How to Plan a Term of Girlguiding Meetings
A practical framework for planning a balanced term across the six Girlguiding themes, involving girls in choosing activities, and sharing the plan with your leadership team.
A planned term is calmer for leaders and better for girls. You can book resources early, share the load across your team, and make sure the programme covers a good balance of themes rather than whatever was easiest to prepare that week.
1. Start with the calendar
List every meeting date for the term, then mark anything that affects it: school holidays, venue closures, district or division events, promise ceremonies and seasonal dates such as World Thinking Day on 22 February.
2. Ask the girls
Girl-led planning is central to Girlguiding. Even with younger sections, a quick vote between two or three activity options gives girls a real say. Older Guides and Rangers can plan and run whole sessions themselves.
3. Balance the themes
Map each week to one of the six programme themes and check the spread across the term and the year. Mix Unit Meeting Activities, Skills Builders, interest badge work and girls' own ideas so no theme is neglected.
4. Plan people, kit and permissions
For each week, note:
- The leader responsible for running the session
- Equipment and materials needed, and roughly what they'll cost
- Whether the activity needs a specific risk assessment
- Whether parents need to be told or asked for consent
- Whether an external provider or venue is involved
5. Share the plan
Publish the plan to your whole leadership team so everyone knows what's coming and who is doing what. A short term overview for parents also helps with kit, costs and attendance.
6. Review at the end of term
Note what worked, what the girls enjoyed and which themes need more attention next term. Those notes make the next plan much faster.
In UnitSolutions, the Weekly Meeting Planner holds the whole term: themes, linked activities, leaders on duty, equipment and parent-notification flags. Activities you plan there also feed the Unit Progress Tracker, so girls are credited automatically when you take the register.
Activity ideas, theme content and award requirements come from Girlguiding's programme. Use the official programme resources for your section when choosing activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should I plan Girlguiding meetings?
Planning a whole term at a time works well for most units: far enough ahead to book resources and share the load, but flexible enough to respond to the girls' ideas.
How do I involve girls in planning?
Offer younger girls a simple choice between activities, and give older Guides and Rangers responsibility for planning and running sessions themselves.