How to Make the World a Better Place: Girl Scout Activity Ideas

Since the Girl Scouts organization was founded in 1912, over 50 million girls have participated in the program. There are various different aspects to being a Girl Scout. One of the many things that members of all levels work on is learning different ways to make the world a better place. Troop members can work together or individually on certain projects to fully understand how their participation can make a difference.

Recycling

Visit a recycling center and see how items are sorted and recycled. To further teach how things can be recycled, have the girls collect and bring in old, unused items from home, such as empty tissue boxes, scraps of material and ribbon, old hair clips and small toys. Have them create bird feeders, keepsake boxes or sculptures out of the materials they bring in. Another idea that fits in with a recycling theme is a book swap. Have the girls bring in their own books that they are willing to share, and let the girls swap books with one another. This can even be a monthly activity where the girls get to re-swap the books they have read. At the end of the year, the girls can get their original books back, or all the books can be donated to the local library.

Collecting for the Needy

Teach them about helping those who are less fortunate by setting up a collection for an organization. Food banks, shelters and animal rescue groups are a few ideas of places that often look for donations. Make up fliers to pass out to family, friends and neighbors to ask for donations. When the collection is over, arrange for the girls to deliver their donations to the chosen organization.

Reducing Energy Consumption

Teach the girls the importance of reducing energy consumption and using the Earth's resources wisely. Ask each girl to give up all electronics for a certain amount of time each week. They can either do a daily pledge, such as no television or video games after dinner, or they can do a weekly pledge of giving up a favorite show or not using a specific electronic device for the week. Another idea is for them to enlist their families in turning off all electronics for one evening and using that time to play board games, cards or to take a family bike ride or walk during that time instead.

Earth Day

Plan activities that represent Earth Day -- April 22 -- for your meeting day that is closest to Earth Day. Ideas for activities include taking the troop to a local park, playground or senior citizen center to clean up trash and plant flowers. Another idea is to discuss how much waste there is and how they can minimize waste. One example is to explain how many plastic water bottles are thrown away each year and how reusable water bottles reduce waste. As part of the activity, the girls can decorate reusable water bottles, and then take them home to use them.