By: Tara Rappleye, Program Director

Spring has arrived along with new commemorative celebrations! Warmer weather has brought along with it Gardening Month and International Dance Day. But don’t forget to celebrate your furry friends too on National Pet Day. See all of April’s celebrations below:

Financial Literacy Month

Celebrating financial literacy month is a great way to wrap up lessons from the 2017 Cookie Program and learn even more about money management in general. Here are some fun ways to celebrate below:

• Financial Literacy Badges- at every Girl Scout level we strive to build girls’ confidence in managing money. As Daisies, you learn the basics of making choices, by time a Girl Scout is an Ambassador, she is learning about good credit and how to make it on her own. Earn one of your Financial Literacy badges this month!
• Decorate a Piggybank- learning the importance of a savings account as a young kid sets you up for good money management. Help your troop start their own savings account by purchasing a piggybank for each girl to use at home and encouraging them to save their money. Allowing Girl Scout to decorate their own piggybank gets them more excited about their bank account.
• Wants vs. Needs Chart – a good basic money management skill is thinking about if an item is a want vs. a need. Do the following activity with your troop to help them figure out wants vs. needs.

Garden Month

April is a great time of year in North Carolina to learn more about gardens. With so many flowers and trees blooming, there is a lot of beautiful sights and things to learn about. Grab your shovel, gardening gloves, and seeds. It is time to dig in!

• Naturalist Badges- gardening and nature is a common theme in Girl Scout badges. Through the Naturalist badges, each Girl Scout level can explore a different part of a garden. Brownies explore the dirt and bugs while Cadettes learn about the tall trees. Take time to get outside and earn a Naturalist badge in April!
• Plant an Herb Garden- herb plants like cilantro, lavender, and basil are fairly easy to grow and cheap to buy. Take a trip to a local farmer’s market to purchase herb plants as a troop. Everyone can have a green thumb when working with herbs! If you are worried about your green thumb, we’ve included a guide to help to pick and plant herbs.
• Explore a Garden- take a trip to local community garden, arboretum, botanical garden or nature center. Have an expert guide you through the garden and share with you what they grow, how they grow, and why they grow!

Here is a garden fun patch you can order if you participate in gardening month!