ACTIVITIES

Secret clubRAINBOWS

What you need • No resources required

Aim of activity If you’re going to make a positive change in the world, you need to know who’s with you. Create a secret greeting for your movement.

What to do As a unit think about causes you care about it. Maybe it’s saving the bees or making sure everyone can go to school. Chat about why they mean a lot to you.

Examples• Saving the forests• Building a new playground• Adopting animals• Throwing away less food

You’re going to make a secret greeting so you can communicate with people who care about the same thing you do. Come up with an action and a sound effect you could do for your cause. For example, if you want to save the bees, you might flap your arms like wings and make a buzzing noise. You could do this on your own or as a group.

Got your action and sound effect? Practise them until you have the perfect secret greeting.

You can’t make a positive change in the world without telling people about your cause! If you’ve made your own secret greetings, take turns showing them off. Can anyone guess which cause you’ve chosen? Chat about why you think each cause is important and make sure you all learn the secret greeting.

How could you keep spreading your message? Could you teach someone else your secret greeting? Let’s get your cause out in the world!

Take it furtherSpeak to someone at home and find out other ways you can show or tell people about your cause.

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Take Action

Give it a go

20 minutes

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ACTIVITIES

Topsy-turvy artRAINBOWS

What you need • Paper • Pencils • Colouring pencils

Aim of activity Watch out! The world’s gone a bit topsy- turvy. Can you colour in a picture before it’s been drawn?

What to do Grab a piece of paper, some colouring pencils and find a space. It’s time to transform into amazing artists!

Think about when you draw a picture. What do you normally do first? Most likely, you draw the shape of your picture. This is called an outline. You might do this using a pencil, then colour it in. We’re going to turn it all topsy-turvy. Take a sheet of paper and start colouring. It doesn’t matter which colours go where. Have fun creating shapes with your colours.

Now you’ve created the fill for your picture, draw an outline – it could just be a big squiggle on the page! Once you’ve added an outline can you decide what your picture is? Perhaps it looks like a building, a cat or a pond. Add more details to show off your shape.

Finished? Show off your topsy-turvy creations in the bizarre art gallery. This is where the pictures get put on the floor instead of the walls. Look at everyone else’s amazing artwork, can you guess what they drew? Be careful not to tread on the masterpieces!

Take it furtherCaught the topsy-turvy art bug? Why not colour random shapes on another piece of paper and see what items and pictures you can see in them. You could even swap your coloured sheets with another Rainbow and see what they see out of your art!

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ExpressMyself

Jumpstraight in

20 minutes

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ACTIVITIES

What to do Windows are everywhere! They can be big, small, round or have lots of panes of glass in them. Look around you and choose a window you think could do with cheering up.

Now it’s time to plan your window art. Perhaps you’ll create a famous skyline, a family portrait or a picture of your unit. Be as creative as possible! Think about who the art is for. Is it the people inside or outside the building, or both? Sketch out your ideas on some paper first and hold it in the window to see how it will look from both sides. It might change how you do your art - you might need to write words backwards!

When you know what you’re going to do, get creating. Cut out shapes in your tissue paper, use sticky tack to stick your paper or craft items to the window. Once your masterpiece is completed, step back and look at your window wonder!

Window wonderBROWNIES

What you need • Paper • Tissue paper – selection of colours • Felt tips • Scissors – 1 per girl • Sticky tack – see ‘Note to leader’ • Selection of craft materials

Aim of activity They say art is the window to the soul. Can you transform a window into art? See what wonderful creations you make!

Note to leaderRemind girls to ask the window owner’s permission before sticking anything on a window and not to add any personal information to their windows.

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ExpressMyself

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45 minutes

TOP TIPYou could draw on

pieces of paper and stick these on your window like

an art gallery with permission from an adult. If you use tissue

paper, when the sun hits it, it looks a little like a

stained-glass window.

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ACTIVITIES

You on a plateWhat you need • Paper • Pen • Colouring pencils

Aim of activity Thought food was just for eating? It’s great for complimenting too! Give everyone in your unit a boost with some delicious compliments.

What to do Pick someone to start - they’re the complimentor. Complimentor - pick someone and give them a compliment, for example, ‘you’re great at sports’ or ‘you’re very kind’.

Now, pick someone else and compliment them using food. Think of a word that describes them and choose a food starting with the same letter. Maybe they’re sugar because they’re always smiling, popcorn because they’re positive or fudge because they’re fun.

Once you’ve been complimented, you become the complimentor. It’s your turn to pick someone to compliment. Keep going until everyone’s been a complimentor and been complimented.

Now you know what food other people think you’d be, what do you think? Grab a piece of paper, a pen and some colouring pencils.

On your piece of paper, draw a plate. Think about the words that you think best describe you. Then choose foods starting with the same letter. It could be chocolate because you’ve got curly hair or some sausages because you’re silly!

Once you’ve completed your plate give it to your leader. Your leader will hold each one up, can you guess whose plate is whose? Did anyone pick the same foods?

Look at your plate. These are some of the things that make up the wonderfulness that is you! However, we don’t recommend eating what’s on your plate. Some foods just don’t belong together, like ice cream and curry!

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BROWNIES

KnowMyself

Jumpstraight in

20 minutes

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ACTIVITIES

Flash mobGUIDES

What you need • Music player (optional) • Internet access (optional)

Note to leaderTry and find some flash mob videos to share with the unit.

Aim of activity Quick! Strike a pose! Grab people’s attention for your cause by showcasing your best dance moves.

What to do What’s a cause you all care about? Perhaps it’s an international issue, something in your local area or the environment. Have you ever done anything to raise awareness before?

It’s time to stand loud and proud, you’re going to plan a flash mob! This is a group of people who suddenly start a performance (normally in a public space). They’re great to get lots of attention quickly and leave everybody around thinking about your important message. You don’t need to be a world class dancer to get your message out to the world - you could also sing, stand in a formation, or even do a verbal performance.

It’s time to plan your flash mob - think about how you’ll get your message across. If your cause is about protecting endangered animals, are you all going to dress up? Is there a song that links to your cause?

Now think about how you can use the skills in your unit to catch people’s attention. Perhaps someone’s a great dancer, really good with a hula hoop or super skilled at the drums. What can you bring into it to give it the wow factor, and leave people thinking about your message? Not everyone has to be part of the flash mob but you can still use your skills to help create costumes, be the dj or direct the performance.

Next, think about where you’ll do it. Who’s going to be your audience and what do you want them to do at the end of the flash mob?

Practise, practise, practise and get ready to get out there!

Why not invite your family to the end of your meeting and surprise them with your skills?

Take it furtherPlan a date to do your flash mob and get ready for your performance!

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TOP TIPIf you’re planning to do it in a public

place, ask your leader to check it’s in line with local laws, rules and

restrictions.

Take Action

Give it a go

60 minutes

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ACTIVITIES

Head, shoulders, knees and CONE

GUIDES

What you need • A cone or item to represent a cone,

1 per girl

Note to leaderIf you don’t have cones, use any soft items, like cushions or beanbags. The caller should randomly pick the words in the game and can say cone whenever they like.

If you’re playing this in your unit meeting space, pair the girls together and get them to race against each other. Make sure their cones are socially distanced, if required.

Aim of activity How quickly can you race to grab the cone? Get your heart racing to stay in this fun warm-up game.

What to do How do you get your body and mind ready for exercise? Together come up with your top five ideas. You might include things like getting changed into workout clothes - did you also include warming up? Warming up before exercising is really important. It gets your body relaxed and stretched and you’re less likely to cause an injury during your workout. As part of a warm up you can try lots of different exercises and games, ranging from stretching to cardio. It’s time to warm up! Choose someone to read how to play the game, and give it go.

Game rulesYou’ll each need a cone just in front of you. Your leader will be the first caller. They’ll randomly call out heads, shoulders, knees or cone. When they call out, touch that body part. When they shout out ‘cone!’ you need to grab your cone and hold it up in the air. The last person to do so becomes the caller for the next round. Quicken the pace of the call outs to get everyone moving and thinking faster.

Did that get your heart beating? Find another warm up and try it out together.

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Try it this wayWant to up the challenge? Add another item so you have to pick the right one up. Or if you’re the first to pick up your cone, you have to take an extra step away from your cone.

Be Well

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15 minutes

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ACTIVITIES

Micro-adventurerRANGERS

What you need • Pen • Paper• Items for your adventure (optional)

– see ‘Note to leader’

Aim of activity Trekking across the Sahara Desert, searching for Bigfoot … they sound like great adventures! But how about something a little closer to home?

Stay safeCheck your adventure with your leader before you go. Agree a way to check in with your leader while you’re out and about. Make sure to follow current government advice on social distancing.

Note to leaderThis activity will help girls plan a micro- adventure. Before girls go out on their micro-adventure, make sure that all activities are risk assessed and comply with Girlguiding policies. Add any items needed for their chosen adventure to the ‘What you’ll need list’. If they’re planning a residential, they’ll need to either hold or be working towards their Lead Away permit or go with a leader holding the appropriate Going Away With license. Girls can only take other girls away overnight if they have completed their Lead Away permit.

What to do How daunting would it be if your leader said you’re going to climb Mount Everest at 6am tomorrow? Would you have all the equipment you need? How about getting to the Himalayas by tomorrow morning? Talk together about what your biggest obstacle would be. How about if you were to have a micro-adventure closer to home?

It’s time to plan your own micro-adventure. Use the micro-adventure advice to help you plan yours. Don’t forget to get your plans checked by your leader before you do anything.

Micro-adventureA micro-adventure is an adventure that’s achievable for everyone. It’s closer to home and normally involves going outside. But really, it’s anything that you find to be an adventure.

What – You could walk every street in your town, you could hold a campout in your garden or you could create a hidden den in your house. Think about what’s around you and what items you have already that you could use for your adventure of choice.

When – Is it something you need to do in the daylight or in a certain weather?

Who – Will you involve anyone else? How are you going to make sure any social distancing rules are followed?

Safety – You need to make sure what you’re doing is safe. Check with your leader about your plans. Always check with your parent/guardian about what you’re planning to do. Make sure you have a way to contact them when you’re adventuring. The Lead Away permit has a great section on risk assessing your adventure (you can find it in challenge three).

Now it’s all planned out and your leader’s happy, pick the day for your adventure. Get out there and do it! Why don’t you find a way to record your adventure, for example take photos, videos or keep a journal?

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HaveAdventures

30 minutes

Give it a go

TOP TIPYou don’t need to do your adventure

straight away. Complete your micro-adventure

whenever is most suitable for you and those

around you.

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ACTIVITIES

Unit on a tabletop RANGERS

What you need • Items to represent your unit and

local area – see ‘Note to leader’• Table• Paper• Pens• Camera

Note to leaderFor this activity you’ll need items that showcase your unit and local area. This could be food, photos, collectables etc. You could split this activity across two meetings, one to plan the tabletop and another to make it. If you’re not meeting in your unit space, you could ask each girl to create part of the tabletop and put the collage together. Check all girls have the correct photo permissions if photographing them.

Aim of activity We’re part of a truly global movement. Girlguiding is part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). Create a tabletop to show our international sisters what your unit’s all about.

What to do Have you ever been on an international adventure with Girlguiding? If you have, you might have taken part in an international marketplace or village. This is where each country represents themselves. It could be through food, activities, badges or resources. Chat about what you’d do to represent your country.

How would you represent your unit? How would you showcase everything that’s great and unique about it?

You’re going to create part of a miniature virtual international village and represent your unit on a table. Grab some paper and pens and plan how you want it to look.

Now the planning’s done, create your tabletop. Be as imaginative as possible, you want to catch people’s eyes. When it’s done, snap a picture and share it online using the hashtag #GlobalGuiding. Why not challenge another unit to do the same, or ask a unit in a different country? See how many units you can exchange tabletops with.

There are so many ways you can connect with the other 10 million guides and girl scouts around the world. You can write letters, set up video calls or connect on social media. For more information about how to make international friends, check out our website pages.

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KnowMyself

Jumpstraight in

30 minutes

TOP TIPIf your unit meets in

an old cheese factory, maybe you’d have some cheese on your table or a book of cheesy jokes.

Or if you’ve ever created your own badge, you

can show that off!

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