Those who love rocky road ice cream will be pleased to know that it was the inspiration for the new Girl Scout Cookie for the 2026 season, called Exploremores. According to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP), Exploremores are chocolate sandwich cookies filled with a creamy blend of marshmallow and toasted almond-flavored creme. The new variety replaces S'mores and Toast-Yay!

So far, the new cookies have gotten some positive reviews. "I think it's good. It is kind of like an ice cream sandwich," said Peyton King, a member of Christiana Girl Scout Troop 4673, who was selling cookies recently at the Parkesburg Walmart along with her mother, Amanda.

In addition to Walmart, located at 100 Commons Drive in Parkesburg, cookies are on sale on weekends at Tractor Supply, 985 Octorara Trail, Parkesburg. For a complete list of booth locations, visit http://www.gsep.org, choose "Cookies" and then enter a ZIP code at "Find Cookies!"

In addition to Exploremores, cookie varieties include Adventurefuls, which are brownie-like cookies with a caramel-flavored cream; Trefoils, which are shortbread cookies; Lemonades, which are shortbread cookies with a lemon-flavored icing; and Caramel deLites, which are crispy cookies coated with caramel and coconut and drizzled with chocolate stripes. Peanut butter varieties are Peanut Butter Patties dipped in chocolate and the Peanut Butter Sandwich, which is an oatmeal cookie with a peanut butter filling.

"Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties are the biggest sellers," noted Peyton.

A percentage of sales is used by the troop for various activities. "They use it toward some bigger trips. Two years ago, they went to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. They (recently) went winter camping in the Poconos," Amanda noted. "This year, they are hoping to go to Washington, D.C., for a long weekend."

Those who visit the local booths also have an opportunity to donate cookies to Hometown Heroes, a program adopted in 2019 by GSEP. "They will give cookies to the fire department, EMS and police," noted Amanda.

The goal of the cookie sales, according to GSEP, is to teach Girl Scouts five essential skills - goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. "I learn how to communicate with people and if they say no to buying cookies, you say, 'Thank you' and 'Have a good day,'" said Peyton, a student at Octorara Middle School.

Troop members work in two-hours shifts at the cookie booths, most of the time out-of-doors. "It is a lot of work to be out in the cold, but it is fun to meet all these people," Peyton shared.

They noted that some people will provide the troop with a donation but will not take a box of cookies. "One guy last year at Tractor Supply gave us $50, and he told us to hand cookies to people who we thought would like them," Peyton said.

In addition to traditional Scouting activities, the troop performs community service. Troop members have collected food for the Octorara Area Food Cupboard and volunteered at Christmas at Christiana events. "In Christiana, (the fire company) has spaghetti nights, and we go and serve people," Peyton noted.

"They also volunteer at the Harrison House in Christiana," Amanda added. "The girls ran bingo at one time, and they always write (the senior citizens) Christmas cards."

"Girl Scouting is a lot of fun; they do great things. It is a great organization," she said.

According to GSEP, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the world. Girl Scout Cookie sales will continue through the end of March. For more information, visit the aforementioned website.