The theme for World Thinking Day 2013 is girls worldwide say "together we can save children's lives." This theme is based on United Nation's Millennium Development Goal 4, which is focused on reducing child mortality rates around the globe.

To earn the award, girls complete one or more activities below.


 

• In pairs, think about and list all the ways we care for babies. For example, babies need milk, clean water, shelter, and shots to prevent illness. What else do babies need? In a large group, make a list of all your ideas. Going back to pairs, write down each idea on a piece of paper, and then cut the paper into strips with one idea on each strip. Together, put into order all the things babies need according to how important you think they are. Does everyone agree? Discuss with your friends what would happen if babies did not have those things?
• Did you know, in some parts of the world, children get sick because they don't have clean drinking water? Find out where your drinking water comes from. Then, with your Brownie friends, try this experiment with a grown-up. First, mix up a bowl of dirty water by adding cooking oil, soil, and small pieces of paper. Then, with help, cut a plastic bottle in half. Turn the top half upside down so it's like a funnel. Build a filter in the funnel trying different materials: gravel, sand, and cotton balls. Pour the dirty water through the bottle, experimenting with different layers of filter material to see which filters the water best. (Don't drink the filtered water!) Share what you learn with others.
• If your stomach is growling, you might say, "I'm starving." But are you really starving? Talk about what it means to be simply hungry and what it means to be starving. What are some ways we can fight hunger? Take action on at least one of these ideas. For example, visit a local food bank to learn how hunger and poverty affects children in your community and find out what food items the food bank needs. Then work with your Brownie friends to try to help.
• Do you take good care of yourself? List all the ways you try to stay healthy (e.g., washing your hands, exercising, eating healthy foods, brushing your teeth, getting a good night's sleep.) With your Girl Scout friends discuss what might happen to your body if you did not follow these simple day-to-day things. List other actions you could take to stay healthy. Then make a mock-TV or poster advertisement to promote the action and show it to other Girl Scouts.
• Clean hands are important for preventing diseases and staying healthy. With other Brownies, go over the best ways to wash hands. You can research this online, with an adult's help. Then comes the fun part: make your own soap. Here's a craft site with easy soap-making instructions. Share bars with your family or donate them to a charity.
• Make a better world for girls by taking the World of Girls Girl Scout Leadership Journey. Can you take action on something that affects children in your community or around the globe?