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  1. Activity Zone
  2. Activities for Girl Scouts
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  4. Safety Checkpoints

Safety Checkpoints

3 Available
  1. Safety and Activities Checkpoints
    Documents and forms needed for safe activities.
    Download
  2. Spanish Safety Activity Checkpoint
    SAC's translated in Spanish
    Preview | Download
  3. Individual SAC's
    A list of individual activities and waivers
    Download
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How to Use Safety Activity Checkpoints

On the following pages, you will find the individual safety activity checkpoints for Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois (GSNI) approved activities.

As soon as the Troop/Group begins planning a particular trip or activity, adult volunteers and troop leaders should always review:

  • The Introduction: Standard Safety Guidelines , which provides the standard safety guidelines that apply to all Girl Scout activities, and
  • The related individual activity’s safety activity checkpoints (e.g., Swimming, Backpacking, Camping)

Volunteers and troop leaders should then continue to refer to both the Introduction: Standard Safety Guidelines and the individual activity’s safety activity checkpoints throughout the entire activity planning process to ensure all proper precautions have been taken and all safety guidelines have been met before participating in the activity.

As part of your activity planning, be sure to pay particular attention to the following areas:

  • When the volunteer-to-youth ratio or other safety parameters are stricter for a specific activity than in the Standard Safety Guidelines, always follow the stricter parameters given in the individual activity’s safety activity checkpoints.
  • Verify instructor knowledge and experience: this section will list which certification or training is required of instructors or facilitators leading this activity.
  • Note when an activity will require a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from the venue providing the activity. 
  • Where access and inclusion can be enhanced. See the Equity section in the document introduction, and any specific recommendations in activity sections.
  • Emergency Action Plan (EAP).  Review and document your Emergency Action Plan (EAP) before starting any activity and review it so all are prepared. Think through scenarios of what can go wrong such as an accident, physical injury, missing person, sudden illness, or sudden weather or water emergencies.

When in doubt, contact GSNI at CustomerCare@girlscoutsni.org for help and guidance in adhering to the safety standards set forth in Girl Scouts Safety Activity Checkpoints.

Visit the GSNI Camp, Programs, and Training Hub in Rallyhood for more safety information, documentation, and discussion.

Safety Checkpoints Full and Individual Documents


  • Medidas de seguridad para las actividades 
  • Activities Not Permitted for Girl Scouts
  • Girl Scout Activities at a Glance
  • Climbing SACs at a Glance
  • Hand and Power Tool Master Chart
  • Paddle Sports SACs at a Glance
  • Target Sports SACs at a Glance
Individual Safety Activity Checkpoints toggle arrow

Aerial Fitness

Amusement Park

Animal Interaction - Waiver

Archery  - Waiver

Ax-Throwing/Tomahawk Throwing - Waiver

Backpacking

Bicycling

Camping

Canoeing - Waiver

Challenge Course- High Ropes Waiver

Climbing/Rappelling - Crate Stacking Wavier

Commnity Clean up

Computer Internet Safety - GSUSA Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge

Cookies and Product Program

Corcl Boats

Cross-Country Skiing

Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding

Fencing

First Aid 

Fishing and Ice Fishing

Geocaching

Go-Karting

Hand and Power Tools

Hayrides

Hikings

Horseback Riding - Waiver

Ice/Roller Skating

Indoor Skydiving

Indoor Trampoline

Inflatables - Waiver

Kayaking - Waiver

Miscellaneous Activities

Offshore Water Vessels

Orienteering

Outdoor Cooking

Packrafting

Parades and Other Large Gatherings

Pocket Knife and JackKnife Safety - Girl Scout Pocket Knife and Jackknife Safety Pledge

Recreational Tree Climbing

Rocketry and Model Rocketry

Row Boating

Sailing

Suba Diving

Shooting Sports

Sledding and Tobogganing

Slingshots

Snorkeling

Snowshoeing

Spelunkering/Caving

Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Surfing

Swimming - Swim Assessment

Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides

Transportation

Trips and Travel

Tubing

Virutal Troop Meetings

Waterskiing and Wakeboarding

Whitewater Rafting

Windsurfing

Zipline - Waiver

Certificates of Insurance

When planning an event, there may be times where we need to obtain a Certificate of Insurance and have it on file 2 weeks prior to when your event is scheduled.

Please consult Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois’ Safety Activity Checkpoints to determine if the facility offering the activity your troop would like to do requires GSNI to have a copy of the facility’s Certificate of Insurance on file. Please consult our current Certificates of Insurance List to check if we already have a Certificate of Insurance on file for the organization you will be working with.                                                

If the facility your troop is planning to use is listed, then you only need to complete the necessary GSNI Permission Slips, the facility’s waiver (if applicable), and the GSNI Troop Trip & Overnight Approval Form (if your field trip is further than 60 miles from your normal meeting space or any overnight event).

If the facility is not listed, the troop leader needs to request a Certificate of Insurance from the facility. To do this, simply call the facility and ask for a current Certificate of Insurance with GSNI listed as a Certificate Holder, including the information below:

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois
353 Randall Rd
South Elgin, IL 60177

The certificate can be emailed to customercare@girlscoutsni.org with “Certificate of Insurance” in the subject line, or U.S. mailed to the above address, or faxed to 847-741-5667.

Requesting a COI From GSNI

If a facility is requesting a copy of Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois’ Certificate of Insurance, please use the following form. To minimize delays in the process, please complete the form with as much information as possible about the facility requesting a Certificate of Insurance.

After this form is submitted, please allow 2-3 weeks for processing. You can complete the submission form here. 

Girl Scout Activity Insurance

GSUSA is pleased to announce an important coverage enhancement to Girl Scouts Activity Accident insurance with Mutual of Omaha which is effective on October 1, 2025. Activity Accident Insurance will be completely automatic with no additional cost to councils, troops, or members. In addition to accident/injury coverage for day events, the new policy will automatically include sickness coverage for all overnight stays (including camp) and international travel. This change, effective for trips occurring on and after October 1, 2025, eliminates the need for manual individual insurance requests entirely because it covers both members and invited non-members.

The Comparison Chart of the GSUSA Insurance Plans is available here.

Claims

The claim form for an accident (Incident/Accident Form should already be filed with GSNI). 

Upon receipt of the claim, the insurance company will be in contact with the member or their guardian. All claims are subject to review by Mutual of Omaha.

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