AA Girl Scout Brownie’s Guide Girl Scout Brownie’s Guide .

Ten activities to introduce girls toplants, camp, and the outdoors.A Girl Scout Brownie’s Guideto the EnvironmentLearning to respect and take care ofthe world around us is an importantpart of the Girl Scout experience.Use this guide to introduce girls tothe wonders of the world aroundthem. It’s a great tool to use beforetaking girls on their first hike, orheading off to Girl Scout camp.Many of the activities in this bookletcan help Girl Scouts earn badgesand awards—they are listed on thetop of each page.Let’s get started!

#1 Pick the Right Gear for an Outdoor HikeThis activity fulfills step 3 of the Brownie Hiker badge.Just like you can’t play sports without the rightequipment (playing soccer without a ball wouldbe pretty tough!), you can’t hikewithout the right gear. By the end of thisactivity, you should have your hiker backpackready.Visit an outdoor store or ask an experiencedhiker what they pack for a hike.Questions to ask:Clothes: What will I need for cool days? Forwarm days? For weather unique to my area?Shoes: What kind of shoes will be best for myhike?Backpack: How do I know it fits me? Howmuch room should it have for supplies?First-Aid Kit: What should I put in it?Water: What will I carry it in? How will I keep itcool?Try It! Camp Fashion ShowMake a pile of all types of clothes and pick the best and worst ones for camping. Then show them off to yourfriends or family and see if they can tell which are the best for camping and which are the worst and why.What else might you put in your backpack to bring on your hike?2

#2 TrailmarkingThis activity fulfills step 2 of the Brownie Hiker badge.Hikers use trail signs to leave messages so another group canfind or follow them in the woods. They can be made using sticks,stones, or other available materials and should be placed wherethey can easily be seen by other hikers.Trail Signsorkeep goingthis wayIt is important when making trail signs that any wood or plantmaterials you use are “dead and down” before using them. Youwant to make certain you are not directly disturbing any visiblehabitats, or creating opportunity for excessive erosion or otherdangerous situations.When going on a hike, be sure to:go ten stepsthis waystop, goanother wayorsplit your group.half go left,half go rightdanger Go with an adult Use known trails Carry a trail map, compass, water bottles, first-aid kit, andother supplies Dismantle trail signs once you have finished using themPractice making trail signsCreate your own trail through your houseor yard for your friends and family tofollow. Remember to use materialsnaturally found in the habitat.Trying it inside? Mark your trail usingpencils, pens, the remote, a hairbrush, etc.campthis wayturn aroundand go backTrying it outside? Mark your trail bywriting in the dirt or snow, using fallentwigs, rocks, etc.Remember to put everything back whenyou are done!orwait here for next directionend of the trailI have gone home3

#3 Make it RainThis activity is part of the It’s Your Planet—Love It! Journey.Try this activity to create your very own water cycle. Have an adult help you do the experiment below.Instructions:Supplies: A drinking glass or glass jar Plate Hot water Ice cubes Index cards Pour about two inches of very hot water into theglass container. Cover the container with the plate and wait a fewminutes before you start the next step. Put the ice cubes on the plate. Wait and watch what happens.What’s happening?When the plate gets cold it causes the moisture inthe warm air that is trapped inside the container tocondense and form water droplets. So you just madeit rain!This is the same thing that happens when it rainsoutside. Warm, moist air rises and meets colder airhigh in the atmosphere. The water vapor condensesand forms droplets (precipitation or rain) that fall tothe ground.The Water CycleThe amount of water on earth is always thesame, but it is constantly moving from theoceans to the air to the land and back again.ensationCondRuin Theto wth ate erriv thba ers at fck an allin d l s oto ak nth es theeoc and lanea th dns en go.flo eswsnoff4EvaporationAs the air cools, the teeny-tinydroplets get bigger and heavierand fall to earth in the form ofrain, snow, sleet, or hail.Thesan un sd h hiea nebe ts th s ovecome e wa r thes a ter, ocvap wh eanor. ichPrecipitationThe vapor turns into a cloud,which is a group of teeny-tinywater droplets. The wind carriesthe cloud over to the land.

#4 Go on a Water in the World Scavenger HuntThis activity fulfills step 5 of the Brownie Hiker badge.A scavenger hunt is a great way to exercise your mind and your body. Gather in smallgroups and look for the items listed below. You might decide to look just inside, justoutside, or both.See if you can find all of the items from the water list! Drop of water on a leaf Birds using water to take a bath Water in another form (steam, ice, snow) People using waterWhat are they doing? Animals using waterWhat are they doing? Vegetable garden or other food source that needs water to grow Children having fun playing in water Puddle Stream, river, pond, or lake Animals that live in or around a pond or lakeWhat animals? Someone using water to stay hydrated Flowers that need water to growIf you found every item on this list, WOW! you’re good! See if you can come up with anyother water-related items to look for on your own.P.S. If you’re thirsty from running around looking for all theseWonders of Water, you should drink lots of fluids. Drinking wateris part of keeping up your Energy Balance. Water is not onlyimportant to our world, it’s important to our bodies. You needwater to help boost your immune system, which helps keep youhealthy. You also need it for good digestion. And every cell in yourbody depends on water to function properly. So drink up!5

#5 Paint with Kool AidThis activity fulfills step 4 of the Brownie Painting badge.Think of your favorite water place or your favorite kind of water. How do you like to enjoy water? Keep that idea in yourmind as you use Kool Aid crystals to paint a beautiful picture of your favorite water place or activity.Supplies: Watercolor paper or regular paper Spray bottle Kool Aid packets in a couple of different flavors Paintbrush or Q-tips Table cloth or something to cover your work surfaceInstructions:1.Begin by making sure your work surface is covered.2. Sprinkle different colors of Kool Aid powder on yourpaper.3. Activate the colors by using a spray bottle to add waterto your picture. The goal is not to soak the paper, but tospray just enough so the colors show up.4. Add more sprinkles of Kool Aid powder if your pictureneeds it or use a paintbrush or Q-tip to move the colorsaround or make shapes.Water is a very preciousresource. It’s something thatwe have a limited quantity ofhere on earth. That meansthat when we get waterdirty—by adding chemicalsand other contaminants—wecan’t just throw it away andget new water. Water all overthe earth is connected: It’sall the same water so let’s besure not waste a single drop!6

#6 Make a Water PromiseThis activity fulfills the LOVE Water and SHARE Water award from the It’s Your Planet—Love It! Journey.Show that you love water by making a water promise! Name two things you know and love aboutwater and make one personal promise to protect it.What I Love About WaterI thought about all the things I like to do in and with water. Then I picked my two favorite things thatI love about water:1.2.My Water PromiseThis is how I’m protecting water:Share WaterEducate others about your water efforts, inspire them to join in and ask them tocommit to a water promise, too.I educated and inspired these people and they promised to:PeoplePromise1.2.3.4.5.7

#7 Learn How to “Leave No Trace”Before you go hiking, camping, or exploring, pledge to “Leave No Trace!” These seven important tips will help you keepnature safe when you are outdoors.12Using the clues below,fill in the crossword withthe correct tip, includingspaces.The seven principals ofLeave No Trace:1.Plan ahead.2. Stay on the trail.3. Carry out what youcarry in.344. Leave nature as youfind it.5. Be careful with fire.6. Respect wildlife.7.Be considerate ofother visitors.567Across3.As you walk along the beach you see beautiful shells and driftwood. You stop to look at thembut do not take them with you.5.Before you leave, you learn the rules of the park you are hiking through and you put your juiceein a reusable plastic bottle because they don’t allow glass.6.When you are finished with your snack, you put your wrappers in your backpack to put in theegarbage when you get home.7.A frog hops in front of you as you hike. You want to take a closer look so you move quietly andwatch from a little ways away.Down81.There is a family walking behind you on a trail. You step to the side and slow down so they canpass and walk ahead of you.2.You hike until you find a campsite with a fire pit.4.You take the trail to the beach instead of through the woods.

#8 Make a One Pot MealOne way to cook outdoors is in a pot or kettle. One pot meals are easy to cook over a fire. Everything goes in the pot andthen the pot sits over a fire or in coals to cook.Try a one pot recipe at home on the stove with an adult.Bags of Gold 1 can tomato soup 1 can water 1 can refrigerator 1/2 lb. cheese (Velbiscuitsveeta, American,Cheddar)Put soup and water in pot and slowly heat. Cut biscuicut cheese into 20ts into quarters,cubes. Wrap dough around cheese,hot soup, and cookdrop balls intocovered until dough is done.What are some “one pot meals” your family makes at your house?9

#9 Get Ready for Camp with a SongThis activity fulfills step 1 of the Brownie Girl Scout Way badge.nture afterys and one advedathoesisomprleaderer campng life skills as apiloveGirl Scout summdedangsinadition at any. Learning new thd games are a trananother for girlssngSot!ouand games.t camp is all abning these songsis what Girl ScouarlebypmcarGet ready foGirl Scout camp.t songs andw more Girl Scoufeanarletoelp, go onlinWith an adult’s hecoutsWISEtube.com/GirlSou.ywww:esmgartAlive Awake Aleicalert, enthusiastI’m alive, awake,icalert, enthusiastI’m alive, awake,alertI’m alive, awake,aliveI’m alert, awake,alert, enthusiaI’m alive, awake,sticBrownie SmileI’ve got somethingIt belongs acrossin my pocketmy facee to meI keep it very closient place.In a most convendn’t guess itI’m sure you coullong, long whileIf you guessed aand put it onSo I’ll take it outBROWNIE SMILE!It’s a GREAT BIG10

#10 Track Some AnimalsHave you ever seen animal tracks when walking or hiking? With an adult to guide you, take a hike in a nearby park, forest, ornature area and see if you can find any of the tracks below.BeaverSkunkRaccoonSquirrelFoxDuckDeer11

Get Outside with Girl Scouts!If you enjoyed the outdoorthemed activities in thisbook tell your parents ortroop leaders! They cango to gswise.org and signyou up for lots of outdooradventures with Girl Scouts.From summer camp, to rockclimbing, to archery, wehave tons of ways to get yououtside! We’d love to see youexploring the outdoors withus this summer!Finish what you’vebegun and earnGirl Scout Awards!Some of the activities inthis booklet are from theBrownie Hiker badge,Brownie Painting badge,Brownie Girl Scout Waybadge, and It’s YourPlanet—Love It! BrownieJourney. You cancomplete the remainingrequirements on yourown to earn the awards.12

AA Girl Scout Brownie’s Guide Girl Scout Brownie’s Guide tto the Environmento the Environment Learning to respect and take care of the world around us is an important part of the Girl Scout experience. Use this guide to introduce girls to the wonders of the world around them. It’s a great tool to use before taking girls on their first .