Girl Scouts: Get Out the Vote (New Outdoor Badges)

Girl Scouts in the 21st century has always disappointed me in the limited number of outdoor experiences compared with when I was a girl. Yes, I was blessed to have a leader who was taking us backwoods camping by seventh grade. But there simply weren't the badge options - or that visible opportunity - for girls these days, unless you had a leader who enjoyed the outdoors.

That is slowly starting to change.

Girl Scouts is adding one new badge for the Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior levels. Girls can take this short survey and help Girl Scouts of the USA choose the theme: outdoor environment, outdoor survival or outdoor recreation.

This survey runs through Nov. 30, 2014. You can vote as often as you like! The badge topic with the most votes wins!

Council's Own Badges and Patch Programs (2014)

Girl Scout Council's Own badges and patch programs offer just another way for troops to explore activities and for girls on vacation to explore where they are visiting.

Many of the Girl Scout councils have radically revamped their Council's Own patches, so an updated resource list is here.

Council's Own Badges and Patches

Alaska (Farthest North)

• Farthest North Girl Scout Council Patch
• Alaska Gold Panner
• Alaska Heritage Patch
• Arctic Survival Skills
• Do-Dad Patch
• Dog Mushing Badge
• My Family Loves Girl Scouting
• Traditional Food BadgeTraditional Foods - Try It

Central Alabama (Shop here)

• Beach Awareness (Brownie)

Central Illinois

• Council's Own - Abraham Lincoln Heritage

Central Indiana

• Our Pets Our Friends (Brownie badge)
• Renaissance
• Hoosier Home Cooking (Junior badge)
• Racing (Junior badge)

Central and Southern New Jersey

(Shop here. Instructions are in the store links under each product.)

• Lighthouse Try-It
• Ocean Discovery Badge

Central Maryland Council

(Shop here. Instructions are in the store links under each product)

• Forestry
• Racial Justice

Chesapeake Bay 

(Shop here. Instructions for the badges are in the store links under each product)

• Archery
• Roots & Shoots
• Miniatures
• Campfire
• Speaking in Sign
• Clowning Around
• Nurses Exploration
• Insects ABC

Chicago

(Shop here. Instructions for the badges are in the store links under each product)

• Dinosaurs
• Disability Awareness
• Discover Chicago
• Making Girl Scout History
• Passport to Religions
• Sisters in Scouting
• Why Tease

Connecticut

(Shop here.)

• Amistad

Eastern Oklahoma 

(Shop here. Instructions for the badges are in the store links under each product).

• Discover Oklahoma
• Oklahoma Indian Heritage

Eastern Massachusetts (Shop here. Instructions are in the store links under each product)

• JFK Museum
• Freedom Trail
• Plymouth Plantation

Greater Atlanta (Shop here. Instructions are in the store links under each product)

• Georgia on My Mind
• Go Fish
• Butterfly
• Georgia Native People

Heart of Michigan (Shop here)

• Archery
• Geocaching
• Roller Skating
• Michigan Mosaic patch

Historic Georgia (Shop here. Instructions are in the store links under each product)

• Hometown Hero
• Daisy's Neighborhood
• Recycler
• Coastal Georgia

Maine (Shop here.)

• Atlantic Salmon
• Food from the Heart
• Maine Lobster Patch
• Native American Lore
• Treasure ME! Patch Program
• valYOU! Patch
• Twilight

Montana & Wyoming

(Shop here. Instructions for the badges are in the store links under each product)

• Montana badge
• Wyoming badge
• American Sign Language
• Geocaching

Nation's Capital

(Shop here. Instructions for the badges and patches are in the store links under each product)

• Discover the Nation's Capital
• Be a Pal - Food Allergy Patch
• Be Prepared
• Sun Safety
• Gift of Trees - Cherry Blossoms

Northern Illinois

(Shop here. Instructions for the badges are in the store links under each product)

• Stitch in Time
• Best Bones
• Trail of Mystery
• Illinois Violets
• Illinois Cardinal
• Totally Teamwork
• Maple Syrup
• Martial Arts (Junior badge)
• Backyard Chicken (Junior badge)
• Shopportunity (Junior badge)
• Trailblazer

San Diego

(Shop here. Instructions for the badges  are in the store links under each product)

• Archery
• Native Americans
• World of Whales
• Old Town San Diego

Virginia Skyline

• Climate Change
• Disaster Preparedness
• High Tech Treasure Hunting
• News Reporting
• Our State
• Skiing
• Special Grandparents
• That’s Entertainment
• Water Shed &  Me
• Archaeology
• Caving
• Climate Change
• Hiking the Appalachian Trail
• Engineering
• Foreign Language
• Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Western Washington

(Shop here. Instructions are in the store links under each product)

• Explore Engineering
• Hands Across the Border
• Discover Port Townsend

Council's Own - No online ordering information available.

I did not include names of available badges and patches here, as there is no online ordering information available. You can click through these links for available resources.

• Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles
• Girl Scouts of Central Texas
• Girl Scouts of Central Florida
• Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi
• Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee
• Girl Scouts of Oregon & Southwest Washington

Monthly Patch Programs

• Girl Scouts of Central Illinois - Our Girl Scout troop has done several of the Central Illinois monthly patch programs, and I can't say enough good things about them or the customer service from that council.
• Girl Scouts of Central Texas

Did I miss one? Has a council retired the patch? Please let me know in the comments below.

Follow my Girl Scout Projects board on Pinterest.

Looking for more Girl Scout ideas? Visit my new scout leader resource site, Use Resources Wisely. 

Survivor: My week at Girl Scout Camp

Wolf spiders and little girl screams. Torrential downpour. Sunburns. Bug bites. Sleeplessness. And tears.

And that's just the adults...

But Girl Scout Camp was the best week ever.

Sure us leaders have that moment, mid-day Friday, when we look at ourselves and whisper "Three more hours." But in nearly the same breath, we're talking about the T-shirts we're making to wear next year.

A friend told me last night, after the bags were unpacked, how impressed she was that I volunteer at camp each year. But the reality is, we do it for the girls.

We have jobs. We are moms. We are the shuttle for our kids and housekeepers for our homes. But we carve out time to come up with crazy projects and suffer sunburn and downpours because the kids are worth it.

It's worth it to hear your daughter talk about will she see this girl or that girl again this year in the weeks before camp week. Some of these girls have been camp friends for three years now and are already looking forward to next year.

It's worth it to see the girls develop new friendships that may last a week, or may last years.

It's worth it to see the girls try something new and get excited about exploring creeks, pitching tents or trying out a new project.

It's worth it to hear the cheers of camp mates when a girl makes it to the top of the rockwall or is so close to passing her swimming test to go in the deep end of the pool.

It's worth it to watch the girls come up with their own impromptu skit night just because.

It's worth it to see the smile break out on the face of the shiest girl in the group because she won the all-camp contest.

And it's worth it to hear your kids say "See you next year!"

Multi-Level Girl Scout Bridging Ceremony (That's Not Campy)

Girl Scout bridging is a rite of passage, but often the rite feels more like a game than a celebration of accomplishments.

When having to coordinate our service unit's bridging ceremony, I was surprised that I couldn't easily find one that didn't involve rituals like stepping on stones or bringing pieces to a tree a la pin the tail... I wanted something that made it feel like the girls were actually celebrating an accomplishment - and have an event that families who were attending could actually feel like they 1) could see something and 2) not go away with the impression that this was a goofy affair, especially since several girls (parents?) were unsure about continuing into Juniors.

Our troop is actually based out of a church, so we held the ceremony at the parish's reception hall. This is a brief program but you certainly could add to it based on your group's traditions and needs.

Multi-Level Girl Scout Bridging Program Outline 

Welcome to Service Unit bridging ceremony.

• Pledge of allegiance
• Girl Scout Promise 
• “As each girl cross the bridge today, you will receive a candle. This symbolizes the light you carry to the world as Girl Scouts.” 
• Each leader will introduce their troop and say 2-3 things they accomplished, then name girls one by one as they cross bridge.
•  Daisies bridge – receive unlit candle; welcomed by Brownies
• Brownies bridge– receive unlit candle; welcomed by Juniors (siblings)
• Ambassadors bridge - – receive unlit candle; welcomed by adults.
• Ask girls to join us at the front of the stage. Candles are lit.
• Girls sing Make New Friends. 
• Close with leaders reading Girl Scout Prayer.

A Girl Scout's Prayer

Lord, help us to be good Girl Scouts
Ones whom the world can trust,
Help us respect our neighbor's rights
And never be unjust.

Help us as Americans
To be worthy of the flag we bear.
Then help us as real Girl Scouts
To be proud of the uniform we wear.

Help us to be clean, Dear Lord,
In thought, word, and deed
And help us to follow the law
That is in the Girl Scout creed.

Teach us to love our fellow man
And then to serve him, too
Help our actions to count, Dear Lord,
In everything we do.

Give us strength to carry on
And do our part each day,
Make a place in this world for us
And help us fill it, I pray.

Make us what we ought to be
And in Thy footsteps fall,
Help us to live for others
O great Scout Leader of us all.

(Candles blown out and collected.) Refreshments/gifts downstairs.Follow Robbie @'s board Girl Scout Projects on Pinterest.

Winter Olympics Party Ideas for Girl Scouts

Looking for more Girl Scout ideas? Visit my new scout leader resource site, Use Resources Wisely. 

The Sochi Olympics are just a few weeks away, and we're planning to celebrate it and help our Brownies kick off their Fair Play badge as well!

A Winter Olympics party has been on my must-do list for this Girl Scout year. It's a great way to take advantage of being stuck indoors.

Some of the great ideas I've found online for our Winter Olympics party next month:

Learning about Olympic Traditions

• Sochi and Winter Olympics Trivia
• Sochi Mascots
• Games Go Global Patch - World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts
• Winter Olympics Sports

Games

• Olympic Ring "Snowball Toss"



• Indoor speed skating and tabletop curling
• Olympic ring torch toss



• Tabletop ice hockey

Quick Crafts to Go

• Snowboarder



• Olympic ring bracelets
  
• Edible Olympic Torches

The challenge? Narrowing our ideas down to an hour's worth of fun!

Looking for more ideas? Check our my Winter Olympics Party Board on Pinterest.

Recycled Reindeer Ornaments

Some old bottle caps and branches from my dormant lilies should put a smile on faces this winter.

Our Brownie troop made Recycled Reindeer Ornaments to decorate a wreath for a local fundraiser recently.

Here's how we did the project - perfect for small gifts by little hands or a snowy day craft. It's quick but the girls enjoyed it.

Supplies:

Plastic bottle lids, cleaned (even if you avoid plastic, certainly a neighbor or coworker doesn't)

wiggle eyes

pom poms

glue

small twigs, branches or sticks

ribbon to adhere to back

marker if you'd like to add other accents, like a mouth

Glue the items together as below. Add ribbon loop on the back.

 Here is the finished wreath! Adorable.

This is linked back to Motivation Mondays and the More the Merrier Mondays.

Recycled denim pet toys

When November brings you tornado watches and warnings, you tuck into the bathroom and work on your Christmas gifts!

My oldest had wanted to make a gift for her "dog cousin" and a pair of well-worn jeans provided just the opportunity to do so. We had seen this great idea for a fleece rope toy from Parents magazine and had tucked the idea away in our "emergency" binder of ideas.

For a few short minutes, we had a great distraction from the day's storms.

Each side of the leg was cut lengthwise into three strips, which were knotted and braided.

We wound up with simple gifts for four of our closest four-legged friends!

Juliette Low Birthday Party for Brownies and Daisies

My purpose... to go on with my heart and soul, devoting all my energies to Girl Scouts, and heart and hand with them, we will make our lives and the lives of the future girls happy, healthy and holy.

Juliette Gordon Low

More Juliette Gordon Low quotes

Celebrating Juliette Gordon Low's birthday was the theme of our October Brownie meeting. Our girls invited the first-grade Daisy troop to celebrate with us as we worked on our Brownie Girl Scout Way badge and started working on bridging requirements. As with all birthdays, we celebrated with songs, games, candles, cupcakes and cards.

Today, I thought I'd share with leaders ideas on how to celebrate Juliette Low's birthday with younger girls and impart a sense of history for them.

Game on: Celebrate Juliette Low’s Birthday

The girls loved this little story, and it was a great way to introduce a story about a real person who lived long ago. I don't remember the original source, but I do remember this from when I was a child.

Steps:

1. Divide the girls into eight groups. Each group will represent one of the people, places or groups listed below. When they hear the name of their assigned person, place or group, they should stand up and make their sound and action.

Little girls Giggle with hand over mouth

Juliette Low Curtsy and say, “Be my friend.”

Georgia Wave and say, “Hi, y’all!”

Horses Stamp your feet and say, “Neighhhhhh!”

Lord Baden-Powell Bow formally and say, “How d’ya do?”

London Sing “London Bridge is Falling Down.”

Boy Scouts Make Boy Scout sign (same as the Girl Scout sign) and say “Be Prepared.”

Girl Scouts Make the Girl Scout sign and say, “On My Honor.”

2. Read the story below to the girls.

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Juliette Low who lived in Georgia and loved

to ride horses. After she grew up, she went to London where she met Lord Baden-Powell, who

founded the Boy Scouts. She was fascinated by the work he was doing. She studied with him for a while and decided to found a troop of Girl Scouts for the little girls who liked to ride horses in

Georgia. So, Juliette Low said goodbye to the Boy Scouts in London and came home with the ideas that Lord Baden-Powell gave her. She formed a group of little girls who liked to ride horses and be together into a troop of Girl Scouts. The girls loved it so much that the idea spread and now there are Girl Scout troops all over the world. Aren't we glad that a little girl named Juliette Low, from Georgia, who liked horses went to London and met Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, and came to start the wonderful world of Girl Scouts?

Cards
Juliette Low believed not only that girls could do anything boys could do but also in learning and serving others. Our girls took a moment to celebrate her day by creating birthday cards for children at the Holy Name Shelter in Indianapolis.

Candles and Cupcakes

I know what you may be thinking: first-graders, fire and sugar? Potentially a bad combination. But the girls loved the idea of doing something like the older girls do and loved the candle lighting ceremony. (Needless to say cupcakes were the last thing to do!)

Juliette Gordon Low Candle Ceremony

Materials Needed:

• Candle (1 per girl)

• Matches/lighter

• Bucket with water in it

Steps:

1. Have girls stand in a circle and give each girl one unlit candle. Explain you are doing a special Girl Scout ceremony. Ask girls to be respectful and quiet.

2. Have the narrator read the introduction below.

Long ago a special ceremony was formed. Juliette Low wanted the girls of her original troop

to carry a special spark with them as their Girl Scout group broke up. Some from the girls were

moving away, some working to help their families and some wanted to help a group of girls a

little younger than themselves. Whatever their reasons, Juliette knew no other group would

ever quite be the same. As the girls stood in a circle holding candles they had made, Juliette

knew what spark it was that she wanted to pass on. She lit her candle and spoke.

3. Have the adult reading Juliette Low’s part read the passage below.

With this candle I, Juliette Low, give you each something very special to pass on. As I light the

candle on my right I ask each of you to light the candle to your right and pass it on. I want you

to carry this thought with you wherever you go. This is the ETERNAL FLAME of Girl Scouts.

4. Light the candles, starting with the adult reading the Juliette Low part and going around the circle to the right.

5. Have the adult reading Juliette Low’s part read the passage below.

Now that we all have the ETERNAL FLAME, let’s say the Girl Scout Promise. Then we will think

about and share our favorite memories from our time together in Girl Scouts.

6. Recite the Girl Scout Promise and give girls time to share their favorite memories.

7. Have the adult reading Juliette Low’s part read the passage below.

I will hold my candle up and as I do, you will all raise yours and we will blow them out together.

Leaders: What ways have you celebrated Juliette Low's birthday or the history of Girl Scouts? What worked well and didn't?

Looking for more Girl Scout ideas? Visit my new scout leader resource site, Use Resources Wisely. 

Bug Day: Earning the Brownie Bugs Badge

Girl Scout camp is a natural place for your Brownies to earn their Bugs badge. Last week at day camp, we celebrated mid-week with "Bug Day" in our unit.

We started our day with a Bug Hike. Each girl had a small container for a bug box and magnifying glass for collecting bugs along the way. "Bugs" wound up being loosely defined. We wound up with a vast collection of everything from mosquitoes and ants to spiders and slugs. But the girls loved exploring what's down below and slowing down for a bit. They truly didn't want to end their hike!

The girls also took time to observe and learn about the bugs they collected. I found this great bug observation worksheet on Pinterest. Even the girls who admitted at the beginning of the day that bugs freaked them out loved studying their insects and other creatures!

We also did a couple of bug-related crafts. A very quick one to do is the coffee-filter butterfly, which I think is a Girl Scout camp standard. The girls decorate their coffee filters with markers, then get the filters wet to spread the colors. When the coffee filters are dry, they use a pipe cleaner to create the body and the antennae.

We also gave each girl a small container of clay to make their own bug creations. They were allowed to use any crafts supplies or found items, including rocks, leaves and sticks, to make their insects. I was impressed with some of their creative interpretations - from bugs sitting on sticks to carving designs of snail shells to entire scenes!

Rounding out our bug badge day were a discussion about what we know and want to learn about bugs, creation of a team bugs poster that hung in our unit house all week and learning the "Wings of a Butterfly" song for our camp skit.

If I had the wings of a butterfly

If I had the wings of a butterfly (butterfly). 

Up to the hills I would fly. (I'd fly)

There I would remain as a butterfly. 
There to remain till I die.

Chorus! (pronounced ch-or-us) 

Oo la, Oo la, Oo la, Oo la. Repeat.

Oo la, Oo la, Oo la, Oo la. Once More.

Oo la, Oo la la la, Oo la. Last Time.

Oo la, Oo la la la, Oo la la.

Second verse....

(Replace butterfly with skeeter, airplane, dragon fly, fairy, chicken, etc., ending last verse with "If I had the wings of a Girl Scout.)

Follow Robbie @'s board Girl Scout Projects on Pinterest.

Looking for more Girl Scout ideas? Visit my new scout leader resource site, Use Resources Wisely. 

Preparing our children for emergencies

There are few things worse than the feelings of helplessness - when your security has been taken from you.

Being a survivor of more than one close calls with a tornado - including one that hit my office - this Kansas girl has gone from spectator to safety nut. And being a parent makes preparation even more important.

But one thing I've noticed in my seven years of parenting is that kids need to feel that they can control what can't be controlled as well. I remember all too well as a child bringing every blanket, pillow and toy I owned to our basement twice a week in tornado season. My kids are showing that same need to prepare and take ownership.

And yes, even little ones can learn how to prepare for emergencies.

Just as tornado season was starting to kick up, our Brownie troop spent an evening talking about emergency preparedness: everything from what to do when you heard thunder (a considerable worry for many of the girls, who dived under the cafeteria tables as a response) to how you hear about weather - from the internet to TV to sirens to the weather radio. And key among this was the importance of learning information as close to first hand as possible - as the message gets diluted as it is passed along.

The great thing is the girls learned at an early age about basic weather safety - an essential thing. When last spring's devastating tornado in Henryville was still fresh on their minds, the girls took safety tips to heart.

The girls also practiced their emergency reporting skills, made a tornado, and even did a relay on "decontamination" - strange you may think, until you realize that last summer a local pool was evacuated due to a chemical spill. We also sent home activity books on emergency planning and building an emergency kit home with the girls to share with their families.

Yes, you can let kids know it's OK to be scared in a weather emergency. But it's just as important to teach them that they do have some control too.

Natural Air Freshener for our Brownie Household Elf

The Brownie Household Elf badge requires the girls to learn about ways to naturally freshen the air, whether it's to grow and care for an indoor plant or creating a natural air freshener.

Unfortunately, the book gives an example that requires boiling liquids - not something you want to do with 16 excited girls!

We found some great ideas on Pinterest, though. One was particularly easy and got rave reviews from the girls and parents alike. ("We needed it last night," one mom said!)

Natural Air Freshener

1 oz Amber Boston Round Glass Bottle with Fine Mist sprayer

water

doTERRA Wild Orange essential oil

Fill bottle with water until it begins to curve at the top. Add five drops essential oil. Cap and shake.

We designed Avery labels that the girls could label their bottles too. I'll post the template soon!

Follow Robbie @'s board Girl Scout Projects on Pinterest.

Looking for more Girl Scout ideas? Visit my new scout leader resource site, Use Resources Wisely. 

Edible Fire Safety Tutorial for Kids and Scouts

With the recent drought and wildfires in this country, teaching kids fire safety is even more important than ever. 

I loved this lesson we had during Girl Scout camp, which taught the girls how to safely start and put out a campfire for cooking.

Edible fire safety lesson for Scouts

What you'll need:

• mini marshmallows and/or cheerios
• pretzels
• potato sticks
• red hots, hot tamales or other candy
• candy corn
• cups
• plates

Directions:

1. Pull back your hair.
2. Create a safety circle outside your "fire circle." (Make sure the area is clear around your plate.)
3. Fill a "water bucket" (a cup) and keep nearby.
4. Make your fire circle ring with cheerios or mini marshmallows.
5. Create an A-frame of "logs" with your pretzels.
6. Make a teepee of "tinder" (potato sticks).
7. Light with a match (red hots or hot tamales).
8. Add your "kindling" (short pretzels or Chinese noodles).
9. Candy corn will show it's burning brighter. (optional)

The girls loved this activity, and we were sure to plan an active activity soon after!

Follow Robbie @'s board Girl Scout Camp on Pinterest.

Quick homemade ice cream

Hand-cranked ice cream made by my mother-in-law is one of my favorite memories of summer. But, being a diabetic and aiming to reduce clutter in my home, I don't have the desire to buy and store an ice cream maker for the occasional summer treat for my kids.

Instead, I stumbled on a simple recipe for homemade ice cream that's portion-controlled and quick to make! The kids loved the process, and in 10 minutes - just a few quick songs on our playlist - they had a cool treat on a hot summer day.

Easy vanilla ice cream
1/2 c. half and half or whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. sugar
Put in a small plastic bag and seal.

In a gallon bag, add 6 tbsp. ice cream salt or kosher salt, then fill halfway with ice. Add the small baggie; seal the large bag. Shake 10 minutes for a soft-serve consistency.

Recycled Swap Ideas for Girl Scout Events

Swaps - "Special whatchamacllits affectionately pinned somewhere" - are a strange Girl Scout tradition that somehow I managed to avoid during my childhood stint.

But following one spring activity when my daughter learned about these, she was determined not to go to the next event empty-handed.

I struggle with the idea of swaps. I don't like clutter, and I don't like spending money to create more clutter for others. So I tried to find ideas for recycled swap ideas online to no avail.

My answer came in an unusual place: Our school's Girl Scout closet. When looking in there for supplies for another activity one day, I stumbled across a bag of cast-aside patches. Most were dated and could never be used. They became the fodder for several swaps!

On this patch, I used leftover flower brads to cover the date. I then attached the safety pin on the back.

With this old 100 cookie boxes sold patch, I added a brad with a Girl Scout trefoil sticker on it, then adhered a safety pin on the back. Perfect since it was for the 100th anniversary celebration!

This is the only swap that didn't use "recycled" supplies per se, but I figure old leftover scrapbooking supplies are just as good! We attached random metallic letters and numbers ("GS," "BGS," "100," etc.) to safety pins and then tied it with that feathery string that was the rage in scrapbooking more years ago than I care to admit.

This was from a 2006 Daisy Scouting event. We trimmed off the background and date information and attached the pin on the back. Interestingly, this was one of the favorites at the 100th anniversary event!

With a little creativity and some leftover supplies or castoffs, who knows what you can create!

Sit-upon sewing tutorial

Sit-upons - the name says it all: Something to sit upon to keep yourself clean and dry (and hopefully itch-free) when sitting on the ground. 

I remember my mom making these for camp when I was a Scout. That sit-upon lasted through several summers of camping, storms and mud pits, and I finally tossed it when my volunteering at camp days were over.

Flash forward two decades, and my daughter got her camp letter. Sit-upon topped the list. Of course, now it was cushioned with the "You can use a stadium cushion" line. Which we don't have in our home. 

Granted, I was tempted by the on-sale Jayhawk stadium seat cushions that were selling for $5 each. Really tempted. But knowing I was buying not only for my daughter but my son and I, that's a lot to store over the next few summers. Especially if we didn't know if we'd ever require multiple ones again - and that I knew these were easy to make.

How easy? A Brownie could do it. Seriously.

My old Brownie Girl Scout book has directions on how to do it. And supplies cost me a mere $3 for cording at Joann's.

Here's how:

Spread out an old vinyl or plastic tablecloth or shower curtain, folded in half, and lay several layers of newspaper on top. Trim to fit to a preferred size. (You know what you need!)

By hand or machine, stitch the sides together. Include a piece of cord on two corners so you can easily tie around the waist. (Great for campers who are hiking a lot!)

A few minutes of work later, and you're set. I made three sit-upons in roughly an hour. My only delays were a cranky sewing machine!

While sit-upons are great for camping, I've found since making them that they are fabulous to use when you're weeding or gardening and you prefer to sit down rather than kneel.

Not your mama's Gardening badge

I realize many kids don't realize that a carrot comes from anything but a plastic baggie, and that many others have never had the thrill of playing with those "helicopter" leaves. But I had to admit, for our soon to be second-grade girls, the Plants badge for Brownies was just too rudimentary. (Particularly since they did the gardening journey series in kindergarten.)

The great thing about our Girl Scout council is that they encourage adaptation of badge requirements to fit the girls' needs. So we took advantage of the idea, and tossed the whole Plants Try-It on its side. (I should note: This badge was being retired and nothing remotely was taking its place, a miss I think for the Girl Scouts!)

Instead of seed starting and plant rubbings, here's what our Brownies are doing this month:

Planting a vegetable garden for the sisters who live at our church's convent. The girls got a huge kick out of starting their seeds last year and planting the garden, which fed the nuns all summer. So much so that we're having another planting night later this month, after the risk of frost has passed.

Growing their own mushrooms. Thanks to a very kind donation of mushroom kits from Back to the Roots, the girls are growing their very own oyster mushrooms. The kits themselves are being divided into sections of 4 to 6 mini-mushroom kits.

Experimenting with seed paper. After getting a cute wildflower seed paper from the University of Kansas during a fundraising campaign last month, I contacted the alumni association about getting seed papers from envelopes with bad mailing addresses for the girls to try out. (If that fails, I'll make my own homemade seed paper to share with the girls. Making homemade paper during a Brownie meeting can be the epitome of mess!)

Making pressed flower and leaf cards. I found this great activity on education.com that we'll be sure to try!

What other great ways have you found to teach children about plants and gardening?

Mushroom fail (or success...)

Mushroom growing has been a fun adventure for my kids ever since we got a kit at Christmas.

I figured it'd be a great activity for my gardening-loving Girl Scout troop. We were blessed to receive a donation of mushroom growing kits from Back to the Roots. I started a demo one, which went like gangbusters.

Today, as I went to divide up the packages and prep the sample for next week's gardening night, I realized that the others did as well!

It is a really cool example of seeing how mushrooms develop; it's just disappointing the girls won't get to enjoy it! They're right -- truly no green thumb is required! ;-)

Back To The Roots Mushroom Kits are actually pretty affordable experiments in gardening - they retail for about $20 on Amazon.