How can you, as a Girl Scout volunteer, determine whether an activity is safe and appropriate? Good judgement and common sense often dictate the answer. What’s safe in one circumstance may not be safe in another. An incoming storm, for example, might force you to assess or discontinue an activity. If you are uncertain about the safety of an activity, contact your GSNorCal staff with full details and don’t proceed without approval. Err on the side of caution and make the safety of girls your most important consideration.
Prior to any activity, read the specific SAFETY ACTIVITY CHECKPOINTS related to any activity you plan to do with the Girl Scouts and submit a Trip or High-Adventure Approval Form to council when its required.
Check out our list of approved vendors here!
If Safety Activity Checkpoints do not exist for an activity you and your girls are interested in, please contact GSNorCal at travel@gsnorcal.org with the details for approval before making any definite plans. Additionally, be sure to review the Safety Activity Checkpoints to confirm whether your girls’ age level is eligible to participate, as some activities are completely off-limits for younger girls, and a few are permitted only for girls 12 and older.
When planning activities with girls, note the abilities of each girl and carefully consider the progression of skills from the easiest part to the most difficult. Make sure the complexity of the activity does not exceed girls’ individual skills- bear in mind that skill levels decline when people are tired, hungry, or under stress. Use the Outdoor Progression or Travel Progression Charts to help you decide what is best for your Girl Scouts.
“It’s Not a Girl Scout Approved Event”- Not A Good Idea!
Occasionally, a Girl Scout troop, in an effort to support girls in the activities they would like to participate in, will engage in activities “as friends, and not as a Girl Scout troop” rather than abiding by the Girl Scout safety activity guidelines established by GSUSA and GSNorCal. Not only could this jeopardize the girls’ safety, it also puts both council and the volunteers at legal risk. GSUSA and GSNorCal do not cover members who are participants in non-Girl Scout events, i.e., an activity that is not allowed or has not been approved. Choosing to participate in such activity could result in the volunteers assuming personal liability if there is an accident, injury or liability that might have been avoided had the volunteer followed Girl Scout safety guidelines.
Last updated on March 30, 2026