The Badge Archive

Self-Care Activities

The 1984 Daisy Girl Scout Leaders’ Guide had simple activities for little scouts to learn healthy habits:

  • Calendars
    • Show a calendar and how to read it. Make a game of finding meeting dates and events on the calendar.
    • Go over days of the week if needed.
    • Ask what month/day their birthday is on and add them to the Troop Calendar
  • Cleaning the Meeting Place
    • Teach basic cleaning skills: picking up, organizing, sweeping the floor, taking out the trash
    • Use a Kaper Chart so they each have a turn – use small groups of 2-3 scouts for each task instead of an individual name so they can work together to get it done.
  • Organizing Habits
    • Make troop routines the scouts come up with that can keep the space organized and tidy: Where to hang up jackets or place bags on arrival, when to have rest room breaks, where to store things, when do they clean up (after each activity or only at the end of the meeting).
  • Self Care
    • Start with the basics of clean hands and neat/tidy hair. It doesn’t have to be surgically clean hands or fancy hair styles. Just tidy hair that has been brushed or cared for and hands that don’t have visible dirt to start the meeting. If eating, teach them about invisible germs and why cleaner hands than just visible is needed.
  • Finger Details
    • Teach how to button buttons, zip zippers, snap fasteners, buckle, use hooks and eyes, etc. Set it up so they have to work through different stations to get to the end prize, or just give them free play to set up their own system.
    • Teach how to tie shoes or do other basic knots.
  • Brushing Teeth
    • If you are doing an overnighter, doing a lesson on brushing teeth can be helpful. What do they need to bring, how long do they need to brush the teeth, how to rinse the toothbrush so no toothpaste will remain when they have to pack up and take it back home. Do they floss or use mouthwash yet?
  • Nurse, Dentist, Doctor, or other Health Professional Guest Speaker
    • Talk to them to see what they would like to speak on if you don’t have a specific request.
Tia Kennard