Your First Overnight

Why Overnights Come Before Camping

Jumping from regular troop meetings straight to tent camping is a big leap — for the girls, for the parents, and for you. Indoor overnights are the bridge that makes camping eventually feel doable instead of terrifying.

An indoor overnight teaches the girls (and the adults) how to handle being away from home as a group: sleeping in a shared space, managing bedtime routines, navigating homesickness, and learning what it’s like when the troop spends extended time together. All of this happens in a building with heat, running water, electricity, and a roof — so the emotional challenge of being away from home isn’t compounded by the physical challenge of being outdoors.

Think of it this way: if a girl has never slept anywhere but her own bed, asking her to sleep in a tent in the woods with other girls ("away" from Mom) is asking her to handle three big firsts at once. An indoor overnight lets her master “sleeping away from home", potentially separate from "sleeping away from home NOT right beside Mom", so that when camping arrives, the only new part is the outdoors.

Types of Indoor Overnights

Indoor overnights come in several forms, roughly ordered from least to most ambitious:

Church or school lock-in. If your meeting space is a church or school, you may be able to arrange an overnight in the same space the girls already know. Familiarity with the location reduces anxiety. You’ll need to plan your own programming for the evening.

Museum or zoo sleepover. Many museums, zoos, and aquariums offer overnight programs for groups. These are often the easiest first overnight because the venue handles the programming — you just bring the girls and the sleeping bags. They usually include evening activities, a snack, a sleeping area, and a morning activity or breakfast. Cost varies but these are popular and book up early.

Girl Scout lodge or troop house. Many councils have lodge-style properties with bunk beds, a kitchen, and a gathering space. These are designed for troop overnights and often come with equipment and nearby trails. Your council’s camp or property page will list available locations. This is the most camping-like indoor overnight and a great final step before tent camping.

Hotel overnight. For trips to events or destinations that are too far for a day trip, a hotel overnight is straightforward. The logistics are simpler (no cooking, private bathrooms), but you’ll need to plan for room assignments, adult supervision of hallways, and keeping the girls entertained in the evening.

TIP: For your troop's very first overnight, a museum or zoo sleepover is hard to beat. The venue does most of the work, the girls are excited by the novelty, and the structured programming keeps everyone busy until bedtime. It's a low-risk way to test how the troop handles being away from home. 

Your second indoor overnight, you can prep the girls by saying there's going to be a girls area, and a grown-ups area nearby, but practice separate sleeping arrangements (see below).

What You Need Before an Overnight

Overnights require additional training and paperwork beyond a regular day trip. The specifics vary by council, but here are the common requirements:

Overnight/travel training. The adult organizing the overnight needs to have completed overnight training in addition to the basic day trip training. Most councils offer this as a separate course in gsLearn, sometimes called “Sleep In,” “Overnight Basics,” “Let’s Go 1,” or similar. Check your council’s training page for the exact name. This training typically covers overnight supervision, sleeping arrangement policies, and emergency planning for extended trips.

Overnight Paperwork. Most councils require a specific form for any overnight event. This form notifies council of your trip and ensures your insurance coverage is in place. It can take up to 2 weeks for council to process, so submit it well in advance. Check your council’s forms page for the current version.

Permission slips with overnight-specific details. In addition to the standard field trip permission slip, overnight permission slips should include pickup and drop-off times, what to bring (sleeping bag, pillow, pajamas, toiletries), any medication instructions, and an emergency contact number for each girl’s parent. Parents need to know exactly what the sleeping arrangements will be.

First Aider required. Just like day trips, a First Aider with current CPR/First Aid certification must be present for the entire overnight — not just the daytime activities. Make sure your First Aider is committed for the full duration.

Health History Forms. Bring the Health History Form for every girl. You’ll need these if there’s a medical issue during the night — especially allergy and medication information.

Sleeping Arrangements & Supervision

Sleeping arrangements for Girl Scout overnights follow consistent rules across all councils:

Each girl should have her own sleeping space. This usually means her own sleeping bag on her own mat, cot, or bunk. If girls need to share a bed (for example, in a hotel), written parent permission is required.

Male volunteers may not sleep in the same space as girl members. On trips where male volunteers are present, they sleep in a separate area. Adult women supervise the girls’ sleeping space.

It is not mandatory that an adult sleep in the sleeping area with the girls. However, an adult must be easily accessible throughout the night. Many troops have adults sleep in an adjacent room with the door open, or take shifts staying awake nearby.

If adults are in the same sleeping area, at least two unrelated adults must be in the area at all times. Best practice is to have a girls-only sleeping area, and a few feet away or in the next room over, have an adults-only sleeping area. You'll notice at Girl Scout camps that there are dedicated Leader cabins versus Girl cabins--this is why. In unmarked camps, the Leader(s) will frequently take the cabin or tent closest to the bathroom so adults are alerted when girls use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Most girls (and most parents) are not ready for this right away, so it helps to practice sleeping separately during your indoor overnights. When even that feels like too much, then the rule about two unrelated adults being in the area at all times, applies.

Plan for homesickness. It will happen, especially with younger girls on their first overnight. Have a plan: a quiet conversation, a call to parents if needed, a comfort item from home. Don’t make a girl feel bad for being homesick — it’s normal. Most girls settle down within 30 minutes if handled with warmth and patience.

Set expectations before lights out. Talk about bedtime expectations as a group before nighttime: when lights go out, voice levels, staying in your sleeping area, what to do if you need an adult. Girls who know the rules in advance are much calmer than girls who find out the rules after they’ve been broken.

Planning the Evening Program

Unless the venue provides programming (like a museum sleepover), you’ll need to plan activities for the evening. Here’s a sample flow:

Arrival and setup (30 min) — Girls choose sleeping spots within the boundary provided, lay out sleeping bags, get settled. Give them time to explore the space.

Dinner — This can be as simple as pizza delivery. For a first overnight, simple is better. Focus on the experience, not the menu.

Evening activity (60–90 min) — A craft, a game, badge work, or a group activity. Keep it engaging but not so stimulating that the girls can’t wind down later. Avoid sugary snacks and high-energy games right before bed.

Quiet time (30 min) — Transition from active to calm. Journaling, reading, coloring, or a calm group activity like sharing a story or a gratitude circle. This is the bridge between “fun time” and “sleep time.”

Lights out — Set a firm time and stick to it. Giggling will happen. That’s fine. But the adults should enforce a “whisper only” rule after a certain point so everyone can actually sleep. 

Morning — Breakfast, pack up, clean the space, and a quick closing activity (like a “what was your favorite part” go-around). Leave the venue in better condition than you found it.

Communicating With Parents About the Overnight

Parents of girls on their first overnight will have questions and concerns. Proactively addressing these reduces anxiety for everyone:

Send a detailed packing list. Be specific: sleeping bag, flashlight, pillow, pajamas, change of clothes, toiletries, any medications (in original containers with written instructions), a comfort item from home (stuffed animal, blanket — no judgment), and a water bottle.

Explain the sleeping arrangements. Parents want to know where their child is sleeping, who else is in the room, and which adults will be supervising. Be transparent.

Share the schedule. A general timeline (arrive at 6pm, dinner at 6:30, activity at 7:30, quiet time at 9, lights out at 9:30, pickup at 9am) helps parents feel informed and prepared.

Address the homesickness question head-on. Let parents know that homesickness is normal, that you have a plan for it, and that you’ll call them if their child is truly distressed and wants to go home. Most parents are reassured just by knowing you’ve thought about it.

Confirm the Emergency Contact is on standby. Let parents know who the at-home Emergency Contact is for this event and remind them that the troop leader may not be answering individual calls during the overnight. The Emergency Contact is the point person.

NOTE: Some parents will want to attend the overnight as a chaperone. This is fine and often helpful for supervision rates. Just make sure all attending adults have completed their Criminal Background Check. And be clear about the expectation: chaperones are there to help supervise and lead activities, not to have a group slumber party with their own daughter.