Looking for an easy, no-cost way to bring STEM to your next Girl Scout meeting? We’ve got you covered! These five activities use simple, everyday materials (or none at all!) and connect directly to Girl Scout badges and Journeys, which are available for purchase. Get ready for hands-on fun that sparks curiosity, teamwork, and problem-solving, all while moving your troop forward on their Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
Paper Tower Challenge (Engineering)
What to do: Give each girl a few sheets of paper and some tape. Challenge them to build the tallest free-standing tower in 10 minutes.
Badge tie-ins:
Brownies – Mechanical Engineering, Fling Flyer or Leap Bot
Juniors – Mechanical Engineering, Balloon Car
Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors – Think Like an Engineer Journey
Nature Math Walk (Math and Science)
What to do: Head outdoors! Ask girls to collect data by counting tree types, measuring shadows, or estimating how many steps it takes to cover a distance. Back inside, graph their findings.
Badge tie-ins:
Daisies – Numbers in Nature
Brownies – Bugs
Juniors – Eco Camper
Cadettes – Outdoor Art Apprentice
DIY Binary Bracelets (Technology)
What to do: Teach girls how computers use 1s and 0s. Using beads, buttons, or paper circles, have them spell their initials in binary code or try these fun activities:
NASA’s “Make a Binary Bracelet”
Girls Who Code’s “Stay Positive Binary Bracelets”
Badge tie-in: Coding badges for all levels
Balloon Rockets (Physics)
What to do: Thread string through a straw, tape on a blown-up balloon, and let it fly! Girls can test how balloon size, string angle, or tension affect speed and distance. Find simple instructions and tips here.
Badge tie-ins:
Brownies – Home Scientist
Juniors – Mechanical Engineering or Balloon Car
Cadettes – Think Like an Engineer Journey or STEM Career Exploration
Invent-a-Prototype (Engineering and Creativity)
What to do: Give girls everyday items (paperclips, cardboard, rubber bands, tape) and challenge them to design an invention that solves a real-world problem. Have them present their prototypes to the troop.
Badge tie-ins:
Brownies – Inventor
Juniors – Product Designer
Cadettes – Entrepreneur
All levels – Think Like an Engineer or Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journeys
These activities are simple, engaging, easy, and fun! Next time you’re planning a meeting, try one out and watch your troop light up with discovery and creativity.