Your troop may not want to use all of their product sales earnings for weekend excursions, but there are still plenty of fun things you can do on a low budget! If you’ve been searching for additional activities to take your girls to, look no further! Here are some of our favorites:

Field Trips

Ventura County Level 3 Martial Arts Performance – Sign up for a free karate class at the Thousand Oaks or Moorpark location!

Free visit to the Apple Store – Take your troop on an Apple Field Trip for an unforgettable learning experience! During this hands-on session, girls will have the opportunity to take their imaginations to new heights using Apple products. STEM alert!

Clean up a local beach – Grab your trash bags and help reduce litter, protect our ocean and raise awareness about little and plastic pollution. The Surfrider Foundation offers monthly organized clean-ups in Ventura County, Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, Santa Barbara County, and San Luis Obispo County.

Home Depot Workshops – Usually held on weekend mornings, Home Depot offers free kids workshops where girls will have the opportunity to build something small and practice with tools! Check out the workshops at a location near you here.

Monterey County Pacific Grove Museum – Enjoy Science Saturdays with your troop on the last Saturday of each month during the school year, 10:00am – 3:00pm. Admission is free and the museum offers hands-on science activities for guests of all ages.

Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Field Trip – On this fun trip, girls will learn how this business got its start and the history of pretzels! The troop will then be taught how to roll their own pretzel dough and receive a treat at the end. To find a participating location, visit the Aunt Anne’s website here, enter your zip code, and sort by field trips!

William Sonoma Cooking Class – Perfect for girls ages 8 – 13, William Sonoma offers Junior Chef classes at a low cost. See what’s available in your area by checking out the store’s website.

Police and Fire Stations – Give your local station a call and ask if your troop can come and meet with the individuals that serve our communities! This is a great way for Daises to earn their Respect Myself and Others Magenta Daisy petal.

REI Workshops – celebrate life outdoors with REI! Many local stores hold free workshops such as hiking, keynote speakers, emergency preparedness, and more. Find your local store and browse their available workshops here.

Visit a local animal shelter – If your girls are looking for inspiration for their Bronze, Silver, or Gold Awards, animal shelters are a perfect place to start! Have the girls bring in donations, meet the animals, and make pet toys prior to your trip.

Games and Activities

Girl Scout Jeopardy Game – Think you know your Girl Scout trivia? Try out this fun game at your next meeting!

Knot tying games – Get ready for camp and practice your knot-tying skills with one of these fun games!

Marco Polo on land – No pool, no problem. Take the classic Marco Polo game and try it on land! Take turns blindfolding the girls and use a pool noodle to tag.

Letterboxing – Letterboxing is a great way to get outside! This real-life treasure hunt combines outdoor adventure, teamwork, and puzzle-solving. Visit this site to find letterboxes near you. If you have a Brownie troop, have the girls work towards their Brownie Letterbox Badge!

Council’s Own

Council’s Own patch programs are developed and offered by Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast as an enhancement to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. These programs (currently 16 to choose from!) are designed to help girls discover some of the resources and needs of our region. Girls can go in-depth to a variety of topics, from climate change and water conservation to mental health and California’s missions! Each program is free to complete and the patches are available to order for around just $2.00 each!

Check out our activities calendar for more free events happening in our council, or our Pinterest for awesome activities to include in your next troop meeting! Are we missing something? If you have a great local activity that your girls love, send us your suggestions to media@girlscoutsccc.org.