Everyone recognizes badges as a big part of Girl Scouting. Each badge serves as a symbol of your Girl Scout experience, earned by completing skill-building activities.
And, WOW, there are sooooo many badges waiting for you, covering a vast range of interests!
Bird Watching? Check. Designing Robotics? You got it. Detective Work? Absolutely.
Read on to learn some of our personal favorites!
The First Aid Brownie Badge: Why do I love this one? It’s educational, you create something useful for your troop, and it’s super easy to involve parents, and it really represents what Girl Scouts is all about!
–Bethany Stone, Regional Executive/Williamson County
Brownie Snack Badge: The girls get to pretend a cooking show and teach their GS sisters a snack they can make without an adult! It’s an easy, fun step toward leading the troop meetings themselves!
–Kate Read, Regional Executive/Macon, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Wilson Counties
Cadette Night Owl Badge: I like the Cadette Night Owl Badge because it focuses science at night like astronomy and nocturnal creatures. You also get to stay up late to complete the badge work, and it’s part of the Cadette Outdoor Journey–and all things outdoors are the best!
— Kelly Sharpe, Camp Sycamore Hills Director
Ambassador Dinner Party Badge: When I was a Girl Scout, my troop and I really loved this one. We enjoyed planning the menu together and taking turns working on various courses, before sitting down to eat something we created together!
–Lily Jaremski, Program & Curriculum Specialist
Outdoor Art Badge: I really like the Outdoor Art Badge series. There is one for every level, which means all Girl Scouts can work with nature to create art. I love that the badges encourage Girl Scouts to get outside, draw artistic inspiration from nature, and then use their resources wisely to create amazing art. Another great thing about the Outdoor Art Badge series is that they can be completed anywhere outside, whether you are in your backyard, a park, a community garden, or anywhere else!
–Alice Fair, Manager of Council Programs and Highest Awards
GSMIDTN’s Special Monthly Patches: I love the special patches that focus on different backgrounds and/or cultures. Our council introduced these programs last year, helping troops dive into lessons about Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and more. My troop of Juniors had a great time working together on our Women’s History Month patch! It’s so important for all of us– young people absolutely included– to be having these types of conversations. We must do more to understand history and perspectives different than our own. Don’t forget: troops can work on their Celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride patch throughout June!
–Kelsey Keny, Communications Specialist
Fall Product Program Community Patch: The patch is designed new each year with the Fall product theme and individualized for Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. Troops work on a community service project together, which expresses one of the true meanings of what being a Girl Scout is all about.
Individual Fall Product or Cookie Program Patch: Another favorite patch for Girl Scouts and me is the yearly themed patch for Fall Product or Cookie Season. It always features a picture of the mascot, the theme, and the year. These patches bring back fond memories when girls look back on their vests and remember their efforts and rewards that year!
–Kathleen Roder, Product Programs Assistant