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Girl Scouts at Home

Girl Scouts are always flexible, and up for a challenge! Below we've compiled resources to explore Girl Scouts with the help of a caregiver and without leaving the comforts of your home. 

Visit our Events Calendar for even more virtual programming opportunities categorized by Girl Scout level.

    

Earn Your Patch!

We use water every day – from watering gardens, to washing our dishes, to taking a refreshing dip in the pool! But do you know where all that water comes from?

Girl Scouts are invited to learn more about water sources in their community through the “We Keep Water Flowing” patch program brought to GSHPA by Pennsylvania American Water. Through the program, girls will learn how they can protect their local water sources and explore careers in the water industry.

Keeping it girl-led, participants will work through the program individually and choose activities that meet their interests and available resources. The program aligns with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) to achieve the following goals:

  • Discover: Seek opportunities to learn about the wide world of water.
  • Connect : Collaborate with others to expand water knowledge.
  • Take Action: Do something to help protect water sources.

After completing all necessary steps within their Girl Scout level for the program, girls can request their PA American Water patch! Patches will be mailed on a rolling basis beginning March 1, 2023.

    

STEAM at Home

  

Badges/Awards

Resources for At-Home Badgework (GSHPA)
GSUSA Resources

Girl Scouts At Home Activity Packet (English)

Girl Scouts at Home Activity Packet (Spanish)

GSUSA's Girl Scouts At Home Activities website page - Take a look at Girl Scouts of the USA website page for lots of ideas for at home activities. 

GSUSA's Virtual Events Calendar - Log on, tune in, take part! This GSUSA calendar is home to resources that allow girls to participate online & in real time.

Badge/Award Explorer - View a brief description of badge requirements for all grade levels and categories.

Suffrage Centennial Patch - Before the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, they struggled to achieve the rights of full citizenship. Discover the history of women’s voting rights and civic engagement through the Girl Scout Suffrage Centennial patch.

Resilient. Ready. Strong - Scientists have found that certain activities may lift your mood, calm you when you’re stressed, and help you face challenges—and your girl can do many of these activities as a part of the NEW Girl Scouts’ Resilient. Ready. Strong. patch program.

Awards You Can Earn at Home

Cookie Entrepreneur Family Pin
It’s never been easier to support your girl as she develops business skills, makes amazing memories, and earns a different pin for her uniform every cookie season. The simple, age-specific guidelines have been tailored for her developing skill set, making success a snap.

World Thinking Day Award
Backed by 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in locations worldwide, World Thinking Day celebrates the diversity, equity, and inclusion reflected in our global movement. Girls can earn this award at anytime throughout the year, not just around World Thinking Day!

Global Action Award
Girl Scouts’ Global Action award calls for girls to address the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, or SDGs for short, by discovering, connecting, and taking action in their communities and beyond. In 2020, girls will explore SDG 5 (Gender Equality) to earn their Global Action award.

My Promise, My Faith
The Girl Scouts My Promise, My Faith pin invites girls in grades K-12 to experience a faith journey through exploration of the Girl Scout Law and teachings from their faith. Girls can earn this national pin each year.

    

Outdoor Experience

GSHPA Outdoor At-Home Activities

 

Girl Scouts can still utilized the 2022 Outdoor Challenge to find opportunities outdoors! The 2023 Outdoor Challenge will be available in May 2023!

Build-A-Camp - Get creative and build your very own camp at home!          

Soundscape Scavenger Hunt - A soundscape is the acoustic environment as perceived by humans. In this activity, you will explore your backyard for a variety of sounds! Daisy: Outdoor Art Maker - Step 2 & Brownie: Senses - Step 2

Bug Bingo – Discover the wonder and joys of nature through bugs! Brownie: Bugs Badge – Step 3.  

Leave No Trace Principles - Learn the 7 Leave No Trace principles. 

Virtual Constellation Discovery Series - Learn about the stars, constellations, and the stories written in the night sky with Sarah, our Outdoor Program Coordinator, through a series of fun videos.

Introduction to Constellation Discovery

Using the Skyview Lite App

Ursa Major & Minor

Ursa Major & Minor Story

         Stargazing Scavenger Hunt

Orion Story

         Orion Handout

The Moon Cycle

         Moon Cycle Tracker           

Draco Story

         Draco Handout        

The Planets 

         Guess My Age Handout

         Model of Our Solar System Handout             

 Cygnus Video

          Cygnus Handout   

Capricorn

         Capricorn Handout

         Zodiac Challenge Sheet          

Gemini

        Gemini Handout

Backpacking Skills Videos - Learn the basics of backpacking and then learn more about GSHPA’s backpacking program here!

   How To Set Up A Tent

   What To Wear Backpacking    

   What To Pack

   Dispose of Waste Properly

   Campsite Selection

   Camp Stoves

Girl Scout Camp At-Home Activities
Other Outdoor Activity Resources

Let’s celebrate our shared love of the outdoors! Every year, Girl Scouts explore the natural wonders found across our country during the Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend. Girl Scouts nationwide, along with their troops, friends, and families, celebrate our shared love of the outdoors.

Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend date is TBD. 

 

    

Just for Fun Activities

GSHPA Activities and Fun Patch Programs

Abstract Self Portrait - Time to let your inner artist shine and create a fun, abstract self portrait! 

Bubble-ology - Become a bubble scientist! Make your own bubble solution, engineer your own bubble wands, and put them to the test!

Coding Bracelets - How do robots communicate? They communicate through code! Learn all about coding while creating a bracelet. 

Cookie Archaeology - Dig into the world of archaeology! You will be able to simulate the process of an archaeological excavation as you “excavate” the chocolate chips or raisins out of your cookies.

Cookie Color Wheel - You won't have to search for the end of the rainbow to find the gold in this activity! Come along as we problem solve to mix our very own colors and create a cookie color wheel!

Draw A Scientist - When you hear the word “scientist,” what comes to mind? This activity will help you experience explaining your ideas about what a scientist is and what they do.

Family Art Activities an d Cha llenges - Put those creativity skills to work! Girls will get to use their problem solving skills in these 3 family art challenges - whomever is home should play too!

LOL Activity - Discover if laughter has a positive impact on our minds, bodies, and emotions. Girls spend time doing things that make us laugh & see if afterward we feel better than we did before!

Marble Run - Engineers think up creative, useful solutions and work with other people to invent, design and build things that help us every day. Put your thinking cap on with this run marble run activity! This activity helps fulfill the following badge requirements: Daisies: Mechanical Engineering - Step 2 & Brownies: Inventor - Step 1

Move Like An Animal - In this activity we will get our blood flowing by moving our bodies just like animals!

Oil Spill - Discover how humans impact the world around them by simulating what happens to wildlife during an oil spill.

Rainbow Jar - Everything is made of molecules, including liquids. Molecules are the smallest bits of things that are still the thing. Let's explore this by creating a rainbow jar! This activity helps fulfill the following badge requirements: Brownies: Home Scientist - Step 3

Superpower Cookies - Use your creativity to imagine and design a cookie that will help make the world a better place!

Texture Hunt - Think of your favorite animal or toy. What does it feel like? Is it soft and squishy? We're going to take a closer look at the textures of things in our houses!

The 100 Drawing Journal - Are you ready for the art journal of a lifetime? In this activity, you’re going to experience a drawing journal like you never have before!

Would You Rather - Ever faced with a difficult decision? Practice making choices in a fun and silly way!

Aluminum Foil Boats - Exercise your engineering muscles while designing boats to carry the most cargo!

Brownie House - Everyone knows the story of the Brownies, or the very helpful little persons. Brownies do so many helpful things and now is our chance to help them out in return! We are going to build Brownie-sized houses!

Gratitude Scavenger Hunt - In this activity, we will review what it means to be grateful. Then, we will take or draw pictures of people and things we are grateful for! 

Line Amusement Park - Almost everyone loves amusement parks, but not the lines. In this activity, we're going to have fun handling lines at amusement parks!

Treasure Hunter - A'hoy Maties! In this activity, we will create a treasure map that guides us through wild, unpredictable island landscape to help us find the hidden treasure!

Unplugged Coding - Take a break from your screen and learn about coding in a fun, active way! 

Draw the Lines - How do we elect our political leaders in the United States? What factors determine which candidates we are able to vote for? Why are so many people unaware, confused, or downright frustrated about voting?

GSHPA Movie Nights
Girl Scout Fun Patches/Activities (Other Councils)

Girl Scouts of Western Washington The Great Cascadia Zombie Survival Challenge – COVID-19 Edition Patch Program
Girl Scouts of Western Washington envisioned this patch program helping members and their communities be prepared for a natural disaster, namely an earthquake, but little did they know how valuable the skills and information would be during the COVID-19 health crisis we are facing today. To help girls during this challenging time, they have updated their program. The Great Cascadia Zombie Survival Challenge-COVID-19 edition is being rolled out starting March 16 with the requirements for earning the center patch!

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts -  Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts continues to add virtual badge activities, programs, and resources for girls and families to engage with from home.

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio - Join them on Facebook Live for virtual programming opportunities.

Girlguiding UK - Girlguiding UK will be sharing an activity a day on their facebook page to help keep kids happy, active and entertained.

Girl Scout First Headquarters - Check out the Girl Scout First Headquarters facebook page for regular posts and videos about Girl Scout history, badge activities and challenges.

Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri - Census 2020 Patch Program
Check out this Patch opportunity from the Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri, it is designed for girls to explore what the Census is and the importance of filling it out.

Girl Scouts of Citrus - Check out the Awesome Girls live webinar covering steps 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the Brownie Coding Basics badge (with info on how to complete step 4). Even though you need a computer to watch the webinar, all of the activities are completely unplugged and shows how the coding concepts can be applied to real life activities. Register now to watch the webinar!

    

Resources for Troop Leaders/Caregivers/Community

Ideas/Tips for Virtual Meetings

Additional at Home Activities - This letter to parents and volunteers from our Volunteer Support team offers more activities for girls.

Virtual Troop Meetings Safety Activity Checkpoint

Tips and Tricks for Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings

Virtual Meetings Playbook

Virtual Meeting Safety Tips

Virtual Troop Meeting Plan Template

To purchase a Zoom license through GSHPA at this discounted rate, volunteers must read and sign the council user agreement and Zoom user agreement, then fill out the form requesting a Zoom license. Fill out and submit the forms here

Video and Audio-Conferencing Tools with free versions (While all of these options have a free version, please note you may be prompted to consider their upgraded versions for a subscription fee.)

  • Zoom - FAQ
    • Note: Meetings durations maximum of 40 minutes in free version
  • Skype - Support
    • Note: Up to 10 participants free
  • Webex – Help Center
    • Note: Limited file and content sharing in free version

Chat and Collaboration Tools with free versions

Additional low-cost tools for collaboration and conferencing to consider if the above options do not meet your group's needs.

Bridging Materials

Is your troop holding a virtual Bridging Ceremony? Below are resources to help:

Bridging at Home Guide

Troop Bridging Event Invite

GSHPA Bridging Certificate

Girl Scout Handshake Video

Bridging Avatar - How To

Ways to Continue Supporting Girl Scouts

GSHPA on Amazon Smile - When shopping for essential items, anyone can choose GSHPA as their charity of choice.

Coping with Stress

Especially now, families are handling stress on many fronts – whether financial, health-related or concern about the future. Please consider using these resources to help during this challenging time. 

• COVID 19: Managing Stress in this Anxious Time , Institute for Disaster Mental Health, State University of NY, New Paltz

• Mental Health and Coping During COVID 19 , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) Advice for the Public , World Health Organization

• Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak , Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

• Tips for talking to girls about COVID19, Raising Awesome Girls

• Supporting Your Troop When You Can’t Meet in Person , Tips for Troop Leaders

• Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with COVID 19, National Child Traumatic Stress Network

• For mental health emergencies: Call 911 or the National Institute of Mental Health’s Disaster Distress Helpline , for crisis counseling, 1 800 985 5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746

Links to Local and National Experts

Accurate and timely information from the experts. 

For Girl Scout Network Adults and Alumnae
  • Girl Scout Network Camp Fire Chats - these fun sessions bring together powerful Girl Scout alums and supporters at the top of their fields to educate and inspire people who are striving for a better world.  The virtual events showcase a wide variety of topics, from cooking to financial literacy and career advice.
Raise Her to Be a Leader

Help Your Kids Take Action Against Racism - "Whenever we see injustice, we all have a responsibility to confront it. Every day, no matter our background or our age, every single one of us has a role to play in taking on an unfair system while working to build a new one that truly works for all. Guiding our girls in learning to recognize and challenge structures and practices that fuel inequality and cause harm helps them play an active role in creating the positive change our society needs." Read the full article.