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. 

Three Brownie Girl Scouts with their arms around each other smiling at the camera

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

(PDFs available in English and Bilingual Spanish).

September

Brownie Intro Meeting

To kick off your year, start by hosting a welcome party for your troop families.

October

Meeting One: Outdoor Art Creator (part one)

Brownies explore the outdoors and create their own work of art.

Meeting Two: Outdoor Art Creator (part two)

Brownies create a masterpiece inspired by the outdoors.

Field Trip

Brownies get outside and share their art with their troop.

November

Meeting One: Create and Innovate (part one)

Brownies explore innovation and make something for someone else.

Meeting Two: Create and Innovate (part two)

Brownies create an item to solve a problem, explore marketing, and share their creation with others.

Service Project

Brownies identify an issue they care about and make a difference in their community.

December

Resilient. Ready. Strong.

Brownies learn about resilience and build their inner strength.

Cookie Time

The Girl Scout Cookie Program

Help troops learn about entrepreneurship and pay for things like field trips, badges, supplies, and celebrations. Reach out to your council to learn more about how to participate and when your local cookie season starts. You may need to adjust the recommended order of earning the cookie badges in your year plan based on your cookie sale dates.

January

Meeting One: My Cookie Customers

Brownies learn about Girl Scout Cookies and decide how to use their cookie money.

Meeting Two: Cookie Entrepreneur Family Pin

Brownies kick off the Cookie Program with their families.

February

Meeting One: My Great Day (part one)

Girls develop habits to make their days run smoothly.

Meeting Two: My Great Day (part two)

Girls develop habits to make their days run smoothly.

Council Event: World Thinking Day Event

Brownies explore World Thinking Day and find out about environmental problems around the world.

March

Meeting One: Girl Scout Way (part one)

Brownies practice and share the Girl Scout Way.

Meeting Two: Girl Scout Way (part two)

Brownies explore the history and meaning of being a Girl Scout.

Field Trip

Brownies get out of their meeting space to explore the world around them!

April

Meeting One: Eco Friend (part one)

Girls learn to respect nature.

Meeting Two: Eco Friend (part two)

Girls practice outdoor safety and wildlife protection.

May

End-of-Year Celebration

End your first year of Brownies by celebrating your accomplishments with your troop and their families!

Eco Friend field trip

Girls practice outdoor kindness.

Summer

Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge

Summer is the perfect time to celebrate our love of the great outdoors. You have so many options for how to explore—from your window, a campsite, the sidewalk, or an open trail.

Brownie® Second Year Plan

(PDFs available in English and Bilingual Spanish).

September

Brownie Intro Meeting

To kick off your second year of Brownies, start by hosting a welcome party for your troop families.

October

Meeting One: Flying Flyer (part one)

Brownies build a Fling Flyer to explore thrust, drag, gravity, and lift.

Meeting Two: Flying Flyer (part two)

Brownies test their Fling Flyers and earn the Fling Flyer Design Challenge badge.

Service Project

Brownies identify a service project to address hunger in their community.

November

Meeting One: Celebrate Community (part one)

Brownies explore how their community is celebrated.

Meeting Two: Celebrate Community (part two)

Brownies experience community celebrations.

December

Cookie Entrepreneur Family Pin

Brownies kick off the Cookie Program with their families.

Cookie Time

The Girl Scout Cookie Program

January

Meeting One: Cookie Decision Maker (part one)

Brownies learn about Girl Scout Cookies and decide how to use their cookie money.

Meeting Two: Cookie Decision Maker (part two)

Brownies explore finding and connecting with their customers as well as practicing handling money and making change.

February

Meeting One: Making Friends (part one)

Brownies learn how to make tasty snacks for themselves, family, and friends.

Meeting Two: Making Friends (part two)

Brownies make tasty and healthy snacks as a troop.

Council Event: World Thinking Day Event

Brownies explore World Thinking Day and find out about environmental problems around the world.

March

Meeting One: Senses (part one)

Brownies learn about their five senses.

Meeting Two: Senses (part two)

Brownies discover how to use their five senses to explore the world.

Field Trip

Brownies get out of their meeting space to explore the world around them!

April

Meeting One: First Aid (part one)

Brownies learn how to help in an emergency.

Service Project

Brownies identify an issue they care about and make a difference in their community.

Field Trip

Brownies get out of their meeting space to explore the world around them!

May

Meeting One: First Aid (part two)

Brownies learn how to treat minor injuries.

End-of-Year Bridging Celebration

End your second year of Brownies by celebrating your accomplishments with your troop and their families and bridging to Juniors!

Field Trip (overnight)

Brownies explore their world by going on an overnight adventure.

Summer

Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge

Summer is the perfect time to celebrate our love of the great outdoors. You have so many options for how to explore—from your window, a campsite, the sidewalk, or an open trail.

Flag Ceremony

Gather your troop together to honor our flag and learn how to have a flag ceremony as a troop.

Brownie Girl Scout running and smiling outdoors

Shop Brownie® Materials

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

ORDER NOW

Tips and Resources:

How to host a Brownie® meeting: toggle arrow

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!

How to customize your troop year plans: toggle arrow

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.

How to run smooth troop meetings: toggle arrow

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.

How to access volunteer training: toggle arrow

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.

Troop leader with two Girl Scouts smiling outdoors

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Council Finder

Brownie® Troop Year Planner

Your guide to a year of trying and exploring!

For troop leaders of second and third grade Girl Scouts.

How to get started:

Brownie® First Year Plan

(PDFs available in English and Bilingual Spanish).

Brownie® Second Year Plan

(PDFs available in English and Bilingual Spanish).

Tips and Resources: