Tag Archives: Girl Scout Junior

Archive

Earn Your Horsemanship Badge with Colorado Reining Heroes

Submitted by David Eason

Metro Denver

Parker

If you have ever considered learning about horses and how to ride them, you will definitely want to participate in the Reining Heroes program especially designed for Girl Scouts. Girl Scout Juniors can even earn their Horsemanship Badge in a warm, welcoming—and fun!—environment.

When you arrive at the stables and walk by the horses on your way to the tack shed, these gentle giants meet and welcome you as you pass by. The Reining Heroes horses love Girl Scouts and eagerly anticipate working with you. On the tour of the grounds, you will meet other horses, which might include a couple of adorable, friendly minis.

You will see and learn about different kinds of horses, their different colors, and the historical uses of some of them, such as for knights in shining armor of medieval times.

Your unmounted lesson will be hands-on: catching, haltering, leading, and grooming the horses—no standing around watching! When you are riding, the horse is yours, and you are the boss. When you are not riding, you will be helping another rider and her horse.

Lessons this year are every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 – 11 a.m. in May, June, July, and August. For more information about the program, refer to the Event List or Events Calendar on the Girl Scouts of Colorado website at https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/. Weekends are not available for lessons this year. If that changes, the GSCO Events Calendar will be updated.

Reining Heroes has been conducting this program for Girl Scouts for more than three years, and more than 400 Girl Scouts have earned their Horsemanship Badges here.

To register, either email reiningheroes@yahoo.com or call or text the instructor, Paula Quillen, at (303) 877-0371. If you have any questions or want to tour the facility before deciding to participate in the program, you can email, call, or text Paula.

You can see more about Reining Heroes including photos of the facility, horses, and prior Girl Scout participants at https://www.facebook.com/ReiningHeroes/photos/?ref=page_internal.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

Archive

Girl Scout Engineering Day with Colorado School of Mines

The Society of Women Engineers at Colorado School of Mines is thrilled to invite Girl Scout Juniors to participate in their annual Girl Scout Engineering Day on Saturday, November 14, 2020 from 9 – 11 a.m. This year, the program is virtual, and girls have the option to order a supply kit in advance or gather their own supplies. This virtual exploration of science and engineering will consist of a variety of STEM activities and a short panel discussion.

Register for a supply kit online (you may have to copy and paste this link into your browser): https://commerce.cashnet.com/SWE_MEP

  • $10 per supply box- We recommend one box of supplies per Girl Scout
  • Each supply box will include an Engineering Day patch
  • Registration for supply boxes will close October 23

Register to participate and assemble your own supplies: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhQvPVfURjIwYp8RGpafLIkX33gUzvCObd6fwLjZOYAiph6g/viewform

  • Registration is free if you choose to gather your own supplies. Girls will be mailed their Engineering Day patch after the program.
  • Registration for participation with your own supplies will close November 5.

* Please note: Registration forms must be completed once per Girl Scout. You cannot register multiple girls at a time. All participants will receive information about how to log into the virtual program via email before the program date. Enter “0” for your troop number if you are registering a Juliette.

Supplies (either included in your supply box OR items you will have to assemble on your own):

  • Paper (in both small strips and long strips)
  • Straws (a whole bunch)
  • Ruler
  • One Clear jar (mason jar, empty peanut butter jar, or Tupperware)
  • Food coloring
  • Smallish cardboard box (about the size of a shoebox)
  • Two paper or plastic cups (paper is suggested)
  • Water based marker (more colors will be more fun, but you really only need one)
  • String
  • Four paper clips (at least two of them need to be large)
  • Sand
  • Gravel
  • White coffee filters (at least five)
  • Balloon

ALL participants will need to gather the items listed below before the program:

  • Scissors
  • Tape (scotch, masking, or packaging)
  • Water
  • Dirty water (this can come from a pond or stream, or just tap water with a handful of dirt)
  • Coffee mug or other container that can withstand heat
  • Spoon
  • Small weights (marbles, pennies, gravel, or something similar)
  • Two relatively sturdy things of equal height you could move around a room (two chairs, chair and table, etc.)
  • Questions to ask SWE volunteers about science and engineering

Questions? Email Madeline Keck at mkeck@mymail.mines.edu.

Event flier: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/dam/girlscoutsofcolorado/flyers/2020/Final_GSED_Flyer_2020.png

More information: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2020/girl_scout_engineeri.html

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

Archive

Create a Garden: Girl Scout Exploration at the Denver Botanic Gardens

Create a Garden: Girl Scout Exploration at the Denver Botanic Gardens is September 26, 2020. This self-guided experience encourages Girl Scouts and families to explore the basics of garden design as they learn how to plan for a successful garden. This program is designed to meet the needs of the Girl Scout Junior Gardener Badge requirements.

Register now: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2020/092620_create_a_gar.html

All Girl Scouts and community groups are welcome to attend. Girl Scouts will:

  • Explore garden design basics
  • Identify perennial and annual plants
  • Design, plant, and decorate a miniature indoor garden oasis to take home with them
  • Take home the materials to set up a seed experiment on their own

The cost is $12 per Girl Scout. One adult per three Girl Scouts is admitted free of charge. Additional adults and non-participating siblings are $7 each. Non-participating infants (children 2 and under) are free.

Pre-registration is required. Program registration will not be available onsite. Due to social distancing and group size restrictions, you must register all members of your party ages three and up.

Email familyprograms@botanicgardens.org with questions regarding the program.

Download the event flyer.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

Archive

Girl Scouting at Home: Earn your Junior Detective badge Part Three of Three

Do you want to try out the skills that make great detectives? Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team is here to help you earn your Junior Detective badge!

Now, let’s move on to Step Five! Watch this video for a fun scavenger hunt and follow clues to solve a real mystery. Here’s the print-out you will need to complete your scavenger hunt: Adult Handout for Final Scavenger Hunt

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

Archive

Badges Through the Power of the Internet

Submitted by Brennah D.

Metro Denver

Highlands Ranch

I led my Girl Scout troop through the Scribe badge on Zoom. With my PowerPoint presentation, we were able to get everything checked off. This was my first time making a PowerPoint presentation and being a leader through online learning. It was fun!

I love Girl Scouts and everything it has let me do!

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

Archive

Step Five of the Junior Gardener Badge: Part Three of Five

Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team has five fun activities to help you complete Step Five of the Junior Gardener badge, which is to grow your own garden. So far, we have learned about sourcing seeds and windowsill gardens. Now, we are going to learn about container gardening.

There are plenty of vegetables that thrive when grown in a pot, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, carrots, and other root vegetables (if it’s a deep pot). Herbs and flowers also do well in a container garden. The best part of container gardening is that if there is unexpected weather that could harm your plants, you can bring them inside, and you can grow plants that would otherwise not survive a cold winter, or a hot summer outside.

For a container garden, you will need: various sizes of pots, soil, seeds or seedlings, water, and a sunny spot outside, like a balcony, porch, or deck.

Step One

Find a place for your containers. It is a lot easier to put your container gardens together in the place where they will live, as the filled pots will be heavier to move. Make sure the amount of sun the pots will get matches the amount of sun your plants will need.

Step Two

Determine if your pots have draining holes, and if they do not, ask your caregiver to help you add some. This will probably require tools. You need at least two holes to ensure good drainage. Three is better.

Step Three

Add more drainage potential with rocks, upside yogurt cups (don’t cover your holes), or smashed up water bottles.

Step Four

Fill your pots with soil. Potting soil is better suited than general garden soil.

Step Five

Add your seeds or plants.

Step Six

Thoroughly water your garden.

Step Seven

Enjoy your garden. Here are some examples of container gardens.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

Archive

Step Five of the Junior Gardener Badge: Part Two of Five

Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team has five fun activities to help you complete Step Five of the Junior Gardener badge, which is to grow your own garden. In Part One, we learned all about sourcing seeds. Now, we are going to learn about windowsill gardens.

If you don’t have a yard or a balcony, there are plenty of plants you can grow right inside your home! Some plants need lots of light, and some don’t need very much at all! Herbs, like basil, oregano, dill, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and cilantro, are plants that do well in a windowsill garden! African violets are a plant that does not like a lot of direct sunlight and thrives in a windowsill garden.

Windowsill Garden Activity

Materials Needed:

  • Small containers like pots or cups (make sure they have holes in the bottom, and something to catch water that spills out)
  • Soil
  • Seeds/Seedlings
  • Water
  • Sunny window

The examples are building an herb garden, but you can use any seeds/plants you want.

Step One: Gather your materials.

Step Two: Poke holes in the bottom of your cups and label each cup.

Step Three: Fill your cups with soil. We used an organic garden soil from a hardware store.

Step Four: Plant your seeds according to the directions on the packet. Most herbs don’t need to be very deep.

Step Five: Place your cups in a shallow water tight container, and place on your windowsill.

Step Six: Don’t forget to water your new garden!

Step Seven: Keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout, then water according to the directions on the seed packets.

Step Eight: Enjoy your windowsill garden!

Here are some more examples of windowsill gardens.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

 

Archive

Girl Scouting at Home: Earn your Junior Staying Fit badge Part Five of Five

Girl Scout Juniors can earn their at home! Watch this video for an introduction to the badge. Step One teaches us different ways to get our bodies moving. In Step Two, we learn how to keep your fit body fueled. For Step Three, you explore different methods for managing stress. We get the truth about health in Step Four. For the last step, Step Five, GSCO Outreach Program Coordinator Amanda created a fun video about how she plans to keep her family healthy. You can make a plan to help your family stay healthy by using this family fitness calendar.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

 

Archive

Step Five of the Junior Gardener Badge: Part One of Five

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team has five fun activities to help you complete Step Five of the Junior Gardener badge, which is to grow your own garden. First, we are going to learn all about sourcing seeds.

There are four basic parts of a garden: plants, soil, water, and sunshine. You can achieve this with as little as one cup, some dirt, a few seeds, and a windowsill; or you can plant a raised bed garden in your backyard, your own plot in a community garden, or in pots on a porch or balcony. There are endless combinations that make great gardens!

Seeds are usually available for purchase at your local grocery or hardware store or garden center. If your family cannot afford seeds, there are still a few ways to get them, including seed libraries. You check seeds out from the library, plant them, and save seeds from the fruits and vegetables you grew and return those seeds to the library. To find a seed library near you, visit the Seed Library Database. With the help of your caregiver or troop leader, you can also participate in a seed swap with other Girl Scouts across the country. Additionally, there are a lot of seed swap groups on social media, just be sure to take Girl Scouts of the USA’s Internet Safety Pledge first.

Did you know that you can grow new food from food you buy at the grocery store? GSCO Media Star Myla shows you how to regrow vegetables from scraps!

Here are the steps to regrow vegetables from scraps:

  • For vegetables that still have an attached root or stem, you simply cut off roughly one to two inches from the bottom (or top). These are then placed in a container with water covering around half of the plant. The root should be placed down in the water. If it has a stem coming off the top, then the spot where you cut goes in the water.
  • Change the water every few days until you see a few inches of new growth and roots, then plant in soil.

Some examples of scraps you might do this with are celery, carrots, onions, beets, romaine, or bok choy.

Another way to regrow things is to save the seeds from them. After you cut open the vegetables, scrape the seeds into a bowl, and save them for later. Simply treat these like you would a pack of seeds you bought. Plant them in some soil and water when necessary. If, like me, you planted them in a small starter container like an egg carton, then you will need to transfer them to a larger container as the roots develop and the leaves get bigger. Because they are coming from seeds, these will need a little more time and patience to grow. Please also know that many vegetables from grocery stores are something called a hybrid plant. Hybrids are two species of a plant that have been combined to make a new plant. Most hybrid seeds will not sprout, but that is okay because it’s all about trying! Some things you can try this with are peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, or pumpkins.

Some other fun things you can try regrowing from scraps could be:

  • Potatoes: Simply peel a two-inch section of a potato that has at least three eyes on it. Let them dry out overnight before planting at least four-inch deep in soil. An eye on a potato is a spot where you can see a root sprouting. They kind of look like white growths on the potatoes.
  • Ginger: This amazing root is full of flavor. Just take a small section of the root and plant it with the small buds facing up.
  • Garlic: To grow more of this flavorful bulb, simply take a single clove and plant it root down in some soil. Soon, you will have some new shoots. Trim these back and soon you will have a new bulb. Repeat for endless garlic.

For a real challenge, try some fruit trees! Please keep in mind these will take a few years before producing any fruit. They are also trees, so make sure you give them space.

  • Cherries: Clean off the pit from a cherry. Plant in a small lidded container with nutrient rich soil. Cover it and place it in the fridge for around 12 weeks. Then, plant this in the ground.
  • Apples: Let the seeds from an apple dry out. Plant outside. Please note that seeds from the same apple can produce different types of apples.
  • Peaches, Plums, and Nectarines: Dry out the pit and plant them in nutrient rich soil that gets plenty of sunlight.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

Archive

Girl Scouting at Home: Earn your Junior Staying Fit badge Part Four of Five

Girl Scout Juniors can earn their at home! Watch this video for an introduction to the badge. Step One teaches us different ways to get our bodies moving. In Step Two, we learn how to keep your fit body fueled. For Step Three, you explore different methods for managing stress. Now, in Step Four, let’s get the truth about health with some help from GSCO Outreach Program Coordinator Amanda. She produced the following videos to help you do just that:

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.