Brownie Celebrating Community Badge

There are 5 requirements for earning the Brownie "Celebrating Community" badge.  They are:


1.  Explore community symbols.
2. Sing together.
3. Follow the parade.
4. Be a landmark detective.
5. Join a celebration.

1. Explore community symbols: go on a flag hunt. 
Maya and her Daisy sister (who is now a Brownie as well), "M" went on a flag hunt throughout Lansdale Borough.  Over a mile, the girls found 116 American flags and countless military, novelty, and other country flags!

2.  Sing together: find three celebration songs.
Maya and "M" sang together "Make New Friends", "Happy Birthday", and "America, the Beautiful".

3.  Follow the parade: join a parade.
Maya took part in the 66th annual Lansdale Mardi Gras parade to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas.  She was also the Flag Bearer for the Service Unit!

4.  Be a landmark detective: Tour a landmark that honors the past.
Maya toured the Jenkins Homestead, one of the founding buildings in Lansdale.  It is now home to our Historical Society.

5.  Join a celebration: join a town ceremony.
Maya attended the Arts Festival, a tradition at our annual Founders Day celebration, in addition to participating in other town events on this special day.

Brownie Computer Expert Badge

There are 5 requirements to completing the Brownie "Computer Expert" badge.

1. Paint or draw with an art program.
2. Find some cool facts
3. Take a trip online.
4. Make a connection.
5. Have more computer fun.

Maya completed this badge as part of the GSEP "Computer Whizz Kids" program.

From the description:
It’s amazing what you can do on a computer! Draw a picture, send a message, and even travel around the world. Use web-based programs to learn new facts and explore the world around you and beyond!

LSF Brownie Scientific Achievement Badge

The Lancaster Science Factory, in conjunction with Girl Scouts, has created the Brownie Scientific Achievement Badge.  Maya, along with her siblings and one of her Brownie Sisters, went to LSF and completed the requirements, found here.

Brownie Inventor Badge

There are five steps to the Brownie "Inventor" badge.  They are:

1. Warm up your inventor's mind
2. Find lots of ways to solve the same problem
3. Make a needs list
4. Solve a problem
5. Share your invention

1. Warm up your inventor's mind: Come up with fun and different things you can make from circles.
Using the Think in Circles exercise in the badge workbook, Maya created circles!  Lots of circles!

2. Find lots of ways to solve the same problem: Making music. 
With her brothers, Maya created music from a variety of household items.  They:
tapped spoons together,
banged pots and pans,
banged lid tops,
knocked spoons against the wall,
strummed runner bands,
knocked lids against pots,
tapped chopsticks together,
hit wooden spoons against each other,
closed doors of cabinets to the beat of a song,
tapped water glasses with spoons,
turned a metal bowl upside down and tapped with hands for drums

3. Make a needs list: Mornings.
Maya created a list of things for her parents based on their morning routines and what they need to get done each morning.

4. Solve a problem: Mind Map.
Using the Mind Map exercise in the badge workbook, Maya identified a household problem (a broken cabinet door in the kitchen) and created solution ideas.

5. Share your invention: Draw it.
Maya drew out her idea for how to fix the kitchen cabinets and discussed it with her dad.  They talked about why the wood glue was a good idea but that, due to the type of break and age of the cabinet, that her plan wouldn't work and new cabinets need to be bought.

Brownie Money Manager Badge

There are five steps to the Brownie "Money Manager" badge.  They are:
1. Shop for elf items with your elf doll.
2. Go grocery shopping.
3. Go clothes shopping.
4. Get ready for school.
5. Have some fun.

1. Shop for elf items with your elf doll: Go shopping at home.
We created our own little imaginary store and the kids practiced their math skills as part of our homeschooling.  Maya dressed her paper elf doll and then proceeded to do the requirements for this section.  For $10, she bought dog food ($10).  For $15, she bought chicken ($5), fish ($4), bread ($3), and PB ($3).  For $20, she bought cookies ($4), eggs ($2), cheese ($4), baked beans ($2), elfaroni ($2), spaghetti sauce (#$2), lettuce ($2), and tomatoes ($2).

2. Go grocery shopping: Shop at a store/on paper/online.
Maya often is my grocery helper so we created a hybrid of the requirements so that she could shop and compare stores, paper, and online.    For her list and prices, she used the online/in store prices of our local Wegman's.
Apple (lb) $2.69
Oranges (5) $4
Blueberries (18oz) $28.99
Grapes (2lbs)  $4.58
Kiwi (lb) $3.99
TOTAL: $24.25
Budget: $30
Remainder: $5.75


3. Go clothes shopping: Browse through catalogs/shop secondhand.
We did a hybrid of this.  Maya went with me to the secondhand store to shop and she helped me create 10 outfits for $60 total.  In addition, she took her paper elf doll shopping on paper, creating a few outfits for $30 or less.

4. Get ready for school: You have $15 total.
Because we homeschool and I buy their supplies at the start of the year, Maya did faux shopping with her paper elf doll for items that are standard to our supplies: notebooks, pencils, erasers, and a backpack.  She had the following as her price list:
5 notebooks $5
12 pencils $2
5 erasers $1
backpack $15
With her $15, she was only able to buy notebooks, pencils, and erasers.  She would have needed $23 to add in the backpack.

5. Have some fun: Go to the movies with a friend.
Maya compared 2 theaters (the closest Regal and the small, independent theater our family always goes to, The Grand) for tickets and concessions for 4 people.

The Regal:
4 tickets: $32
snacks (small popcorn and small soda each): $40
Total: $72

The Grand:
4 tickets: $12
snacks (kid pack of small popcorn, small soda or water, and candy): $14
Total: $26

Brownie My Best Self Badge

There are 5 steps to complete the Brownie "My Best Self" badge.  They are:

1.  Get to know your body.
2.  Eat and play in a healthy way.
3.  Find out how your body works.
4.  Know what to do if something bugs you.
5.  Meet a health helper.


Maya completed this badge as part of the GSEP "Halloween Yoga Adventure" program.

From the description:
Come celebrate the magic of Halloween through yoga! Use your imagination as you take a yoga adventure full of harvest essentials. Learn fun yoga poses, make a fun craft, and enjoy some serious relaxation. Costumes are encouraged but optional!

 

 

(unfortunately, my photos failed to upload and I had already deleted them from my phone :( )

Additionally, Maya completed Step 1: Get to know your body: Color in your hair, eyes, and favorite clothes.  In the Brownie handbook packet for "My Best Self", there is a My Elf Self project, where girls create their "elf" self.

Maya decided to do this activity as part of her homeschool art lesson.  We measured her limbs and height, and she learned how to do so.  She enjoyed looking at her Brownie sash to color in the sash she put on her elf self.

Brownie Fair Play Badge

There are 5 requirements to earning the Brownie "Fair Play" badge.

1. Follow the rules.
2. Include everyone.
3. Be part of a team
4. Keep score.
5. Have a field day.

Maya completed this badge as part of the GSEP "Fit Fun" program.  She had a great time, and even learned some Zumba moves!

From the description:
Do you like sports and recess? Get creative and work within small groups to create new rules for your favorite games. You’ll discover how much fun changing things up can be! We are going to have a field day full of friends, fitness, and festivities. Playing games is exercise, and exercise is fun!

Brownie Explorer Program and the Brownie Archery Try-It

Maya participated in the Brownie Explorer program run by our Council.  Although no badges were earned, girls could have used the activities (archery, nature hike, nature art) to fulfill other requirements.  Because Maya loves archery, we've decided to complete the requirements of the Girl Scouts of Southern NJ's Brownie Archery Try-It.  (You can find the requirements here and purchase the badge here.)  Maya completed the following steps of the requirements:

 

4. Demonstrate the correct way of pulling an arrow from the target, and picking it up from the ground.

5. Demonstrate the correct stance used for shooting
6. Know the safety zone.
7. Know and follow the archery range whistle commands.

Here is a video of her at SR and SR, and here is today at MH.
She completed most of these at the Courageous Campers program at the Shelly Ridge camp, but then repeated and expanded upon them at the Brownie Explorer program today at Mountain House camp.   Funny enough, she completed the requirements of the Cadette Archery badge.  I have a feeling that will be her first Cadette badge in a few years!

Here are some pics from the program.

Brownie My Family Story Badge

There are five steps to earning the Brownie "My Family Story" badge.

They are:
1. Explore family stories.
2. Know where your family is from.
3. Make a story tree.
4. Find an object that means something to your family.
5. Share your family story.


Step 1. Explore family stories: Read 2 stories staring families.
Maya handled story time for her two younger brothers.  She selected 2 books from the library that she felt talked about families. "Mad and Mommy" and "Lola Reads to Leo", then she read to her brothers during our homeschool time.  Afterwards, she and I discussed the families in the story and how they are similar/different to our family.

Step 2. Know where your family is from: Ask about a family recipe.
For her youngest brother's birthday party, Maya helped to make "Mimi's Party Punch", a punch that her maternal grandmother has been making for family parties since the 1970s (and a recipe she learned from her aunt).  It's something we make for every party.  (I have no pictures because I was too busy getting the party ready).  It's a simple punch, but one that we enjoy because of all the memories.
Mimi's Party Punch
-1 large can of pineapple juice
-1 bottle of 100% juice fruit punch
-1 liter of ginger ale
-1 cup of orange juice
-2 pints of different sorbet (we like lemon and mango) (originally, this was sherbet, but I have a child allergic to food dye, so we use natural sorbet instead)
To keep it cold, I also like to add frozen fruit.
Mix and serve!  It's that easy!


Step 3. Make a story tree: Use the story tree.
Because we have more family than the tree allowed, I copied and pasted over the book tree.  This allowed Maya to make sure her siblings were all included.  While she colored the pictures, she asked me to write down the fun facts that she chose.  Here were her selections:
MAYA- Favorite color is blue
ROBERT- Nickname is Bobby
NICHOLAS- Favorite food was pork chops*
SOPHIA- Favorite food was kielbasa and pierogi*
ALEXANDER-Nickname is Alex*
MICHAEL- Loves to eat superhero cheese
LUCAS- Favorite food is milkies
NEW BABY- Will be born around Mother's Day 2017**
DADDY- Likes "knock knock" jokes
MOMMY- Favorite thing to do is write

Step 4. Find an object that means something to your family: Talk about an object that has been handed down.
Maya learned about a ring that is special to our family.  Her great-grandmother, known as Yaya (Greek yaiyai for Grandmother), gave me a pearl ring before she died that, one day, I'll pass on to Maya.  The ring was made by Maya's great-grandfather's brother, who made jewelry, as a gift for her great-grandfather to give to her great-grandmother.  The filigree was all done by hand  and the large pearl is real.  The ring itself is invaluable, both for the pearl and for the history.  Maya was so excited to be able to put the ring on and talk about Yaya and how the ring came to be mine.

Step 5. Share your family story: Make a family crest.
Maya created a coat of arms using the webpage http://makeyourcoatofarms.com.  It was free and I recommend it for this step of the badge.  She had a lot of fun selecting the color, motto, and values.  She chose "Friendship and Honor" as our family motto, and selected the following 4 values: animal loving, brave, creative, and fair.