Girl Scout Kaper Charts are one way for the girls in your troop to share responsibility. They are easy to make with these resources.
Updated August 2022
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Children love to help adults-just ask any teacher who has a job that needs to be done. Whether it is wiping down the whiteboard or handing out papers, kids love to feel important and assist their teachers. Even in my preschool classroom, every child has a job. When a classmate is absent, the kids want to do another job as well! As a parent of teenagers, I know the bloom is off the rose when it comes to helping around the house, but my kids do like to help others.
In order for your Girl Scout meetings to run smoothly, the girls need to be actively engaged. Down time means mischief, especially with younger girls. One way to keep them occupied is to have each girl have a specific job for each meeting. This can be organized via a Kaper Chart.
You can find Kaper Chart Job Cards here. Just print and use!
Photo from Pixabay and altered by the author on Canva
Why Should Leaders Use Girl Scout Kaper Charts?
The Benefits of Everyone Pitching In
There are many benefits for leaders who use this system of assigning chores. First of all, it keeps things organized and equal. A kaper chart prevents whining and cries of “It’s not fair! I don’t want to do that!”. Assigning tasks is not arbitrary, but done on a scheduled rotation. Kapers are not punishments, they are expectations. If a girl is assigned a job that she does not like one week, the next time you are together she can look forward to having a different job to do, as kapers rotate. Everyone has to pitch in, as there are no excuses when it comes to doing a chore.
It is also a valuable life lesson as each day passes, there may be things that we don’t want to do, but we must for the betterment of everyone. Sure, I don’t like to empty the dishwasher, but if I don’t, then dirty dishes will pile in the sink and create a mess, bring bugs, and have odors from food that is not washed away. So, I empty the dishwasher to prevent all of these things from happening!
Also, having jobs at each meeting teaches the girls that we do not always get what we want when we want it. Sometimes, we actually have to wait-a foreign concept to modern children who are used to our microwave society. Another benefit is that girls have a sense ownership of the tasks they are assigned to do and a sense of pride when they complete the job.
Photo from Pixabay
KISS
Keep It Simple, Sister
I love Pinterest. I adore Pinterest. I use it all the time as a teacher and as a Girl Scout leader. I have 139 boards full of ideas for leaders of all levels, as well as recipe boards, boards for preschool and Hebrew School, and lots of holiday boards. I get inspired by Pinterest and see ideas that I can make my own. They have helped me plan badge meetings and the Senior Journeys I have done with my girls these past two summers.
But as a woman who has taught children and led Girl Scout meetings before Pinterest, I know that these are meant to give you a plethora of ideas that you can make into something that you can do on your own. When I read the articles attached to these charts or when I see Facebook photos on the pages on which I belong, my first thought is, “WOW! How pretty!”.
My second thought is, “What would Juliette Gordon Low think about this?”
Based on everything I have read about the woman, I believe that she would want leaders to spend time planning outings, not creating a Pinterest worthy Kaper Chart. Yes, she would want every girl to have a troop responsibility, that was part of the original mission of the movement.
Leaders, keep your Kaper Chart simple. Presentation is important, but don’t overthink this. You have to schlep this to your meetings every time. You do not want pieces that will fall off and get lost, causing more work for you in the future.
I have created colorful inexpensive Kaper Chart Job Cards for all levels. You simply print them out, cut them and put on your chart. They are for all levels of scouts from Daisy to Cadette. You can find them here.
On my Girl Scout Daisy blog, I have written many posts on how to make simple Kaper Charts and what jobs your girls can have. You can read them all here.
Do you have any easy ideas for Girl Scout Kaper charts?
