Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Our Holiday Party

With schools cutting back on everything -- we thought we'd keep the fun going. Some of my greatest memories were the silly parties and we had one of our own!

Circle Time: Girl Scout Pledge

Then, we had some fun!

• They colored Christmas Mice and put a candy cane through it for a tail
• They made Hot Cocoa Ornaments for their teachers
• They had holiday cupcakes for snack
• They did an ornament exchange

The mice were holiday clearance from the local craft store the year before...a 15 pack of them for just $0.40

They had to work as a team to fill the (previously washed) ornaments with cocoa and mini marshmallows.
Here is a great tie on tag, we found on the web :

Simple cupcakes and milk for a snack -- bypassing our normal "healthy snacks" rule.

The ornament exchange was voted on in November (unanimously passed) and had to be $5 or less - and something that reminded them of Scouts. They needed to bring it wrapped:

I forgot the numbers I had cut out -- but we went by first name, backwards. It was interesting to see what they picked: Cat ornaments because the LOVED doing the cat show fundraiser, Rainbows because girls are all different colors, Circle ornaments because the friendship song, candy ones -- everyone is sweet, girl ones, etc. It was WONDERFUL letting them share.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday with your troops-
Blessings!
Dannelle

 

Ding-A-Lings

We started this last year and had signed up for it again...ringing bells for the Salvation Army!

The girls who could make it showed up, we rang bells and they sang songs.

Now ... off to find a fun patch!

:)
FYI: this is NOT a council approved activity, and the girls shouldn't be wearing their vests.
Technically, it is "fund-raising". (sigh)

SO, your troop CAN do this, just not "as scouts".
Our fun patch is a "service with heart" kind of patch -- as they really needed bell ringers this year.
The girls really love to do it...I'm not going to say "no" when they ask to.

Brownie Investiture/Rededication Ceremony

Brownie Investiture Ceremony

Investiture Ceremony

1. Welcome to Parents
I would like to thank the families of troop 1123 for joining us this evening for this special occasion. Tonight we will be investing these girls into Girl Scouts. In addition the girls have decided to share some songs with you.

2. Flag ceremony – pledge of allegiance
Will you all join us in singing Make new friends

3. The Brownie Poem
In accepting our two new friends into the family of Girl Scouting I will read a short poem which describes how the Brownies get their name.
For once, a long time ago when fairies and elves in England did grow
Two little girls as normal as you lived with their father and grandmother, too!
Then one day the father, a wise old man told of the magic of Brownie Land
He told them of Brownies who work and dust, clean for their families without making
a fuss deep in the woods when the moon is out go to the pond-turn yourself about
You’ll find magic that starts with a rhyme the magic circles the world in time.

• All Girls will form a circle {new girls in the center}
• Pick one older girl to turn each new girl
• Troop repeats: Twist me and turn me and show me the elf I looked in the pond and I saw (myself) {Girl responds with name} 
• Girls are pinned by Asst. Leader {Girl Scout Sign with right hand shake with left}. 
• Leader Explains: The Brownie Pin must be worn upside down until a good turn is performed.

 4. Brownie Promise
On my honor I will try to serve God and my country (light candle starting from the right) To help people at all times, (light the middle candle)  and to live by the Girl Scout Law.(light the candle to the girl's right)

5. Brownie Smile Song
I’ve something in my pocket it belongs across my face I keep it very close at hand in a most convenient place. I’m sure you couldn’t guess it if you guessed a long long while so I’ll take it out and put it on it’s a great big brownie smile.

6. Closing Ceremony:

One of the New Invested Girls begins the squeeze

Snack Time – simple refreshments

Happy Thanksgiving!

Meeting #6: Getting Ready For the Party

Our Early Bird Activity is Juliette's Paper Bag Puppets -- they started coloring them last time and need to finish.

Welcome Circle: Pledge led by "girl of the week".

• We pass out Birthday Patches for anyone who has had their birthday since our last meeting.
• This week, we are going to work on our books - filling in the blanks!

They had read Dancing With Chosita....so we had a lot of paper work to do.

Ceremony Prep Time!
Our next meeting is the rededication/investiture ceremony -- so we needed to prep everyone on what to expect.

Snack Time: Since they read about Thailand, the snack was suggested to involve Mangoes, Rice or Eggs...they had Mango Apple Sauce.
The snack helper got to read her "all about  me" sheet.

Clean Up Time!!

Closing Ceremony:

• Next meeting we will have a party -- relax and get ready to have fun with it.
• Squeeze and goodbye

Girl Scout Commercial!

Miss Sarah did this on Monday and they are going to air on several Clear Channel Radio stations over the next few weeks.
She had fun - which is what it is all about, right?

You can hear them HERE

Meeting #5: Wrapping Things Up

Our Early Bird Activity is Juliette's Paper Bag Puppets -- they started coloring them last time and need to finish.

Welcome Circle: Pledge led by "girl of the week".

• We pass out Birthday Patches for anyone who has had their birthday since our last meeting.
• Then, we talk about our "assignment" from last meeting -- they had to do 3 acts of kindness with words. (pay an honest compliment, etc)
• Pass out friendship patches
• How did that make a change in the world?

They had to read Dancing With Chosita. 
Q: What makes something a story?  (Beginning, middle and end)
Make a story up - one line at a time...each girl adds a line to it, as you go around the circle. The sentence from the last girl is the end of the story.

There are stories all around us...some people have great stories in their life and some, not so great. They might loose their job, get sick, loose their home, etc. 
Q: How can we help someone who has to live outside when it's getting colder out (like now)?

SCARF project!
I had fleece cut into 6" wide strips at the fabric store. It was a LOT easier than just getting yards of it and cutting it myself, lol!

• The girls cut fringes into the ends of it and then pinned a signed note to it. 

The notes said:"We hope this scarf brings the wearer luck for the new year. Made for you by Girl Scout Brownie Troop #1123" - then they added their first name.

Time to finish the invitations -- we had printed info that they simply had to glue into their cards. Then, they put them into their folders to take home.

Snack Time: Since they read about Thailand, the snack was suggested to involve Mangoes, Rice or Eggs. 
The snack helper got to read her "all about  me" sheet.

Clean Up Time!!

Closing Ceremony: 

• Pass out Community Service Patches
• Next meeting we will work on our books, see what was added to our passport, talk about our ceremony in December and think of a swap for the Gold/Silver dance.
• Squeeze and goodbye

Happy Birthday Juliette!

Our Brownie Folders

I have to give FULL CREDIT for these gems to my assistant leader -- she is the high "D" organizing queen.
I know, you will be jealous -- but just have a lookee:

Meeting #4 - Happy Birthday!

Even though it is a little early -- we are celebrating Juliette's birthday at this meeting.

Our Early Bird Activity is Juliette's Paper Bag Puppets. The girls can color them, we will cut them and glue them when they are working on their craft project for the day.

Welcome Circle: Pledge led by "girl of the week". We are celebrating our founder's birthday -- let's start with the Birthday Patches for all girls who have had a birthday since June! (Our patches just came in).

THE JULIETTE LOW STORY

(Divide the group into eight groups; these will be Juliette Low, Georgia, Horses, London, Lord Baden-Powell, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts)
Sound Effects- (when they hear their names they stand up and make their sound. It's even cuter when they have to do an action as well)

• Little Girls - Stand and giggle
• Juliette Low - Curtsy and say, "Be my friend"
• Georgia- Wave and say, "Hi, y'all!"
• Horses- Stamp your feet and say, "Neighhhhhhh."
• Lrd Baden-Powell- Bow formally and say, "How d'ya do?"
• London- Sing, "London Bridge is Falling Down"
• Boy Scouts- Make Scout sign and say "Be prepared."
• Girl Scouts- Make Scout sign and say "On My Honor"

Read the story-

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 awhile and decided to found a troop of Girl Scouts for the little girls who liked to ride horses in Georgia. So Juliette Low said good-bye 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. And they 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!

Pearl Necklaces! (packs of 8 at the local dollar store).
Juliette sold her treasured pearl necklace to start Girl Scouts -- this is a simple reminder of what she gave up for all of us, over 100 years ago.

(Friendship Patch Time) Find Kind Words: Words can hurt so it's important to use nice ones when you disagree. Make a list of words that make you feel good. Practice using the words to say kind things. 

Troop Passport -- Our Brownies wanted to decorate a box! They added birthday stickers to it.

Craft time: I made mini brown paper vests -- and printed patches for them to cut out and decorate them. These are the invitations for their rededication/investiture ceremony in December. (I shared it last week)

Snack Time: We had a snack helper who brought crispy treat "cupcakes" that were frosted and topped with edible mini pearls (Juliette sold her pearl necklace to fund Scouts), and she got to read her "all about me" sheet! 


Clean Up Time!!

Closing Ceremony:

-- next meeting we will work on our books, finish our invitations and add to our passport.
-- squeeze and goodbye

Brownie Ceremony Invitations

I saw this super cute idea HERE -- but thought it was WAY too much work, LOL!

I did a quick search for svg cuts - in a vest.
The closest I got was a fisherman's vest, but tweaked it so I could get two vests off of one cut.
I whipped out my handy dandy Cricut --
used my SCAL software and popped out 12 vests for the girls to decorate.
Then, I printed out mini patches -- which THEY cut apart and glued to the vest themselves.

That was the craft for one entire meeting -- and they LOVED it!

If you can use SVG cut files... just let me know -- I will share!

:)

Meeting #3

We just got the stuff for the fall sale (nuts/magazines) and wanted to make it clear to the parents. My assistant leader pulled all parents aside for a quick recap of it and got the permission slips signed while I started our meeting with our Brownies.

***My assistant leader just ROCKS -- wait until you see the folders she made for our girls!


Welcome Circle: Girl Scout Law (in sign language song at the next meeting!)Girl Scout Promise - led by girl of the "week"

We went around the circle and said our name and one thing they like to do with other girls... then, we went around again and said "I like to ____ too, just like ______". We talked about how they just made a connection with other girls in their troop and how easy it was to make connections with other girls/women in their lives.

Stuffy Drive!
They were challenged to bring 5 "new looking" stuffed animals each for us to donate to the police department. The girls were getting (did get) a fun patch for the toy drive and we donated a LOT of stuffies - almost 200!

Their Books -- page 10.Finding clues in a story -- what is a clue?-What is something in Shali's life that she wants help with?
-So that is a clue!
-Is this something we could help Shali with? How?
-The clue in this story is that two of the girls want to read better - Do you think anyone you know also wants to be able to read better? Could we do anything to make things better for them?-->Reading to younger kids? Making "books on tape" for a preschool class?


Clues are all around us -- Friendship Name Poem!Each girl got a piece of paper with a fellow Brownie's name on it - written down the left side, vertically. They were randomly passed out and each girl had to write things that they liked about each other for each letter.Example:SweetAlways friendlyReally fashionableA great friendHelpful


Time for the Troop Passport -- Our  Brownies wanted to decorate a box! We had a plain white box and they colored it. Over the next few meetings they will add stickers, glitter glue, bling, and stuff inside.

Snack Time!! We had a snack helper who brought pita bread and hummus, and she got to read her "all about me" sheet! 

Clean Up Time!!

Closing Ceremony:
-- next meeting we will celebrate our founder's birthday, finish the friendship patch and add to our passport.
-- squeeze and goodbye

Meeting #2: Starting our Journey

Early Bird Craft: They voted on a few community service projects...they are decorating /making napkin rings for meals on wheels recipients during the holidays. We will add colorful paper napkins to them.

Circle time

· Make New Friends Song – talk about our new friends to the troop and old friends...we lost a few gals and added a few...starting the Friendship Award, so they have to introduce themselves and are challenged to do it with an adult this week *that they know.

· Today we are beginning an exciting journey called A World of Girls! You may already know what a journey is -- can anyone tells us? We followed our Flower friends on their journey across the US last year as Daisies. You meet new people, see new places and learn new things, while having fun!

On this journey, we are going to learn about the lives of girls all over the world...and explore YOUR world, and the girls in it - your families, your friends, and girls from all parts of your life.

How will we do this?
Through stories! We will hear, read, and talk about the stories of women and girls -- and catch "clues" in them to make the world a better place.

Now, link arms and imagine we are forming a circle around the world... and let's say the Girl Scout Promise and Law together.

The last line is "Be a sister to every girl scout" -- what do you think that means?

 

Super!

Now, let's talk about your good turn mice...

 

How Brownies got their name. (Brownie Story)

 

When Brownies Get together...(pages 17-22 of the Brownie Girl Guide)

 

Passports.
When you travel, you need one -- we were thinking we should have a TROOP one for our travels... what do you think we should do?

Our Journey awards! -- (page 7 of the Journy book) -- we will talk more about these as we go along..but let's get started with our story: Flying into Shali's Desert Home. (pages 6-16 in the girls journey book)

• What did the brownie friends learn about Shali?
• What things to Campbell, Jamila and Alejandrea have in common with her?
• What do YOU have in common with her?
• What was the most interesting to you about her world?

Game: (games from England) Brittish Bulldog, Quack Quack Honk, Ring Around The Rosey

Snack Time: we had our snack helper do an "About Me" page and talk. Our snacks were fig newtons, in theme with the story.  The story is next week!

Circle time

· What is next? Finish your passport in your Journey books and the first item on page 10. We will start our troop passport and finish our Hear A Story award at our next meeting! 

· Friendship Squeeze

(clean up)

Trail Mix Ceremony

This is a GREAT way to bring the gals together and start off the year. I got it from another leader... who got it from a leader, etc.

I think it's cute!

Grow A Girl Scout Troop (Trail Mix Ceremony)

Girl Scouts come in all colors, from all races around the world. Every Girl Scout is a sister no matter where she is from, no matter the language she speaks, no matter the color of her skin.
God loves variety, and Girl Scouts are the colors of the rainbow.
(M & M CANDIES)

We have a promise and a law. On our honor, we try to do our best to be fair and square. (CHEX

CEREAL)

Some of us are tall, and some of us are small. When we get together, size doesn't matter at all.

(PRETZEL THINS AND MINI MARSHMALLOWS)

Sometimes we are nutty. We love to joke and play. We'd love to put a Girl Scout smile into

everyone's day. (NUTS) *ask about allergies first
Sometimes we are quiet and thoughtful. We have special gifts of love and caring to give in
service to those who need our help. (GOLDFISH CRACKERS)

When we get together, we seem to make circles. We may sit in circles, play circle games, make a

Friendship Circle. You could say that we are well-rounded. (CHEERIOS)

When we are busy planning a project, or doing a craft, we pop around until we're done.

(POPCORN)

Girl Scouts respect all living things. The earth is our home and we want to keep it safe for

everyone. (ANIMAL CRACKERS)

Girl Scouts are "chips off the old block". Girl Scouting began in 1912. Since then we all have been

part of an old tradition, and are proud to be part of the future. (BANANA CHIPS or CHOCOLATE
CHIPS)

We get a kick out of wearing our uniforms, learning new things, helping others, and being

together with our friends. (KIX CEREAL)

Young Girl Scouts may be hard to resist because they are fresh, sweet and new. But the older

scout maybe more fun, because she has more experience. (RAISINS)

Welcome to Troop ______ I hope we will have a wonderful year!
.......See?
I told you it was cute!
That also became their snack for the night.

Our First Meeting!

If you have been reading, this isn't  going to seem a giant surprise to you. I have already basically shared everything we are going to do!

Early Bird Craft: They voted on a few community service projects...they are decorating /making napkin rings for meals on wheels recipiants during the holidays. We will add colorful paper napkins to them.

Circle time

·      Make new friends Song – talk about our new friends to the troop and old friends...we lost a few gals and added a few. 

·     Girl Scout Law and Promise

·  New things: Kaper Chart. Folders. Attendance. Our Journey Book, New Award Collection, field trips, cookie sale in the spring instead of the fall!

·      Pass out patches earned over the summer (Dance, Bug and Artist/Painter)

·    Talk about Good Turn Mice. We are NOT starting with the first journey book, we want to get the idea in their heads now -- kind of like the Brownie Elf story.

Good Turn Mouse

This saucy creature is a mouse

Most mothers won't let one in the house

See, this one it has quite a tail,

Each Girl Scout made one without fail.

Take it with you and help all week,

and to do good turns you must seek

for every good turn that you do

tie a knot in the yarn...make quite a few.

Remember why each knot you tied

and how much to help you really tried

and then next time, please take your turn

to tell us all, so we can learn...

just what you did to help at home

a ready helper you have grown!

Craft time

·      Craft helper pass out craft bags-- they make mice with tails.

Snack Time: we make the Trail Mix and enjoy it. The story is next week!

Circle time

·      What is next? Starting our Journey books at the next meeting!

·      Friendship Squeeze

Clean Up helpers help pack up car!

The girls go home with some trail mix and their mice.

How did your first meeting of the year go?

Getting Ready For The Meetings

We start back up with our "normal" meetings in just a few weeks -- so NOW is the time to plan a few things out.

1) Our First Meeting will be simple -- it's called "The Trail Mix" meeting.
We already had families sign up for a different item on the list and we will use this to get "back in the swing" of things.

2) Now -- how to recognize those who earned patches over the summer! We had a dance clinic to earn the dancer patch, we had independant studies on Painting/Artist and Bugs.
I have all their patches and "certificates" to put them on. I need a stapler and then I am ready to go!
I just think it seems more "Special" when you present it in a big way -- it's time to create memories!

3) We will make Good Turn Mice -- so I have to get the craft kits ready. It's paper and yarn basically.

How are you getting ready for the fall meetings?
 

I Am In a USGA PSA Video!

There are SO MANY girls out there that want to be in Girl Scouts...but there is a problem:
There are not enough leaders to make that happen!

We KNOW it is a volunteer gig, but many people don't know that almost all of the plannng for meetings is done for you with the leader guides. Yes, some of us raid Pinterest and make things a little more complicated, but people don't really have to do all of that!

You can delegate crafts/snacks/etc to parents or simply connect with other leaders on ways to simplify - like joint trainings occasionally, etc.

Well, I was asked if I would be willing to be interviewed. This was ON CAMERA for the GSUSA. (Girl Scouts of the USA).

It's a video that will see a lot of play over social media and, hopefully, bring in more volunteers.

Watch it -- and share your thoughts:

 

It's a Parade!

All our Area troops got together to march in the Corn Fest parade. Some passed out candy, some things for the council, like fliers - pencils - stickers.

Since we talked so much about HEALTHY options last year, we choose not to bring candy to pass out to the kids on the sidelines. That would kind of go against everything we had taught over the previous year, LOL!

THEN, we went back to the staging area for Root Beer Floats!

Enjoy the pictures:

 

Looking for a Meeting Place...

The church we have been meeting at is still under construction!
We are now looking for a new place to meet -- until they are ready to have us in again.

My list of churches, city rooms and libraries is ready to go --
now to make the calls.
{sigh}

I really - I mean REALLY like where we meet!
It is only a few houses away from mine and we can actually walk there.
I hope we are back "home" soon! 

Working on the Bug Patch ...

A few of the girls made it to Olbrich to learn more about butterflies...

They learned about cocoons, how they have to pump the fluid into their wings when they first hatch, that you can't touch them and so much more!

Girls Guides to Girls Scouts

I think these are a FANTASTIC thing for scouts to have - to help corral all the papers/awards and memories of their achievements for each level of Girl Scouts!

We had the Daisy one for my daughter and she got the BROWNIE one for her birthday last month.

Have you seen them?
You can check your local Council Office or get them on Amazon...

 

                   

Checking in -- Summer Fun

It's such a busy time -- all the girls on different vacations, etc that we don't really have any meeting during the summer.

Today, I put out a reminder email for the girls to work on their Painting Patch. We are also looking at going to the local Olbrich Gardens Butterfly Expo to kick off their BUG Patch (Last week's post).
That was it... just a simple email.

Happy Summer!
 

Independent Patch Pack: Bugs

At our dance clinic, I passed out manila envelopes that had all they needed to do to earn the Bugs patch. I can't claim the credit for this as I found it on the Internet - but don't know who to credit for it! The timing of this is also great for our Botanical Gardens -- they have a butterfly exhibit that runs for almost a month!

Here is what is in their envelopes:

BUGS:

Bugs help us in lots of cool ways. Explore the world of bugs and learn more about these

little creatures that do so much

Steps

1. Draw a bug poster

2. Try a bug craft

3. See bugs in action

4. Explore bug homes

5. Take a bug field trip

Purpose: When I’ve earned this badge, I’ll know all about bugs.

Every step has three choices. Do ONE choice to complete each step.
Inspired? Do more.

Step 1: Draw a bug poster  

Use one choice to help you find out more about one kind of bug. Then draw a poster of

your bug. Label its parts and answer the questions below. When it’s done, share your

poster with your Brownie friends.

All about my bug

Write on your poster:

Where your bug lives, How long it lives, What it eats, What is good about this bug, What is not so good about this bug, Who its enemies are

CHOOSE ONE:

Talk to a bug specialist in your town or community.

They might work at a museum or for a farming organization or gardening club.

OR

With an adult’s help, find websites about your bug. And look online for lots of good photos so you can see your bug in action!
OR

 

Read a book or watch a video about your bug. It should be a book or video about a real bug, not a cartoon. 

More to Explore: Pretend you’re a Girl Scout in 1930. They had to know 50 different insects to earn their Insect Finder Badge! Can you put 10 different bugs on your poster?

 

Step 2: Try a bug craft

There are lots of “buggy” things you can make. Try making your own colorful or silly orsparkly bug!
 

CHOOSE ONE:

Make a paper-plate spider. Decorate a paper plate with markers or paint to look like the body of a spider. Draw eyes, or make them by attaching googly eyes or covering dots of glue in glitter. Cut four black pipe cleaners in half to make eight legs and attach them to the plate. Bend them to make your spider stand!

OR

Make an egg-carton caterpillar. With an adult’s help, cut a strip of six cups from an egg carton. Paint or color the cups. Poke two holes in the top of the first cup, which will be the head. From the inside of the cup, poke a pipe cleaner inside each hole and pull it through. The pipe cleaners will stick out of the top to make antennae. Draw or glue on round objects for eyes.

OR

Make your own butterfly. Use markers to decorate a coffee filter with lots of bright colors. These are the wings. Then paint and add glitter to a wooden clothespin for the body. When the pin is dry, clip it in the middle of the coffee filter to create your butterfly.

FOR MORE FUN: Make tissue-paper flowers and hang your butterfly about them for a
pretend butterfly garden.

Step 3: See bugs in action 

Even though most bugs don’t live very long lives, they are very busy!

CHOOSE ONE:

Watch three bugs. Look for three different bugs in your area. They could be an ant carrying food, a beetle chewing on a leaf, and a roly-poly (sow bug) on a porch. Identify the bugs and try to find out what they are doing and why!

OR

With an adult, find an ant trail. See what happens if you put a stick in the middle of the trail. What about a little water? What about food? See what you can find that distracts the ants (without hurting them, of course!)

FOR MORE FUN: Try to follow the trail to the ants’ home.

OR

Make a bug box. See instructions below.  

Make a Bug Box!

You can take a closer look at a bug in action by making a bug box. Try using it to watchgrasshoppers, centipedes, lightning bugs, or moths. Check with an adult first to make sure your bugs don’t bite!

1. Remove the lid from a cardboard shoe box. Cut a rectangle out of one of the long

sides—it should be about 6 inches long by 3 inches wide.

2. With the cutout side facing you, tape or glue on a piece of plastic wrap to create a

window. Make sure the window is tight enough that the bugs can’t escape.

3. Poke three small breathing holes (smaller than your bugs, so they won’t get out) into

each side of the box.

4. Make a home for your bugs along the bottom of the box, using materials from the

place you found them and without destroying their home. You might add grass,

twigs, small rocks, or leaves.

5. Add bugs! Be gentle so they don’t get hurt. Re-cover the box. After you’ve had an

hour to watch, carefully place the bugs back where you found them.

Step 4: Explore bug homes 
It isn’t just the bugs that are cool. The places they live are fun to explore, too! Find out more about bug homes in this step.

CHOOSE ONE:

Draw a cocoon. Some bugs, like caterpillars, sleep in a cocoon. Inside, they transform into a moth or butterfly. Find out what else goes on in there. Then draw what you think it looks like inside a cocoon.

OR

Make a model of a bug house. Bugs live in all kinds of houses: hives, cocoons, tunnels, even inside wood. Make a model of what a bug house looks like.
FOR MORE FUN: Talk to your friends about how your home is the same and different from your bug house. If you could, would you live in the bug house you made?

OR

For one week, watch a spider on its web. Team up with an adult to watch it during different times of day. What does the spider work on? Does the web look any different? Is there food somewhere? Don’t touch the spider or disturb the web—some spiders can bite!
Step 5: Take a bug field trip 
The best place to view creepy critters is outside where they live! Take a trip to get up close with your bug friends.

CHOOSE ONE:

Visit a farm. Farms have lots of animals and crops, so they can be a great place to see bugs. Bring a magnifying glass to see the tiniest ones. Ask the farmer why bugs can be useful to crops, and what their favorite bug on the farm is.
FOR MORE FUN: Go to a farm where they raise bees, and taste fresh honey.

OR

Take a bug walk or bug hike. See how many kinds of bugs you can find along the way. Use a magnifying glass and look on the ground and up high in branches.
FOR MORE FUN: Go with friends! See who can find the most bugs along the hike, or who can find a bug they’ve never seen before.

OR Visit a museum, zoo, or botanical garden with a bug collection. Look at the bugs. How are they grouped? What’s the strangest bug in the collection? Some places have a live insect viewing where you can hold the bugs. You could give it a try!

Add the Badge to Your Journey
They can bring it back to the August Activity (Zoo/Picnic) and we can talk about it and present awards. (Or they can bring it to a September Meeting).