ANIMAL BADGES

I think most girls enjoy animals so this legacy series is very popular to earn. It can be done easily in a multi-level Troop or just on an individual basis at home. Below are some suggestions for earning the various badges.

CRAFTS
Masks or PetPuppetHeads to perform a skit
Glowing firefly from a pop bottle
Coloring Pages

DISCUSSION
Exotic pets are growing in popularity, but should people have them?
How does an animal get into a movie or tv show?
How does one become a service animal?
What are the laws in your state regarding service animals?
What animals are service animals and for whom?
How do you treat a service animal when you see one?
Who has a pet and how do you care for them?
What myths are there about various animals?
What invasive species have been released into your area? What has been the affect on native species?
What is your state animal? (pick just about any animal here because some states have a lot of state species.)
Learn to identify animal tracks
What are common injuries from pets or wild animals? What first aid would you use to treat them?
How do you prevent injuries from wild animals?
Do you have a local pest control board, and what do they do? For example, in my area they spray for mosquitoes every spring because they can become a major health problem around the lake areas due to their number.
What can you do at home to prevent pets and wild animals from making it THEIR new home?
How does the weather effect wild animals? How have natural disasters effected pet owners?
If you have a pet, does your family emergency kit include items they will need?
If there is an emergency, do you have a plan for your family pet?
How have people effected the habitats of local animals?
What animals are extinct or endangered?

FIELD TRIPS
Vet clinics
Zoo
Circus
Preserve
Animal rescue center
Farms
Local fair
Dog show
Pet store
Senior center / Assisted living facility / nursing
Aquarium – some places allow sleepovers.
Visit an airport, how do they deal with birds or other animals around the runway.
A natural history museum. Or even small local museums sometimes have animal exhibits.
Swim with dolphins.
Go snorkeling
GO fishing
Go on a hike and what animals do you see? Try one at night too.
Western University of Veterinary Medicine in Ramona California.

GAMES
Charades with animals
Freeze tag with animals
Crab walk races
Animal Songs

GUEST SPEAKERS
Someone who has a service animal for vets for MS National Association
Some,one from animal control
Someone from a pest service
National Audubon Society – they can put you in touch with someone from your area.

MOVIES
Madagascar 3 – Discuss animal control, zoos, and circus and why they exist and if they are a good thing.
Dreamer – Horse racing, connection to animals
Quill Service animals
Flicka –
Finding Nemo – Sea life in general and the coral reef
Willie the Sparrow – Empathy and wild birds
Free Willie – Facilities like Seaworld
Lassie – Animal intelligence and connection to people
Benji – Homeless animals

SERVICE
Educate others on service animals.
Educate others on what you have learned about caring for animals and myths about animals?
Have an animal adoption day.
Raise food or other needs for a local shelter. Remember, you cannot raise money for another organization.
Visit a nursing home or senior center a pet for the residents.
The Great Backyard Bird Count – the next one is Feb. 15-18, 2013
Make bat boxes
Make butterfly boxes
Plant a butterfly garden
Make a bird house
Make a hummingbird feeder
Make a bird feeder. Could be something permanent or just birdseed on a pine-cone.
Is there a nearby area that had a disaster that could use help caring for their animals which have lost a home or need food?

The Costa Humane Society put together this 40 page PDF that has a lot of really great ideas.

AWARDS

All current badges require 5 activities to earn them If the girls do more than those 5 they can apply them to other badges. You cannot apply the same activity to 2 badges. However, I feel that a true Journey includes earning badges so I do apply an activity done towards a badge to the Journey as well because we do far more than those 5 to finish a Journey. Below are the awards the activities above could be applied to depending on how it is done.

DAISY
Friendly and Helpful Peta
Considerate and Caring Petal
Respect Myself and Others Petal
Make the World a Better Place Petal
Count it Up Leaf
Making Choices Leaf
Three Cheers for Animals Journey

BROWNIES
First Aid
Bugs
Household Elf
Hiker
Pets
Give Back
Philanthropist
Quest Journey
Wow Journey

JUNIORS
First Aid
Gardner
Animal Habitats

CADETTES
First Aid
Trailblazing
Night Owl
Think Big
Sow What Journey
Breath Journey

SENIORS
First Aid
Truth Seeker
voice for Animals

AMBASSADORS
Public Policy
Firs Aid
Water

GIRL SCOUT WAYS BADGE

After you have been in Girl Scouts a few years, this badge could easily get a little boring to earn. While I do go over the basics first thing every year for the new girls, I try to find a way to get the more experienced girls to have fun and learn something as well. I think this is a really good badge to start the year as it is a refresher for past members and a welcome for the new ones. Many activities are things we do almost every meeting so even girls who may miss a night will make them up.

The experienced girls teach many of these activities to the younger girls. Since we are a multi-level Troop I have the advantage. If you are not, the girls can make a video to share with new leaders or posters new troops can use.

Girl Scout Handshake: This requires shaking with your LEFT hand while the right hand is raised with the Girl Scout Sign It should be used every time you hand out awards.

Girl Scout Sign: This is holding up your right hand with an open palm facing out. It is used when saying the Promise and the Law as the 3 fingers stand for the 3 parts of the Promise.

Girl Scout Quiet Sign: When you need the room to quiet down you hold it up and as girls see your hand up, they will hold up theirs and be quiet. The proper way is to use the open hand, however many learned to use the Girl Scout Sign. Ultimately whatever gets the girls to quiet down is what you use, but be aware some leaders have very strong opinions on the matter.

PROMISE INDEX CARDS

Sing Law

LAW WORD SEARCH

We always do some sort of craft to reinforce the Law to the girls. An item they can take home and use to remind them of what Girl Scouts is all about. We have done bookmarks, bracelets, necklaces, water bottles and bandannas.

Color Guard: How the flags are presented to a group.

Plan Investiture – How new girls are welcomed into Girl Scouts.

Sit-Upons: An item intended to…..well…..sit upon. There are 3 basic types. The bucket version, the newspaper version and the pocket version. You can use them at meetings or send them home with the girls. The tradition goes back decades and started with the Brownies.

Levels: As I run a multi-level Troop it is important the girls understand who is in which level and why. For the older girls, I also make sure they understand the opportunities they will have that the younger do not.

Founders Day – Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scout in March of 1912 and her birthday was on Halloween so this is a good time for the girls to learn about her and plan a party. Or they can take part in a Service Unit or Council event that does.

Friendship Circle: A traditional way to close a meeting by holding hands in a circle and singing Make New Friends.

SONGS;There are many songs that were written just for Girl Scouts but there are also many we sing simply because they are fun. We try to do at least 1 a meeting and the girls can take turns leading it. I have a large selection if they want to try something new. Of course, we also sing Make New Friends in the friendship circle.

CLEANUP All girls must help with cleanup at every meeting. This includes things that may have been a mess when we arrived. We do not have to pay for where we meet and this is how we say thank you. When the weather is nice we might even do a litter patrol outside.

The girls also begin voting on activities for the year. This leads into the financial badge, but they need to understand this is THEIR Troop and we do what THEY want to do as long as we can afford it.

Finally, we vote on positions within the Troop.

It can seem to be the same badge year after year, but I believe as long as we change how we learn those subjects and the older girls begin to teach them to the younger ones, they have fulfilled the requirements for this badge. The idea is for them to feel connected with Girls Scouts past and present in a way that if fun.