Smart Cookies for Cadettes
Cookie Business Badge Series
Audience: This series is for Girl Scout Cadettes and is suitable for in-school and after-school sites.
Purpose: This series will help Girl Scouts learn about our Cookie Program and earn cookie business
badges. The Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls five key business skills: Goal Setting, Decision
Making, Money Management, People Skills and Business Ethics. Through the cookie program, girls
learn skills essential to business and leadership and build confidence which will help them succeed in
life.
Duration: Six 25-30 minute sessions. Each session lists the badge requirements met to ensure girls
are earning their badge.
Prior to Series: Materials lists are given at the beginning of each session. Please ensure you have the
required materials before arriving at the site.
Girl Scout Cookie Business Badges Earned:
Cadette Marketing Badge
Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) Outcomes Achieved:
Discover 1: Girls develop a strong sense of self.
Discover 2: Girls develop positive values.
Discover 3: Girls gain practical life skills.
Connect 1: Girls develop healthy relationships.
Take Action 2: Girls are resourceful problem solvers.
Take Action 4: Girls educate and inspire others to act.
Session 1: Get To Know the Super Six
Required Materials: Copies of “Get To Know The Girl Scout Cookies” sheet (1 per girl), markers (at
least 1 per girl), Cookie Matching Game sheet (1 per girl) and Tom’s Shoes handout (1 per girl)
Badge Requirements Met: Marketing badge Step 3
Get To Know The Girl Scout Cookies (5 minutes)
Welcome the girls to the Smart Cookies series, which will prepare them for an exciting cookie season!
Ask the girls if they knew that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the
world—and they get to be a part of it!
Begin by passing out the “Get To Know The Girl Scout Cookies” handout. This shows a picture of the
six cookie varieties girls will be selling, along with a description of each cookie. Ask the girls if they have
ever tried one of the cookies, and if so, which is their favorite. Have them look at this sheet really
carefully, because the next activity will test their memory of the cookies.
Cookie Matching Game (5 minutes)
Pass out a Cookie Matching Game sheet and a marker to each girl. Have the girls turn their “Get To
Know…” sheet upside down so they cannot look at the answers. Challenge the girls to complete this
without looking at the “Get To Know…” sheet. After the girls have taken their best guess, go over the
answers and see how many each girl guessed correctly. Girls may use a different color for each cookie
or use one color for their guesses and another to correct.
Why Sell Cookies? (5 minutes)
Many girls may not be familiar with the Girl Scout Cookie Program, so it is easiest to start from the
beginning and explain why girls are participating in the program. Let them know that they will gain
business and leadership skills important for their future through the fun series over the next six
sessions, and then hands-on through cookie sales. They will be selling cookies to their family, friends,
neighbors and teachers and in return, they will gain confidence to succeed and earn money the group
can use towards something special. For each box the girls sell, their group will earn money to buy Girl
Scout uniforms, throw a party and/or give back to their community. The more boxes sold, the more girls
can earn or do. It is super easy and fun!
Buying Cookies Feels Good (10-15 minutes)
When customers buy Girl Scout cookies, they are not just buying a box of cookies—they are supporting
the girls who sell them! People feel good about buying Girl Scout cookies because in doing so, they are
giving back to their community. Pass out the Tom’s Shoes handout and discuss the business model
and marketing message they use. How do they market their product to be a “feel good” purchase? How
can we use this idea to better market Girl Scout cookies?
Session 2: Goal Setting
Required Materials: Two pieces of flipchart paper or large sheets of paper, markers and a calculator
(can use one on cell phone)
No Badge Requirements Met (but goal setting is an important part of the Girl Scout Cookie program!)
Brainstorm (5-10 minutes)
Tell the girls that they all have to agree on how to spend their cookie earnings. They should think of
something realistic that they can earn through their efforts. You may also want to encourage the girls to
set aside some money to purchase supplies or materials for a group of animals or people in need. Give
the girls a minute to think, and then go around the room and have each girl give her idea of how the
money should be spent. Write their ideas on the piece of flipchart paper with a marker so the girls can
see their ideas listed. Some realistic options may include a pizza, ice cream or other party in the spring
or at the end of the year, or purchasing Girl Scout merchandise, such as vests or sashes (the Girl Scout
uniform) or tee shirts.
Is It Feasible? (2-3 minutes)
Quickly skim the list created by the group. If there are any that are not possible, explain why. For
example, a trip to Six Flags sounds like fun, but the money would need to cover the cost of the ticket,
bus and food for not only the girls but also the chaperones. A laptop for each girl would be great, but
how many boxes would it take for each girl if they receive $.60 per box? Once you explain which
options are not feasible, cross these off the list.
Choose a Group Goal (5 minutes)
Now it is time to choose the group’s goal. This goal can be adjusted later on in the series if the girls
change their minds. Discuss the options as a group and then take a blind vote to determine which
option the girls prefer. Once the group has chosen the goal, do some quick math on a calculator (most
phones have this feature) and figure out the approximate amount of boxes per girl they will need to sell.
How Will We Get There? (10-15 minutes)
Brainstorm some potential customers through one of the two activities:
1. Goal Graffiti: Allow the girls to draw their cookie goal on the large piece of paper, including what they
want to spend their cookie money on and who they can talk to in order to reach their goal.
2. Play Big Wind Blows with a twist: have the girl in the middle name someone they will ask to buy Girl
Scout cookies (e.g. Mom, Neighbor, Uncle, etc.). See below for original rules.
Everyone stands in a circle with one person in the middle. The person in the middle says “The Big Wind
Blows for anyone ______.” They fill in the blank with something like "wearing socks," "who has a
birthday in September," etc. Everyone who fits that description has to go into the middle of the circle
and find a new place to stand; they cannot stay in their own spot and they cannot go to the spot
immediately beside them. The person in the middle tries to get a spot on the edge of the circle and this
leaves someone in the middle, who makes the big wind blow again.
Session 3: Selling Skills and Branding
Required Materials: Cookie Match Cards (1 set per 3-4 girls), lightweight ball, Oreo Cookie sheet (1 per
girl) and Girl Scout Cookie History sheet (1 per girl)
Badge Requirements Met: Marketing badge Step 1
Team Cookie Match (5 minutes)
Break the girls into groups of 3-4 and give each a set of cookie pictures, names and descriptions. See
how quickly the girls can match all six cookies correctly!
Selling Skills and Money Cents (10-15 minutes)
Gather the girls in a circle and pass the ball to one girl. Ask the girl one of the questions below. Allow
her to answer, and once she has it correct, she can pass the ball to another girl who will answer a
different question. Continue until everyone has had at least one turn. Feel free to add additional
questions to the ones below.
Questions
How much is a box of cookies?
How many types of cookies do we sell?
How many cookies have chocolate?
What is the name of the lemon cookie?
What kinds of cookies have peanut butter?
What is your favorite cookie and why?
What is your group’s cookie goal?
How many boxes do you need to sell individually to reach your goal?
Imagine you want to sell cookies to your neighbor. How could you ask her?
If a customer has $20, how many boxes can she buy?
How much does it cost for a customer to buy 3 boxes of cookies?
If a customer wants one of each kind, how much money does that cost?
Can a customer pay with quarters?
Who should ask customers to buy cookies, you or your parent? Why?
Name three people you are going to ask to buy cookies.
If you have a question about cookies, who can you ask?
Should you ever walk around your neighborhood selling cookies alone? Why or why not? (Answer: NO!
Always go with a parent/guardian!)
Brand Identity (10-15 minutes)
Almost everyone knows about Girl Scout cookies—and likes them! A cookie brand succeeds if people
like the look and taste of the product, like the company and then make the decision to purchase them.
Ask the girls, “How many of you or your family members like Oreo cookies?” Pass out the Oreo Cookie
sheet and discuss the history of a cookie brand many people also purchase. Ask the group the
following questions:
1. Are Oreos a brand people recognize? How so?
2. Why do people continue to purchase them?
3. How has the brand changed to meet customers’ wants?
Then pass out the Girl Scout Cookie History sheet. Ask the same three questions and then compare
the two brands. What similarities and differences do they share?
Session 4: Role Play Good Customer Relations
Required Materials: Bag of Customer Relations Scenarios (1 bag per 20 girls)
No Badge Requirements Met (but practicing good customer relations is an important part of the Girl
Scout Cookie program!)
Role Play Good Customer Relations (entire session)
Divide the girls into pairs. Allow each pair to pull one scenario from the bag and give the girls 5-10
minutes to prepare a short skit showing good customer relations skills. One girl will need to be the
customer and the other will need to be the Girl Scout.
Once the girls are ready, ask one pair at a time to perform their short skit for the group. After each
performance, members of the audience may suggest one way to expand or improve the interaction and
one thing they learned from the skit. Make sure to applaud each pair at the end! Conclude the session
by recapping good customer relations skills.
Session 5: Learn More About Cookie Sales
Required Materials: Cadette Cookie Competition sheets, flipchart paper or large piece of paper, a
marker and masking tape
Badge Requirements Met: Marketing badge Step 2
Cookie Competition (15 minutes)
Ask the girls if their family usually buy the same snacks or cookies every week or if they buy different
cookies. If they do vary their purchases, how do they decide what to buy? Then hold up one of the
Cadette Cookie Competition sheets at a time and ask the girls the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Does your family buy these cookies?
If so, why? If not, why not?
Do you think this package makes you want to buy them? Why or why not?
Are there any ingredients that surprise you?
How does this cookie compare to Girl Scout cookies?
Repeat until girls have discussed each cookie competitor.
101 Girl Scout Cookie Tips (15 minutes)
Hang the piece of flipchart paper to the wall using masking tape. Ask the girls to brainstorm 101 selling
tips and write each one on the paper so everyone can see. Ideas could include ways to sell, reasons
customers should buy or buy more cookies, places to sell and customers to approach.
Session 6: Get Ready to Sell!
Required Materials: Construction paper, markers or colored pencils and a few pieces of small poster
board
Badge Requirements Met: Marketing badge Steps 4 and 5
Goal Check-In (5 minutes)
Remind the girls of their goal and ensure the girls are ready to reach that goal. Does anyone feel they
should change their goal? Are there any ways we can reach the original goal and include a way to give
back to the community?
Thank You’s and Marketing Posters (remainder of the session)
Now that the girls understand the importance of goal setting with their cookie sales, it’s time to have fun
and get ready to sell! Girls should get into small groups of 3-5 girls and create a small poster to hang in
their meeting place (they must ask permission from the site first) or anywhere else that will help them
reach more customers, including a cookie booth. This poster should also include a sentence of how
cookie sales are helping them learn new things and reach their goal, sort of like a slogan. Then if time
allows, have the girls make thank you notes they can give to their favorite customers that express how
the purchase of Girl Scout cookies helps them reach their goal.
Congratulations! Now your girls are ready to go sell cookies and have earned their Marketing
badge!