Four
Super Troop Highlight
Badges or
Other Earned Awards One Field
Organize a Field Trip
Trip
Leave the troop meeting room to help girls explore their world. Witness the effort and action in your community. Listen to a Girl Scout say, “I want to do that!”
What’s the reason to go?
Badges: Review the badge content for field trip ideas and suggested community members to talk to about the badge topic. Girl Scouts will see for themselves how the skill is used in their community.
Service: Help girls serve and support the causes they care about with a field trip focused on community service. While younger girls can do small service projects in the troop meeting room with help from family and friends, older girls need to get out and see the action for themselves.
Fun: Make a plan to go get ice cream or watch a movie because field trips just for fun are great! These celebration trips are a chance to build relationships and make memories with Girl Scout friends!
Find field trip inspiration.
1. Events Search our events calendar by topic or by date for a list of activities across the council.
2. Field Trip & Travel Partners These places and people have agreed to host Girl Scout troop activity. They want to host your next field trip!
3. Girl Scout volunteers Talk to other leaders about their best experiences.
4. Ask the girls Keep Girl Scouts girl-led when you ask for their input. Remember what you wanted to do when you were a child and help make suggestions.
5. Program materials The badge pamphlets and the Volunteer Toolkit give suggestions for “learning by doing” experiences.
6. Activity Zone This GSUSA collection of video recordings features both experts and mentors with advice for badges and activities. Play one of these recordings as a “guest speaker” to complement your field trip.
7. Your personal network Reach out to friends, family, and local shops who can help you provide a memorable experience.
Online “Trips”
Many organizations offer virtual experiences on their website and social media platforms. If you can’t fi nd a field trip opportunity locally, or are unable to travel, check out the many places you can “visit” online! Tour museums in Europe, watch interactions with endangered species, or fly over geological wonders. One of our favorites? The Smithsonian!
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www.si.edu
Field Trip Safety Preparation
Parent/Caregiver Permission Form
Every field trip requires parent/caregiver permission. Collect the completed forms and keep them with you during the field trip. If you are organizing a Girl Scout carpool, make copies and give a set to your drivers. The permission form communicates several details to caregivers, including the mode of transportation, names of volunteers accompanying the children, and items each Girl Scout should bring (weather-appropriate clothing, supplies, snacks, money, etc.). Identify a time-saving “at-home contact” person; this person is not on the field trip but is responsible for calling caregivers if needed, for example to notify of a delayed return time or an emergency.
Adult to Girl Ratios
Plan for additional caregivers to join you on field trips because the adultgirl ratios for field trips are different than troop meetings. The chart is in Volunteer Essentials Troop Management and in Safety Activity Checkpoints.
Ratios
*Unrelated volunteers (at least one of whom is female) for up to this number of Girl Scouts. **Additional volunteer to each additional number of Girl Scouts.
Buddy System
For trips and activities, it is helpful for members of similar age to pair up as partners. Each Girl Scout member is responsible for staying with their buddy throughout the trip or activity. A buddy can warn their partner of danger, lend a helping hand, or get immediate assistance when the situation warrants it.
First Aider
If your destination location does not provide personnel certified in First Aid/ CPR/AED, you’ll need to bring your own First Aider. Always check Safety Activity Checkpoints for guidance.
“Be Prepared” with an Exit Action Pla n
The Girl Scout motto is “Be Prepared.” Consider what you will do for an unexpected physical injury, sudden illness, severe weather alert, or missing girl. Review the plan with girls as a learning experience, to the extent it
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Group Meetings Events, Travel, and Camping Two* One** Two* One** Daisies 12 1–6 6 1–4 Brownies 20 1–8 12 1–6 Juniors 25 1–10 16 1–8 Cadettes 25 1–12 20 1–10 Seniors 30 1–15 24 1–12 Ambassadors 30 1–15 24 1–12
Girl Scout Volunteer-to-Girl
makes sense according to their age and maturity. Review the key components of an effective emergency action plan in the Safety Activity Checkpoints.
Age-Appropriate Activity
In the Safety Activity Checkpoints, browse the Activities at-a-Glance view for guidance on age-appropriate activities like the selected example below. Click the title to access a full description and checklist of how to prepare your Girl Scouts for the selected activity.
Additional comments and required instructor certifications, experience, and verification
Backpacking is not recommended for Daisies and Brownies due to weight restrictions on their small frames and the need, when backpacking, to be able to carry all their needed supplies. For Daisies and Brownies, refer to Hiking Safety Checkpoints.
Follow the adult-to-girl ratios listed in the Introduction: Standard Safety Guidelines. Council approval may be required for long rides or difficult terrain.
Ensure that at least one adult is trained for camping as required by your council. In addition, follow the adultto-girl ratios listed in the Introduction: Standard Safety Guidelines.
Transporting Girl Scouts
How parents decide to transport Girl Scouts between their homes and Girl Scout meeting places is each parent’s individual decision and responsibility. As a volunteer, you can arrange to have caregivers bring their children directly to the field trip destination or organize a troop carpool. If you organize a troop carpool, allow time to recruit drivers and have them sign up as a Troop Helper to get a background check. The Safety Activity Checkpoints has other specific directions and a very helpful “Checklist for Drivers” in the Transporting Girl Scouts section.
Girl-Led Reflection and Learning
After the field trip, ask the girls what they liked and didn’t like, or what went well and what did not. Help them listen to one another’s point of view. This kind of reflection will help improve the quality of your future adventures. Use the excitement of this outing to motivate them to help plan the next one. As the girls have more experiences and get a little older, they can assist more and more in the planning process including choosing the next field trip and budgeting for it.
There’s a badge or a patch for that!
Present the girls with the earned badge or a fun patch after a field trip as a visible reminder of the skill learned or the shared experience. Members make great memories in Girl Scouts!
Progression
Field trips are the first step in the progression of travel. When moving up to each level of the progression, consider girls’ independence, flexibility, decision making, group skills, and cross-cultural skills.
Visit https://vc.gsnwgl.org/making-it-happen/field-trips-travel to see the entire travel progression chart.
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Activities at a Glance Prior council approval required?
Backpacking * * J C S A X Required
Bicycling D B J C S A May be required
Camping D B J C S A Required
D a i s y B r o w n i e J u n i o r C a d e t t e S e n i o r A m b a s s a d o r H i g h r i s k ?