Activities to help girls learn about the environment

The 2023 Girls’ Attitudes Survey says girls are more likely to speak out about issues they care about – and 1 issue they’ve told us that they’re concerned about is climate change.

Almost 9 in 10 (87%) girls agree we all have a responsibility to save energy and reduce waste to protect the environment. But 65% of girls and young women aged 11-21 are angry that adults have damaged the environment, and their generation will have to deal with this.

We’ve pulled together a selection of programme and partner activities which focus on the environment. You can use them in unit meetings and beyond to get girls thinking and talking about environmental issues.

Rainbows

• Rainbows can learn more about the environment through the save the planet activities under the take action theme.
• Actions for energy will help them find out the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy.
• Waste of time will get girls thinking about how much plastic they use in a day.
• Set the story straight helps them to explore the changes they’d like to see, and care about my cause will encourage them to talk to others on what they care about. Both of these activities can be found in stage 1 make change skills builder.
• Rainbows can learn about caring for the environment through completing the recycling badge sponsored by Daisy. To earn the badge, Rainbows need to challenge themselves to reduce waste, become their very own recycling superhero and inspire others to save the planet.
• The fruit and veg interest badge, sponsored by Knorr®, helps girls learn about what’s in their food, how to eat better and how to help others to eat better. Knorr® have helped us to create a badge booster for girls who have earned their fruit and veg badge.

Brownies

• Brownies can become environmental detectives (stage 2 make change skills builder) or influence other people through the changing minds skills builder activity.
• Unfantastic plastic will get girls thinking about changing the way they use plastic.
• All creatures great and small will help them find out why animals are in danger.
• Bottle mansions gets girls to make a minibeast house.
• Learn what happens when a new species is introduced to an environment in insect invaders.
• Brownies can blast off on an astronomical adventure with the space interest badge, sponsored by the UK Space Agency. From stargazing outdoors to recycling materials into sunspot viewers and space suits, this badge inspires Brownies to be environmentally friendly space explorers.
• They can also learn about their rights and climate change in the my rights interest badge.
• The zero waste interest badge will help girls take action to protect the Earth’s natural supplies and challenge themselves to put less in the bin or down the drain.

Guides

• Plastic planting helps Guides can get creative and make their own ecosystem in a plastic bottle.
• Find out why wildlife is at risk and how to help in go wild!
• Take a stand against climate change and learn about the Global Goals with global goalie.
• Guides can discover how to reduce their carbon footprint in carbon calculator.
• In big changes start with small steps (stage 4 make change skills builder), Guides can explore how the actions they take every day can turn into something bigger.
• Who cares? gets Guides to reflect on issues important to them.
• Guides can find out how to use their voice to create change with the human rights interest badge.
• Through the conscious consumer badge, they can explore what they buy and make a real difference to people and the planet.
• They can also make a positive impact on the environment and prevent items going into landfill by completing the upcycling badge.

Rangers

• The stage 6 make change skills builder has activities for Ranger getting to the root of the issue, helping them to discover causes and impacts of issues.
• Tackle plastic use with plastic personas.
• Upcycle old plastic in plastic fantastic.
• Sow it, grow it! gets Rangers making seed balls for bees.
• Learn about overfishing in empty oceans.
• Destructive discussion gets Rangers to think about different opinions on protecting nature.
• Give time, make change supports Rangers to volunteer by using their skills and experience to enable good.
• With the protesting interest badge Rangers will discover different ways to protest, find out what they care about and make their own protest.
• They may want to blog about the environment through the blogging interest badge.

If you want to find out more about Girlguiding’s environmental plan please visit the webpage.