Daisies Use Resources Wisely
Daisy Girl Scouts Earn the Green Petal Patch by Being Resourceful
Learn how to help Daisy Girl Scouts earn their green petal patch for using resources wisely. Environmental education can supplement any kindergarten curriculum.
The green petal of the Daisy Girl Scout patch set signifies an understanding of the concepts behind the Girl Scout Law’s promise to “use resources wisely.” Earning these petal patches is fun for both girls and leaders.
Crafts That Use Resources Wisely
There are many kindergarten craft activities that use recycled materials. Reusing materials for arts and crafts can help teach children not to be wasteful. Try putting out a bunch of cardboard boxes, scraps of paper and miscellaneous odds and ends on a table. Allow children to freely build and create whatever they want.
Games to Teach Recycling
You can teach kindergarteners how to use resources wisely by playing the recyclables relay game. Have each girl bring 2-3 recyclable items to the meeting. Set up a relay course where girls are timed to see how fast they can sort items into cardboard, plastic and glass for recycling.
Service Projects that Teach Resourcefulness
Have the Daisy Girl Scouts decorate large plastic recycling bins to be placed in a local bus stop or shopping strip mall. Make a sign-up sheet for the shop owners to empty the bins each month and be sure to send thank-you cards.
Girls can also volunteer to clean up a park or public area, being sure to sort recyclable items as they are picked up.
Swaps and Other Gifts From Reused Items
Girl Scouts exchange swaps at council-wide events. Have the girls collect buttons to make button necklaces or bracelets. Decorate second hand T-shirts for the girls to wear to a field trip or event or to give as a Thank-You gift to a guest speaker or other volunteer helper.
Guest Speakers That Use Resources Wisely
Who is the “greenest” person you know? People everywhere are using resources wisely in an effort to end global warming. Invite one of these people to your meeting to share ways that they conserve electricity, fuel and other resources.
Do you know anyone who lived during the Great Depression? When resources are scarce, people can be incredibly resourceful. During the Great Depression, everything was saved. Read one of the American Girl stories of Kit, who lived during the Great Depression, and invite someone who lived during that time to share his or her experiences and memories.
Awarding the Petal
There are no official rules about how to award Daisy Girl Scout Petals, but you might want to have the girls brainstorm ways that they have learned to conserve resources, and things they have learned about the environment. A brief discussion about what has been learned is a good way to solidify the lesson and the experiences in the girls’ mind and ensure that they know how to keep the promise to use resources wisely.
