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On 22 February 2026, Irish Girl Guides will join millions of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world to celebrate a truly historic moment: 100 years of World Thinking Day.
World Thinking Day brings girls and young women together across borders, cultures, and generations. This centenary year marks not only a milestone for the Movement, but also a celebration of the friendships that have connected Guides worldwide since 1926.
More than 10,000 Irish Girl Guides are taking part in activities across Ireland, standing alongside 11.2 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts across 153 countries as part of a shared global celebration.
What is World Thinking Day?
World Thinking Day was first celebrated in 1926, originally marking the shared birthday of the founders of the Guiding and Scouting movements, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell. Over the past century, it has grown into a landmark annual event led by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), the world’s largest voluntary Movement dedicated to girls and young women.
The day encourages members to:
- – Celebrate international friendship
- – Reflect on shared values
- – Learn about global issues
- – Take action in their local communities
This date is a powerful reminder that every Guide is part of something bigger: a worldwide sisterhood working together to create positive change.
A fund is also set up to support the Movement and offer girls and Member Organisations life-changing opportunities to transform their communities and their world.
How Irish Girl Guides are celebrating
Across Ireland, our members are exploring what friendship means in their own lives and communities while also connecting globally. Units are taking part in a wide range of activities designed to celebrate international sisterhood and shared values.
Many Units use this time to connect with Guides from other countries through pen-pal exchanges, sharing their experiences of Guiding and learning about traditions, cultures, and daily life around the world. These exchanges help bring the global movement to life in a very personal way.
As Irish Girl Guides Chief Commissioner Aisling Claffey Healion explains:
“World Thinking Day reminds our members that being a Guide means being part of a global sisterhood. For 100 years, friendship has connected girls across borders and generations. Irish Girl Guides are proud to be part of this worldwide Movement, where girls support one another, learn together, and grow into confident young women. Through this global connection, they also develop a strong sense of care for their communities and the wider world.”
A special centenary Badge designed by a member
To mark the 100th anniversary, we also held a special Badge design competition, inviting members to help create a lasting symbol of this historic occasion.
Congratulations to everyone who took part, with special congratulations to Aoife from Brandon Senior Branch, whose design was selected as the official World Thinking Day 2026 Badge.
The commemorative Badge is now available from the Irish Girl Guides shop, giving members the chance to proudly celebrate the centenary and be part of Guiding history.
World Thinking Day 2026 Theme: Our Friendship
As World Thinking Day celebrates its centenary in 2026, and WAGGGS approaches its own centenary in 2028, WAGGGS has introduced a special four-year centenary journey (2025–2028). During this time, Guides will celebrate the Movement through broad themes that explore our history, symbolism, people, and future.
World Thinking Day 2026 is celebrated under the theme “Our Friendship.” While 2025 focused on Our Story, 2027 and 2028 will celebrate Our People and Our Future respectively.
Friendship has always been at the heart of the Guiding movement. It helps girls to:
- – Feel a sense of belonging
- – Build confidence and empathy
- – Learn from different cultures and perspectives
- – Understand their place in a wider world
The Our Friendship theme invites Guides to strengthen connections and form meaningful relationships with sisters in Guiding and Scouting at home and across the globe.
Connecting globally through WAGGGS and Campfire
As a member of WAGGGS, Irish Girl Guides also take part in global initiatives led by the Movement, including shared online celebrations and digital activities that bring members together across countries and cultures.
Through Campfire, WAGGGS’ evolving digital community space, members can connect with Guides and Leaders from around the world, take part in activities, and share what Our Friendship means to them. These digital connections reinforce the sense of global belonging at the heart of World Thinking Day.
Our Leaders can also use the World Thinking Day 2026 activity pack created by WAGGGS, which includes a range of activities designed to celebrate friendship, such as Friendship Scavenger Hunt, International Bonds: Mapping Our Connections, Friendship Rainbow, Human Knots, and Language of Friendship.
Looking back and forward
For 100 years, World Thinking Day has united girls and young women around the world through shared values of friendship, understanding, and action. What began as a birthday celebration has grown into a global moment that reflects the strength, diversity, and impact of the Guiding Movement.
As Irish Girl Guides celebrate this landmark anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to creating safe, inclusive spaces where girls can grow in confidence, develop leadership skills, and make lifelong friendships, both in Ireland and around the world.