*This post contains affiliate links.
Updated April 2023
Waking up and starting the day on the right foot is important whether you are seven years old or seventy. Being organized and “ready to launch” gets any person’s day off on the right start. With the right clothing set out the night before, bookbag packed and lunch in the refrigerator ready to go, it is the starting point of a great day!
Earning the My Great Day Brownie badge is easy to do
and can easily be done in one meeting.
Image from Pixabay and altered by the author in Canva
Step 1 Start Your Day Right
If you have a regular routine to starting your meeting, this is the time to do it out of order. This will
confuse the girls and be a great start to discussing why it is important to be
organized. You may even want to throw in how you “forgot” to bring the craft
materials for today’s project and see how they react.
Then start your meeting as you normally would.
Talk about why routines are important-from setting
their alarm clock to setting out their clothes the next day (and checking the
weather forecast to see what they need to be comfortable). It is very stressful
to not know what to wear, time is ticking and the school bus is on it’s way!
Step 2 Sort Your Stuff (craft)
Step 3 Make Homework a Breeze
Step 3 Make Homework a Breeze
Everything should have a place or a home so it can be
found when you need it. While some people are naturally more organized, others
can use a little more help in this department.
This helps with doing homework. Ask the girls how they can be more organized when it is time to do their work. Do they need a break when they get home? A snack? Time to run outside before settling in?
This helps with doing homework. Ask the girls how they can be more organized when it is time to do their work. Do they need a break when they get home? A snack? Time to run outside before settling in?
You can have the girls create a desk organizer two
different ways.
Organizer #1
Materials
- Cleaned out aluminum cans (one for each girl)
- White wrapping paper
- Labels
- Glue/tape
- Crayons/markers
You will want to save your aluminum cans from the recycling
bucket and wash them out for this craft. I prefer to do things like this
instead of asking the girls to bring it in so I know that I have what I need
and I can prep the materials before the meeting. No surprises and the meeting is
off to a great start!
Precut the wrapping paper so it is the correct size for
the cans (cut extra pieces in case the girls make a mistake).
Give each girl a piece of wrapping paper to color and
decorate. Then have them glue it to the can.
Organizer #2
- Acrylic organizer
- Foam plates
- Puffy paint
A second way to make an organizer is to purchase this
acrylic one that has many compartments.
The girls can decorate them with puffy paints and bring them home on
heavy foam plates.
Step 4 Plan Ahead
Using a paper calendar may be old fashioned, but it
makes sense to me! Seeing what you have planned each and every day is one way
to stay organized and never worry about your battery dying like on your phone!
To make this easier, print out a calendar for the next
month. Tell the girls that they are going to color code their activities. For
example, if they have dance every Tuesday and Thursday, then in blue marker
they should write “Dance” and the time.
If they have soccer, then use a red marker to write “Soccer”on
those days.
Of course, use green marker to write in your Girl Scout
meetings and trips!
Step 5 Get Others Organized
One way to help out at home is to make a family chore
chart for dinner. Some jobs to include are:
- Dinner prep
- Setting the table
- Clearing the table
- Wiping down the table
- Washing the dishes
- Loading the dishwasher
You can find different chore charts to print here.
Image from Pixabay and altered by the author on Canva
How have you earned the Brownie My Great Day badge?
Thanks for the great ideas and the links!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! I am happy to help!
DeleteThis blog is great! Quick question- on the VTK website it has plans for badges and it seems like most badges, such as this one, takes two meetings based off of the meeting plan they give you. Are those just suggestions then? Is it possible to do each badge, such as this one and the first aid for example, in one meeting? I’m new and a bit confused by all of the stuff we need to do/learn. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHello Kristie and thank you! I am going into my 13th year of leading, and her is the lowdown. Everything is a SUGGESTION. How long a meeting to earn a badge might take depends on your troop size, how long you meet, how much help you have, and the makeup of your girls. Please do not fall into the "badge competition" that I see all around. It is not a rece to see how many badges your girls can earn, it is mastering the steps. If it takes two meetings, then it takes two meetings. You lead your troop the way you see fit.
DeletePlease ask any other questions...I am here to help!
Thank you so much Hannah!!!Your blog helps me so much when planning the meetings virtual.
ReplyDeleteTori, thank you for the compliment and thank you for continuing to lead your troop during this challenging time.
Delete