Camping activity ideas for Girl Scouts?

[stepmommyof1]

I run a brownie troop.

We have 8 girls and they are in 2nd and 3rd grade

Our meetings are indoors and so all activities have to be indoor things, which makes it harder, plus we don't have a lot of room to be running around at the place we meet.

Right now we are focusing on activities that revolve around camping.

This is what we have already done about camping:
Last week we learned to tie knots, did a weather relay, made camping snacks like trail mix and smores, learned about camping safety, and did an animal scavenger hunt.

Anyone have more ideas?
Thanks in advance

 

[The Mystery Machine]

How about camping songs and skits? That is an integral part of camping and girls love to act and sing.

Now they are young and will need help but there are many, many songs/skits that involve the whole troop that are simple that they could practice and then perform for the parents.

 

[jfranklyn]

You can do some simple compass training just by walking around a big room or outside. Setup "stations" that they have to find, that sort of thing.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Making sit-upons?

Materials: Old newspapers, garbage bags, stickers, colorful tape

Directions: Place a pile of folded newspapers inside a garbage bag. You want enough papers so that the user has a little insulation from the cold or wet of the ground. Fold the bag shut and seal. Decorate. This was the first activity we did in my Girl Scout day camp in 2nd grade.

Packing for a camping trip?

Place a bunch of items out and talk about the types of things you do need and don't need for a camping trip.

Sleeping bag roll-up relay?

Split the girls into teams. Each team has a rolled bag or bagged bag. Each team member needs to unpack the bag, get in the bag, get out of the bag, and repack the bag to give to the next girl. First team to get all members through the process wins.

How to build a better campfire?

Talk about materials and shapes for making a good campfire. Let the girls practice using food materials like pretzel rods (logs) shoestring potato crisps (kindling).

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Teach them how to roll a sleeping bag. Anyway you can set up a tent indoors, obviously without the tent pegs into the floor?

And have you looked into your Council's camps? I know our council lets you go to the camp, take a hike, use the facilities, etc. We were going hiking one day (cancelled due to rain) and there was no usage fee. We just needed to fill out a form to let them know we were coming.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

There is a very funny story in the Brownie handbook about a troop that goes camping and does everything wrong. My girls are acting it out for their bridging ceremony and are really having fun with it.
We are decorating big plastic containers to sit on at camp, instead of sit upons. They are big buckets with lids we got from the walmart bakery. They were used to hold frosting. It will be better than sitting on the ground. We are also making a first aid kit.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I agree with the bedrolls and tents. You can also do smores.. dont necessarily have to be worm.

Look at some of the Brownie Try-it and get ideas from there also.

Good luck!

I am taking my Daisy, Brownie and Junior troops camping next weekend.

 

[karibritt01]

If you have access to an oven, you can do indoor smores. Build the smore, wrap it in tinfoil, and put in a warm oven for about 5 minutes. We also did a campfire indoors using a "Smore Maker" which is a plug-in thing that looks like a campfire and has a lightbulb to cook marshmallows over. Anyway... we had the campfire and told stories and sang songs, and the girls loved it.

Are you planning to take them camping anytime soon? My Brownie troop is 2nd and 3rd, and we have done quite a few camping trips. My girls like to do cabins that at least have a light in the spring and fall, and we lodge camp in the winter. Lodge camping is a great first trip because the girls are indoors and feel more secure. Our worst experience was platform tents because the girls felt more "exposed" and were up an down all night long.

 

[minkydog]

Have you done any first aid training with the girls? They're not too young to learn how to treat a cut, a bruise, a blister, how to recognize poisonous plants and snakes. You need to really stress handwashing and wound washing, because a lot of kids don't too this. Also, you can teach them about calling 911.

 

[minniebeth]

You can also do smores.. dont necessarily have to be worm.

I just thought this was a really cute typo given the theme of the thread...

I agree with the first aid training, sleeping bag roll ups, packing for a camping trip, sit upons... maybe also different things you can do with a bandana?
A typical camp craft even...lanyard, things with popsicle sticks, and SWAPS~