How to Plan a Community Cleanup Day With Your Troop

Now that Spring is officially here, it’s a great time to have a Community Cleanup Day. It takes some pre-planning and some organization but it’s a great service project for your troop.

Preparing for Community Cleanup

1. You will need to find out where you can take the garbage and where to take things that you can recycle.
2. You will need to know where to take items, that are hazardous, such as aerosol cans, paint cans, tires, etc.
3. You will need to know the hours these centers are open and who will take these items and trash to be disposed of.
4. The next step is to decide where your community cleanup site will be. Some ideas include an elderly neighbor, park, school, playground, beach, etc.
5. After you choose your site you need to get permission to do the clean-up. You should check out the area prior to your clean-up so you have an idea how much clean-up will be required. You want to avoid areas near steep hills, busy streets and parking lots.
6. You can invite friends and family members, to help out, if you’d like.
7. You will need to decide who will be responsible for the supplies.

What you need:

• Each girl and volunteer will need closed fingered gloves.
• At least one garbage bag per girl, depending on the size of your clean-up area
• Hand sanitizer is always a necessity.
• Grabbers are optional

Safety First at Your Community Cleanup Day

The clean-up safety talk can be done at your meeting prior to the clean-up day and also on the day of your actual clean-up.

1. Always have a buddy.
2. Don’t pick up sharp objects, broken glass, and needles. Call an adult to handle these items. A sharps container would be helpful for each adult to have during clean-up if you divide your girls into small groups.
3. Don’t pick up aerosol containers including spray paint and hairspray. Call an adult.
4. Don’t empty any bottles that contain liquids. Keep the lids on any bottles.
5. Discuss dangerous plants, animals, or other hazards they should be aware of such as slippery spots.

Make sure you have a time limit and a meeting place, if you have a large troop, that is divided into smaller groups. Have plenty of water for your girls and volunteers to drink during the day.

Depending where you choose to do the community cleanup ask if your girls can also plant some new flowers somewhere in the area. Maybe its in front of a church, near a gazebo at a park, etc. Just another way to make the world a better place.

Who doesn’t like a fun patch after a group activity? This is a real cute one that fits into spring clean up of any community location that is outside. Spring Clean Up Fun Patch

It’s a more rewarding experience if you weigh your garbage or keep track of how many garbage bags that will be filled. Each girl and adult can make a guess prior to the start of your clean-up. Write down guesses and award a prize to the girl and adult that is the closest to your total.

Keep exploring topics like this one:

• Making the World a Better Place Activities
• Using Resources Wisely Activities
• Earth Day scavenger hunt and activities
• Many More Service Project Ideas For Your Troop on My Service Project Pinterest Board