brownie quest journey pdf

Brownie Troop Year Planner

Your guide to a year of trying and exploring! 

For troop leaders of second and third grade girl scouts. .

Brownies are excited to discover all they can do and be. As their leader, you get a front-row seat to all this action! You will guide your Girl Scouts through activities focused on exploration, confidence, and practical skills that will help them become their best selves. Planning for your troop year should always be girl-led . But to get you started, we’ve collected a variety of our most popular badges and awards into one action-packed plan! Get ready for a year of adventure and excitement as you help them grow. 

How to get started:

Use these online Brownie troop year plans to start planning your year. You can customize it along the way as you get to know your Girl Scouts and their interests.

• Order your Brownie program materials and resources from the Girl Scout Shop
• Access detailed instructions to lead troop meetings through the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK), your free online resource for meeting overviews, materials lists, and more. See step-by-step access instructions.

Brownie First Year Plan ( PDF )

Brownie Second Year Plan ( PDF )

 Find everything you need to lead a successful troop year at the Girl Scout Shop.

Tips and Resources:

• Arrival : Ask Brownies who arrive early to help unpack and set up any snacks and activity materials for later. Try to be on alert and catch Brownies being honest and fair, even in subtle ways.
• Warmups and Wellness : Get Brownies excited to begin their meeting with a warm-up activity, a question, and a wellness check. Ask them how they are feeling today and what they are excited about!
• Opening Ceremony : Officially open your troop meeting by reciting the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
• Activities : Engage your Brownies in exciting activities to earn their badge.
• Closing Ceremony :  End your meeting by reviewing what you have learned together and asking Brownies to share their favorite part of the meeting. Congratulate Brownies on their accomplishments. Finish with a  friendship circle  and by singing “Make New Friends” as a troop.
• Follow Up with Families : After the meeting, remember to share with families all the great things their Brownies did!
• When you can get outside, do it! Go for a small trip or simply meet in a new space. Shaking things up occasionally keeps things exciting
• Check with your council to see if they’re offering events or activities that your troop could attend. Those events make life easier for you and allow your troop to connect with other Girl Scouts from their area. Many councils and service units host annual World Thinking Day events in February.
• If any of the recommended program options is not the right fit, or if you want to give your Girl Scouts the chance to shape their own experience, have them vote to choose a different badge or activity within the same focus area. When you enable Girl-led activities, girls step up and take ownership of their decisions, they grow into confident leaders who can make informed and empowered decisions—a valuable skill they’ll carry throughout their lives.  Check out  our Award and Badge Explorer for other badge favorites, our latest release of new programs , or visit the Girl Scout Activity Zone .
• Access free detailed instructions to lead each of the meetings included in these troop year plans through the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK).  Simply log in or create a member account from mygs.girlscouts.org .  Once you log in, from the left navigation menu choose “Volunteer Toolkit.” Then choose “Explore,” “Pre-Selected Tracks,” “Fun and Friendship” and you’re set! See step-by-step access instructions .
• Access other easy-to-follow volunteer essentials to keep you organized and inspired.
• Access volunteer training from gsLearn for easy access to essential training and courses to lead activities the Girl Scout way.
• Simply log in via myGS.girlscouts.org and search for “GSUSA Brownie badges” or other topics of interest.  Each course will show you how to bring the badge content to life for your Brownie troop.
• See step-by-step access instructions .

Give your troop another year of growth, laughter, and the confidence they need to be their most authentic selves!