Leading a Girl Scout* troop can be a rewarding experience. When you’re a troop leader, you have the opportunity to teach girls important life-lessons, share fun times with your daughter, and you can learn new things. These are just a few of the perks that come with being a Girl Scout* leader. But how are you supposed to balance it all? Sometimes we need some last minute meeting ideas for Girl Scouts.
Like many leaders, you might have a demanding work schedule or feel consumed by other commitments. Whether you’re a current Girl Scout* leader, or just considering the idea, there are activities that you can pull together last-minute or will require little prep time. These easy meeting and learning activities will save you time and create an enriching experience for your troop.
The key to balancing a busy schedule and your Girl Scout* troop is to choose time-saving activities for meetings. Here are some activities that you can pull together last-minute and/or require little to no prep work:
Make your own journals
Journaling is a great way to teach young women and girls about the importance of feelings and self-awareness. It is also an activity that is easy to pull together last-minute. All you need is a stack of notebooks that have never been used and pens or pencils. This is the perfect opportunity to teach your scouts how to identify their feelings
Cyberbullying crossword puzzle
As younger generations are becoming more tech-savvy, it’s important to teach them about cyberbullying. It’s become much easier for kids to bully one another online. Teach your scouts how to use the internet responsibly. Once you’ve discussed the facts about cyberbullying, you can test their knowledge with this fun crossword worksheet from the Cyberbullying Research Center.
Meet with first responders
First responders such as police officers, firefighters, and medical personnel are happy to teach others essential tips on safety! Additionally, meeting with first responders will allow your scouts to explore different career options by learning from those already in the field.
Learn the basics of yoga
Yoga is a great method to de-stress and stay fit. Guide a yoga session with very basic stretches that your scouts can use at home. Additionally, you can talk about mindfulness to compliment your yoga session. This is an excellent way for you and your scouts to take a moment to pause, breathe, and engage in healthy activity. Additionally, you might inspire your scouts to teach their family and friends some of the basic yoga poses you show them.
Color for a cause
Scouts can boost their self-esteem when they help others. A great last-minute meeting activity is to have your scouts color for a cause, such as Color A Smile; an organization that distributes cheerful drawings to senior citizens, military troops, and anyone in need of a smile. No expensive materials needed. All you need to do is print the pre-made coloring pages and gather basic coloring utensils such as crayons or markers.
Help our environment
Our Environmental Patch Program® and Animal Welfare Patch Program® are abundant in resources that will help guide your scouts through activities that improve the environment and help our animal friends. No matter the age range or size of your group, we provide you with easy-to-access activities that will teach your scouts new skills and build confidence while working on a worthwhile cause.
These are just a few easy and last-minute ideas for Girl Scouts meetings and activity ideas that will help you save time while providing an enriching experience for your scouts. Interested in seeing how our program can make life a bit easier as a Girl Scout* leader? Check out our organized activities in the Youth Squad® Community Service Program.
*youthsquad.makingfriends.com and MakingFriends®.com are not affiliated with, endorsed by or a licensee of Girl Scouts of the USA.