Recently, we had a family day at City Park in New Orleans. Our reason for going was for a special Girl Scout event that focused on learning about the history of this iconic city park. Also, the Girl Scout leaders held a classroom experience with scouts from the entire area and beyond. The class was on how to pitch Girl Scout cookies. With my wife relegated to a wheelchair due to a broken leg, I was on double duty, pushing her around while also keeping an eye on our energetic 5-year-old Daisy Scout.

Exploring the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden

We started our day at the New Orleans Museum of Art, home to the beautiful Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. This was the perfect day to visit the park. The day was perfect. The garden’s winding paths with moss-draped oak trees provided plenty of spots for my wife to relax while our daughter darted from sculpture to sculpture. Her favorite was the Mirror Labyrinth by Jeppe Hein. We ran into a daisy at that spot, which became her new BFF, at least for the rest of the day.

Refueling at Cafe du Monde

After the museum, we ventured to Cafe du Monde in the former Casino building. Of course, I ended up with sugar all over me. You would expect that, having nearly 50 years’ experience eating beignets, I would know how to do it and walk away with a clean shirt. Reenergized by all that sugar, my daughter was ready to explore again!

Learning Entrepreneurship Skills with the Girl Scouts

As the afternoon heat reached its peak, we made our way back to the McFadden Girl Scout Cabin. Our Daisy Scout troop gathered to learn about entrepreneurship inside this rustic wooden building through the Girl Scout Cookie Program. They developed reasons for selling cookies and came up with sales pitches. Even though Girl Scout cookies almost sell themselves, this empowering program teaches young girls many essential life skills.

Our daughter was thrilled to stand before the group and deliver her pitch. She was also exhausted, but she persevered, got in front of the group, and gave her pitch! Though exhausted from pushing a wheelchair all day, I couldn’t help but smile, seeing the joy and confidence the experience brought out in her. The day reminded me that the Girl Scouts provide many opportunities to try new things and develop leadership skills early on. (Read about our joining the Girl Scouts here!)

A Fun Family Day at City Park with the Girl Scouts!

We ended the day by eating a perfect smash burger at Bub’s Burgers in Mid-City. We can’t wait to go back!

Though navigating City Park with a broken leg had difficulties, the day gifted us special memories as a family. We discovered new parts of this historic New Orleans landmark (it was our first time in the new part of the sculpture garden) while also participating in a meaningful Girl Scout learning experience. These activities will help shape our daughter into a more curious, capable, and community-minded young woman.

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