Tailor-made Training

Whatever your girls’ level and experience, it is important to make sure your troop’s training is fun — not a chore. When making your training plans, ask yourself the following:

Will it be fun?

Cookie activities should be engaging and entertaining. Make it a party! Use lots of learning games keep the atmosphere lively.

Will the girls learn anything new?

If your girls sold last year, focus on new life skills this time. If they are veteran cookie sellers, help them brainstorm new markets or design a cookie-related business or service project.

Are the girls’ families involved?

Always involve parents/guardians in your cookie activities. Invite them to the party and share goals. Family adults can reinforce learning at home. To help you decide what to focus on at your training, rate your troop’s skills in following areas:

How well can they relate how cookie money will be spent?

If your girls aren’t pro’s yet, is it because they really don’t know or are they just a bit shy?

• If it’s lack of knowledge, revisit your goal-setting process and talk with the girls about how selling cookies helps both the troop and the council.
• If shyness is the issue, a little practice will take care of it.
  • Brownie Girl Scouts can make a shelf paper mural of planned activities to share with parents/guardians at cookie training.
  • Girls can take turns role-playing.
  • Older girls can write scripts and practice telling customers how their council uses proceeds to serve local girls.

How well do your girls know the cookies?

Here are a few fun training games to try. Make up one of your own!

• Brownie & Junior Girl Scouts: Cookie questions drawn from a hat, a “Name That Cookie” blindfolded taste test, a cookie quiz, a team game with half the troop playing customers with questions and the other half playing cookie sellers.
• Teen Girl Scouts: Pin the name of a cookie on each player’s back. Girls must ask yes-or-no questions of the other players to discover which cookie each is.

How well do your girls handle money?

Young girls can practice making change with fake money. As they get older, girls can learn to keep financial records and create reports. By the time they are Senior Girl Scouts, they should be able to manage a cookie sale from start to finish.

Do your girls know how to sell safely?

Whatever the answer, it’s a good idea to review safety rules each season.

• Review the safety information on the back cover of the Volunteer Newsletter with the girls.
• ABC's public and girl web sites also highlight safety..
• If you need additional information on safe selling practices, consult your Girl Scout council.
• Make learning about safety fun — play charades!