Girl scouts delivering outdoor experiences virtually

Press release

BILLINGS — From the backyard to the backcountry, Girl Scouts has a long and storied history of getting girls outdoors.

This summer, for kids and parents faced with limited outdoor options due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming is keeping girls entertained and engaged with virtual and in-person outdoor activities this summer.

While GSMW reduced its typical resident camp options and capacity this summer due to COVID-19 (a few in-person camp opportunities remain), GSMW is also providing several 3 day virtual summer camps! These opportunities are available to all girls — not just current Girl Scouts.

• Party in the USA, grades 4-8, June 30-July2

• Bugs and Butterflies, grades K-3, July 20-22

• Time Travel, grades 4-8, July 27-29

• Under the Sea, grades K-3, August 3-5

• Backyard Nature, grades 4-8, August 10-12

Each day girls will connect with the program leader in an online meeting, then have several hours to complete their activity on their own or with family. Girls will finish the day with another online meeting to share their projects and discuss what they have learned.

The cost for current Girl Scouts is $25 per virtual camp while non-Girl Scouts can participate for $35 per camp. No previous camp experience required If a three-day commitment is too much, girls can also experience a one day virtual camp for just $10.

In between camp sessions, girls can also participate in free, age-specific activities on Girl Scouts at Home at https://www.girlscouts.org/en/girl-scouts-at-home.html . A few outdoor specific projects include making colorful paintings or sketches using leaves, making a solar oven, studying insects within a nature circle, and creating a “stress free zone” to work out, meditate, or just relax in nature. Girls can also complete activities from GSMW’s Summer Outdoor Challenge at https://www.gsmw.org/en/events/gsmw_challenges.html or the Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge at https://www.girlscouts.org/en/girl-scouts-at-home/activities-for-girls/outdoor-challenge.html , like identifying wildflowers, animal tracks or an outdoor act of kindness such as mowing someone’s lawn for free.

Additionally, for the first time ever, girls can explore hundreds of virtual camp offerings from other Girl Scout Councils around the country ranging from skill building in wildlife education, environmental stewardship, astronomy, STEM, theater and even the culinary arts.