Discover fun and easy virtual Girl Scout meeting ideas for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors that will combat Zoom fatigue and encourage your troop to stay engaged when meeting in person is not possible.
Updated January 2022
*This post contains affiliate links.
Even during the best of times, holding onto older Girl Scouts is a challenge. The onset of puberty, peer pressure, travel and competitive activities and increasing amounts of homework make Girl Scouts and activity that, unfortunately, is easily dropped from after-school roster. Add in a global pandemic that has closed schools, caused increasing amounts of family stress, and Zoom fatigue, keeping your older troop intact has a whole new layer of stress.
From what I have read in the Girl Scout Facebook groups which I belong to, many older troops have ditched badges sometime during the Cadettes years. Girls want to have fun after years of meetings focusing on badge objectives. This now seems too much like schoolwork, and who wants more work after school?
The answer to retaining your scouts is to have fun, engaging meetings with creative and hands on experiences. Because the girls are older, there will be less parental involvement, which encourages the girls’ independence at home. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Virtual Girl Scout meeting ideas for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors
Scrapbook Meeting
If you have continued to do a perpetual Girl Scout scrapbook, print out the pictures for your girls from pre-COVID-19 meetings. Here are some stickers to help make the pages pop.
Virtual Girl Scout Meeting Ideas for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors Using Food
If you plan on having one or more virtual cooking meetings, you can buy these disposable chef hats for your girls to decorate before you meet. It would make for some fun photos when you have each girl in “speaker view” on Zoom. You can scrapbook these photos later.
Make Armpit Fudge
While armpit fudge has been around for close to a decade, it has really taken off for virtual Girl Scout meetings. It is easy to make with readily found ingredients. Your troop can make it, and then you can play games with them while they enjoy their homemade treat.
Here is an easy recipe with a video included on how to make armpit fudge.
Treats in a Mug
For years I taught cooking to 12th grade Seniors in my synagogue. A favorite class was our “Cooking in a Mug” night. Whether living at home or moving to the dorms, learning how to make an easy meal or snack is a must. This is an easy virtual meeting idea, since so many of the ingredients are found at home.
You can go to the Dollar Store and pick up a cheap mug to give to each girl to decorate (they will need to decorate and bake before the meeting if you choose to do this).
Here are some ideas that we successfully used in past for our mug cooking class.
Rice Krispie Treats (can use other cereals as well)
Homemade Pretzels
Soft pretzels are a favorite treat for many and have inexpensive ingredients to use. Here are some recipes to try.
Cupcake Wars
In a previous meeting, have your troop vote on a theme for cupcake wars. Brainstorm what kinds of icing and decorations they will need so you can buy the supplies. Bake 1-2 cupcakes for each girl to have and put decorations in each supply bag.
Chopped Challenge
The Food Network show Chopped has been around for over 20 seasons. Your troop can do this challenge via Zoom. Base the ingredients on your troop’s budget and your scouting level. Chances are a 12th grade Ambassador has a few more kitchen skills than a 6th grade Cadette.
You can find complete directions on how to do a Chopped Challenge in my 5 Virtual Cooking Meetings product on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Building Challenges for a Fun and Easy Virtual Girl Scout Meeting for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors
Make a Marshmallow Igloo
Last month I wrote this post on how to make a marshmallow igloo. Make sure you give the girls extra marshmallows and a hot chocolate packet for when the igloo is done.
Build a Ferris Wheel Out of Popsicle Sticks
This is a challenge that inspires creativity. There are many YouTube videos on how to do this. Watch a few and see what will work for your girls. When you have selected one, screen share it with them before the challenge.
Box of 1,000 Craft Sticks Available on Amazon
The Pringles Challenge
The Pringles Challenge is another fun and easy virtual Girl Scout meeting idea for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors. In a nutshell, the Pringles Ringle is an engineering challenge in which your scouts create a ring using only Pringles chips. No glue or any kind of tape is allowed.
This is an easy and inexpensive meeting to plan, as all each girl needs is a can of Pringles!
Try a challenge where one girl has to tell the other how to build something with blocks. Give one girl the completed project and give everyone else the pieces. Have the girls turn off their cameras, or not look and have the one girl describe how to build it and see how they do.
Craft Projects for a Fun and Easy Virtual Girl Scout Meeting for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors
Have a Paint Party
This is another easy to organize and fun virtual meeting to plan. The Painting With a Purpose YouTube Channel has dozens and dozens of painting tutorials. Scroll through and select a few your girls might like to try and have them vote on which one to do. Then get their supply bags ready with:
Canvases
2 Ounce Platic Cups With Lids for Paint
Paintbrushes
Paint
Paper Plate for a palatte
Make No Sew Fleece Projects
Fleece is an inexpensive fabric and can be used to make blankets, scarves and pillows. In this blog post from when my girls were Girl Scout Seniors and earned the Room Makeover badge, I shared how we made an easy no-sew pillow with a pillow we already had in the house.
Make DIY Oil Lamps
This is a simple craft that older scouts can easily do. You will need a jar and floating wicks, as well as a seasonal essential oil and a few other items. Here is the YouTube tutorial.
Make Toys for the Animal Shelter
My troop did this back in 2014 as an integral part of earning our Bronze Award. There are plenty of dog and cat toys that can be made with items that would be tossed or recycled. Contact your local shelter to see what kinds of toys they would like to have donated.
Disney Character Crafts
Prior to this meeting, ask the girls who their favorite Disney characters are and see who is in the top two or three. Then make these characters from ordinary items found around the house. Artsy Mama has a blog post on how to do this.
Don’t worry if this sounds juvenille. The girls, more than likely, will enjoy a chance to relive some favorite childhood memories.
Games to Play for a Fun and Easy Virtual Girl Scout Meeting for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors
Play Scattegories
This game has always and contnues to be one of my family’s favorites to play. If you do not own it, you can create a DIY Scattegories game to plan virtually with your troop.
Virtual Escape Rooms
Going to an escape room was a fun way to have a field trip with your troop. Now you can do it on Zoom! You can do a search for ideas or you can join one of the many Girl Scout Facebook groups and look at their files to find one that your girls will enjoy doing.
Mad Libs
Do you remember doing Mad Libs as a child? I do, and that was many decades ago! You can do Mad Libs over Zoom three ways:
- Buy a Mad Libs Book
This Version and Many Others Available on Amazon
2. Buy the Mad Libs App and Screen Share
3. Create Your Own Mad Libs or have the girls create one to share
Do Yoga
This is a way to incorporate stretching, breathing and mindfulness and teaching your girls how to relax. Here is a beginner’s youg video.
What kinds of virtual meetings for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors have been successful with your troop?
