I got to lead another Daisy Scout meeting for Ava's troop. I had to throw it together last minute (the mom who was supposed to lead the meeting got the flu two days beforehand), but I think the girls enjoyed it. They earned their Orange petal from Mari the Marigold who teaches us "to be responsible for what we say and do".
I structured the meeting much like I did the last meeting that I led despite the fact that the girls were SO wound up. We've had some pretty bad weather this winter which means the kids have not been outside for recess in months. So I had to do some activities to get the wiggles out throughout the meeting. Here is what I did with the girls:
FIRST we did our Kaper Chart and recited the Girl Scout Promise. Our troop doesn't have a fancy Kaper Chart so I just wrote down the girls' names and their jobs on a dry erase board. If you want to make a Kaper Chart to use at your meetings, click here for some ideas.
SECOND, while the girls had their snacks, we talked about the petal that they'd be earning and I read the book "Being Responsible" by Mary Small.
After reading the book we did some jumping jacks and ran circles around the room. That helped (temporarily). Then we talked about what it means to be responsible. Here are some good examples you could discuss:
It is important to remember that what I say can have an impact on others.
-- If I say something nice to someone, it makes them happy
-- If I say something mean to someone, it can make them sad
-- I can make someone sad even if I say something about them to someone else.
We have a responsibility to do the things we promise and to help when we see someone that needs help.
-- If I promise to put my plate in the sink after dinner, I am responsible to do that. It helps mom and dad and it is a nice thing to do.
-- I am responsible to wear my seat belt in the car every time I get in. It is the law and it keeps me safe.
-- I can also be responsible for things no one asks me to be responsible for. I am responsible for things around me, like nature or pets or even a baby brother. I am responsible to help keep all of these things safe.
THIRD we did our craft. This is the one I made as an example:
The supplies you'll need are:
- colored paper/construction paper for the hand prints and leaves
- wood sticks (you can find these in a big pack at the craft store)
- green paint to paint the wood sticks
- Styrofoam cut into squares for the base
- green tissue paper to cover the foam base
- colored printer paper for the "I am responsible for ..." signs
- tape
- Elmer's glue
- scissors
Before the meeting, I cut out the leaves, painted the wood sticks green and wrapped the Styrofoam in green tissue paper.
I had a couple of helpers at the meeting. We traced the girls' hands and they cut out their hand prints. We helped them write their responsibilities on their hand prints and then they taped them to the wood sticks. Then we did a glue-tape combination to stick the leaves on the wood sticks. Lastly, the girls taped the "I am responsible for ..." sign to the green base and stuck their hand print flowers in the base.
FIFTH we played a game while the girls waited for their parents to pick them up. We played "Petal, Petal, Daisy!" which is just like "Duck, Duck, Goose!". The girls love that game!
