Kinder Introduction: Panda

Activity Description: Learn about Giant Pandas by exploring how they live and eat and learning what endangered means.

Items Needed:

Picture of a newborn panda
Picture of an adult Giant Panda
(Optional) Small object the size of a stick of butter
(Optional) Piece of paper to pretend to hold as bamboo
(Optional) List of Panda Facts

Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 10–15 min):

Compare panda sizes. (2–3 min)
- Giant Pandas are born very small. They can fit in your hand, but they grow into large, heavy animals.
- Have youth look at the newborn panda picture and notice how tiny it is. Then look at the adult panda picture and compare how tall and heavy they become.
- (Optional) Let youth hold the stick of butter or other small object to pretend they are holding a baby panda.
Try panda movements. (2–3 min)
- While Giant Pandas are famous for staying still and eating bamboo all day, they have a very funny way to walk when they do move. They walk flat-footed like humans, not on their toes like dogs or cats.
- Have the youth walk on all fours, but keep their palms and the soles of their feet flat.
Explore why pandas are endangered. (2–3 min)
- Giant Pandas are very special because they are endangered. That is a big word that means they are very, very rare.
- Pandas need safe mountain homes and 80 pounds of bamboo each day to survive. How many hours do you think they need to eat that much bamboo? (Answer: 16 hours a day!)
- Pandas spend many hours each day eating bamboo and use a special wrist bone, called a pseudo‑thumb, to help them hold their food. Use a “panda thumb” (wrist) to pretend to hold a snack and make a loud “crunch” sound to eat some bamboo. (Optional) Use a piece of paper to pretend to hold as bamboo.

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

Join the Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Leader Help Facebook Group
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Join the Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Leader Help Facebook Group
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See other Recommended Facebook Groups for some Scouting Organizations
_{(No official Groups)}

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Published on April 11, 2026, Author:

Tia Kennard

Click Here -> To see information References:

Disclaimer: The information published on The Badge Archive is built from the references listed below. These sources demonstrate that our content is grounded in facts and research, not opinion or speculation. Readers may consult them directly when looking for additional material.

All about Wild Animals: Pandas. Milwaukee, WI, Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2004.
Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. “Meeting : 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals! Pt. 5” My.girlscouts.org, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., https://my.girlscouts.org/content/girlscouts-vtk/en/vtk.html. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Gross, Ruth Belov. A Book about Pandas. U.S.A., Scholastic Inc, 1980.
Takahama, Valerie, et al. How to Guide Girl Scout Daisies through 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals. Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., 2010, p. 89.

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