Junior Girl Scouts are fourth and fifth graders, ages 9 to 11. According to the Girl Scouts website, juniors "gain self-confidence as they explore the world in partnership with their troop leaders." Junior Girl Scouts take supervised weekend educational trips with their troop. Pennsylvania is rich in educational opportunities to enrich this age group, and the best weekend Girl Scouts trips are in Lancaster County, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is Pennsylvania Dutch Country and rich in Amish and Mennonite heritage. Your Junior Girl Scout troop can learn about living a life of simplicity by touring an Amish community. Morning buggy rides, farms and Pennsylvania Dutch-style dinner will immerse the girls in Amish culture. Take a tour of the country's oldest Mennonite meetinghouse or explore the home of James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States. Your troop may enjoy touring Lancaster's 29 covered bridges or hiking or biking along Lancaster's many trails. Lodging choices include hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, working farms and country inns.
There is perhaps no other city in the country more rich in Revolutionary America history than Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Your Girl Scout troop can visit the famous cracked Liberty Bell, tour the Graff House where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and walk through Independence Hall, where the founding fathers signed the historic document. Junior Girl Scouts might especially enjoy touring the home of America's most famous flagmaker, Betsy Ross. Longwood Gardens is a spectacular horticultural center with more than 11,000 types of plants scattered throughout themed gardens. Movie buffs in your troop may enjoy a visit to the Rocky Statue, an iconic symbol of Sylvester Stallone's boxing movies set in Philadelphia.
There are plenty of children's activities to fill an entire weekend in Pittsburgh. Your junior girl scouts could spend an entire day touring Pittsburgh's museums, including the Pittsburgh Children's Museum and the Museum of Natural History. The Carnegie Science Center, full of hands-on science activities, boasts a massive Omnimax theater as well as its own submarine. Take your troop on a ride up the Duquesne or Monongahela inclined railways for a spectacular view of the city from Mount Washington. Kennywood and Idlewild theme parks are a short drive away and provide hours of enjoyment with rides and water parks to keep the girls busy. The Pittsburgh Zoo, open year-round, houses almost 4,000 animals and the only major aquarium in Pennsylvania.
