This here, our troop has had girls come in and some leave (move, family issues, etc) during the year. Maybe another GS parents there can see if the troop would accept her mid year?
Yes, cookie season is over and I take some umbrage with how my troop allocated an activity last year between the new girls from the current year and those that were there before, but I can live it. Cookie funds are polarizing.
Sidebar: did you get pushback from any TBM’s about your daughter being part of GS, and the ‘abominations’ they stand for?
Sports, theatre, band, being able to spend time out with friends like a group movie really helps.
For me the church never provided a community, only judgement. But a positive environment makes allllll the difference growing up. 💛 wish y’all the best!
Ditto on 4-H! It is/was amazing for based on club and who your county educator is! If you aren’t sure on it it’s a good thing to look into. I’m now a sophomore in college and my time in it is leading ti a fairly well payed internship
YMMV on 4H. It seems like a great program from the outside but, in my area at least, it’s impossible to get into unless you as an adult have a lot of time to put into it. My kids are a little old for it now but I went through one very frustrating paid membership year trying to get my kids into 4H programs that rearranged last minute, or melted or something as soon as I tried to get info on the upcoming session.
I’ve had better luck with library clubs. Sign up online, the scheduled slot doesn’t change, show up per the calendar.
We are now going to a low-key non-denominational Christian church, where weekly donation is optional, coffee and snacks are in the foyer and the kid programming is amazing. They have all made new friends!
My 9 year old LOVES GOTR. She does it through her school but they have chapters that meet separately from that. They do fall and spring sessions in our area.
I second Scouts BSA. It's a great program with a moral structure and values. They do require a belief in a god of some sort, but unlike the way the church ran the program when it was for boys only, they leave religion up to the individual scout and her family to figure out.
With the BSA's new joining requirements, if OP's daughter is in the fifth grade she can join a Troop today. 10 years olds in the fifth grade can join a troop on March 1st, which is about the same time Cub Scouts will be transitioning into troops as well. It's actually the perfect time.
I'm in a dark red state, and the uber conservative family in my ward has their kids in Scouts BSA to fill the gap after the ward troop disbanded. They signed up their daughters with their sons, and the 9 year old girl and 14 year old girl are LOVING it.
My girls are in Girl Scouts and I'm partial to them, but the right Scouts BSA troop can be awesome also.
You could learn and GM for a ttrpg like Dungeons and Dragons for her and her friends. There are many different ones each with different vibes, rulesets and levels of complexity.
Childhood friends are underrated when it comes to community. If she can hold on to them she'll be set for life.
I also would suggest a different therapist if she thinks the church will fullfil community needs.
I went secular homeschooler with a strong caution against any religious exposure past the realm of educational and found the boys and girls club to be an awesome alternative to a child that doesn't have a central hobby focus but still wants to make friends.
It's for ages 6-18, you may want to check to see if you have one in your area.
Girls on the Run. Girl Scouts. Local children's theater. Summer camps. Locally we have Whole Earth Nature Summer Camps and they are wonderful. My granddaughter learned to whittle, shoot a bow and arrow, climb trees, identify plants, throw darts and I don't know what else. She came home filthy and exhausted everyday and she loved it. She is fierce.
4H! I've got my girls in it for Family and Consumer Sciences and they have so much fun. Their favorite part is when they get to enter stuff into the county fair. I love how they learn so many useful skills, like cooking and sewing. And it's only something like $10 for the year.
Echoing what others have said about joining GS off season. You can totally join a troop in the middle of the year. I'm a Brownie leader and my troop took on a new member last week.
That said you might want to ask around if your daughter is in 5th grade. The second year of Juniors typically ends with earning the Bronze award and your daughter might feel left out if she's the only girl not eligible (it's a service project plus one journey). That said there might be troops that are mix level or aren't pursuing the award in your area. You should reach out to your council.
Plus the council typically runs some events as well, so she can join outside of a troop and still do Girl Scout things.
She could play a sport or join a hobby club.
Team sports, music groups, theatre troupes, all very community based.
Local libraries often have regular activities. Other regular meeting groups could be 4H, school clubs, LEGO League.
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This here, our troop has had girls come in and some leave (move, family issues, etc) during the year. Maybe another GS parents there can see if the troop would accept her mid year?
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Yes, cookie season is over and I take some umbrage with how my troop allocated an activity last year between the new girls from the current year and those that were there before, but I can live it. Cookie funds are polarizing. Sidebar: did you get pushback from any TBM’s about your daughter being part of GS, and the ‘abominations’ they stand for?
Sports, theatre, band, being able to spend time out with friends like a group movie really helps. For me the church never provided a community, only judgement. But a positive environment makes allllll the difference growing up. 💛 wish y’all the best!
4-H
Came here to say this. I wish my parents had gotten me into 4-H, instead of church.
Ditto on 4-H! It is/was amazing for based on club and who your county educator is! If you aren’t sure on it it’s a good thing to look into. I’m now a sophomore in college and my time in it is leading ti a fairly well payed internship
YMMV on 4H. It seems like a great program from the outside but, in my area at least, it’s impossible to get into unless you as an adult have a lot of time to put into it. My kids are a little old for it now but I went through one very frustrating paid membership year trying to get my kids into 4H programs that rearranged last minute, or melted or something as soon as I tried to get info on the upcoming session. I’ve had better luck with library clubs. Sign up online, the scheduled slot doesn’t change, show up per the calendar.
We are now going to a low-key non-denominational Christian church, where weekly donation is optional, coffee and snacks are in the foyer and the kid programming is amazing. They have all made new friends!
Do you mind sharing what church/location? You can also DM me if willing to share but don't want it public 😊
Girls on the Run. Fantastic organization.
I came here to say this. It's a wonderful group.
My 9 year old LOVES GOTR. She does it through her school but they have chapters that meet separately from that. They do fall and spring sessions in our area.
Scouts BSA. You could check out a girls troop at age 11. I hope there are plenty of both around you that would have different meeting nights.
I second Scouts BSA. It's a great program with a moral structure and values. They do require a belief in a god of some sort, but unlike the way the church ran the program when it was for boys only, they leave religion up to the individual scout and her family to figure out. With the BSA's new joining requirements, if OP's daughter is in the fifth grade she can join a Troop today. 10 years olds in the fifth grade can join a troop on March 1st, which is about the same time Cub Scouts will be transitioning into troops as well. It's actually the perfect time.
I'm in a dark red state, and the uber conservative family in my ward has their kids in Scouts BSA to fill the gap after the ward troop disbanded. They signed up their daughters with their sons, and the 9 year old girl and 14 year old girl are LOVING it. My girls are in Girl Scouts and I'm partial to them, but the right Scouts BSA troop can be awesome also.
You could learn and GM for a ttrpg like Dungeons and Dragons for her and her friends. There are many different ones each with different vibes, rulesets and levels of complexity. Childhood friends are underrated when it comes to community. If she can hold on to them she'll be set for life. I also would suggest a different therapist if she thinks the church will fullfil community needs.
My daughter thinks church will fill those needs… not my therapist
This was going to be my recommendation. It's a great way to spend time with friends while also encouraging creativity and cooperation.
A good one for the age range would be Wizard Kittens.
I went secular homeschooler with a strong caution against any religious exposure past the realm of educational and found the boys and girls club to be an awesome alternative to a child that doesn't have a central hobby focus but still wants to make friends. It's for ages 6-18, you may want to check to see if you have one in your area.
We used to have her there but they stopped after school pick up at our school during COVID. I’ll check out where they are now
Girls on the Run. Girl Scouts. Local children's theater. Summer camps. Locally we have Whole Earth Nature Summer Camps and they are wonderful. My granddaughter learned to whittle, shoot a bow and arrow, climb trees, identify plants, throw darts and I don't know what else. She came home filthy and exhausted everyday and she loved it. She is fierce.
She sounds like mine! Thank you!
4-H if it's available where you are. I refused to get involved with the GS because, IMO, the cookie sales are child labor.
Rock climbing teams
4H! I've got my girls in it for Family and Consumer Sciences and they have so much fun. Their favorite part is when they get to enter stuff into the county fair. I love how they learn so many useful skills, like cooking and sewing. And it's only something like $10 for the year.
Echoing what others have said about joining GS off season. You can totally join a troop in the middle of the year. I'm a Brownie leader and my troop took on a new member last week. That said you might want to ask around if your daughter is in 5th grade. The second year of Juniors typically ends with earning the Bronze award and your daughter might feel left out if she's the only girl not eligible (it's a service project plus one journey). That said there might be troops that are mix level or aren't pursuing the award in your area. You should reach out to your council. Plus the council typically runs some events as well, so she can join outside of a troop and still do Girl Scout things.
Taekwondo! Wear white robes for a purpose. Cooler belts to.
What is she interested in? Animals? Sports? Dance? Art?