Earning Badges on Your Own

 Earning Brownie badges outside of the troop can be a fantastic and enjoyable way for young scouts to explore new interests and skills. Here's a guide on how Brownies can embark on badge-earning adventures for fun:

1. Choose a Badge of Interest:

   Encourage Brownies to explore the wide array of Brownie badges available. From outdoor activities to STEM projects, there's a badge for every interest. Let them choose something they're excited about.

2. Plan Badge Activities:

   Once a badge is selected, help Brownies plan activities related to the badge requirements. This could involve visiting local places, attending workshops, or organizing hands-on projects.

3. Connect with Local Experts:

   Reach out to local experts or professionals related to the chosen badge topic. Whether it's a scientist, artist, or community leader, having guest speakers can enhance the learning experience.

4. Explore Nature for Outdoor Badges:

   For outdoor badges, consider nature hikes, camping trips, or visits to botanical gardens. Engage Brownies in activities that connect them with the natural world while fulfilling badge requirements.

5. Creative Badge Workshops:

   Collaborate with local artists, crafters, or makers to organize creative workshops. This could include painting classes, DIY projects, or even a visit to a pottery studio for artistic badges.

6. Volunteer Opportunities:

   Look for local volunteer opportunities that align with badge requirements. This not only helps Brownies earn badges but also instills a sense of community service and empathy.

7. Cooking Adventures:

   For cooking-related badges, organize a fun cooking day where Brownies can learn and create together. Consider recipes that align with badge tasks and make it a tasty learning experience.

8. Science Experiments:

   Delve into STEM badges with engaging science experiments. Simple experiments at home or visits to science centers can make learning about STEM concepts enjoyable. Many science centers, zoos and children's museum have badge offerings that girls can do with or without their troop.

9. Virtual Badge Adventures:

   Explore virtual badge opportunities. Many organizations offer online workshops and activities that fulfill badge requirements, allowing flexibility for Brownies to earn badges at their own pace. The Eastern Missouri council often offers LIVE! Boxes for particular badges where they send boxes of supplies including a badge for girls to earn. We were able to do that a lot during COVID.

10. Retired Badges:

Sometimes we will find an interested retired badge. Some of our favorite Brownie retired badges include Painting, Pottery, Philanthropist, Cookie Counter Try It and Meet My Customers. It's easy to find the requirements and I work with my daughters to find fun activities to complete these badges.

By earning Brownie badges outside of the troop for fun, Brownies not only expand their knowledge and skills but also develop a sense of independence and curiosity. It's a chance for them to explore their passions while enjoying the rewarding journey of badge earning. Happy badging!

Pets - Brownie Badge

 Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through the links in this post, but these are all products I recommend. 

How to earn the Brownie Badge, Pets:

My original plan was to take our troop to an animal shelter, but the reality is that we have a troop of 23 girls. Luckily, we had a veterinarian's office manager come to us! One of our co-leader's neighbor volunteered her time to speak to our girls! She was AMAZING! But like all meetings, these Brownies can't sit still for long. This meeting, we implemented mini dry erase boards so the girls aren't shouting at our guest speaker. It worked well... we had some shouting but she was extremely patient!

We have a pretty large troop of Brownies ages 7-9 years. So often, for some of the requirements, I'll break the girls into groups so they can get hands on with the requirement. We meet for 1.5hrs so I also time the stations. My co-leaders will man the station with a mom volunteer if needed. I walk around, get pictures, keep time and answer questions.

1. Find out what care different pets need

Group Activity

Mrs. Laurie, our guest speaker held a discussion with the group and talked about the basic needs of a pet. Food, clean water, and exercise. The girls were able to answer her questions on their dry erase boards. She talked about how our pets need to come to the veterinarian when they are sick and for check ups. She talked about the importance of their checkups and how they need medicine to prevent heartworms. She even had test tube examples of heartworms and tapeworms to show the girls! This was a hit!

2. Keep a pet comfy

Station 1

This was a Station for us. We made 3 large no sew blankets to donate to an animal shelter. The girls have small hands and tying knots is not easy. Keep that in mind when deciding on the quantities. Also, prep this in advance. The blanket does not come pre-cut but luckily the parents stick around and brought fabric scissors.

3. Help a pet stay healthy and safe  & 4. Make a pet feel loved

Station 2

We did these requirements together. Mrs. Laurie brought her therapy dog and cat. The girls got to pet both animals and answer trivia questions from Mrs. Laurie's talk about how to keep pets healthy and safe.

The therapy dog was a wonderful way to promote well-being, empathy, and responsible pet ownership. We set clear ground rules for the interaction with the therapy dogs and emphasized the importance of gentle behavior, no sudden movements, and not feeding the dogs without permission. We had to define specific areas where the therapy dogs and Girl Scouts can interact. This helps manage the interaction and allows for controlled and supervised encounters.

They learned more about the therapy dog and how they help people.

5. Feed a pet

Station 3:

We home made dog treats with a treat maker. Each girl got to use a real knife, a cutting board, measuring cup. The treats were UGLY, but my dog ate them. We have nut allergies in our troop, so we made a chicken and rice dog treat.

The girls got to chop a rotisserie chicken into tiny pieces. Supervision is a must here!

Our volunteers focused on knife safety here. It was the first time many of these girls had used knives. I think we will make sure we use knives again when we do the Snacks Brownie Badge.

Chicken and Oat Dog Treats

Ingredients:

- 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken (unsalted)

- 1 cup rolled oats

- 1/4 cup chicken broth (low-sodium)

- 1 egg

- Water (as needed)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the Treat Maker:   Preheat your dog treat maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Prepare the Ingredients:   In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, rolled oats, chicken broth, and egg. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.

3. Adjust Consistency:  If the dough seems too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time until it forms a firm and workable dough.

4. Load the Treat Maker:   Load the prepared dough into the treat maker. Follow the specific instructions for your treat maker model.

5. Bake the Treats:   Close the treat maker and bake the treats according to the manufacturer's guidelines. Typically, it takes around 5-10 minutes, or until the treats are cooked through.

6. Cool and Serve:   Allow the treats to cool completely before serving them to your dog. The treats should have a firm texture once cooled.

7. Store in an Airtight Container:   Store the treats in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. If you want to keep them longer, refrigerate or freeze the treats.

Supply List

No Sew Blanket

Dog Treat Maker

Mini Dry Erase Boards

Badge Placement - Handheld Heat Press

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through the links in this post, but these are all products I recommend.

Using a handheld heat press to attach patches and badges to a Girl Scout vest, sash, or smock adds a modern and convenient twist to the traditional sewing method. Plus, I can't sew.

1. Prepare the Surface:

   Ensure the fabric is clean and smooth. Lay out your vest, sash, or smock on a flat, heat-resistant surface.

2. Position the Patches:

   Arrange your patches and badges as desired. Once satisfied with the layout, make sure they are securely in place.

3. Set the Heat Press:

   Heat your handheld press to the recommended temperature for the patches. Consult the instructions provided with the patches or the heat press.

4. Apply Pressure:

   Carefully place the heated press over each patch, applying firm and even pressure. Hold it in place for the recommended time, allowing the adhesive on the back of the patches to bond with the fabric.

5. Cool Down:

   Allow the fabric and patches to cool completely before handling. This ensures a strong and durable bond.

6. Check Adhesion:

   Once cooled, gently tug on the edges of the patches to ensure they are securely attached. If any patches seem loose, repeat the heating process.

7. Enjoy the Finished Look:

   Admire your Girl Scout vest, sash, or smock adorned with perfectly attached patches and badges.

Using a handheld heat press provides a quick and efficient way to showcase accomplishments while maintaining a polished appearance. It's a fantastic alternative for those who prefer a no-sew solution or want to expedite the patching process. This of course isn't fool proof, but easy for the multiple vests I take care of. Some experienced leaders will only sew and hopefully as my girls age, someone can teach us ALL how to sew. Until then, I'm looking for simplicity!

World Thinking Day SWAPS - Jamaican Flags

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through the links in this post, but these are all products I recommend.

Our troop will attend a district World Thinking Day event and we will represent Jamaica. World Thinking Day is a special day celebrated by Brownie Girl Scouts worldwide. It’s a time when Brownies come together to think about and appreciate the global sisterhood of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides. Activities often include learning about different cultures, exchanging greetings with other troops around the world, and engaging in projects that promote understanding and friendship on an international scale. I am excited to learn more about this country with the girls! As we start to prepare one thing we are bringing to the event is Jamaican flag SWAPS.

In the Girl Scout world, a SWAP (Special Whatchamacallit Affectionately Pinned Somewhere) is a small, handmade craft or trinket exchanged between scouts as a token of friendship. These personalized creations often reflect the interests or personality of the scout making them, adding a fun and meaningful element to scouting events.

We are doing Shrinky Dink flags and with our Easy Bake Oven! Like many moms, you may have an unused Easy Bake Oven in your home like we did. I was about to sell ours until now. We meet in a school so no access to an actual oven, but we will be able to make all 100 Shrinky Dinks in real time!

A Shrinky Dink is a type of craft material that, when heated, shrinks to a smaller, thicker version of its original size. It’s often used for creating small, durable designs or charms for various DIY projects. Your finished Shrinky Dink will shrink to 1/3 of its original size and become 9 times thicker, rigid, while retaining it's color.

The Jamaican flag is a vibrant symbol with meaningful colors. The green represents the lush vegetation of the island, while the gold stands for the sunny and warm climate. The black represents the strength and resilience of the Jamaican people. Together, these colors create a flag that proudly represents the natural beauty and spirit of Jamaica.

These are the ones my daughters finished. They look like Brownies made them and I love them so much.

Instructions

1. Color the Shrinky Dink plastic on the smooth side with permanent marker.
2. Punch a hole in the colored Shrinky Dink.
3. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Bake your Shrinky Dink for 1-2 minutes on 165°.
5. Allow to cool and attach your safety pin.

Tip: Give your Shrinky Dinks space in between so they don't meld together.

Supplies

Shrinky Dink Paper - this paper is 3"x2" and it's perfect size for a SWAP flag

Permanent Markers

Easy Bake Oven (optional)

Parchment Paper

Safety Pins

Philathropist Brownie Badge - Retired

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through the links in this post, but these are all products I recommend. 

This is a retired badge, but an important one to me. Since it's retired, you'll have to search! I managed to find 23 from the Girl Scout Greater Alaska council. You may also be able to find some on ebay, google or Facebook groups.

For this badge, I contacted a local food panty and homeless shelter, Loaves and Fishes for St. Louis to come out and speak to our girls. Our guest speaker was a Girl Scout dad, so he was incredibly patient with our girls who blurted out answers in excitement.  

If your girls have a service project, this is a good badge to consider.

Learn what every person needs
We had a discussion with our guest speaker. He described the shelter and the girl discussed what needs vs. wants. Since it's a shelter - our girls had lots of questions. The organization also offers people free clothing (from donations) and has a food pantry. The girls took turns giving suggestions on how we can help those in need.
Investigate how to help people who are hungry

Our guest speaker was a former police officer, so part of his current job is to canvas areas where the unhoused may be to see if they want shelter or need any food. He explained this to the girls and discussed the best type of food donations for the unhoused is pop top canned food like ravioli. We took a trip to WalMart on a different day and the girls picked out pop top canned food such as meat, tuna, chili, and pastas.

Find out how to help people who need clothes

We held this meeting at the end of fall so it was preparing to be cold in Missouri. The girls shouted out what people need in the cold - and Mr. Tom, our guest speaker confirmed the need for coats, socks, gloves, and hats for the unhoused. At Walmart, we purchased these items and some hand warmers.

Know how to help in times of emergency

As Brownies, our girls are 7, 8, and 9 years old. They can't make a huge impact now, but understanding that others are in need was our main focus. As a group, we discussed what it feel like outside and how others would feel if they were outside without a coat, hat or gloves. Each girl was excited to bring in thier donation and present it to the organization. Mr. Tom said we had the largest donation from a Girl Scout troop --- they needed a box truck!

Think ----and act! ---like a philanthropist

Our plan was 3 fold - go to the store with a portion of our Treats and Reads funds, collect gently used clothing from our own home, and ask friends and family for donations. We collected over 1600 items!

Our Troop's Plan:

We took 1/2 of our Treats and Reads money - roughly $400 for a service project

Take a trip to WalMart for a tour & shopping

We divided in 3 groups to buy diapers, pop top canned food, gloves and socks

Host a Clothing Drive focusing on coats, hats, gloves.

We collected over 1600 items!

Supply List

Philanthropist Badge - they are available online here

Dry Erase Board

Thank you Gift
Trash bags

My Best Self - Brownie Badge

 Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through the links in this post, but these are all products I recommend. 

Our meeting was fun filled, with stations, group activities and movement. Our troop has 23 girls, so there's no way we can every stay in one spot for too long. For this badge, I mixed and matched the requirements so I'll detail it a bit differently but also identify which requirement it goes to.

1. Get to know your body
2. Eat and Play in a healthy way
3. Find out how your body works
4. Know what to do if something bugs you
5. Meet a health helper

All About Me Game (#1, #2)

This is an interactive game with lots of movement.

Start with all the girls in one place - we have meetings in our elementary school's small gym and they stood in the middle.

I explained that we are all different, but there are things that we have alike. They needed to have their listening ears on to participate. 

With 4 adults in each corner of the gym and the girls in the middle, the adults took turn reading statements of characteristics they may identify with along with a fun way to get to that corner.

Example:

• If you have curly hair, crab walk to me.
• If you have red hair, skip to me.
• If you have had your tonsils or adenoids removed, crawl to me.
• More

Then we broke the girls into 3 groups to rotate stations.

Station 1 - Tasting new healthy Foods (#2)

They tasted starfruit, pomegranate, colored carrots, mango, sweet peppers, and squash. The voted with thumbs up or down. Parents were quite surprised their picky eaters tried different foods. Pomegranate was the most favorite and Squash was the least favorite.

Tip: these fruits and vegetables were pre-cut in gallon bags. The volunteer here had gloves and paper plates to serve the food. 

Station 3 - Journals (#4)

Each girl brought in a picture we could use to decorate a journal. At this station they decorated their journals with their photo and adhesive gems. The adult volunteer here talked to them about journaling and about who they could talk to if something bothered them. 

Station 3 - My Body Vitals (#1, #3)

At this station, the girls measured their heart rate, temperature, and oxygen level. Our Mom- RN helped to man this station, but anyone could have. Each girl learned how to take their temperature with a forehead thermometer, listened to their hearts, and measured their oxygen levels with a finger oximeter at baseline then after 100 jumping jacks.

 Group - Meet a Health Helper (#1, #3, #5)

One of our moms is a registered nurse and agreed to talk to the girls. I asked the parents in advance if they were comfortable about talking about menstrual cycles and no one objected. I assured parents that I would stay away from any reproductive talk as these girls are 7, 8 and 9.

Each girl got a copy of the book, The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls. This book is amazing! We have some ripe girls, so I wanted to touch on body odor as well. Our nurse started at the beginning and told the girl what page to turn to and they had a mini discussion on how their bodies will change. The conversation went from armpit and leg hair to tampons (some girls have older sisters). We had a very natural talk and sent the girls home with a personal copy of the book to talk to their families if they had more questions.

Supply List

The Care and Keeping of Your: The Body Book for Younger Girls

Journals

Adhesive Gems

Oximeter

Forehead Thermometer

Kid Size Stethoscopes

Variety of Fruits and Vegetables

Paper Plates

Zip Lock Gallon Bags

Poster Board

Markers

Have you earned this badge yet? What fun activities did you do?

Opting out of 2024 Girl Scout Cookie Rewards?

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through the links in this post, but these are all products I recommend. 

Have you seen the 2024 Cookie Mascot? Axolotl is a cute little amphibian! It's native habitat is Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City!

Did you know you can opt out of cookie rewards? Or even reward your Girl Scout or troop with other cute items!

This is council dependent, but if your troop unanimously votes to opt out of rewards, they can earn more money per cookie box - Junior level and above.

Never fear, you can still reward the girls with something relevant to the Mascot with some of these fun Axolotl Rewards.

Axolotl Earrings

Axolotl Necklace

13" Axolotl Plush

Axolotl Diary

Axolotl Blanket

Axolotl Wearable Blanket

Axolotl Makeup Bag

Axolotl Stickers

Axolotl Tote

6 Piece Small Plush Axolotl Toys

Mini Axolotls Bundle

Axolotl Onsie Sleeper

Axolotl Glow in the Dark Blanket

Axolotl Lunch Bag

Axolotl Beach Towel

Axolotl Keychains

Does your council allow troops to opt out of rewards? Comment below if you are opting out this year!

Household Elf - Brownie Badge Homework

                         

Do you offer your Brownies homework? Household Elf and My Great Day  are perfect ways to start!

I created a PDF so I could print it out as well as email it to parents of the badge requirements. I explained that it was completely optional and they had one month to complete it. But there was a due date so if they wanted a troop purchased badge, the tasks needed to be completed by the due date.

*Please complete at least 1 task per number (5 total tasks)

Brownies will earn their badge by learning how to make their home clean and green.

1. Save Energy

•      Find out about three ways to use less energy, then plan with your family to be more efficient energy users. Being efficient means you’re careful to use only what you really need. 
• Clean the lint filter after every dryer load
• Wash with cold water instead of using energy to heat water.
• Replace five regular lightbulbs with energy-saving ones, ,
• Be "in charge" of making sure the lights are turned off when a room is empty.
• Look for "vampire energy eaters", aka, things that are plugged in when not in use. Ask an adult to unplug it for you.

2. Save Water

• Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth. 
• Make a sign to put next to the sink to remind your family to do the same.
• Take a shower instead of a bath for a week
• Take timed or shorter showers for a week

3. Go Natural

• Make a natural cleaner 
• Mix 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water in a spray bottle
• Clean all mirrors and glass top tables in your home
• Bonus: Clean the windows too

4. Reuse or recycle

• Collect 20 leftover plastic bags and take them back to a store that recycles them
• Use resources wisely and create a new, useful item out of leftover plastic bags
• Help pack your lunch in reusable storage containers instead of plastic baggies
• Gather clothing that is no longer worn and save it for donation  - Used the donations for our Philanthropist Badge

5. Clean the air

• Plants filter the air naturally. Put a plant in your favorite room. For two weeks, notice if you can tell a difference in the air. Share your observations with an adult. 
• For more fun: try growing the plant form a seed or decorate the plant pot – or both!

Printable Household Elf Homework

How to earn 10 Brownie Badges in a Semester

What a fun semester we had! Our troop has 19 first year Brownies and 4 second year Brownies. This is my first year as troop leader and we were busy! I am fortunate to have 3 co-leaders with me always ready to jump in and I appreciate them!

This semester Brownies had the opportunity to earn 10 badges, attend a camp in at our children's museum, attend some fun activities and more!

Here is a list of what we accomplished the first semester:

Official Badges

GS Way 

Home Scientist

My Great Day***

Pets

Designing Robots

Bump in the Night

Household Elf***

My Best Self

Philanthropist

My Own Budget

We earned these official badges during our hour and a half meetings. It is my personal preference to earn 1 badge per meeting to avoid having to keep track of who completed which step. 

Fun Patches

Ice Cream Social* 

Roller Skating*

Magic House Camp In*

Halloween Fun Patch***

Grocery Store Tour*

Thanksgiving Fun Patch***

Ice Skating**

Caroling**

Winter Break Fun Patch***

Pottery Painting Party*

*Troop Field Trip Activity

**Service Unit Activity

***Homework - optional fun

Let me know if you have any questions!

My Great Day Brownie Badge - Homework

Do you offer your Brownies homework? This was a perfect opportunity to do so!

I created a PDF so I could print it out as well as email it to parents of the badge requirements. I explained that it was completely optional and they had one month to complete it. But there was a due date so if they wanted a troop purchased badge, the tasks needed to be completed by the due date.

*Please complete at least 1 task per number (5 total tasks)

1. Start your day right 

❏ Set a morning alarm 

❏ Get up and dressed/teeth brushed 

❏ Bonus Point - make your bed :) 

2. Sort out your stuff 

❏ Gather all your home school supplies 

❏ Agree with your parents on a place to store them. 

Some ideas: ● Shelf ● Bin ● Backpack ● Desk 

3. Make homework a breeze 

❏ Write a schedule for your day- when will you work on school works 

❏ Have time for meals

 ❏ Don’t forget to plan breaks 

4. Plan ahead 

❏ Make a list of three things you can do if you’re bored at home 

❏ Make a list of three things you want to do when the quarantine is over 

5. Help others get organized 

❏ Help pick-up a room in your house that ISN’T your own bedroom 

❏ Ask what ingredients are needed for supper and help get them out 

And that’s it! You’ve earned the Great Day Patch! I hope you feel like you’ve had a great day and are ready for many more great days at home.

Printable My Great Day Homework

Service Unit Activity - Brownies Caroling

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through the links in this post, but these are all products I recommend. 

 Our Girl Scout Service Unit organized nursing home caroling.

They sent out a SignUp genius to our Facebook page, limited it to 20 girls, offered 3 different Saturdays and leaders signed up from there.

We had about half of our troop sign up to go caroling at a nursing home in December. 

We brought canned food for a local food pantry as a donation.

It was super cute! They provided the songs and told us to come dressed festive. I provided our girls fun holiday headbands and they sang their little hearts out!