How can you, as a Girl Scout volunteer, determine whether an activity is safe and appropriate?  Good judgment and common sense often dictate the answer.  What is safe in one circumstance may not be safe in another.  An incoming storm, for example, might force you to assess or discontinue an activity. If you are uncertain about the safety of an activity, call the council staff with full details and don’t proceed without approval. Error on the side of caution and make the safety of girls your most important consideration. Prior to any activity, read the specific Safety Activity Checkpoints (also available from your support team in other formats on request) related to any activity you plan to do with girls.

When planning activities with girls, note the abilities of each girl and carefully consider the progression of skills from the easiest part to the most difficult.  Make sure the complexity of the activity does not exceed girls’ individual skills — bear in mind that skill levels decline when people are tired, hungry, or under stress.  Also use activities as opportunities for building teamwork, which is one of the outcomes for the connect key in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Next Section:  Health Histories (Including Examinations and Immunizations)