3 Cheers for Animals Daisy Journey
I am sun burnt, my feet are swollen in agony and I can’t seem to get hydrated. But I would do it all again. Troop 13405 lead 40 Daisy girls in an all day adventure. 3 Cheers for Animals teaches the girls about taking care of animals and themselves. Since we were doing this in one day, we split the three badges into three themes with four activities each. One of my girls read the first story describing the Daisy Flower Garden and how the girls need to protect the animals. I chose to separate by location.
1 The Garden in your home
The girls learned about neutering or spaying their pets. We used plastic eggs to demonstrate how many puppies one unspayed female can produce. The little ones were so cute trying to hold all those “puppies” as they searched for homes. In the end, they wrote “Thank You” cards to the rescues who strive to save the unwanted babies. I hope we helped make their load easier by teaching these girls to take their pets to the vet.
With baby socks, stuffing and a bit of catnip, the girls assembled cat toys to donate to the animal shelter. They needed a bit of help belling the toy, but, otherwise, the girls did a remarkable job of crafting fun toys.
The girls chose a pet randomly, then ran to a tarp strewn with objects for different pets: dog, cat, horse, fish, hamster. Each group worked together to make sure they had the proper items. The groups explored each complete pile and discussed how each item cared for the pet. In the end, they decorated the front of the card for the rescue organizations.
The next activity allowed the girls to decorate wooden masks of different pets and characters. The girls made up a skit and acted it out with their new masks.
2 The garden outside your home.
The girls learned how important toads are in our garden. They painted clay pots as toad homes to offer protection from dogs and cats and birds for our little friends.
The Daisies used veggies and pretzels and maybe a few marshmallows to form insects that help keep our gardens healthy. Seeing the girls so creative so young lifted my heart.
The journey guide book recommended making bird nests out of paper bags. I modified the activity to encourage the girls to put bits of string and drier lint in their nests and stage the craft outside. Girl Scouts are helping birds in their neighborhoods build their spring nests.
A hike around the gorgeous park introduced the girls to the wonders in their own neighborhoods. Raccoon tracks marred the sidewalk showing many animals lived nearby.
3 The worldwide garden
The girls used chenille stems and beads to create animals after hearing about an artist that uses recycled materials to build large scale horse sculptures.
After learning how dangerous plastic is to the animals in our oceans, the girls received reusable bottles to replace disposable ones.
After charades with wild animals, the extra time was spent playing Little Sally Walker. My older girls have grown weary of this game. The experience was brand new to the wee ones. It was entertaining to watch them do the same move over and over again because they couldn’t think of anything else to do. They will learn!
Somehow I missed a picture of the last activity which was the girls using the playground as an obstacle course with the first girl in the line keeping her eyes closed and the girls behind her trying to tell her where to go.
By the end of the day, the Daisies had donated dog food, made cat toys for shelters, created thank you cards for rescue volunteers, built nests and toad homes, and vowed to dispose of less plastic. Not a bad day of service!
I am proud of my Cadettes for leading such a successful event. I am enthralled by the enthusiasm of the young Girl Scouts on their way to great adventures. I am grateful for the help of the many adult volunteers who make it all possible.