Three Cheers for Pets?

This year I have a combined Daisy/Brownie troop.  Most of my Brownies were with me last year and are first year Brownies, but one came from another troop and had, of course, earned several badges.  Therefore, I am trying to not repeat those badges, particularly at a meeting, though I will repeat some of them via outings.

I have one Daisy who was with me last year, and she didn't join until after cookies in the spring.  She earned one or two petals last year but that was it.  My Daisy schedule, therefore, is wide open.

I looked at the requirements for the Daisy 3 Cheers for Animals Journey and the Brownie Pets badge and decided they would work well together.

Also, due to a space issue, taking a field trip the night of our second meeting became a good idea, so off we went to the pet store.

For 3 Cheers, Daisies earn three awards:

• Birdbath:  Daisies learn to care for animals and themselves
• Red Robin:  Daisies teach others to care for animals
• Tula: Daisies share how caring for animals and themselves makes them feel

There are five requirements for the Pets badge for Brownies:

• Find out what care different pets need
• Keep a pet comfy
• Help a pet stay comfy and safe
• Make a pet feel loved
• Feed a pet

Our first meeting working on these awards took place at the pet store.  We looked at the different pets, along with the accessories and food for sale.  We looked at the prices too.  The girls enjoyed it but it was a bit chaotic.  Still, I think they all understood that there are a lot of different pets, but that all of them need a place to live, food, and something to do.  This met requirement 1 for Brownies and worked toward the Birdbath award for the Daisies.  

My parents had indicated that all my girls had pets, so our homework was for the girls to feed the pets for two weeks, until our next meeting.   They also had to exercise the pet daily.  This met requirements 3 and 5 for Brownies and continued on the Birdbath award for Daisies. 

The next meeting was lots of fun.  To keep our pets comfy (Pets 2) we painted our pets names on a blanket or towel for the animal to sleep on. To make the pet feel loved (Pets 4) we made dog toys by braiding together strips of old t-shirts and made cat toys from toilet paper tubes.  The animal shelter didn't want the dog toys so we sent them home.  Girls with cats took a cat toy home but the others will be donatd to the shelter.  At this time, the Brownies had finished Pets.

Our next meeting kept working on 3 Cheers and worked on Girl Scout Ways and the Promise Center.