Tag Archives: GSCO Clubs

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Summer Know Hows and Hang Outs

GSCO’s Summer Know Hows and Hang Outs (formerly known as GSCO Clubs) are coming soon! Join us online in the afternoons every other week to create your own art projects, have fun with STEM, read books, learn new skills, and hang out with old and new friends. Each event is led by two experienced Girl Scout staff members and joined by Girl Scouts all over the state. Summer Know Hows and Hang Outs begin the week of June 14, 2021, but you can join any time during the summer.

Click on each club for more information about it and to register.

Cadette. Senior, Ambassador Art Know Hows

Daisy, Brownie, Junior Art Know Hows

Brownie Book Club

Junior Book Club

Cadette Book Club

Daisy Flour Hour Hang Out

Brownie Buddies Hang Out

Junior Jam Hang Out

Daisy STEM Know Hows

Brownie/Junior STEM Know Hows

Junior/ Cadette Creative Writing Club

Cadette, Senior, Ambassador Naturalist Know Hows

Daisy, Brownie, Junior Naturalist Know Hows

Junior and Older Tools for Independence

Senior/Ambassador Tools for Independence Older Girl Scouts

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.

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GSCO STEM Club Activity: Volcano—Acid Base Reaction

Today, we’re going to learn how to make a volcano at home using an acid (vinegar) and a base (baking soda). If you would like more activities like this one, join us every other week on Thursdays after school for one of GSCO’s STEM Clubs. Click here for Daisy STEM Club. Click here for Brownie and Junior STEM Club.

Materials Needed:

  • Vinegar
  • Baking Soda
  • Cookie sheet or tray
  • Two styrofoam, paper, or plastic cups of any size
  • Scissors
  • Paper, markers, or crayons- If you would like to decorate your volcano
  • Piece of plain paper and something to write with

What is an acid and a base?

Acid– When we hear the word acid, we often think of things that are dangerous. They can be, but they can also be common things we find every day. Acids have a sour taste to them. Maybe you had an acid with breakfast?

Base- A base is a more bitter taste and has a kind of soapy feel if you rub it between your fingers. A base can also be a common item.  Maybe you baked cookies and added something base to help them rise.

Examples of Acids and Bases:

Acid

  • Orange
  • Lemon
  • Vinegar
  • Many dangerous chemicals

Base

  • Baking Soda
  • Sugar
  • Laundry detergent
  • Soup and cleaning products
  • Heavy solvents and grease

Now that we have talked about what acids and bases are, let’s do an experiment to see how they work together.

Acids and bases do not like each other and they fight when they are mixed together. This is because they are trying to neutralize each other. When they are mixed, lots of bubbles are created. This is a reaction.

Making a Volcano to Test Mixing an Acid with a Base

First, we will create our volcano body.  You can use any type of cups for this.

Step One: Have an adult help you cut a medium size hole in the bottom of one of your cups.

Step Two: You will also need to ask for help to cut the other cup in half.

Let’s begin:

Creating the Outside of the Volcano

If you would like to decorate the outside of your volcano, you can do it several ways:

  • If your cup is paper or styrofoam, you can use sharpies and color right on the cup.
  • If your cup is plastic, you can decorate a piece of plain paper the same height as your cup. When you are done, wrap the paper around the cup and tape it to fit.

Creating the Acid Base Reaction

  • Step One: Take the small cup and put about one tablespoon of baking soda in it.
  • Step Two: Set that cup on a cookie sheet or tray of some kind.
  • Step Three: Place the “volcano” you made on top of the small container making sure not to spill the baking soda.
  • Step Four: Measure 1/4 cup of vinegar into a measuring cup or glass.
  • Step Five: Ready for magic! Slowly pour the vinegar into the mouth of the volcano and watch the fight! You may not need all of the vinegar.

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.

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GSCO STEM Club Activity: Pigment Transfer

Today, we’re going to learn how to use fresh flowers and leaves to create an imprint on a tote bag, T-shirt, tea towel, or watercolor paper. If you would like more activities like this one, join us every other week on Thursdays after school for one of GSCO’s STEM Clubs. For Daisy STEM Club, click here: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/fall_2020_daisy_stem_club_virtual For Brownie and Junior STEM Club, click here: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/fall_2020_brownie_junior_stem_club_virtual

You will need:

  • Fresh flowers and leaves
  • Rubber mallet or hammer
  • Hard, smooth pounding surface, such as a wood cutting board or heavy cardboard pad
  • Wax paper or plastic wrap to protect the cutting board surface
  • Your canvas: T-shirt/banners/tea towel (heavy, un-textured cotton works best)or watercolor paper 
  • Goggles or protective eye wear
  1. Place a cutting board* or thick cardboard and mallet/hammer in front of each team of two people, or if making a smaller product such as a banner or tea towel, one per girl.
  2. Gather your flowers and leaves. It is best to use flowers with more delicate structure and those without a large/raised center.
  3. Place your preferred canvas on the pounding surface. 
  4. Arrange the flowers on one half of the cloth and fold the other half over to create a mirror image. If you prefer a singular image, place a piece of paper or scrap cloth on top of the flowers before pounding them. Remember, if you choose to do a mirror image, the SAME image will be on both halves of your canvas.
  5. Gently pound the flowers until the images show. Once you are satisfied with the images, you can open the cloth and remove the leaves and flowers.

** Note: If using a wooden cutting board, place a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap on the surface to prevent permanent staining of the board.  This is not necessary when using cardboard. 

Learn more about pigment transfer and natural dye:

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.

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Girl Scouts at Home: Figuring Out Fall Fun

We are fully into fall now and Girl Scouts of Colorado knows that many families are searching for fun, safe ways to celebrate the fall season. Whether it is reading spooky stories for Cadette Book Club, discussing fun ways to engage with the outdoors in Naturalist Club, or hosting a virtual camp-in at our Junior Jam Club, GSCO staff is embracing the season through our virtual clubs.

Need a game your Girl Scout can play virtually with her sisters or friends? Try Zoom Charades! Revamp traditional charades by using Halloween/fall/nature-themed topics.

The rules are easy:

  1. Divide up your meeting into two teams.
  2. Think of two fun fall-themed team names and have each girl add her team name into her Zoom name. This way, it is easy to keep track of who is on the two teams.
  3. Have the host of the meeting use the “private chat” feature to message one of the girls a fall charades action.
  4. Set a timer for 30-seconds and have the chosen girl mute her microphone and act out the charades action in the frame of the camera.
  5. Her teammates should try to guess the action before the time runs out.
  6. Make sure to switch back and forth between teams and allow everybody to have a chance!

Here are some action ideas to get you started:

  • Making a s’more
  • Navigating a corn maze
  • Chopping firewood
  • Picking apples at an orchard
  • Raking and jumping into a pile of leaves
  • Creating a scarecrow

How are you innovating your fall fun this year?

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.

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Cadette Book Club Bonus: Ghost-Catcher Challenge

Join Girl Scouts of Colorado online for Cadette Book Club in Fall 2020!

Register for November here: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/november_2020_cadette_book_club_virtual

Register for December here: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/december_2020_cadette_book_club_virtual

In October, we read the delightfully frightful “Ghost Squad” by Claribel Ortega. We bolstered our courage, cloaked ourselves in Girl Scout magic, and ventured along with Lucely and Syd to battle the devious demons that had descended on the town of St. Augustine. Now, it’s your turn to prepare for the paranormal by making your very own ghost-catcher.

We’ve just passed Halloween and the crisp fall nights are feeling a bit spooky. Your challenge is to use your Girl Scout magic to turn a mundane household item into a ghost-catcher strong enough to stave-off even the most sinister spirits.

You’ll need your courage and creativity, along with these indispensable items:

  1. Strong container
  2. Something light and bright
  3. Happy memory

While not absolutely necessary, these other items might be helpful in crafting your ghost-catcher:

  1. Tape
  2. Markers
  3. Scissors
  4. Washi Tape
  5. Stickers
  6. Paper

Activity Directions:

Your ghost-catcher can be made of any item that you can snap shut at a moment’s notice. A recycled jar, an old coffee container, or a wooden box would all make great ghost traps.

To disguise your ghost-catcher from suspicious spirits, you may want to get a little bit crafty. Use whatever craft supplies or decorations you have around the house to dress-up your ghost-catcher.

Now, you need to add power to your ghost-catching receptacle. Ghosts love dark, spooky places. So, you need to vanquish them with something bright. Get creative with what that means to you. You could grab a yellow or orange item, an unlit candle, a picture of a sun, or anything that reminds you of light.

Your ghost-catcher only requires one more thing to make it ready-for-use: love. Grumpy ghosts don’t hate anything more than joy, so use a marker and some paper to write down a happy memory and tuck it into your container.

Close-up your ghost-catcher and store it somewhere safe. It is now fully fortified and ready for any spooky spirits you may encounter. In case you want to add some extra courage to your ghost-catcher, take a picture of it with one of your pets and share it with Girl Scouts of Colorado on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Twitter and Instagram users should also use #GSColo.

Warm, cuddly pets are widely known as excellent paranormal protectors. And, be sure to join us for our November and December Cadette Book Clubs!

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.

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How to have a Great Nature Walk

Step One: Pick a Natural Space

Pick a natural space you want to visit. Nature is everywhere, so this can be as close as your backyard or as distant as another state or country. We recommend starting out with a space close to home to better understand the nature that you are surrounded by every day. After that, you can explore even more areas and have a piece of your own natural space to compare and contrast.

Step Two: Plan and Prepare

What are you hoping to get out of your time in mature? Do you want to be like many other naturalists and write down your thoughts in a journal? Do you want to learn about the ecosystem you are visiting by heading to a nature center? Are you just looking for peace in a chaotic time? These are all great reasons, so be sure to cater your trip to YOU.

Step Three: Observe and Connect

Use all of your senses while you are taking your nature walk. What do you see? Smell? Hear? Immerse yourself in the wonder and beauty that surrounds you! How many colors can you find? How many plants can you smell? Go all out and explore the different ways you can connect! (You can even use the Japanese art of forest bathing to do this.)

Step Four: Reflect

How did your nature walk make you feel? Did it help you to find a deeper connection to nature? Did it inspire you to take on an environmental project? Do you find you’re your time in nature made you happy? At Peace? The opposite?! You get to decide the outcome, so make it count!

Step Five: Share

Share your journey with other Girl Scouts, family, or friends to help them better understand the natural world as well. Sharing your story wont just help you discover why you want to be a naturalist. It might also help others who are far removed from natural spaces to connect to nature again or find an appreciation for the great outdoors that they might not have had before.

Now, get out there and be a naturalist!

Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Naturalist Club meets twice a month. Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors meet every other week on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Register here. Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors meet every other week on Thursdays at 4 p.m. Register here.

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.

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Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Art Club: Origami Kusudama Flower

CSA Art Club is back for Fall 2020! Join us twice a month on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. We’ll get creative together and work on new projects like origami lotuses, self-esteem paintings, and matchbox art! Upcoming Meetings: October 20; November 3 and 17; and December 8. Register here.

Join us in creating pieces like this origami kusudama flower.

  1. Gather five square pieces of paper.
  2. Using one sheet, fold into a triangle by folding the bottom corner to the top corner.
  3. Fold the triangle into a diamond by folding the left and right corners to the top.
  4. Take the flaps and fold them outward to the left and ridge edges of the diamond.
  5. Open one side and insert finger into pocket of flap and squash down. Do both sides.
  6. Fold down the corner tips and fold triangles in half.
  7. Gently glue to sides together, forming a petal.
  8. Repeat steps with remaining paper and glue petals together!

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.

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Cadette Book Club: Ghosts, Spells, and Spirits- Just in Time for Halloween

Things are getting spooky in the town of St. Augustine. Our leading lady, 12-year-old Lucely Luna has completely accidentally, conjured malevolent forces forth from an old spell book. With the help of her best friend Syd, Grandma Babette, and Chunk the Cat, Lucely must try to save the town before time runs out. Fans of “Ghostbusters,” “Goonies,” and “Coco” will love this frightfully fun adventure. Sensitive readers beware, there are some scary sections.

Join Girl Scouts of Colorado staff on October 8, 2020 at 4 p.m. for Cadette Book Club as we discuss “Ghost Squad” by Claribel Ortega. Please read the book in its entirety before the book club and come prepared with your brilliant thoughts, poignant questions, and outstanding opinions.

Register Here: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2020/october_2020_cadette.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.

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Daisy, Brownie, Junior Art Club: Cloud Dough

Today we’re going to make our own cloud dough! If you would like more activities like this one, join us every other week on Tuesdays after school for GSCO’s Daisy, Brownie, Junior Art Club. Click here to register!

You will need:

  • Corn Starch
  • White conditioner (any kind)
  • Bowl
  • Spatula, popsicle stick, or spoon
  • Measuring cup
  • Food coloring (optional; gel is best)
  • Sandwich baggie (to store the cloud dough)

Let’s make our cloud dough!

  1. Add one cup of corn starch to the bowl.
  2. Add one cup of any white conditioner to the bowl. Add it gently, a little bit at a time, so it doesn’t send your cornstarch flying everywhere.
  3. If you want to add food coloring, do it now.
  4. Stir ingredients together. Start slowly so you don’t make a mess, and then, you can pick up speed as your ingredients come together.
  5. The dough will appear sticky at first. If it’s too dry, add more conditioner. If it’s too wet, add more corn starch.
  6. Eventually, you will need to pick the dough up with your hands and kneed it until you like the consistency.
  7. Now, take the cloud dough and make shapes or anything you want. Just have fun!

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.

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STEM Club Activity: Miniature Greenhouses

Today, we’re going to make our own miniature greenhouses! If you would like more activities like this one, join us every other week on Thursdays after school for one of GSCO’s STEM Clubs. Click here for Daisy STEM Club. Click here for Brownie and Junior STEM Club.

You will need:

  • One Paper plate
  • Markers
  • Soil
  • Seeds of any kind
  • Two Clear plastic cups
  • Tape

What is the greenhouse effect? From Britannica Kids: “The greenhouse effect is a warming of Earth’s surface and the air above it. It is caused by gases in the air that trap heat from the Sun. These heat-trapping gases are called greenhouse gases, a common greenhouse gas actually comes from our bodies! Carbon Dioxide! Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would be too cold for life to exist.”

What is a greenhouse? A greenhouse is a building where plants such as flowers and vegetables are grown. Greenhouses warm up during the day by capturing the heat from the sunlight and keep in the heat overnight. The warmth and humidity that a greenhouse provides helps the plants grow faster than they would without a greenhouse. A gardener without a greenhouse is like a cook without a stove!

Let’s make our greenhouse!

Step One: Decorate your plate and cup. You can decorate it with drawings of the plants that will grow in your greenhouse or however you choose. Get creative!

Step Two: Fill one of your clear plastic cups halfway with soil.

Step Three: Take your pinky finger and put four or five little holes in the soil.  Put your seeds in the holes you made in the soil. Then, put a little scoop of soil on top of the seeds!

Step Four: Add some water on top of the soil and place the other plastic cup on top of the other.

Step Five: Tape only one side of the two cups together so the cups can still open on a side and you can water it.  Set your greenhouse somewhere in your house that has sunshine and watch your plants grow!

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.