explore their own interests, how those connect with different STEM careers, and how they can use STEM to make a difference. They look at different fields and careers in STEM and create a plan for how they’ll make the world a better place. The badges are “Unplugged” but include optional “Plugged” and in-person components to amplify the activities.

Access the Badge Requirements

  • In the Volunteer Toolkit (free!) in 2 meeting plans
  • Hard-copy badge booklet ($2.50 each)
    • available via online shop or in Council Shops mid-August
    • Digital download badge booklet PDF ($0.99 each)

Get the badge: available via online shop or in Council Shops ($3.00)

Mark Your Calendar

For these virtual events for girls:

Click here to get this information in a downloadable/saveable/printable PDF format.

Automotive Engineering Badges

Three progressive badges per level for Daisies, Brownies, and Junior. Girls earn these badges in a particular order.

Girls learn how vehicles are designed, engineered, and manufactured. In each of the badges, they design and build vehicle prototypes that meet sets of criteria and solve problems for others.

Access the Badge Requirements

  • In the Volunteer Toolkit (free!) in 2 meeting plans each
  • Hard-copy badge booklet ($5.00 for 3-badge pack)
    • available via online shop or in Council Shops mid-August
    • Digital download badge booklet PDF ($1.99 for 3-badge pack)

Get the badge: available via online shop or in Council Shops ($3.00)

Mark Your Calendar

Week of August 3:

  • In three events for Daisies/Brownies/Juniors, women who work for General Motors in the areas of design, engineering, and manufacturing will talk about how cars get made.
  • A bonus Daisy/Brownie/Junior event will feature GM CEO Mary Barra in conversation with GSUSA’s Sylvia Acevedo.
  • Details to be announced

Click here to get this information in a downloadable/saveable/printable PDF format.

Civics Education Badges

 Democracy for Daisies  Daisies begin learning about the people who work together in their government.

Democracy for Brownies Brownies find out how people in the government decide what rules are made and how they are followed.

Democracy for Juniors Juniors learn more about how their government works—from their town or city to the whole country.

Democracy for Cadettes  Cadettes find out new things about their government—how each branch works, how they work together, and how each piece makes a difference in society.

Democracy for Seniors Seniors expand their knowledge about how their local, state, and national government works.

​​​​​​​Democracy for Ambassadors  Ambassadors become experts on local, state, and national government—and prepare to use that knowledge to inform their voting.

Access the Badge Requirements

  • In the Volunteer Toolkit (free!) in 2 meeting plans
  • Hard-copy badge booklet ($2.50 each)
    • available via online shop or in Council Shops mid-August
    • Digital download badge booklet PDF ($0.99 each)

Get the badge: available via online shop or in Council Shops ($3.00)

Mark Your Calendar

Week of August 10:

  • In one event for Daisies/Brownies/Juniors and one for Cadettes/Seniors/Ambassadors, inspiring civically active women will talk about the importance of civic engagement and how girls can use their voices to make a difference.
  • Details to be announced

Click here to get this information in a downloadable/saveable/printable PDF format.

2021 Global Awards

2021 World Thinking Day Award

On February 22 of each year, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world celebrate World Thinking Day by doing the same activities around a shared theme. The World Thinking Day 2021 theme is Peacebuilding. This year, girls will celebrate what it means to be a peacebuilder in the context of the Global Movement. They’ll expand their understanding of these concepts, practice the skills to resolve conflict in peaceful ways, and take action to make their world and communities more peaceful places. Although World Thinking Day is February 22, girls can earn this award at any point during the year!

Access the Award Requirements

  • In the Volunteer Toolkit (free!) in 2 meeting plans

Get the award: available via online shop or in Council Shops ($3.00)

2021 Global Action Award

Every year, the Girl Scout Global Action award addresses the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. In 2021, the award focuses on Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action. Girls can earn their Global Action Award by discovering what climate action means, connecting with the issues in their community and around the world, and completing a Take Action project to make the world a more sustainable place.

Access the Award Requirements

  • In the Volunteer Toolkit (free!) in 2 meeting plans

Get the award: available via online shop or in Council Shops ($3.00)

Click here to get this information in a downloadable/saveable/printable PDF format.

Featured

This Alum Promotes Anti-Bias in Tech

Dr. Nicki Washington’s Brownie troop in Durham, North Carolina, was one of the first settings outside of school in which she engaged with people of a variety of backgrounds and identities. She expected, whether on a whitewater rafting trip, campout, or cookie sale, the experience to be inclusive.

Most of the kids in the group lived in predominantly white neighborhoods and Nicki lived in a predominantly black neighborhood, but when it came to troop activities, everyone worked together as a team.

“It forced all of us to start engaging with each other at a young age outside of school,” said Nicki.

Today, all of Nicki’s work emphasizes inclusion. Next month she’ll take on a new position in the computer science department at Duke University, where she will teach a course on race, gender, and computing. Nicki will also continue to research cultural competence in computer science—a focus of her work for years.

The first Black woman to receive a PhD in computer science from North Carolina State University, Nicki never planned to go into academia. She did however grow up tinkering with computers, which were always around because her mother was a programmer for IBM.

“I graduated from grad school in 2005 and worked for a year. Then I decided I was going to apply to teach part-time at Howard [University]—just one course. At the time, Howard was also looking for someone for a full-time position,” she explains.

“I never had any desire to go into higher education, but Howard had never had a Black woman on the faculty in computer science. I thought, this is an opportunity for young women who didn’t have a mom like mine to see themselves in me.”

In 2018, after nearly a decade at Howard, Nicki wrote and self-published the book Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech Field, which led to her recognition by Essence magazine as one of 15 Black women in America disrupting the tech industry.

As part of her research today, Nicki explores how the lack of cultural competence in computer science results in the creation of biased environments, that in turn lead to biased technologies.

“People are responsible for the irresponsible technology that’s created,” she explains, citing facial recognition programs that are biased against darker skin tones as an example of an irresponsible technology.

“I hope to correct this bias by teaching students early in their academic careers about bias and racism,” she says. “Then they graduate and know what to look for and what not to do, even if they [aren’t part of] a marginalized group.”

She’s excited about this next phase of her career.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and even the last few weeks have called attention to that,” she says, referencing the protests and marches nationwide that continue to call for racial justice and equality.

“There’s a lot of work I can do in this space to create impactful change that isn’t just for a fleeting moment.”

Featured

Learning the Truth, 30 Years Later

When 40-year-old Evelyn Adele looks back on her campouts as a Girl Scout growing up in Detroit, she has only fond memories. Memories of sleeping bags, making finger puppets in the shadows, and working toward outdoor badges.

Recently, however, she learned that when her predominantly Black Girl Scout troop went camping, the troop leaders and mothers took turns staying up at night to keep watch, since the Ku Klux Klan was active in the area where the camp was located and they wanted to make sure the girls were safe.

Evelyn Adele Alum Photo

“To me, a little girl somewhere between the ages of 8 and 12, camping was simply summertime fun. To our mothers, camping was potentially dangerous,” Evelyn explains. “But they wanted us to have all the experiences Girl Scouts have. They also had a duty to ensure our physical and emotional safety. So they stood watch—all night. In the ’90s.”

Her story—of how brave mothers and troop leaders protected not only their girls’ safety but also their innocence—is an eye-opening must-read for any Girl Scout with fond memories of campfires and s’mores. You can read Evelyn’s account in her own words on Medium.

Here at Girl Scouts, we want to help build a better, safer world for girls. We’re taking steps with our leadership and staff, volunteers, and girls to create a more equitable environment for all. Learn more and sign our pledge to join us in our commitment to fighting racism.

*Evelyn Adele is a pseudonym.

Featured

Entrepreneur Deanna Singh Fights for Marginalized Communities

Although Deanna Singh spends her days advocating for others, one of her most vivid memories of Girl Scouts was a day that she had to advocate for herself.

Her Southeastern Wisconsin Brownie troop was creating crafts as presents for Mother’s Day, and her troop leader wanted to cut a little lock of her hair to attach to a poem as a gift.

“I’m biracial,” explains Deanna. “My mom is African American and my Dad is Sikh, and in the Sikh culture, we don’t cut our hair. But I was in kindergarten or first grade, and I didn’t have the words to explain it.”

“When my mom came to pick me up, I was running around in a circle, and all the women [troop leaders] were chasing me!” she recalls.

Once Deanna’s mother explained that her daughter’s insistence on not participating in that part of the craft was for religious reasons, the adults were receptive and understood where the misunderstanding happened.

“But it was a moment of leadership for me,” Deanna explains, “because . . . I ran!”

As an adult, Deanna has worked to shift power to marginalized communities from a variety of positions—as a lawyer, a middle school principal, and the CEO of multiple foundations.

And she’s always drawn attention for her work; she’s been recognized by the Milwaukee Business Journal as one of the most influential “40 under 40” leaders in the community and by the University of Wisconsin’s School of Business as one of “8 Under 40” leaders to watch.

Four years ago, she left her last job to write Purposeful Hustle: Direct Your Life’s Work Towards Making a Positive Impact (Bookbaby, 2018). The book’s goal is to help readers uncover their own purpose and determine what to do with it.

After she finished writing the book, she decided to lean into her entrepreneurial instincts. Within a year, she had launched three new businesses.

“I have three companies that fit under Flying Elephant; it’s an umbrella org for three social enterprises. Uplifting Impact provides coaching and training around leadership, DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion], and entrepreneurship. I have a children’s book imprint called “Stories to Tell” books that publishes books that have positive images of people of color. And Birth Coach Milwaukee provides doulas for coaching before, during, and after birth,” she explains. “We’re trying to eliminate the disparities for women of color in labor.”

When asked if launching three companies felt like a lot to take on in a short period of time, she laughs.

“I’ve always had some sort of entrepreneurial venture,” Deanna says. “Start-up is the space I feel most comfortable in.”

She’s also most engaged when she’s helping people who have been pushed to the margins—whether that’s women, people of color, children, or senior citizens.

“I’m the type of person, if I see something I don’t like and I am not satisfied about the solution,” she says, “I am going to do something about it.”

Badges and Patches

Three Steps to Unlocking Your Limited-Edition Ranger Patch

BIG NEWS: Girl Scouts is continuing our exciting partnership with the National Park Service and the “Girl Scout Ranger Program,” a joint venture connecting girls with National Park Service sites throughout the United States, including monuments, seashores, and urban sites.

This year Girl Scouts will be awarded a limited-edition commemorative patch for participating in activities focusing on the significance of the 19th Amendment. This special program will offer pathways for Girl Scouts to learn about women’s history and the suffrage movement through discovering, connecting, and taking action to make the world a better place.

So, how exactly do you earn your special patch and learn more about women’s rights?

1. Choose a National Park Service Site or Explore Online.
Visit http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm. Choose a national park or any of 419 sites protected by the National Park Service. Research and consider exploring areas of national parks connected to women’s history and the suffrage movement in your area. Not able to visit a park in your area? No problem! Take a look at the park or historic site’s webpage and virtual tours. These are often full of photos, videos, history, and other educational resources. Many also have Facebook and Instagram accounts. Another great source of information is the NPS women’s history webpages.

2. Answer Questions, Conduct Research, and Get Outdoors.*
Once you’ve selected your site, complete one or more of the following:

a. With help from an adult, research the site’s webpage.
b. Visit the site and take a tour or attend a ranger-led program, if that’s available. Please first make sure the site you choose to visit is open to the public!
c. Look for books or trusted websites that explain the history commemorated at the site.

Then choose fun activities listed in the 19th Amendment Centennial Program Activity Guide here to earn your patch! Best part? All the activities have a women’s rights historical tie-in!

3. Unlock Your Limited-Edition Patch.
Your special 19th Amendment Centennial Patch will be available for pick up as soon as National Park Service offices officially open for business. To receive your patch, present the completed activity log at the park where you completed your activity.

Are you ready to explore women’s history through the national park lens? We certainly are! Share your best shots on Instagram and Twitter using #gsoutdoors (don’t forget to tag @GirlScouts!) and invite your entire troop to do the same! We will feature some of your social media posts on our national channels.

*GSUSA encourages all Girl Scouts to respect social distancing rules. Follow your state’s guidelines about stay-at-home measures and enjoying public nature spaces.

Featured

Top 3 Reasons to Celebrate Bridging Virtually

Bridging—that is, when a girl celebrates “crossing the bridge” from one Girl Scout level to the next—is one of the most important moments in a Girl Scout’s life. And although the COVID-19 pandemic may have us continuing to pause our in-person meetings and ceremonies, you can still find ways to honor all the good things your troop has done this year and get excited for everything you’ll experience next year!

If you can’t organize an in-person ceremony this summer, consider holding a virtual bridging celebration or taking part in one of GSUSA’s National Virtual Bridging Ceremonies, which will be held August 1 and 8.

Here are three reasons your troop will want to get in on the virtual bridging fun:

Keep the groove going. Everyone’s daily routine has been upended in recent months, and marking this incredible point in your troop’s Girl Scout experience is so important in helping everyone feel some forward momentum. Putting a virtual bridging ceremony on your calendar and counting down the days is going to feel so good!

ALL 👏 YOUR 👏 SISTERS👏 Being a Girl Scout means having sisters across the country and around the world ready to cheer you on! Taking part in one of the national virtual bridging events is a powerful reminder that everyone in the troop is part of a big sisterhood made up of resilient girls and adults who are staying strong and doing good in their communities. Whatever comes our way, we’re never alone!

Celebrate your achievements. The last few months have been challenging no matter where you live, but that’s all the more reason to lift up everything the troop has achieved this year! You earned badges and Journey awards, made our communities better, and continued to shine your brightest. Most importantly, we all stayed Girl Scout strong in the face of hardship—and that’s worth celebrating here and now.

The best part? You can bridge virtually and amp up the experience with an in-person event when it’s safe. Like everything in Girl Scouting, it’s all about what the girls want! And you can make the occasion even more special with an official bridging kit from the Girl Scout Shop.

We can’t wait to see you on August 1 and 8 and create more special memories together!