Activity Overview
Girl Scouts learn how to care for an animal’s home, such as a habitat, cage, crate, stall, or tank.
- Show Girl Scouts how to care for animal homes. You might share a kid-friendly video, introduce a guest expert, or lead a demonstration yourself.
- Provide an example of an animal home (like a fish tank or hamster cage) and have Girl Scouts take turns showing the steps of how to clean it.
Leader Guidance
Preparation: Arrange for a guest expert to chat with the group. If one isn’t available, consider showing a kid-friendly video tutorial or leading a demonstration yourself. You can use samples of animal homes—like a tank or cage—along with cleaning supplies like water, soap, and disinfectant.
Note: If using a guest instructor or online video, follow all Girl Scout safety guidance and council policies, including required adult supervision and any council rules for photography, video, and virtual interactions.
Say:
- Where do different animals live? What do they need to be comfortable in their homes? (Wait for answers.)
- Different animals live in different places. Some live in cages, crates, or tanks; others live outside in the wild. If their homes aren’t cared for, animals can get sick.
- If you want to be an animal caretaker, you need to know how to keep their space clean and comfortable so they can be healthy and happy.
- In this activity, you’ll learn how to keep a habitat clean for an animal.
Introduce your kid-friendly video tutorial or guest expert, or lead a tutorial yourself that shows Girl Scouts how to properly clean a tank, cage, or other animal home. If you and your group prefer, you could explore how to help clean up local habitats for wildlife.
If possible, let Girl Scouts try cleaning an animal home themselves.
