Bored at home? Not anymore! Girl Scouts of Colorado has a new patch program to keep you connected to Girl Scouts while giving you fun activities. This limited patch program is available for all program levels and must be completed by August 1, 2020. To earn the patch, girls must complete these steps: Complete a badge requirement. Badge requirements can be found on the badge explorer, but also check out the Girl Scouts of Colorado blog for ideas on how to complete badge requirements. Connect virtually with a fellow Girl Scout. Reach out to your Girl Scout sisters to see what they are doing. You could even complete a badge requirement together! Attend or listen to one of Girl Scouts of Colorado’s virtual events. Check out our events page for current offerings. Missed an opportunity? We will post recordings on the Girl Scouts of Colorado YouTube page. You can also find recordings from our “Meet An Expert…” series here. Learn a Girl Scout song. There are tons of fun songs to learn! Use the Girl Scout Songs YouTube channel to learn the song AND dance! Spread Girl Scout cheer. Get creative! Create some positive sidewalk chalk art, sing Girl Scout songs while walking around the neighborhood, participate in the Girl Scout letter-writing service project – the options are endless! Once you have completed all of the steps, please fill out this patch request form and we will send you your patch! We also want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. Questions? Email GirlExperience@gscolorado.org GS at Home Patch Program We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #GirlScoutingatHome #GirlScoutingatHomepatch #GirlScoutsatHome #patch

For the week of May 4, 2020, GSCO Outreach Program Coordinator Amanda is helping Girl Scout Juniors earn their Staying Fit badge! Watch this video for an introduction to the badge. In Step One, we learned how to get our bodies moving. For Step Two, you learned how to keep your fit body fueled. Moving on to Step Three, let’s know how to stress less. GSCO staff members shared different ways they like to relieve stress in this video. You can also relieve stress by using a stress ball. Watch this video to learn how to make one at home. We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #StayingFitbadge #GirlScoutingatHome #JuniorStayingFitbadge #GirlScoutJunior #GirlScoutJuniors #GirlScoutsatHome #GirlScoutJuniorbadges #Juniorbadges #badge #Juniorbadge #GirlScoutJuniorbadge #badges

Have you been missing your favorite campfire desserts? Well, fret no more! Girl Scouts of Colorado camp staff are bringing the campfire desserts to you at home. Shaggy Dogs Do you think marshmallows are perfect from the bag, no cooking necessary? Then, Shaggy Dogs are for you! What you will need: Marshmallows Chocolate sauce Crushed graham crackers Toothpick/Skewer Instructions: Pour chocolate sauce onto small plate or bowl. Pour crushed graham crackers onto another small plate or bowl. Stab a marshmallow with a skewer or toothpick. Roll the marshmallow first in the chocolate sauce until your marshmallow is completely covered. Roll your covered marshmallow in the crushed graham crackers. Enjoy your Shaggy Dog! Don’t have one of these ingredients? Use your creativity to improvise! Melt chocolate chips, use caramel sauce, or use crushed cookies or Rice Krispies instead of graham crackers! We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #GirlScoutingatHome #ShaggyDogs #GirlScoutsatHome #GirlScoutCamp #campfirerecipes #TomahawkRanch #camp #campfire

For the week of May 4, 2020, GSCO Outreach Program Coordinator Amanda is helping Girl Scout Juniors earn their Staying Fit badge! Watch this video for an introduction to the badge. In Step One, we learned how to get our bodies moving. Moving on to Step Two, let’s learn how to keep your fit body fueled. You can do that by watching this video about the Food Plate. You can also try preparing some of these healthy snacks  and playing Fruit and Vegetable BINGO. To play Fruit and Vegetable BINGO , you will need to either print the attached BINGO card or you can create one of your own. To create one of your own you will need: a plain sheet of paper, ruler or straight edge, and pencil/ pen. Make a grid of squares that is five squares wide by five squares down for a total of 25 squares. You will only need 25 squares because we will not use the letters U, V, or X. Once you have your grid created, put FREE in the center and then just add the rest of the alphabet randomly. Let’s play! Start filling in the squares with a vegetable or fruit that starts with the letter in the square. If you get stuck, you can ask a friend for help or do your own research. Scoring Give yourself: One Point for each square filled out Two Points for each fruit or vegetable you have tried Three Points for anything you looked up Five Points for each BINGO 10 Points for a completely filled out card Add up your points and see how you did. Challenge a family member or friend to see how they do. Did you find anything you want to try? Were there any new fruits or vegetables that you never heard about before? We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #StayingFitbadge #GirlScoutingatHome #GirlScoutJuniorStayingFitbadge #JuniorStayingFitbadge #GirlScoutJunior #GirlScoutJuniors #Junior #GirlScoutsatHome #GirlScoutJuniorbadges #Juniors #GirlScoutJuniorbadge

Tawny Owl was a great and good warrior known for his bravery and honesty.  As he stood on the summit of a high mountain, gazing over the world, he chanted a low song to the Great Spirit asking Him for help. Tawny Owl’s people hunted buffalo and white-tailed deer, fished in nearby streams, and ate the roots and berries that grew along the rocky paths in the forest.  But, the buffalo were beginning to grow scarce, the streams were drying up, and the roots and berries were withering along the trail.  They needed a new home where there would be plenty of food for the buffalo and many streams for fishing. The great warrior had traveled over the whole country looking for a new home for his people.  As he prayed, the Great Spirit appeared before him, richly clad in white buffalo skins and beautifully beaded moccasins.  In his belt was a silver tomahawk. “My son,” said the Great Spirit, “you have been good to your people and just in your dealings.  For many moons I have watched you travel over the mountains, and I have been pleased.  This silver tomahawk will lead you to the home you are seeking.  Where you find this tomahawk, you will find a new home for your people.”  With these words he threw the silver tomahawk off the high mountain into the world. Tawny Owl set forth immediately to find the silver tomahawk and found it sticking out of a far hillside.  As he came nearer, he found himself in a beautiful green meadow surrounded by snowcapped peaks and tall, straight pines.  The deer and buffalo were plentiful and there were many berries and roots.  Tawny Owl thanked the Great Spirit for leading him to such a beautiful place. As the years passed, Tawny Owl and his people lived happily in the beautiful meadow.  They hunted in the forests and fished in the streams.  To help the young remember the story of the silver tomahawk, they built a great campsite over the place where Tawny Owl had found it. Many years later, a lodge was built on the same campsite.  Today, Girl Scouts come to camp in Tomahawk Lodge each year, and the legend of Tawny Owl and the silver tomahawk lives on. #camp #GirlScoutCamp #TawnyOwl #TomahawkRanch

#PowerOurPromise and your gift will be used to directly impact girls right here in Colorado. Let’s unite as a community and make a difference in the lives of our Girl Scouts and their families. Girl Scouts of Colorado understands that many of our families are facing difficult choices and donations will help families stay in Girl Scouts with financial assistance. Membership dues, uniforms, program fees, and technology support are precious resources that many of our Girl Scout families cannot afford. Your gift, no matter the size, ensures girls and leaders can learn, grow, and continue to make our world a better place. Give Now! Follow GSCO and GSUSA on social media TODAY, make a gift, share using the #GivingTuesdayNow on your social networks, and inspire others to give. Check out https://www.coloradogives.org/ to give to multiple Colorado charities in one transaction. #GivingTuesdayNow #CouncilNews #COVID19 #GivingTuesday

UPDATE: This experience is now open to Girl Scouts of all ages. Girl Scout Brownies can take a virtual tour of the Our Cabana World Center, located 47 miles from Mexico City and learn about “Lucha Libre” on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 2:15 – 3:30 p.m. MDT. “Lucha Libre” literally means free wrestling and it is a practice that has become a huge part of Mexican culture. The fights are a colored and joyful show that many Mexican families enjoy watching. You will create your own wrestler mask and then find a partner to play with. With your masks on, you will play thumb wrestling. Materials Needed: Printed mask, crayons, markers, glue, scissors Register online: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6591479156623302925 This event is hosted by Girl Scouts of the USA. *We recommend that you participate using a computer so you can see the presenter’s webcam. We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #GlobalGirlScouts #WorldAssociationofGirlGuidesandGirlScouts #GirlScoutingatHome #GSCOevents #GSUSA #WAGGGS #GirlScoutsatHome #OurCabanaWorldCenter

Despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Girl Scouting is here for girls. Our mission to build leaders—who can navigate good times as well as uncertain ones—is critical. Even though troops are unable to meet in-person, Girl Scouts continue to make our world a better place. In fact, we’ve taken this crisis and turned it into an opportunity to try new things! The “Girl Scouts at Home” page on the Girl Scouts of Colorado website has resources and ideas for girls in kindergarten through twelfth grade, bringing the exploration, fun, and learning of Girl Scouts to Colorado families statewide. Afterall, Girl Scouts isn’t somewhere girls go or something they do—it’s who they are day in, day out. Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team, which normally delivers Girl Scout programming to low-resource families and girls in underserved communities, has been creating a series of materials, including videos, to help girls earn badges and participate in Girl Scout-related activities from home—even if they are not currently Girl Scouts. You can see some of their resources on the GSCO YouTube page (https://bit.ly/2z1z3as) and blog (http://gscoblog.org/category/girl-scouts-news/girl-scouting-at-home/). Our team is also working on a series of webinars to help Girl Scouts earn badges and connect directly with professional women, allowing girls to explore different careers. Upcoming webinars will feature a Colorado district judge and a musician/performer. We’re also proud to partner with Girl Scouts across the country and around the world for a letter writing service project to support those in our community who need us most. The idea is simple: Girls write letters to people in nursing homes, senior residences, and assisted living facilities, including the dedicated staff and caregivers. This long-distance hug is a way to share your good thoughts with these vulnerable and loved community members. #CouncilNews #GirlScoutingatHome #GirlScoutsatHome #somemediacoverageofGSCO

Submitted by Nancy Mucklow Mountain Communities Steamboat Springs Cadette Troop 54538 explored poetry as part of the Outdoor Art Apprentice badge. At our virtual meeting, we each shared a haiku poem that we wrote with inspiration from nature. (Such risk-takers – sometimes it’s hard to share your creations/writing with others!) We moved from haiku to creating a kind of cumulative poem together. The form of this poem is called Exquisite Corpse. (Innovators because we adapted this to a virtual meeting format – we are realizing that so many things are easier when you can be in the same room with someone!) There were no rules, just some guidelines to get us going and get inspired. Since the badge is Outdoor Art Apprentice, we started where we each had one line relating to nature. Line Two had a flower reference. Line Three was a line where a sound appeared and we finished with Line Four where we wrote something that made us think differently about our flower line or something that makes our flower line change or become untrue. Here’s our poem. We titled it SNAZZY! Time in the sunshine is grand. There is a chill outside. The cold is bitter to me. Winter is when I thrive. Springtime is my favorite season. Tulips, Tulips everywhere! Roses in vases Roses blooming outside The pedals are red. Columbines popping up everywhere! The buzzing of the bees fly through the air. Birds chirping in the brisk air. Tweet Tweet skitter the birds Waves waving in the water. The wind whooshes around. Snow, don’t garnish the red tulips! Thrones and Roses I can feel the pokes as I pick the roses Seasons changing, changing when they bloom like stars in the sky! ~Catherine, Elizabeth, Jacey, Tayla As go-getters and innovators, we thought some families might like to do a family poem. If you want, you can follow some of our guidelines and ideas! Family poem idea:  Write a line on a piece of paper and pass it around for everyone to add on. Line one is spontaneous, whatever you want. Be inspired by the person before you. Line Two refers to fun things outdoors. Line Three refers to flowers. Line Four refers to your favorite food. Line Five refers to something about nature. Line Six makes you think positive about camping! Share your fun creation with others to brighten their day! We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #Cadette #GirlScoutCadette #oldergirls #Cadettes #Cadettebadges #OutdoorArtApprenticeBadge #Cadettebadge #GirlScoutCadettes #MountainCommunites #badge #GirlScoutCadettebadge #badges #GirlScoutCadettebadges

UPDATE: This experience is now open to Girl Scouts of all ages. Girl Scout Juniors are invited to join Our Chalet WAGGGS World Centre high up in the mountains of Switzerland for a tour of the site followed by the story of local legend Vogellisi on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 from 12:15 – 1 p.m. MDT. Vogel means bird in German and this mythical tale tells of a young woman named Lisi who was best friends with a bird. The story is well-known in the valley and has inspired a famous song known throughout Switzerland and sung every year at the World Cup ski races. Join us for an action packed re-telling with costumes, singing, and lots of moving around! There will also be a chance to ask questions about Our Chalet, what life is like here in Switzerland, and how you can come and visit us. Register online: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5160966150375121933 *We recommend that you participate using a computer so you can see the presenter’s webcam. We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #GlobalGirlScouts #GirlScoutingatHome #WAGGGS #GirlScoutsatHome #WorldAssociationofGirlGuidesandGirlScout #OurChalet #OurChaletWAGGGSWorldCentre

Girl Scouts of Colorado extends a huge thank you to Judge Julie Hoskins for participating in our first-ever “Meet an Expert” webinar! More than 60 Girl Scouts from across Colorado participated in this webinar on April 30, 2020. Judge Hoskins is a District Judge for Colorado’s 19th Judicial District, which serves Weld County. She gave girls a virtual tour of the courtroom, talked about her amazing career, answered lots of great questions from girls, and let us all know her favorite Girl Scout Cookie is a Trefoil topped with raspberry jam. Yum! Listen to the “Meet a District Judge” webinar. A transcript of this webinar is at the bottom of this blog post. Listening to this webinar satisfies Step Two of the Junior Inside Government badge. Check out all our upcoming “Meet an Expert” webinars and watch previously recorded webinars on our YouTube page. Meet an Expert_District Judge We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #MeetaDistrictJudgewebinar #GirlScoutingatHome #Colorado19thJudicialDistrict #NorthernampNortheasternCO #WeldCounty #GirlScoutsatHome #JudgeJulieHoskins #Colorados19thJudicialDistrict

During challenging times, Girl Scout grit shows itself. That’s why we’re prepared to be the source of consistency your girl needs in times of uncertainty. While many activities girls look forward to have been canceled, Girl Scouts can carry on. Girls can stay connected while earning badges virtually; and participate in live, virtual events and safe service projects to stay engaged and inspired. And, although we have to be physically apart right now, we’re looking forward to bringing Girl Scouts together for a giant friendship circle, songs, and s’mores just as soon as it’s safe! A time will come when we can live an outdoor adventure rather than looking out from our living room windows, and your Girl Scout will be ready to go. Online renewal is now open for troops and families. Troops are welcomed and encouraged to use funds earned through Product Program and other money-earning opportunities to renew their girls and be the stability that girls need in uncertain times like these. We understand the current economic realities for many of our families. Family finances should not be a barrier to Girl Scout participation. Girl Scouts of Colorado opportunity grants are available for any family in need for membership dues, uniforms, and other supplies. Troops (at least two Troop Leadership Team members and three girl members) that renew before June 1, 2020 will have a chance to win $200 in Program Credits, which can be used in the Girl Scouts of Colorado Retail Shop, for GSCO events, property reservations, or camps. One troop in each region will be selected in a random drawing on June 5, 2020. Every girl registered by June 1, 2020 will also have an opportunity to win $100 in Program Credits. One girl in each region will be selected in a random drawing on June 5, 2020. All troops registered by June 30, 2020 and with a completed Annual Troop Report and ACH will receive a $25 credit to the Girl Scouts of Colorado Retail Shop. All girls registered by June 30, 2020 will receive a free Early Bird patch sent to her in the mail. #2020springrenewal #CouncilNews #recruitment #springrenewal