Cookie Sale Paper Plate Game

Our Brownies have been working on their Family Story badges at home over the holidays, and the plan was to have the girls share what they learned during our next meeting.  I recently learned that half of the girls in the troop are not going to be there.  Knowing there would only be a couple of Family Story presentations, I decided to plan some other fun activities to keep the girls entertained for the remainder of the meeting.  In my last post, I provided some alternatives to the popular Pinterest Paper Plate Game.  As I was running errands this morning, I came up with a paper plate game related to the Girl Scout Cookie Sale.  Hope you enjoy! 

Cookie Sale Paper Plate Game
1.  Draw a table.
2.  Draw boxes of Girl Scout cookies on the table.
3.  Draw a Girl Scout next to the table.
4.  The Girl Scout is wearing a vest.  Add badges to the vest.
5.  The Girl Scout is holding a sign with the cost of one box of cookies.

POINTS:
2 points if your cookies are on the table.
1 point for each box of cookies.
1 point if your Girl Scout is next to but not touching the table.  
1 point if the vest is on the Girl Scout.
1 point for each badge that is touching the vest.
1 point if the Girl Scout is touching the sign.
1 point if the cost of a box of cookies is correct.
2 points if the cost of the cookies is on the sign.

Girl Scouts at all levels can enjoy this fun game, and I think it can be played at any time of the year.  Cookie Sales in our area started yesterday.  I invite you to check out the other posts I've published describing how our girls have geared up and prepared for Cookie Sales in the past.  (Look for the Cookies! label in the left margin as you scroll down the page).  During this cookie season, bundle up, stay safe, and have fun!  
   

After Girl Scout Cookie Sales: My Observations as a Troop Leader and a Parent

My older daughter joined Girl Scouts when she was in kindergarten.  She is currently finishing her first year as a Junior Girl Scout.  Her troop has always participated in the annual Cookie Sale, so she now has five years of experience selling Girl Scout cookies.  When talking with other Girl Scout troop leaders, the opinions about the Girl Scout Cookie Sale can be quite varied.  On the positive side, when selling cookies, the girls have an opportunity to learn and practice five essential life skills including goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.  Depending on the girls' ages and program level, there are numerous badges to earn while selling cookies.  Examples of these badges include the following:  Money Manager, Philanthropist, Meet My Customers, Business Owner, Financing My Future, and Good Credit...just to name a few.  The internet provides a wealth of resources for troop leaders to share their positive and negative cookie-selling experiences and to engage in conversations with other leaders about the Cookie Sale.  In this post, I will share a story about my daughter.  I believe this story would have been much different if she had not been involved in Girl Scouts (specifically the Girl Scout Cookie Sale). 

This spring, my daughter is playing softball on a newly organized team.  The coaches of the team arranged a fundraiser at our local Chipotle.  The girls were encouraged to promote the fundraiser to family, friends, and neighbors.  They were asked to come to the restaurant wearing their softball uniforms, and most of them sat together in a booth near the line of hungry customers.  They were instructed to ask the customers to support the fundraiser when paying for their order, and Chipotle would give a portion of the proceeds back to the team.  

At first, my daughter behaved as any typical nine-year-old would behave when asked to approach strangers.  She was shy and didn't respond to my encouraging nudges.  Most of her teammates were eating dinner with their families, so she realized she would initially be doing this on her own.  Sensing her hesitation, I started talking with some of the customers about the fundraiser.  After overhearing my conversations with several customers, my daughter looked at me and asked if she could talk to the next customer about supporting their team.  I gladly stepped aside.  I watched her approach a woman and her teenage son, excusing herself as she interrupted their conversation.  I heard her explain how the fundraiser works and how their team could benefit when they placed their orders.  After that initial interaction, I could see an increase in her confidence.  She then talked with a man who appeared to be grabbing dinner on his way home from work.  I wasn't the only one to notice.  One of her teammate's tapped my daughter on the shoulder and asked if she could help talk to the next customer.  Several moments later, another teammate asked if she could join them.  Not long thereafter, there were five girls taking turns asking customers to support the team.

On our way home from Chipotle, my daughter and I talked about the evening.  I asked her what she liked and didn't like about the event.  She told me she liked when her teammates joined her when talking with the customers.  We discussed how her experience selling Girl Scout cookies helped her help the team.  I made sure to point out that the lessons she is learning as a Girl Scout will be valuable to her throughout her life.  

Selling cookies is demanding from the perspective of the troop's Cookie Parent, the Troop Leaders, and the adults helping the girls at home.  That all aside, I couldn't ignore my observations that night at Chipotle.  It was clear that all of the work has been worth it, and I wanted to share the story on this blog.  It's exciting to watch blossoming leaders step into action--whether it's a girl in your troop, a girl on the softball team, or your own daughter.  The girls in our troop have come a long way over the past five years.  I invite you to scroll through the links under the "Cookies!" tab in the left margin and read about our experiences with the Cookie Sale through the years.  As always, thank you for reading!

Christmas Party 2014

This is our first year having a blended troop:  five Junior Girl Scouts and three Brownies.  We had our troop Christmas Party last night.  When possible, I like to incorporate badge steps into our meetings, activities, and events while allowing the girls to help with the planning. 

This year, the Juniors decided to work on the Detective badge.  The first step for this badge is "Practice the power of observation."  I remembered playing the Tray Game at a baby shower.  I thought this game would be a great way for the girls to work on their observation skills.  I collected a variety of Christmas-related items and placed them on a tray.  The girls (Juniors and Brownies) were given about thirty seconds to view the tray, and then they were given one minute to write down as many items as they could remember.  (For future reference, I would give them more time to write).  In years past, we have not awarded prizes for game winners at our troop parties.  This year, I found really cute Christmas socks at Dollar Tree.  I bought a few pairs, and the winner of the Tray Game was first to choose a pair of socks from the prize bag.

I was really excited to see that Step 5 for the Detective badge is "Follow the clues to solve a real mystery."  One day while I was bumping around online, I came across Merri Mysteries.  This website offers mystery party game kits that are available for purchase.  The website is organized into various categories:  murder mysteries, mysteries that aren't murders, for girls, for boys, for teens, for schools, and for holidays.  I couldn't wait to share the idea of a having a Mystery Party/Christmas Party with the girls in the troop.  After reading through the options, I chose the "Who Stole the Cookies?" (Mini Version) Mystery Kit.  It is not a murder mystery.  It is written for 8 to 16 guests, so it is appropriate for the size of our group.  The characters in the story are fairy tale characters all the girls know and love.  This mini version can be done in about 30-40 minutes.  Most importantly, this mystery involves cookies, and Girl Scout cookies will be available in the very near future.  This Mystery Kit seemed like the obvious choice for our Girl Scout Troop Christmas Party. When I presented the idea to the girls, they agreed to use $20 from troop funds to purchase this mystery kit.  

A Host Guide is included with the script for the mystery.  This makes party planning really easy.  The kit provides tips for preparing for the party, costume ideas, and suggestions for the decor and menu.  Prior to the meeting, the girls drew characters out of a hat.  I emailed the parents the cast list, and I included the costume suggestions listed in the kit.  Families were encouraged to use what costumes or accessories they had at home or to borrow from others in the troop.  The plan was to give a pair of those Dollar Tree Christmas socks to the girl who correctly guessed which character stole the cookies.  If there had been a tie, we would have drawn a name to determine the winner. 

Left to Right:  Cinderella, Goldilocks, Alice, Peter Pan, Dorothy, Snow White, Aladdin, and Little Red Riding Hood

We didn't decorate our meeting space for the Mystery Party, but we did have some special snacks.  In addition to the Detective badge, the Juniors are working on the Simple Meals badge.  The Brownies are working on their Snacks badge.  Both badges have a step that offers the choice of making a holiday treat:  Simple Meals badge Step 4 is "Create a delicious dessert."  Snacks badge Step 3 is "Try a sweet snack."  While planning out our year, I suggested we have a Cookie Exchange during our Christmas Party.  The girls and leaders were asked to bake cookies at home with their families.  They then brought a dozen of these treats to share with the other girls in the troop.  We had them vote for the "Best Cookie" (based on appearance only), but they were not allowed to vote for their own.  The winner received a pair of the Christmas socks out of the prize bag.  The girls chose two cookies to eat at the party, and the rest were packed up to take home.  Again, this is super simple for the host of the party, and the girls really enjoyed the Cookie Exchange.  We finished what we had planned for the party with a few minutes to spare. We filled this extra time by having the girls play the Minute to Win It--Stack Attack.  We introduced this relay game to the girls at our troop Christmas Party in 2012.  It is a huge hit (with kids and adults)!  As parents arrived to pick up their daughters, they were given this Christmas Baking fun patch we ordered from Council earlier in the school year.

Though this party was planned for Girl Scouts, it would be so much fun to do something similar with family and friends as you gather together to celebrate the holiday season.  I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  As always, thank you for reading!

Service Project: Stuffed Socks

When our troop was filling mason jars with cookie mix at Bake Me Home this past fall, we learned about the Bake It Forward program.  

"Kids entering grades 2-9 can apply for grants of $100 each for a charity of their choice serving children in Ohio.  Each applicant must perform a summer service project for a charity that benefits children.  Amy and Emma then choose three winners and present these awards at a ceremony at The Duke Energy Children’s Museum.  Our winners also each receive a “Bake It Forward” t-shirt and a jar of Bake Me Home Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. This program is designed to encourage kids to be creative and get involved with other organizations in the community, furthering our mission of “promoting volunteerism.”

My daughter was inspired and wanted to get started on a service project immediately.  Together, we searched for ideas online.  We were directed to the Kid World Citizen website that lists 35 different service projects for kids.  My daughter was drawn to #19:  Stuff warm socks with snacks and fruit to pass out to people who are homeless.  After some brainstorming, she decided she wanted to stuff socks with a packet of hot chocolate mix, mini candy canes, and chocolate candies.  The gift was set.  Now she had to choose the recipients.  

Earlier in the summer, I began spending some time with ladies from our church and participants in a group called Having the Courage to Change.  HTCTC is a women’s residential addiction recovery program through City Gospel Mission in Cincinnati.  My daughter knew this group of women had a special place in my heart.  She asked if she could present the socks to the women in the program at a Christmas luncheon that was scheduled to be held at our church.  After making a few phone calls, it was agreed that this was a great idea.  

We went to a few stores looking for inexpensive pairs of socks since we knew we needed to buy a couple dozen.  We decided to order some fuzzy Christmas socks from Oriental Trading (They are no longer available on the website, so I am unable to provide a link).  (UPDATE:  I recently remembered the socks were ordered from LTD Commodities).  The socks were sold in packages of six.  Did I mention they were reasonably priced?  When the order arrived, my daughter discovered the red dye had bled onto the white areas of the socks.  She quickly learned that you get what you pay for.  I am pleased to announce that Oriental Trading LTD Commodities sent us enough packages to replace the defective socks.  No questions asked.  

We found boxes of Nestle hot chocolate packets on sale for $1 each.  We bought a box of mini candy canes for $2 or $3.  She was all set to stuff the socks.  For the past couple of months, she had been baking some Brookies that we could serve at the HTCTC luncheons we were hosting.  (This link for Brookies includes a recipe for brownies and chocolate chip cookies.  We usually use Betty Crocker Triple Chunk Brownie Mix and a roll of Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Chip Cookie Dough).  Knowing the ladies love this sweet treat, she decided to bake some Brookies, wrapping an individual snack for each lady.   

My daughter did not work with her Brownie troop on this project, but I am posting about it because it is a great idea for a Girl Scout service project.  The socks could be stuffed with a variety of goods and could be given to a wide range of people.  The costs could be covered by a portion of the money earned through Cookie Sales, and the girls could practice working within a budget.  I would love to hear the their ideas.  While my daughter will not be able to apply for the Bake It Forward grant with this specific project as she had hoped, I love her heart.  I am sure she will come up with another project idea to tackle this summer that benefits children.  Thank you for reading!

Service Project: Bake Me Home

Last spring, we asked the girls in our troop to choose the service projects they would like to work on during their second year as Brownies.  We gave them several ideas and also allowed space for the girls to submit their own ideas.  I described the voting process in a previous post.  

My friend Mandy told me about an organization in Cincinnati called Bake Me Home.  "Bake Me Home was established in 2008 by then 7-year-old twin sisters, Amy and Emma Bushman, with help from their mom Alison...(they) perfected their original Bake Me Home Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for their (mason) jar, and added all the necessary baking supplies (bowl, pan, spoon, spatula, pot holder), including a Kroger gift card for butter and eggs (and a few other grocery items) to a tote bag for families in need...(they) serve people from 15 agencies (shelters, food pantries, and ProKids) in Hamilton, Clermont, Butler and Warren counties, and troops serving overseas.  In addition to the primary Tote Bag Program, Bake Me Home offers a Family Portrait Program, Bake Me BACK Home Program, and Bake It Forward Program."  Check out their website.  The 8-year-olds in our troop were inspired to see how these young ladies are serving others.  They are doing awesome work in our community!  

When the majority of our girls selected the option to "pack meals for hungry people" on our planning worksheet, we decided to schedule a session with Bake Me Home.  The girls were asked to bring a bag of Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips to donate to the organization.  We were scheduled to volunteer for an hour on a weekday after school.  Upon our arrival, they welcomed us with a plate of their Bake Me Home Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  

The girls were given name tags, and the rules were explained.  Emma, Amy, and Alison also told us their story and gave us a tour of their new building.  We pulled back our hair, and we were ready to start.  We were asked to wash our hands, scrubbing for 20 seconds under warm water.  Then we applied hand sanitizer to ensure our cleanliness before working with the ingredients.  
 


The girls made their way through the line, adding each ingredient to the mason jar with a scoop and a funnel.  Bake Me Home asks that three adults accompany groups with elementary-aged children.  Extra hands are helpful!


 

Once we had packed and added Bake Me Home labels to 36 jars, it was time to clean up.  Emma helped assign each girl a job.  They vacuumed the volunteer workroom, swept the lobby, boardroom, and kitchen floors, wiped counters and baseboards, and dried dishes.  We could have stayed much longer.    

    
We ordered the cutest "Got Cookies?" fun patch for this event from our Girl Scout Council Shop.  I imagine our troop and their families will continue to support this wonderful organization.  They are really "changing the world, one cookie at a time." 

I would like to close with one final note.  We have started working on the Celebrating Community badge.  To fulfill the first step, we chose to go on a flag hunt.  During our 20 minute drive to the Bake Me Home building, the girls watched for different flags we passed along the way.  The girls in my car spotted 58 flags. The girls in our co-leader's car counted 136 flags!  They saw a cemetery that the girls in my car happened to miss.  It was a fun challenge that fostered some friendly competition while allowing the girls to work together.  Thank you for reading!