Welcome!
You’ve decided to host a Girl Scouts Love State Parks Service Area Event! Yay!
Planning a large event is not always easy and some people simply don’t have the time to plan events from scratch. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide that lays it all out for you. This event is designed for all age levels, and Girl Scouts will earn their Love State Parks patch. The event takes place approximately 3–4 hours, depending on the amount of activities you are able to do at your location.
For event planning help, check out our Service Area Event Planning Guide.
When you finish your event, we’d love to hear how it went! Contact us to Share Your Story.
▶▶ Why Outdoor?
Through outdoor activities, Girl Scouts express a love for nature, show interest in the natural world, and continue pursuing activities that allow them to spend time outdoors. They take on new challenges and believe in their ability to learn and succeed in these endeavors. They learn how to prepare for and stay safe during outdoor activities, as well as minimize their impact on the environment. And they recognize the importance of environmental conservation, understand how their behavior has an impact, and take action to help protect the natural world.
▶▶ Council Support
This Service Area Event Guide comes with more than just a few activity ideas. To make your event as successful as possible, your Girl Scout staff are here to support you. We are happy to provide printed event guide, fliers, and handouts; planning support; and Service Area funding through spring allocations.
Service Areas will receive an allocation based on hosting quality local events for Girl Scouts that tie in with the GSNWGL Super Troop Year plan topics and that host at least one event that is open to Girl Scouts beyond their Service Area.
If you don’t find everything you need in this guide—we can help! Contact us with questions, comments, or suggestions via an email to info@gsnwgl.org
▶▶ Planning Your Event
There are two different ways to set up your event, depending on the number of girls attending and your own preference. The activities can be run one by one with the entire group. This format works best for groups of 30 or less, or with ample volunteers to help individual girls and troops. Or, the activities can be run in stations, dividing your entire group into 3–5 small groups for rotations. This works best for larger groups and requires many volunteers that feel comfortable leading activities.
Table of Contents
Council Support
Planning Your Event
Supplies
Activities
Leave No Trace Hand Signals
Scavenger Hunt
Girl
You can do Girl Scouts Love State Parks activities at any local park or Outdoor Area. If you have a State Park nearby, we recommend contacting the park staff to see if they have any of the following offers available:
• Free entry to Girl Scouts working on a Service Project (litter clean-up)
• Gear needed for litter clean-up
• A naturalist or ranger who can teach Girl Scouts about the local flora or fauna
• Shelter available in case of rain
• The ability to have fires in a fire ring
Another factor to consider with an outdoor event is weather. If your park does not have shelters or coverage in rain, you may consider a plan for a rain date or cancelling the event. If your park does have sheltered spaces, you can promote your event as rain or shine. Activities that can be done indoors are learning leave-no-trace, painting pots & planting seeds, leaf rubbings, the killer frog game, singing camp songs, and the nature lesson. You can also consider learning campfire safety while eating your deconstructed s’mores and seeing what scavenger hunt items you can spot while under your shelter.
Supplies
• Why Outdoor?
• Fuel wood
• Fire starter
• Matches
• Roasting sticks
• Graham crackers
• Chocolate
• Marshmallows
• Seeds
• Soil
• Planters
• Paint
• Brushes
• Crayons
• Paper
• Newspaper or disposable tablecloth
• Small trash bags
• Disposable gloves
• Girl Scouts Love State Park Passport (one per participant)
• Scavenger hunt (one per participant)
• Photo scavenger hunt (one per Cadette/Senior/Ambassador)
• Nature journal (optional)
Full Group: Introduction
• Welcome the girls to the event.
• Explain where the restrooms and drinking water can be found.
• Go through the schedule for the day.
• Let them know that there will be an evaluation at the end, and they need to complete one to earn their badge (if you are providing one).
Full Group: Link! Outdoor Edition
Time: 15 minutes
▶ Instructions
1. Everyone gathers in a line facing the lead (one of the adults).
2. The lead says their name and something they like to do outside (e.g., My name is Mary and I like to go swimming.).
3. Anyone who likes the same thing yells “Link!” and runs toward the lead. The first person to reach the lead hooks arms with them, creating the first link in the chain. Everyone else goes back to the starting line to try again.
4. The cycle repeats, with the newest link saying their name and something they like to do outside. Again, anyone who likes the same activity yells “Link!” and runs to link arms with the growing chain, returning to the start line if they aren’t first.
5. Continue until everyone is part of the chain, and end by finding a link between the first and last person to create a circle.
Full Group: Introducing Leave No Trace (LNT)
Time: 15 minutes
▶ Supplies
• Girl Scouts Love State Parks Passport
• LNT Hand Signs handout
▶ Instructions
1. Introduce Leave No Trace. We practice Leave No Trace whenever we are outside to help protect the environment and leave as little evidence we were there as we can. There are 7 Principles—like having 7 rules we should follow. Luckily, Leave No Trace and Girl Scouts have a lot in common…we like to leave the world a better place.
2. Teach the group the LNT principles using the hand signs handout.
3. Have the girls stand in the middle of a large area (it could be a playfield or a larger room). Tell the girls that one side will be the Okay side, and one will be the No Way side. You will read a scenario, and the girls need to go to the side they think is accurate for the scenario. Okay means that it fits with LNT and is okay to do, and No Way is what they should not do. After each principle, teach the hand sign that goes with it.
• Before going on a hike, I’m going to check the weather of where I’m going so I’m dressed properly. Okay! (Be Prepared) Know where you are going and be prepared for any weather that may happen.
• If I see a really cool flower in the woods off the trail, I am going to leave the trail to get a closer look. No way! (Hike on Durable Surfaces) We should stay on already established paths. By leaving the path we could be ruining a small ecosystem.
• I just finished my apple. I’m going to throw it in the woods because it won’t hurt anything. No way! (Dispose of Waste Properly) Animals could be attracted to the food and put themselves or hikers at risk by coming closer to humans.
• I found a really neat rock on the shore of Lake Superior! I’m going to take a picture of it and leave it where I found it.
Okay! (Leave Nature) All parts of nature are important. Leave what you find as it is—you can take pictures, but that is it.)
• When I build a fire, I use a fire ring. If there isn’t a fire ring, then I’ll use a fire pan or camp stove. Okay! (Minimal Impact Fire) Fires can cause permanent damage on nature. If there is a fire ring, then you can use that. If not, you should use a fire pan or camp stove, rather than creating fire on bare ground.
• When hiking along a well-used trail, a squirrel comes up while I’m eating lunch. I give it some of my sandwich.
No way! (Respect Wildlife) You should not approach wildlife, or else they may get used to humans. Keep a good distance away from all wildlife.
• When I’m camping I love to listen to music! I play it loud so that everyone at the campsite can enjoy it too! No way! (Be Respectful of Other Visitors) Be respectful of other people on the trail or at the campsite. Being loud and disruptive could ruin somebody else’s camping experience.
4. See if the girls at the end can do all the hand signs by memory.
Rotation
A: Campfire Cooking
Time: 30 minutes
▶ Supplies
• A fire going already
• Graham crackers
▶ Instructions
• Chocolate
• Marshmallows
• Roasting forks
• Disposable gloves
Have the girls sit around the fire respectfully. Then, go through the fire safety rules. As you go through each rule, ask the girls why they think it’s important.
Fire Safety
1. Use walking feet. Running near a campfire is dangerous.
2. Walk around benches to get closer to the fire. Jumping or stepping over benches can cause us to trip or fall.
3. When you are near the fire, anything dangling should be tied back or tucked away. This includes long hair or hoodie strings.
4. Approach the fire ring slowly and carefully.
5. Stay outside of the fire ring, even when cooking or tending to the fire.
6. When cooking or tending to the fire, you should always have three points touching the ground, ideally two feet and a knee. This keeps you stable and allows you to move away quickly if you need to.
7. Do not swing your cooking utensils around. Whether it’s hot from being in the fire or it has food on it, you don’t want to risk hurting someone or losing your food.
Have the girls roast marshmallows to make s’mores while following their safety guidelines. After s’mores are finished, this is a great time to do a camp song such as “The Princess Pat” which can be sung repeat-after-me style.
“The Princess Pat”
The Princess Pat, lived in a tree
She sailed across the seven seas
She sailed across the channel, too
And she brought with her, a rig-a-bam-boo
Chorus:
A rig-a-bam-boo, now what is that?
It’s something made by the Princess Pat
It’s red and gold and purple, too
That’s why it’s called a rig-a-bam-boo
▶ Ask the Group
• Which of the Leave No Trace principles did we use?
• How did we practice fire safety while roasting marshmallows?
• How did we keep our fire “low impact”?
Now Captain Jack had a mighty fine crew
They sailed across the channel, too
But their ship sank, and yours will, too
If you don’t have a rig-a-bam-boo
Chorus:
A rig-a-bam-boo, now what is that?
It’s something made by the Princess Pat
It’s red and gold and purple, too
That’s why it’s called a rig-a-bam-boo
Rotation B: Hike Scavenger Hunt
Time: 30 minutes
▶ Supplies
• Scavenger Hunt handout (one per Daisy, Brownie, or Junior)
• Photography Scavenger Hunt handout (one per Cadette, Senior, or Ambassador)
▶ Instructions
Daisies, Brownies, Juniors
Before the hike is a great time to take the girls on a quick bathroom break, play a game of Killer Frog while you wait for girls to finish up.
Killer Frog
1. Girls sit in a circle. Choose one girl to be the Detective (it helps if she has played Killer Frog before).
2. The Detective goes off where you can still see her. She should be facing away from the group with her eyes closed and ears covered.
3. Have all the girls close their eyes. Choose a girl to be the Killer Frog (again, it helps if she has played this before). Tap her on the head. If the girls don’t know who the Killer Frog is, then they can’t give it away to the Detective.
4. Once you pick your Killer Frog, have the girls call the Detective back. She will come and stand in the middle of the circle, trying to figure out who the Killer Frog is.
5. As the Detective is trying to figure out who the Killer Frog is, the Killer Frog is sticking her tongue out at the other girls in the circle. She needs to try doing this without having the Detective catching her.
6. When a girl sees the Killer Frog stick her tongue out at her, then she pretends she’s died by lying back. It’s much more fun if the girl can be dramatic!
7. The Detective gets three guesses. If she doesn’t guess in those three guesses, the Killer Frog reveals herself. The Killer Frog then becomes the next Detective, and you pick the next Killer Frog.
Give each girl a copy of the scavenger hunt. As they are looking for the items on the list, tell them that they should also be looking for different kinds of animal homes. They should observe the area around them, looking at the ground for burrows or spider webs, and in the trees for squirrel or bird nests.
Take the girls on their hike that will last around 15–20 minutes. Remind them to be quiet, so that they might be able to see wildlife.
When you return from your hike, ask the girls: What from your scavenger hunt were you able to find the most of? What was the most difficult to find? Did you see any signs of animals or animal homes? What do animals need to survive here? Take the girls to a clear space in the woods, with little underbrush. Have the girls try to make animal homes similar to the ones they found using sticks and rocks they can find on the ground. Have them think of elements that would help their animal survive.
When they are finished, each group can show what they made and describe what animal could live in their home and the different elements that could help them survive.
Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors
Take the girls on a hike that will last about 30 minutes.
Have girls use cameras or phones to take pictures of each item on the photography hunt list. If girls don’t have a camera, they can partner with someone who does or do the scavenger hunt used for D/B/J.
During the last few minutes, bring the girls together to share a favorite picture. What from their list was the easiest to find or take a picture of? What was the most difficult? How did the photo scavenger hunt make you see or find things you would have overlooked on a typical hike?
Rotation C: Seed Planting Art Project
Time: 30 minutes
▶ Supplies
• A small planter for each girl
• Soil
• Seeds
• Acrylic paint
▶ Instructions
• Paint brushes
• Water cups
• Newspapers or tablecloth to catch paint
• Crayons
• Paper
• Girl Scouts Love State Parks Passport
Have each girl put soil loosely in their planter; they can put in their seed by making a small hole in the soil with their finger. Once their seed is planted they can carefully decorate the outside of the planter with paint. Wash out brushes and leave both the planter and brushes out to dry.
If there is spare time after this activity, girls can fill out their Girl Scouts Love State Parks Passports, do leaf rubbings, or play Killer Frog to pass the time.
Have an ending discussion when all of the girls are done. Ask them to look around and notice all of the different plants around them. All of the tiny plants, tall trees, grass, and flowers. Share that when we have gardens or plants in our home, a lot of times it’s by humans taking seeds and placing them in soil.
▶ Ask the Group
• How do you think all of these plants were planted here?
• How do you think a tree or plant could use wind or animals to spread their seeds? To get ideas flowing you can mention blowing dandelions seeds, show how the maple seed helicopters catch wind, and point out birds eating berries or squirrels burying acorns.
• What do you think the seeds of the tall trees would look like? If you have pine cones, acorns, or maple tree seeds, you can show them.
Rotation D: Litter Clean-Up
Time: 30 minutes
▶ Supplies
Trash bags and gloves
▶ Instructions
Rule #4 of Leave No Trace is take only pictures and leave only footprints. We don’t want to take anything from nature and we don’t want to leave anything behind. We are going to clean up litter left here by park visitors to help make sure that nothing is left behind. This will help keep plastic out of our waters and away from animals who may mistake it for food. For each girl picking up trash, make sure she has at least one glove to cover the hand used to pick up trash. The group can have a couple of trash bags to place litter in. Take a walk near areas that are frequented by visitors to find the most litter. Common walking paths that lead to restrooms, visitor centers, or park attractions may be key spots.
▶ Ask the Group
• What sort of litter did we find the most of?
• Where did we find the most litter?
Rotation E: Learn About Local Wildlife
Time: 30 minutes
▶ Instructions
• How or why do you think people left it there?
• How can we do better to make sure we don’t litter?
This is dependent on resources available by the park. The park may have a naturalist that can teach you about local plants, or they may have a preplanned class about a specific animal, or they may have a visitor center with displays about the local wildlife.
If your park does not have any of these, try getting a local plant and wildlife guidebook to help you and the girls identify the local trees and plants in the area. See if you can find evidence of bugs or animals while you do your exploration.
▶ Ask the Group
• What was your favorite thing you learned?
• Did anything surprise you?
Time: 15 minutes
Instructions
1. Group everyone up into a circle
2. Go around the circle and each girl can say their favorite part of the day.
3. End with a friendship circle.
4. Girls cross their right arm over their left, hold hands and pass a hand-squeeze around the circle. Once it reaches back to the beginning, girls can spin back out of the circle.
5. Girls can fill out the survey.
Leave No Trace Hand Signs
1. Plan Ahead & Prepare Think about what to expect.
2. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces Stay on the trail.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly Pack out trash and food and dig catholes for human waste.
4. Leave What You Find Take a picture instead.
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts Be careful with fire.
6. Respect Wildlife Observe from a distance.
7. Be Considerate of Others Be kind and courteous.
Nature Hike Scavenger Hunt
As you are looking for the items on the list, look for different kinds of animal homes. Observe the area around you, looking at the ground for burrows or spider webs, and in the trees for squirrel or bird nests.
Remember to be quiet, so that you might be able to see wildlife!
bird el pájaro
ant la hormiga
flower la flor
animal tracks las huellas de los animales
acorn la bellota
leaf la hoja
stick el palo
spider la araña
nest el nido
animal home el hogar de los animales
log el tronco
berries las bayas
feather la pluma
fern el helecho
conifer tree needles las agujas de las coníferas
rock la piedra
worm el gusano
spiderweb la telaraña
rabbit el conejo
squirrel la ardilla
pinecone la piña
seeds las semillas
insect el insecto
seedling la plántula
mushroom el hongo
moss el musgo
Photography Scavenger Hunt
On your nature hike, take photos of the items described below. The nature hike will last approximately 30 minutes, and when you are done, be prepared to share your favorite picture! Think about which item was the easiest to photograph and which was the most difficult. Did the photo scavenger hunt make you see or find things you might have otherwise overlooked?
STATE PARK
Red Green Orange Blue Yellow Purple
Something from every color of the rainbow A tree from below looking up
that spirals
stripe pattern
Same object in a landscape photo
world from an insect’s perspective Something close up
polka dot pattern
animal home
A selfie with a park sign
An animal or tracks
To show their respect for nature,
Girl Scouts always practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace. Check Them Out: Leave No Trace
Before-You-Go Checklist
Girl Scouts are always prepared! Before heading outdoors, remember to plan ahead. Here’s a simple checklist of items to consider packing for your adventure.
Girl Scouts Love State Parks Evaluation
Thanks for taking our survey! Please read each question carefully and mark the best answer for you—don’t worry about how your friends are answering. If you don’t understand a question, please ask an adult for help.
Circle your Girl Scout level:
At the event: 1. I shared my opinions and ideas. 2. We learned by doing activities, not just listening. 3. We talked about what worked and didn’t work. 4. The thing I liked most about this event was: 5. Something I didn’t like about this event (not including this survey!) was:
Daisy Brownie Junior Cadette Senior Ambassador Adult
Girl Scouts Love State Parks
Join us for a Girl Scouts Love State Parks event with Service Area! Girl Scouts, are you ready to earn your Girl Scouts Love State Parks patch? For girls in grades: K–12
Where: Local park
When: Friday, July 11 | 2–4 PM Register today!
Girl Scouts
Love State Parks
