Girl Scouts know that in order for our girls to have bright, healthy futures it is important for them to maintain a healthy diet
and lifestyle. One way that Girl Scouts have decided to take action was to eliminate trans-fat from our cookies! Girl Scouts of Suffolk
County decided to take it one step further by creating a new Council patch program to show our girls that being healthy can be fun too!
And did you know that it was a Suffolk County Girl Scout Troop that inspired the creation of a sugar-free cookie? Now, Girl Scouts of
Suffolk County is proud to introduce our new Fit Patch! The Fit Patch has requirements for each level of Girl Scouts. See below for
levels and their subsequent requirements. Girls must complete 4 out of 6 activities for their particular level.
Patches are available at all Girl Scout Shoppe locations. You may also purchase patches by contacting firstname.lastname@example.org
or through postal mail orders, please specify item name and quantity when placing order.
To order via postal mail, please send payment per patch to:
Girl Scouts or Suffolk County
Attn: Girl Scout Shoppe
442 Moreland Road
Commack, NY 11725
1: Make a Rainbow Food Chart!
It is often said that eating a "rainbow" of foods is an easy way to eat healthy. Can you name a healthy food for each color of the
rainbow? Fill in and color the Rainbow Food Chart. Click here to download the Rainbow
2: Make you own Fun Guide!
There are a million ways to be fit and have fun at the same time! Create a Troop Fun Guide and fill it with different games and
activities to play to stay active! Separate the book by Indoor/Outdoor or Summer/Winter games. Refer to your "Fun Guide" whenever you
3: Have a Food Group Taste Test!
Teach your troop about the Food Pyramid and the different foods that belong in each category. Then test their knowledge by setting up a
Food Group Taste Test and see if they can put each food into the correct food group. Below is a sample list of fun items to try; feel
free to add anything else you'd like!
- hard boiled eggs
- whole wheat crackers
- low fat yogurt
- sugar snap peas
- sliced cheese
- peanut butter
4: Ice Cream, you Scream!
Drinking milk gives you more than a milk mustache! It gives your body calcium for strong bones! But is milk the only thing that contains
calcium? Discuss the importance of calcium with your troop and the different foods that contain calcium. Have your girls complete the
"Where's the Dairy?" sheet. Click here to download the "Where's the Dairy" sheet. Then
in honor of calcium, have an ice cream party serving low-fat frozen yogurt or try a Calcium Crunch, low fat vanilla yogurt mixed with
fruit and granola!
5: The Healthy Snack Mat!
Photocopy the Health Snack Mat for your troop. Click here to download the Healthy Snack
Mat. Discuss the basic food groups and healthy snack options vs. empty calorie snacks. Then have the girls draw their favorite
healthy snacks on their mat and color them in. Laminate the mats for the girls so that they will have their snack mat at every meeting!
6: Dance Fever!
Dancing is fun and keeps you active! Put on music for your troop and have your own dance party! Try at least 3 of the following
with your troop:
- freeze-dance contest
- hula hoop contest
- jump rope contest
- conga line
- line dancing
1: Create Super-Snacks!
A healthy snack gives energy, nutrients and tastes great! Creating treats that combine more than one food group is an easy way to turn
a so-so snack into a Super-Snack! For example: apples and cheese, mmm! See how many Super-Snack combinations your troop can create! Below
is a list of foods to try:
- low fat cheese
- whole wheat crackers
- nonfat/low fat yogurt
- graham crackers
- low fat milk
- strawberries/other berries
- peanut butter
- popcorn or rice cakes
2: Turn the Couch Potato Behavior into a Fit Healthy Active Behavior!
What is a "Couch Potato"? Complete the chart changing the Couch Potato Behavior into a Fit Healthy Active Behavior.
Click here to download the Couch Potato Behavior Chart. For example: instead of
lying on the beach, play in the water or make a sand castle. You'll have more fun and be active!
3: 5 a Day Challenge!
"5 a Day" means eating 5 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies every day. Discuss the importance of "5 a Day" with your troop and brainstorm
ways you can get your fruits and veggies at every meal (see below). Create a list of at least 3 different ways for the girls to get their
5-9 a day at each meal. When you are done, attach a magnetic strip on the back so the girls can keep it on their refrigerator as a daily
- Breakfast: Cut up an apple to put in your oatmeal
- Lunch: Crunch on some carrots
- Snacks: Raw veggies with a yummy dip
- Dinner: Add a delicious sweet potato
- Dessert: Juicy pineapple
4: Kitchen Scavenger Hunt!
Discuss the Food Pyramid with your troop and let them know how important it is to eat a variety of healthy foods. Give examples of
different foods from each food group. Then test their knowledge by having each girl complete the "Kitchen Scavenger Hunt" sheet.
Click here to download the "Kitchen Scavenger Hunt" sheet.
5: Playing Makes Muscles!
Any physical activity you like to do - from riding your bike to playing football - can make you stronger because you're using your
muscles when you do it! Look at the following list of activities. What part of the body is being used for each? Which activities use
more than one group of muscles? Is doing the same activity all the time enough for a healthy body? Create a "Playing for a Healthy Body"
list. First write down the parts of the body that are important to work out. Then list several activities you can do for each. Was it
easier or harder than you thought? Were certain parts of the body tough to work out through playing?
- playing catch
- riding your bike
- playing hide-and-seek
- building a snowman
- walking your dog
- raking leaves
6: Create a Healthy Troop Cookbook!
Have each girl from your troop bring in 2 of their favorite healthy recipes. Assign each girl a specific category of recipe, such as an
appetizer or dessert. Combine all of the recipes to form a Healthy Troop Cookbook! Let the girls design the cover and category dividers.
Then work together as a troop to create a recipe of your very own to include in your cookbook!
1: Stretch it Out!
Ask your girls: What is the purpose of stretching before exercise? What does it mean to "warm up" and "cool down"? Why is this an
important part of exercising? Explain to your troop that warming up before exercising is important because it increases our body's
temperature, which helps our muscles move more easily and prevents us from feeling sore. Use the analogy of warming up a car before
driving so it runs more smoothly. Which muscles are important for you to stretch? Research different stretches, warm up and cool down
activities and create a packet for others to use. Make sure to include pictures or illustrations!
2: Race to a Healthier You!
What's more fun than an obstacle course? Work with your troop to design a heart-pounding obstacle course for other troops! What are
your body's major muscle groups? Make sure your course contains activities that target a variety of your body's muscles! Create
an outline of your obstacle course to give to your participants to show them which activities targeted which muscle groups.
3: Wonderful Water!
How is drinking water and being healthy connected? Why is it so important to stay hydrated? What exactly does being "dehydrated" mean
and how does it affect our bodies? When we drink water, what happens to it? Where does it go in our bodies? How much water should you be
drinking a day? What about when exercising or being active? How do sports drinks, flavored or sparkling waters measure up? Do a taste
test of 5 different kinds or types of these drinks that are supposed to keep you hydrated. Create a report or chart to compare these
differences and then make your own sport drink with fruit juice and seltzer!
4: Design a Healthy Food Ad!
How often do you see ads for fast food, candy and soda? Compared to this, how often do you see advertisements for healthy foods like
broccoli? Create an advertisement for a fruit or vegetable that really sells! Have each girl present her ad and ad campaign to your
troop and "sell" her product!
5: 4 Seasons of Snacks!
Do you ever notice that certain foods just seem to "go" with certain times of year? Think about fall, winter, spring and summer and
come up with healthy seasonal snack ideas and recipes for each time of year! For example: During the fall, you can snack on crunchy
pumpkin seeds! Test out at least one of your healthy snack recipes and then create a Seasonal Snack Brochure to give to another troop(s)
so they can share in the fun!
6: Bolster Breakfast!
I'm sure you've all heard the phrase "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" But why is that? What benefits does eating
breakfast have? Often the morning is a busy, rushed time and making smart eating choices is difficult. Do you think you manage to eat a
well balanced breakfast every day? Find out what food groups a good breakfast contains. Do you breakfast choices measure up? Create a
list of a week's worth of different healthy breakfast menu choices. Then, work with your family to put your menu into effect! Which was
your favorite? Which was your least favorite? Which worked best with your lifestyle?
1: Ready, Set, Exercise!
What is a set and a repetition? How many should you do of each? What is aerobic and anaerobic? Name 3 aerobic and 3 anaerobic activities.
What is the difference between strength training and aerobic exercise? When exercising, what muscle groups should you target? What
specific exercises target these muscle groups? What Girl Scout Interest Project Patches or Studio 2B books focus on having a healthy
lifestyle? Create a basic exercise program for a girl your age. Don't forget to include the number of sets and repetitions and
2: Exercise Education!
There are many different kinds of exercise you can do! If you take the time to look around, you can find one that's right for you! Pick
one of the exercises listed below and answer the following: Who is the founder or creator of this type of exercise? What is the theme,
philosophy or idea behind this exercise? What major muscle group(s) does it target? Learn at least 5 moves from each type of exercise you
chose. Demonstrate and explain these moves for your troop. Create a flyer with these moves so others may learn about it too!
- Cross Training
- Step Aerobics
- Kick boxing
- Tae Kwon Do
- Kung Fu
3: Community Campaign!
Photocopy a simple community map for each girl in your troop. Have the girls draw in the different routes for walking, rollerblading and
cycling. Note parks and other recreational places. Are these lots of good walking and recreational trails? What makes them fun? How
could they be improved? Do they have good picnic spots, playgrounds, water fountains, skate parks, etc? Design a campaign to encourage
others to walk, skate, cycle, and rollerblade more often in your community (don't forget to remind them to wear the appropriate safety
equipment)! Include reasons why people should use your town's recreational paths over others.
4: Picnic Party!
Have your troop organize a picnic for a sister troop(s)! A picnic is the perfect opportunity to combine good friends, healthy food and
fun physical activities! You will need to plan where and when the picnic will be held, what food will be provided, what games will be
played and what equipment is needed. Design invitations for your guests!
5: Menu Madness!
What is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian? Why do some people need to go to these specialists and what can you learn
from them? Often nutritionists and dietitians plan menus of smart food choices to help others stay on a healthy track. Invite a dietitian
to speak with your troop to learn more and then design a healthy meal plan for you and your family for one week, taking into account the
Food Pyramid and servings, appropriate caloric intake and any special needs your family may have, such as allergies. Then put at least
one day of your menu into action at home! Have your family rate your new menu!
6: Fast Food Frenzy!
Pick two fast food restaurants. Look up the nutritional information and find their most healthy and unhealthy items. Were you surprised?
What could you do to make the unhealthy item a bit more health conscious? Look at the amount of calories and fat the item has. What
amount of healthy foods could you eat for the same amount of calories? What about the same amount of fat? What does this show you?
Present your findings to your troop.