Volunteer Activity Pack - Girlguiding Edinburgh · This pack has been written for you, the volunteer, to help you run the activities, rather than for the Brownies. However, you might

© Girlguiding 2014 www.girlguiding.org.uk Registered charity number 306016 World Centres Volunteer Activity Pack 1

Volunteer Activity Pack

Name:


Contents

Introduction ..............................................................................4Using this pack ......................................................................... 4Using the kit box ....................................................................... 4

Itinerary for the weekend ........................................................5Friday .................................................................................... 5

- Checking in (all) ................................................................................................5- Welcome and introduction (all) ..............................................................................6- Icebreaker activities (all) .....................................................................................7- Body parts (all) .................................................................................................7- International greetings (all) ..................................................................................7- Scorpions at Our Cabaña! (Our Cabaña only) ..............................................................7- Alphabet game (all) ............................................................................................7- Action game (all) ...............................................................................................8- Flag description (all)...........................................................................................8- Where in the world? (all) .....................................................................................8- Jigsaw fun! (all) ................................................................................................9- Put the flags out (volunteers and Leaders only) ...........................................................9- Leaders’ meeting (volunteers and Leaders only) ..........................................................9

Saturday ................................................................................. 9- Welcome ceremony (all) ................................................................................... 10- The sessions (all) ............................................................................................ 12- Outdoor activity session (all) ............................................................................. 13- Craft session .................................................................................................. 14

Henna ................................................................................................... 14Warli art ................................................................................................. 15Rangoli art .............................................................................................. 16Bangle ................................................................................................... 17

Ponchos ................................................................................................. 17Sombrero ................................................................................................ 18God’s eyes .............................................................................................. 19Papel picado ............................................................................................ 20

Pyrography .............................................................................................. 21Wood craft boxes ...................................................................................... 21Scherenschnitt ......................................................................................... 22‘Shrink its’ .............................................................................................. 23Mountain climber ...................................................................................... 24

- Cultural session .............................................................................................. 25Saris ..................................................................................................... 25The Bulbul game ....................................................................................... 27Water carrier ........................................................................................... 27Code breakers .......................................................................................... 27Recycling ................................................................................................ 28Gods and goddesses ................................................................................... 28Mosquito game ......................................................................................... 28


Butterfly walk .......................................................................................... 29Trajineras ............................................................................................... 30Ocarina .................................................................................................. 30Pin the tail on the donkey ............................................................................ 31

Mosquito game ......................................................................................... 31Chocolate fondue ...................................................................................... 32Cable cars ............................................................................................... 33Kim’s game ............................................................................................. 34Orienteering ............................................................................................ 35Tea party ................................................................................................ 35

- Community project session ............................................................................... 36Chai tea bags (Sangam) ............................................................................... 36Piñata (Our Cabaña) ................................................................................... 36Log cabin bird feeder (Our Chalet) ................................................................. 37Peppermint creams (all) .............................................................................. 38Straw puppet shows (all) ............................................................................. 39Newspapers and newsletters (all) ................................................................... 40

- WAGGGS session (all) ....................................................................................... 41True or false running game........................................................................... 41Flag tag ................................................................................................. 42Crab WAGGGS ball ..................................................................................... 42Treasure hunt quiz..................................................................................... 43WAGGGS quiz game ................................................................................... 44

Saturday evening ..................................................................... 45- Bollywood dancing (Sangam) ............................................................................... 45- Sticky rice (Sangam) ......................................................................................... 45- S’mores (Sangam and Our Cabaña) ........................................................................ 45- Fiesta (Our Cabaña) .......................................................................................... 46- Banana split (Our Cabaña) .................................................................................. 47- Folk dancing (Our Cabaña) .................................................................................. 47

Sunday ................................................................................. 48- Paper chain peace doves .................................................................................... 48- Closing ceremony ............................................................................................ 49- Checking out .................................................................................................. 49- Close down .................................................................................................... 50


IntroductionThank you for volunteering at The Big Brownie Birthday World Centres weekend and making this a fantastic celebration! Celebrating 100 years of Brownies at events like World Centres and Celebrate will open girls’ eyes to our worldwide organisation and all the amazing things they can do.

The World Centres weekend is an exciting, large-scale event for Brownies that will give them a taste of an international experience and be a fantastic opportunity to meet other Brownies.

Over the course of the weekend we hope to:

||| give Brownies the opportunity to have an international experience without having to leave the UK

||| offer Brownies a unique, fun and very special experience, with a programme that encompasses adventurous and challenging activities

||| encourage Brownies to see themselves as part of a worldwide organisation

||| give Brownies a taste of the opportunities on offer in Guides

||| celebrate The Big Brownie Birthday.

Using this packThis pack has been designed to help you run a Big Brownie Birthday World Centres weekend. Please familiarise yourself with the pack before the event as there is a lot of information to take in. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or call 020 7834 6242 ext 2061.

Each World Centre weekend has been given a theme – Sangam, Our Cabaña or Our Chalet. Please complete your centre’s activities only. You will be provided with the materials to do so at the relevant Training and Activity Centre (TAC). Some activities will be completed at all weekends – these have been labelled as ‘All’, so please complete these alongside your specific activities.

This pack has been written for you, the volunteer, to help you run the activities, rather than for the Brownies. However, you might like to read out the introductions for each activity to the girls before you begin, to give them a taster of what to expect.

Brownies will be attending in groups of six, with at least one Leader per group. Leaders are welcome to take part in activities and are asked to help supervise where necessary, but the volunteers will facilitate the activities, along with TAC staff for the outdoor activity.

Four weeks before the event you will receive the final details for your weekend including the groups attending, room allocations and activity groups. You will also receive the final timetable for the sessions (specific to each TAC).

Using the kit boxThe materials for the activities will be provided at your TAC in a kit box. All materials are labelled for their purpose and session. Some materials (such as paint) will need to be used in multiple sessions running at the same time, so please split these equally across the sessions. When you arrive, please familiarise yourself with the contents of your kit box and what is needed for each activity. This pack contains a list of the materials and preparation needed for each session, which will help you to get the right equipment set up as easily as possible.


Itinerary for the weekendFridayFriday evening is an opportunity for the girls to play some games with an international theme. Introduce the girls to the World Centre, but let them know that the main activities will start on the Saturday. If you do not get through the games it is not a problem; this is primarily intended as a time for the girls to settle in and mix with Brownies from different units.

15.00–17.00Preparation required

On arrival at the TAC, please familiarise yourself with the facilities. You will find several boxes with all the equipment you need. Label the bedrooms with theme names and the names of the Brownies allocated to each room according to the plan provided for you. (You will find the names in the final details letter.)

Decorate the venue with the themed decorations provided and assemble the ‘passport control’ area. You can use hazard tape to create an aisle. You will use the box provided to measure hand luggage and the scales to weigh the bags. There will also be visa stamps (stickers) to stick in the girls’ passports (made before the event at unit meetings – download from www.girlguiding.org.uk/worldcentreresources). A limited number of spare passports will be available. Please ensure attendance is recorded as the girls arrive.

Our Cabaña: Please assemble a replica of the Chief’s door, as seen at Our Cabaña, using the materials provided. There will be blue sugar paper to stick on to the front door of the TAC (using sticky tack). Once the door is covered, add the trefoil to the centre of the door. This will welcome the girls to the venue in the same way that they would be welcomed to Our Cabaña in Mexico.

17.00–18.15

Checking inYou will need||| Tables

||| Weighing scales

||| Visa stamps (stickers)

||| Tape measure

||| Board games

||| Red stickers

||| Hazard tape

||| Balloon pump or another prop of a similar size/shape

All: When the groups arrive (from 17.00), please welcome them to ‘passport control’. Volunteers should be at the passport control desk checking the girls’ passports and the weight of their bags. Measure any bags that look too large or heavy to be hand luggage, and mark them with a red ‘heavy’ sticker to indicate this. Next, ‘stamp’ the visa section of their passports by sticking in an ‘arrived’ visa sticker. Use the balloon pump to simulate body/bag security scans. Once the girls have been registered, tell them which bedrooms they will be in – one volunteer can take them there. They can spend some time unpacking and exploring the TAC. Please set up the board games provided for the girls to play while they are waiting for other groups to arrive.


18.15–18.30

Welcome and introductionYou will need||| Images of your World Centre

||| WAGGGS notes

||| Final details letter

All: Bring all the groups together and welcome them to the World Centre. The TAC staff will run through housekeeping and emergency procedures. To introduce the weekend, give a brief outline of what activities will be offered and how the weekend will run, explaining the groups, activity sessions, timings and locations. The final details letter includes all this information.

Give an introduction to your centre by reading out one of the following statements and showing the girls pictures.

SangamSangam is in the west of India and is one of the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) World Centres. Sangam means ‘coming together’, and Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from all over the world visit the centre to share their own cultures and learn about the cultures of India. Girls can also stay there for a few days or a few months to work on a community project. Sangam’s mascot is an elephant called Sangelee.

Our CabañaOur Cabaña is in Mexico and is one of the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) World Centres. A cabaña is a hideaway cabin in the woods, surrounded by nature, and Our Cabaña is located in this type of area in the suburbs of Mexico City. The Chief’s door at Our Cabaña, like the one you came through, welcomes you to the centre. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from around the world can stay at Our Cabaña for up to six weeks while working on community projects.

Our ChaletOur Chalet is in the mountains of Switzerland and is one of the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) World Centres. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts can visit Our Chalet and have the chance to try outdoor sports and get close to nature. Our Chalet gets a lot of snow in the winter, so people can try winter sports like skiing, and in the summer they can go hiking through the mountains.

All: Explain to Brownies that one designated stand in the shop will be operating in WAGGGS currency only (download from www.girlguiding.org.uk/worldcentreresources) and they can change their money into WAGGGS currency with their Leaders when visiting the shop. Leaders must keep a record of what has been exchanged as they will need to pay for the items bought with the money exchanged.

18.30–19.30All: Dinner will be served at 18.30, allowing time for groups to arrive and settle in.


19.30–21.00

Icebreaker activitiesStart with some simple icebreakers so that the different groups can get to know each other.

All: Volunteers and Leaders can run some of the games below.

Preparation required ||| Hang the flags for the Flag description game (in your kit box) around the room.

Body partsA fun game to play in pairs.

You will need||| Nothing!

What to doPut Brownies into pairs. Call out a number below six. Brownies need to have this number of body parts on the floor between them, and they must also have contact between them at all times. Try this a few times, and then swap partners.

International greetingsAn activity to help Brownies learn how people in other countries say hello!

You will need||| International greeting cards

What to do1. Each girl is given a card with an international greeting on it, such as rubbing noses, which they

need to memorise.

2. The girls should then get into pairs and say hello using their greeting, telling each other their name, age and where they live. Once they have greeted each other they can move on to make a new pair and share greetings.

Scorpions at Our Cabaña! (Our Cabaña only)A novel way to get your Brownies to make their beds and keep their rooms tidy!

You will need||| Scorpion images

What to doExplain that all the beds need to be made properly to keep the scorpions out, and that Leaders will be checking the beds in the morning. Warn Brownies that they need to watch out as they may find scorpions in their bed if it’s messy!

Alphabet gameA tough task to get Brownies to name as many countries as they can!


What to do

1. Ask the girls to line up in alphabetical order (first letter of their first name only), working the order out for themselves.


2. They should then group themselves by their letter. If one girl is in a group by herself she should join the group nearest to her.

3. Each group needs to think of as many countries as possible beginning with their letter. The group that can think of the most countries wins!

Action gameA dynamic, charade-type game.

You will need||| International action cards

What to do1. Each girl is given a card with an ‘international action’ on it, such as skiing or Bollywood dancing,

which they’ll need to memorise.

2. The girls should then act out their actions all together and get into groups of the same action.

3. Once they have all grouped up they can guess which countries are represented by their action.

Flag descriptionA great game to get the girls linking flags with countries.

You will need||| Flags

||| Flag cards

What to do1. Put the girls into pairs.

2. One girl in each pair is given a flag card – on it will be a picture of a flag and the name of the country it represents.

3. The girl with the card has to describe the flag to the other Brownie, but she cannot say the country name. The other Brownie has to go and find the flag she thinks it is and stand by it (the flags will need to be hung up/draped over a chair before the activity). Once the pairs have found the correct flag, the Brownie with the card can reveal the country name. This can be done as a race – the last person to make it to their flag is out.

4. Tell the girls to swap roles in their pairs so that everyone has a chance to describe the flag and find the flag.

Where in the world?It’s time for Brownies to bend their bodies!

What to do1. Put the girls into groups. All groups come together and pretend to be on a plane.

2. A Leader announces when the plane has landed and where. The groups have a couple of minutes to leave the plane, and must then use their bodies to create shapes to show where they have landed. This can be anything that represents the place, such as a famous landmark (Leaders may need to help with suggestions).


Jigsaw fun!Girls can use their problem-solving skills to complete the jigsaw.

You will need||| Country jigsaws

What to doA selection of pictures that are representative of each country have been made into jigsaws. Leaders should scramble up the jigsaw pieces and the girls who finish other tasks ahead of the others can have a go at putting them back together.

21.00–21.30All: Biscuits and drinks, then it’s bedtime!

Put the flags out (volunteers and Leaders only)Each unit should bring the pennants that they made before the trip (download the pennant template from www.girlguiding.org.uk/worldcentreresources). Volunteers and Leaders can decorate the centre with them while the girls are in bed.

Leaders’ meeting (volunteers and Leaders only)Volunteers should hold a meeting with the Leaders to explain what help they will need on the Saturday and Sunday. The outdoor activity sessions are run by TAC staff, and the volunteers will run a session each.

Dependent on the number of rotations and sessions running at each time (as outlined in the final details letter), Leaders may be required to help run some aspects of each session, particularly in the craft session. This does not mean they have to stay at a post. They are welcome to take part in all activities and are asked to supervise where necessary.

Please ask the Leaders and their Brownies to clear up and then restock any materials at the end of each session, as there will be new Leaders coming in to help run the next session. Please ask the Leaders to stay in the right groups so you have enough support in each session. Bear in mind that for craft activities there are resources for girls and Leaders to make only one each.

SaturdaySaturday is the main day of activities – all themed around the World Centre the girls are visiting. There will be four sessions running on this day, following the Welcome ceremony.

8.15–9.00All: Breakfast.

Preparation required||| Leaders to put scorpions in the messy beds (Our Cabaña only).


9.00–9.30

Welcome ceremonyEach ceremony will be themed by World Centre. This is an opportunity for the girls to be fully immersed in the local cultures, as well as being a fitting start to the event.

SangamYou will need||| Stick-on bindis

||| Flower garlands

||| Prasad (pieces of coconut)

||| CD player

||| CD (provided)

||| Flags

||| Pennants

What to doFlags should be displayed in the activity room, along with the pennants Brownies made before the trip. Everyone should stand in a circle. Volunteers will then move around the circle and welcome each Brownie to Sangam with a Haldi Kumkum ceremony.

Stick a bindi on the girls’ forehead just above and between the eyebrows. Then place a flower garland around each Brownie’s neck and put prasad – a piece of coconut – in their right hand. Explain that this is traditional at Sangam. Prasad is said to be blessed by god.

The Haldi Kumkum ceremony is performed at gatherings – married women exchange haldi (turmeric) and kumkum (vermilion powder) as a symbol of their married status and wish for their husbands’ long lives. Indian music plays softly in the background (provided).

Teach Brownies the following Hindi words. These have been translated phonetically.

||| na-mass-tay – hello

||| cha-low – let’s go

||| naheem – no

||| kit-na? – how much?

||| ham – yes

||| roko! – stop!

Our CabañaYou will need||| Flags

||| Pennants

||| CD player

||| CD (provided)

What to doFlags should be displayed in the activity room, along with the pennants Brownies made before the trip. Teach Brownies the Our Cabaña song. Music will be provided for this.


Teach Brownies some Spanish words.

||| hola – hello

||| vamos – let’s go

||| cuanto? – how much?

||| adios – goodbye

||| por favor – please

||| gracias – thank you

Our ChaletYou will need||| Flags

||| Pennants

||| CD player

||| CD (provided)

Flags should be displayed in the activity room, along with pennants Brownies made before the trip. Teach the girls the Our Chalet song. Music will be provided for this.

Teach Brownies some French and German words.

||| bonjour/hallo – hello

||| allons-y/lass uns gehen – let’s go

||| combien/wie viel? – how much?

||| s’il vous plaît/bitte –please

||| merci/danke – thank you

All: During the Welcome ceremony please hand out the Big Brownie Birthday World Centres drawstring bags as girls may like to use these during the day when moving between activities.


The sessionsFive sessions will take place: four on the Saturday and the final session on the Sunday. The activities will be run on a rotating basis. The name of the session to be run in each slot is outlined in the final details letter.

The group will now spilt into subgroups (outlined in the final details letter) to take part in the sessions. Please ensure that these groups are not changed or paired together as the groupings have been organised to comply with the maximum numbers allowed for outdoor activity sessions.

Session times are dependent on the TAC and the volunteer numbers. The generic timetable is below. You will be notified in the final details letter of any changes.

Saturday session times

9.30–11.00: Session 1

11.00–11.30: Elevenses

11.30–13.00: Session 2

13.00–14.00: Lunch

14.00–14.30: Free time*

14.30–16.00: Session 3

16.00–16.30: Afternoon snack and time to visit the shop

16.30–18.00: Session 4

*All: During ‘Free time’ the shop will be open for the girls to buy souvenirs. Please make sure they go into the shop in small numbers. Each Leader will need to visit the shop with their own Brownies so they can exchange WAGGGS money if they wish to buy anything from the special stall, or any of the specially labelled WAGGGS currency items. The Leaders will then need to pay with the exchanged money. Specific details for each TAC will be in the final details letter.

The sessions are:

||| Outdoor activity

||| Craft

||| Cultural

||| Community project

||| WAGGGS.


Outdoor activity sessionAll: These sessions will be led by TAC staff. Unfortunately, where two activities are running, a choice cannot be offered. This is due to safety regulations regarding the maximum numbers of girls allowed per activity. The two activities will be run at the same time for each session, and up to ten outdoor activity sessions are being offered over the weekend. Two different activities will be run at the larger TACs only, where numbers make this necessary. The groups for each session will be outlined in the final details letter.

SangamYou will need||| Images of the Sangam water tower

||| Images of the Himalayas

The outdoor activity will be tree climbing, climbing and/or crate stacking (dependent on the TAC’s facilities). Explain to Brownies that there is a water tower at Sangam, and part of the Sangam challenge is to climb the water tower and watch the sun rise. Also explain that the Himalayas are a mountain range found in the continent of Asia, which includes India. It has some of the highest mountains in the world and began to form 20 million years ago. In Hinduism the mountains are considered sacred. When climbing the trees or the crates the girls should imagine what they might see if they were climbing the tower at Sangam, or if they were climbing the Himalayas. Show the girls images of the Sangam water tower and the Himalayas (provided).

Our CabañaYou will need||| Images of butterflies

||| Images of pyramids

The zip wire represents flying, like the butterflies at Our Cabaña. Explain to Brownies that in Mexico butterflies are very special – you might see hundreds of butterflies at once, especially in nature reserves. Climbing or crate stacking will also be offered (dependent on the TAC’s facilities), and this will represent climbing the pyramids of Mexico. Show the girls images of butterflies and the pyramids.

Our ChaletYou will need||| Images of the Alps

Climbing and bouldering represent climbing in the Alps. Explain to Brownies that Switzerland is home to many mountains that are part of the Alps. The Alps are made up of 180 mountains running through Europe. At Our Chalet the summer is a good time for hiking and the winter is popular with skiers. When climbing or bouldering ask the girls to imagine what it would be like to do this in the Alps. Show the girls images of the Alps.


Craft sessionAll: Each centre has several crafts to make. Please set out each craft on a separate station so that Brownies can choose what they want to do.

There is no rigid rotation within this session and Brownies are free to choose their activities. However, please explain that some activities will take longer than others and Brownies may not get the chance to complete all the craft activities.

In this session, Leaders may be required to provide additional support so that all the craft stations are running simultaneously with adequate supervision. Put the instructions for each activity on the table and remind the girls that there are materials for only one of each craft item to be made per girl.

Sangam

Kit list for the session

||| Mehandi ||| Glitter ||| Scissors

||| Coloured paper ||| Pots for glitter ||| Warli art examples

||| Pens ||| PVA glue ||| Rangoli art examples

||| Pencils ||| Glue pots ||| Henna design examples

||| Black paper ||| Glue spreaders ||| Erasers

||| White paint ||| Rulers (optional) ||| Table covers

||| Paintbrushes ||| Coloured card ||| Biscuits

||| Paint pots ||| Sticky tape ||| Brown writing icing

||| Water pots ||| Sequins and/or sticky gems

||| Coloured chalk ||| Coloured tissue paper

Preparation required||| Set out the craft equipment so Brownies can move from activity to activity, choosing which they

would like to do. Cover the tables and set up some paint, water and glue pots. Please leave a copy of the step-by-step instructions with each activity.

HennaInspired by examples of traditional henna body art, girls can use icing and biscuits to create their designs. There will be mehandi (ready-made henna) to show as an example. This can be tried out on the paper.

You will need||| Pens

||| Coloured paper

||| Biscuits


||| Brown writing icing

||| Mehandi

||| Paper

What to do1. Take a look at the examples of henna designs and see how detailed the patterns are.

2. Take a biscuit and some brown writing icing and create your henna design on the biscuit.

3. Once you have finished your design, enjoy your edible treat!

4. If you like, take a look at the mehandi that is used in real henna drawings. Try using this on the paper.

||| Do not allow the girls to draw on their skin with the mehandi as this is semi- permanent.

||| Ensure Brownies follow good hygiene practice, eg washing hands, tying back long hair.

Warli artBrownies can have a go at creating Warli art. This is a type of Indian tribal art and is made up of triangles and figures that look like stick men. The images tell us about life in previous times.

You will need||| Scissors

||| White paper

||| Black paper

||| White paint

||| Paintbrushes

||| Paint pots

||| Water pots

||| PVA glue

||| Glue pots

||| Glue spreaders

||| Examples of Warli art

What to do

1. Show the girls the examples of Warli art so that they have something to follow. Brownies should cut out several triangles from white paper, whatever size they like (remind them that the triangles will form the bodies of the people in their picture).

2. The girls should stick the cut-out triangles in place on the black paper, then paint white lines like arms and legs to make them into people. The lines should also be linked together, typical of the Warli art style.

Be safe


Rangoli artBrownies can try creating Rangoli art. Rangoli pictures are usually done on the floor at entrances to houses. It is believed they welcome goddesses to the house. Rangoli comes from the words rang meaning colour and holi meaning celebration. Brownies can make these on paper, which can be placed on the floor over the weekend.

You will need||| Coloured chalk

||| Black paper

||| Ruler (optional)

||| PVA glue

||| Glue pots

||| Glue spreaders

||| Glitter

||| Examples of Rangoli art

What to do1. Show the girls the examples of Rangoli art. To make their own version, Brownies should first use

the chalk to draw a grid made of dots.

2. Then they should draw lines between the dots to create an image.

3. Once they have completed the layout they can use the coloured chalk to colour in some sections of the image.

4. The remaining sections can be covered with glue and sprinkled with glitter.

Please note: Make sure enough glitter is kept for all sessions.

Take it furtherBrownies can try creating their own freehand flower designs rather than using a grid structure. Please see the images included for examples.


BangleBangles are very important in Hinduism and there are lots of different types. Hindu girls and women of all ages wear bangles, but they are especially important at weddings, where it is the tradition that the bride wears as many bangles as possible. Brownies can make a colourful bangle.

You will need||| Coloured card

||| Scissors

||| Sticky tape

||| Coloured tissue paper

||| Sequins and/or sticky gems

What to do1. Each Brownie chooses some coloured card and cuts a strip around 5cm wide and long enough to

wrap around their wrist.

2. Stick the ends together using sticky tape.

3. The bracelet can be decorated with strips of tissue paper, sequins and sticky gems.

Our Cabaña


||| Bin bags ||| Ribbons ||| Pencils

||| Scissors ||| Pots for glitter ||| Erasers

||| PVA glue ||| Brown paper ||| String

||| Glue spreaders ||| Masking tape ||| Paintbrushes

||| Glue pots ||| Poster paint ||| Water pots

||| Coloured tissue paper ||| Ribbon ||| Table covers

||| Glitter ||| Lolly sticks

||| Feathers ||| Coloured thread


would like to do. Set up some paint water pots and glue pots, and cover the tables. Please leave a copy of the step-by-step guide with each activity.

PonchosBrownies can make their own ponchos. There will be images of ponchos with the activity instructions. This activity will require help from an adult.


You will need||| Bin bags

||| Scissors

||| PVA glue

||| Glue pots

||| Glue spreaders

||| Coloured tissue paper

||| Glitter

||| Feathers

||| Ribbons

||| Images of ponchos

What to do1. Each Brownie cuts holes in the top and sides of the bin bag so that it can go over her head and

arms. Please make sure that Leaders supervise this and do not allow the girls to put the bags over their heads until Leaders are happy with the cutting. This activity must be closely supervised.

2. Decorate the bin bag poncho with glue, tissue paper, glitter, feathers and ribbons. Once these have been made, leave them out to dry – Brownies can wear them at the Closing ceremony.

SombreroBrownies can make their own sombreros. There will be images of sombreros with the activity instructions. This activity may require help from an adult.

You will need||| Brown paper

||| Scissors

||| Masking tape

||| Poster paints

||| Paintbrushes

||| Water pots

||| Glitter

||| PVA glue

||| Glue pots

||| Glue spreaders

||| Ribbon

||| Images of sombreros

What to do1. Each Brownie needs a large piece of brown paper that fits over her head with overhang to the

shoulders on all sides.

2. Wrap masking tape around the crown of the head a few times to create the shape of the hat.

3. Brownies can then remove the paper from their heads and trim the excess into a circle to make a brim. This should include enough for an edge of about 6cm all the way round. Smooth out the edges.


4. Roll the edge up to create a rim. Stick this down with masking tape to create the shape of the sombrero.

5. Paint the hat and then decorate it with glitter. Wrap some ribbon around the cap part of the sombrero.

6. Once these have been made leave them out to dry. Brownies can wear them at the Closing ceremony.

God’s eyesThis is a traditional Mexican craft and is displayed on altars to represent gods looking over those who are praying.

You will need||| Lolly sticks

||| Coloured thread

||| Pencils

||| Scissors

||| Eraser

What to do1. Place two lolly sticks in a cross shape and tie these in place with thread, but do not cut it.

2. Label the sticks 1, 2, 3 and 4 in pencil following the diagram below.

3. Start with the thread at the back, between sticks 1 and 4. Draw the thread upwards between sticks 1 and 4 and then diagonally over sticks 1 and 2. Feed it down between sticks 2 and 3 and then wrap it back upwards between 1 and 2.

4. Then pull the thread diagonally over 2 and 3 and feed it down between 3 and 4. Wrap this under stick 3 and bring the thread back up between 2 and 3. Continue doing this, laying each round next to each other. Slide the thread along so they do not build up in the middle.

5. When you want to change colour, tie a new piece of thread on to the previous one, making sure the knot stays at the back of the cross, and continue to wrap the thread in the same way. Be sure to leave some excess thread to tie on your next thread colour.

6. When you have finished, tie the thread at the back of the cross to the excess thread from the last colour change. Rub the numbers out.

1

3

42


Papel picado (perforated paper)Brownies can make these banners using brightly coloured tissue paper. These are traditionally used as decorations at celebrations throughout the year.

You will need||| Coloured tissue paper

||| Scissors

||| String

||| PVA glue

||| Glue pots

||| Glue spreaders

What to do1. Each Brownie takes a piece of tissue paper and cuts it into a rectangular shape (roughly A4 size)

for each design, then folds it in half three times.

2. With the first fold, make the sheet A5 size, then make the second fold in the opposite direction, and the last fold in the same direction as the first.

3. Explain to the girls that this activity is like making paper snowflakes – they need to cut some small shapes into three sides of the folded tissue paper. But they need to make sure there are gaps between each cut to hold it together when they unfold it.

4. Once Brownies have made several squares they can then attach them to a piece of string to make bunting. The top 2cm of each piece of tissue paper should be folded over the string and secured with glue.

Our Chalet


||| Pyrography pens ||| Poster paints (including grey and green)

||| ‘Shrink it’ paper

||| Pyrography kit ||| Paintbrushes ||| Magnets

||| Wooden key fobs ||| Water pots ||| ‘Shrink it’ pictures

||| Pencils ||| Glitter pots ||| Templates

||| Lolly sticks ||| Black paper ||| Paper plates

||| PVA glue ||| Scissors ||| White card

||| Glue spreaders ||| White paper ||| Paper fasteners

||| Glue pots ||| Pencils ||| Climbers

||| Sticky gems ||| Erasers ||| Table covers

||| Glitter ||| Ruler



would like to do. Set up some paint water pots and glue pots, and cover the tables. Please leave a copy of the step-by-step guide with each activity.

||| The pyrography pens need to be set up prior to the session and supervised at all times as these get very hot. Do not leave them unattended. Please ask one of the Leaders in each session to supervise this activity, giving you the opportunity to move around and support all activities, or vice versa.

PyrographyWood carving is a traditional activity in the Alps and many of the groups visiting Our Chalet make a trip to meet the wood carver, whose work is very famous in the area. Pyrography involves burning a pattern into the wood rather than carving it.

You will need||| Pyrography pens

||| Pyrography kit

||| Wooden key fobs

||| Plain paper

||| Pencils

||| Erasers

What to doPlease make sure only the girls making this craft are at the table at any time. You will find the pens and pyrography kit with instructions attached. Please make sure you have read them carefully. There is a wooden key fob for each girl to engrave their design on to, but before they do so they should practise their design on paper with a pencil. They can draw any design on to the key fob, or write their name.

Pyrography will need to be supervised at all times as the pens get extremely hot.

Wood craft boxesThe chance to make and decorate some special boxes – a great souvenir from the trip!

You will need||| Lolly sticks (54 for each girl)

||| PVA glue

||| Glue pots

||| Glue spreaders

||| Sequins

||| Sticky gems

||| Poster paints

||| Paintbrushes

Be safe


||| Glitter

||| Double-sided sticky tape

What to do1. To make the box each Brownie should place two lolly sticks next to each other, about 8cm apart

(vertically) and spread some glue on top of them.

2. Next, she needs to glue 11 sticks horizontally on top of the original two vertical sticks to create the base.

3. Once each girl has created a base she should make a cage-like structure. Glue two sticks flat onto the vertical edges, then two to the horizontal edges. Repeat this until girls have used up all the sticks.

4. They will then need 13 more sticks to create the lid. In the same way they made the base of the box, the lid is made with two vertical and 11 horizontal sticks.

5. Brownies can then use the sequins, sticky gems, paint and glitter to decorate their box lids.

Scherenschnitt (paper cutting)The girls will learn how to create a silhouette picture using this traditional technique from Switzerland and Germany.

You will need||| Black paper

||| Pens or pencils

||| Scissors

||| White paper

What to do1. Each Brownie should take a sheet of black paper and fold it in half.

2. Using a pencil, each girl needs to draw half their design eg half a mountain or one butterfly wing and cut it out. This cut-out paper can then be discarded. When the paper is unfolded it will reveal the other half of the design so it’ll be a whole mountain or butterfly.


3. Stick the black paper on to a sheet of white paper.

‘Shrink its’Get Brownies making some Swiss-themed magnets.

You will need||| Templates

||| ‘Shrink it’ paper

||| Magnets

What to do1. You will find templates for Our Chalet, a cowbell, the Our Chalet mascot and edelweiss. Brownies

can draw round the template of their choice on the ‘shrink it’ paper and colour it in. They may choose to do their own designs instead.

2. Place the paper in the oven and wait for it to shrink!

3. Brownies can then stick the magnets on to the back of their ‘shrink its’ using double-sided sticky tape.

This activity will need to be closely supervised when Brownies are using the oven.

Be safe


Mountain climberBrownies can make a mountain climber using paper plates.

You will need

||| Paper plates

||| Scissors

||| Poster paints (including grey and green)

||| Paintbrushes

||| Paper fasteners

||| Climbers

||| White card

What to do1. Each Brownie should take a paper plate and cut it in half.

2. They can then paint a Swiss mountain scene on to the plate – by painting the plate grey and leaving some white showing through at the peak of the mountain for the snow.

3. They can then cut out the climber provided, including the long card arm, which will be fixed behind the plate.

4. Finally, the girls will need to use a paper fastener to attach the climber and arm to the back of the paper plate. The climber can now scale up and down the mountain!

<Gemma to photograph>


Cultural sessionAll: Each centre will have a wide game to play with several challenges. The challenges may represent activities done at the World Centre or traditional to the country, or help Brownies to understand an aspect of the country and culture.

Sangam


||| Sari (or a piece of material 1.25 x 5.5m)

||| Pencils ||| Plastic

||| Balloons ||| Erasers ||| Aluminium

||| Plastic cups (some with holes punched in them)

||| Cardboard ||| Ganesh story card

||| Scissors ||| Code breakers cards ||| Mosquito net

||| Bucket of water ||| Plain paper ||| Safety pins

Preparation required||| Blow up balloons for the Bulbul game – one for each team (the number of teams will depend on

how many are in rotation).

||| Fill a bucket with water for the Water carrier game.

||| If you are able to hold this session outside, you may be able to spread out the recycling material for the Recycling activity prior to the session beginning.

||| Take the net from the kit box and display this at one end of the room (or outside area) for the Mosquito game.

SarisBrownies learn the traditional way to wear this Indian garment.

You will need||| Sari

What to doBrownies should get into pairs. Show Brownies the instructions below – they should follow these instructions and try to tie each other’s saris. Please ask Brownies to handle the saris with care. Teach Brownies how to tie the saris once they’ve had a try in their pairs.

1. Tuck one end of the material into the waistband of your skirt or trousers on your right-hand side.

2. Wrap it once round your waist and make sure it is tucked into your waistband all the way round. The bottom of the sari should touch the floor.

3. Gather the material together. Take the loose end and wrap it round your waist again but this time do not tuck it into your waistband.


4. Place the remainder of the material over your left shoulder so that the end reaches just below the back of your knees.

5. With the material that is hanging loose round your waist make as many pleats as necessary so that the material fits your waist. Tuck the pleats into the front of your waistband slightly right of centre with the pleats turned to the right.

6. Pleat the material which you have placed over your shoulder.

1 2 3

4

5

6


The Bulbul gameAn active team game for Brownies to play.

You will need||| Beachballs

What to do1. Explain to Brownies that ‘Bulbul’ is the name of an Indian bird and also the name of an Indian

Brownie, and that their Leader is known as a ‘Flock Leader’. Brownies are going to play at being Bulbuls.

2. This game is best played in small groups, so please divide the girls into teams of about six. Each team of Bulbuls (Brownies) should sit in a line facing another team. Each Bulbul’s feet must touch those of the player sitting opposite to her. They must stay touching during the game.

3. The Flock Leader throws a beachball between the players. Each side must try to hit it over the heads of the opposite team. If it touches the floor behind the line of Bulbuls it is counted as a goal. After a goal, the Flock Leader collects the beachball and throws it in again. The first team to score ten goals wins.

4. When this game is over, bring all the teams together and play a larger version, with several beachballs in play at the same time.

Water carrierBrownies will learn the importance of not wasting water in this activity. Please explain that this is important because not everybody in India has access to water.

You will need||| Plastic cups (some with holes)

||| Bucket of water

Preparation requiredAsk one Leader to mark the start of the race track and one Leader to mark the end. At the end of the track, lay an empty cup out for each team member.

What to do1. Divide the group into two teams. One girl from each team will need to carry water from one end

of the track to the other without spilling any!

2. Some girls will have cups with holes in and others will find their cups still intact. When the race starts the girls must run and fill up their cup from the bucket, then race to the other end and pour the water they have managed to transport into one of the empty cups. They should then sit down. Once they sit down the next team member can begin.

3. Compare everyone’s water. Who has the most? Explain to the girls that in India, there are many villages which struggle to collect water every day.

4. Now make it harder by calling out instructions as the girls move from one end to the other such as hop, crawl, skip.

Code breakersA mind-bending puzzle for Brownies to solve that highlights the issue of girls’ access to education in India. This should be played in pairs or small groups.

You will need||| Code breaker cards

||| Code sheet


||| Plain paper

||| Pencils

What to do1. Give the girls the paper, pencils, code breaker cards and code sheet.

2. Brownies must work out the codes using the clues on the cards and the code sheet. When they think they know the answers, they should write them on the paper. Once everyone has shared their answers, let them know the correct answer.

3. At the end of the activity explain that not everyone in India can afford to go to school and so some people can’t read or write. Ask the group how they felt before they could read and understand the code.

RecyclingBrownies can learn about the Indian currency during this competitive task.

You will need||| Cardboard

||| Plastic

||| Aluminium

||| Pencils

||| Paper

What to do1. Spread the recycling materials out around the wide game area. Each item has a value in rupees.

Explain that rupees are the currency used in India and that £1 is the same as around 80 rupees. In this game, cardboard is worth 50 rupees, plastic is 100 rupees and aluminium is 150 rupees.

2. Split Brownies into two teams. One at a time a Brownie from each team has to run and collect an item. The Brownie must run back to her base with the material before the next girl can run.

3. Each team needs to keep a record of the total value of the items they have collected. One girl on each team can act as the bank and record the values. The first team to reach 1,000 rupees is the winner!

Gods and goddessesA game for Brownies to learn a little about the gods and goddesses in Hinduism.

You will need||| Ganesh story card

What to doAsk Brownies to sit in a circle and explain to them that India has many gods and goddesses. Go around the circle and name each girl Ganesh, Shiva or Pavati. Read out the story of Ganesh (below) and when the Brownie hears their name, they must run around the outside of the circle and back to their place. The last person to sit down is out. The story is also printed on a card in the kit box if you would prefer to read from a card.

The god of destruction, Lord Shiva, was at war. His wife was a goddess and her name was Pavati. One day she wanted to take a bath, but as Lord Shiva was away there was no one to stand guard at the door. Pavati used her magical powers to wish for a child, and she had a son named Ganesh. Ganesh was given a task immediately and was told to stand watch and not let anyone in until Pavati said so. Ganesh followed this instruction from Pavati so that she could take a bath. Lord Shiva soon returned from war and was forbidden by Ganesh to enter. Ganesh continued to follow the orders


given by Pavati. Lord Shiva was angry and chopped off Ganesh’s head in a rage. When Pavati came out to find her son beheaded, she was devastated. When Lord Shiva saw how angry Pavati was at what he had done he promised to replace Ganesh’s head with the first living head he saw. Lord Shiva soon came across an elephant and using his powers gave Ganesh the head of an elephant.

Mosquito gameThis energetic game highlights the importance of using mosquito nets to prevent the spread of disease.

You will need||| Mosquito net

What to do1. Explain that some mosquitoes carry diseases and their bites can make people very ill. Most people

get bitten at night so it is important to sleep with a net in areas where these diseases are common.

2. Choose one girl to be the mosquito. She has to try and ‘bite’ (tag) the other Brownies. If a girl gets tagged she is out. The Leader shouts ‘bedtime’ at random points in the game. On hearing this the girls have to run to the net as fast as they can! The last person to reach the net is out.

Please ensure that Brownies run to the net and do not climb under it.

Our Cabaña


||| Butterfly clues ||| Ruler ||| Bowl (if required)

||| Lolly sticks ||| Scissors ||| Ocarina

||| PVA glue ||| Poster paint ||| Blindfold

||| Glue pots ||| Paint pots ||| Pin the tail on the donkey game

||| Glue spreaders ||| Water pots ||| Sticky tack

||| Card ||| Paintbrushes ||| Mosquito net

Preparation required||| Spread the butterfly clues around the session area before the session. Please replace these after

every session.

Butterfly walkBrownies will need to find all the butterfly clues in order to solve the puzzle.

You will need||| Butterfly clues

Be safe


What to doTell the Brownies that the butterflies are in hidden places and they must find them. Once Brownies have found all the clues they should try to make a word or phrase from the letters on the back of each one. The answer is ‘Chief’s door’. Brownies must make sure they are collecting the right set of butterfly clues – each butterfly picture on the clue must match.

TrajinerasTrajineras are rafts found in Xochimilco, an area near Mexico City known for its canals. Brownies can make their own rafts using lolly sticks.

You will need||| Lolly sticks (15 per Brownie)

||| PVA glue

||| Glue pots

||| Glue spreaders

||| Card

||| Ruler

||| Scissors

||| Poster paints

||| Paintbrushes

||| Sequins

||| Pictures of trajineras

||| Bowl of water/sink

What to do1. Each Brownie should take 11 lolly sticks and lay them down (flat and vertically) next to each

other, with no gaps.

2. Next, four more sticks need to be glued at right angles to these, evenly spaced, to make the base.

3. The glued sticks should then be flipped over and an arch added (as is traditional on trajineras). The arch should be made of card (16cm tall) and will need two long legs – 3cm of each leg will be folded under and stuck to the top of the base. The arch should be able to stand on its own, but a lolly stick may be needed at the base to hold the legs in place.

4. Brownies can decorate the arch and the lolly sticks with bright colours and patterns using the paint. Sequins can also be glued on. They can look at the pictures of trajineras to see how they are traditionally decorated.

5. Using a bowl of water/sink, Brownies can try to float their trajineras!

OcarinaAn ocarina is a wind instrument typically made from clay or ceramic. In this activity Brownies get the chance to have a go at playing one.

You will need||| Ocarina

What to doBrownies can try playing an ocarina to see how many notes they can play. Can anyone make a tune?


Pin the tail on the donkeyBrownies can have some silly fun together with this popular party game.

You will need||| Blindfold

||| Pin the tail on the donkey game

||| Sticky tack

What to doExplain that a donkey called Amigo is the mascot at Our Cabaña. Stick up the game and give Brownies a blindfold to play with.

Mosquito gameThis energetic game highlights the importance of using mosquito nets to prevent the spread of disease.

You will need||| Mosquito net

What to do1. Explain that some mosquitoes carry diseases and their bites can make people very ill. Most

people get bitten at night so it is important to sleep with a net in areas where these diseases are common.

2. Choose one girl to be the mosquito. She has to try and ‘bite’ (tag) the others. If a girl gets tagged she is out. The Leader shouts ‘bedtime’ at random points in the game – on hearing this the girls have to run to the net as fast as they can! The last person to reach the net is out.

Please ensure that Brownies run to the net and do not climb under it.

Be safe


Our Chalet


||| Heatproof bowl ||| Cowbell ||| Paper napkins

||| Candle ||| Fondue set ||| Teaspoons

||| Matches ||| Image of alpine horn ||| Plates

||| Forks ||| Image of chalet ||| Mugs

||| Scarf ||| Our Chalet mascot (squirrel) pieces

||| Card

||| Cagoule ||| Tables ||| String

||| Ski pants ||| Paper tablecloths ||| Pencils

||| Gloves ||| Swiss rolls ||| Colouring pencils

||| Sheet ||| Swiss cheese ||| Scissors

||| Chocolate ||| Cocktail sticks

||| Flag ||| Hot chocolate powder

Preparation required||| Set up the fondue set ready for use.

||| Set up the Kim’s game items under the sheet.

||| Spread the mascot pieces for the Orienteering activity around the session area. Make sure these are replaced after each session.

||| The Tea party will be the last activity and Brownies can help set this up. However, please ensure mugs are available for hot chocolate and that you have access to hot water.

Chocolate fondueBrownies can have a go at making, then tasting, this traditional Swiss dish.

You will need||| Marshmallows

||| Fondue set

||| Candle

||| Forks

||| Matches

||| Knife

||| Chopping board


What to do 1. In small groups, get Brownies to prepare the fondue. First they should break the chocolate into

small pieces and place it in the fondue bowl.

2. Light the candle and set the bowl over it – leave it to heat up.

3. Everyone can then pick up a marshmallow on their forks while the chocolate is melting. When it has melted the girls can dip the marshmallow in and enjoy!

||| Be aware of any allergies or special dietary requirements in your group.

||| Ensure Brownies follow good hygiene practice, eg washing hands tying back long hair.

||| Tell Brownies to take care when using matches and lighting candles.

Take it furtherMake it a game!

You will need all the items listed above for the Chocolate fondue, plus a scarf, a cagoule, ski pants and gloves.

1. Brownies are spilt into two teams. One girl from each team is given a marshmallow on a fork and stands at the fondue.

2. Another girl from each team stands at the other side of the room. When the game starts, this Brownie must dress themselves in a scarf, cagoule, ski pants and gloves. Once they are dressed, they then take off the scarf, cagoule, ski pants and gloves.

3. Once their team member has dressed and undressed, the Brownie at the fondue can eat their marshmallow. The first team to eat gets a point.

4. The game repeats with two other girls playing for each team, or swapping positions. Keep a tally of the points per team. The team with the most points wins.

Cable cars A race for Brownies to get the car to the bottom of the mountain!

You will need||| Cardboard

||| String

||| Coloured pencils

What to do1. Girls should get into equal groups of four or five. Give each group a piece of cardboard and two

pieces of long string. Brownies need to draw on the card so it looks like a cable car.

2. They should make a hole in the top corner on each side and thread a piece of string through each hole.

3. Then the girls stand in a line and the race begins. Girl A holds the string high up while girl B holds the other end of the string low down, so that the cable car moves down the mountain.

4. Girl A then passes the string to Girl C. Girl B holds the string high up and Girl C holds it down low. Girl B then swaps and so on. Every girl on the team needs to have a go to get the car down the mountain.

5. The first team to get the cable car all the way down the mountain wins!

Be safe


Kim’s gameBrownies can test their memory skills and familiarise themselves with some traditional Swiss objects.

You will need||| Sheet

||| Chocolate

||| Swiss cheese

||| Flag

||| Cowbell

||| Fondue set

||| Swiss roll

||| Image of alpine horn

||| Image of chalet

||| Cagoule


What to doShow Brownies the items, then hide them under a large sheet and see how many they can remember.

OrienteeringA challenging wide game for Brownies with a puzzle to solve.

You will need

||| Pieces of the Our Chalet mascot (squirrel)

What to doThere will be a chance to play an orienteering-type wide game. Pieces of the Our Chalet mascot will need to be hidden around the session area. There will be nine pieces to find, each with a letter on the back. There are three sets to hide so girls can work in groups. Each set will be on different coloured card and once girls finds them all, they should be able to spell a word. The word is ‘Adelboden’. Explain to girls that this is where Our Chalet is located in Switzerland.

Tea partyTime for Brownies to relax and socialise while enjoying some Swiss-style teatime treats.

You will need||| Tables

||| Paper tablecloths

||| Hot chocolate powder

||| Swiss rolls

||| Swiss cheese

||| Cocktail sticks

||| Paper napkins

||| Teaspoons

||| Plates

||| Mugs

What to doWhen the site for Our Chalet was agreed, there was a tea party to celebrate. Once all the other activities have been completed Brownies can have a tea party. Brownies should help set up the tea party by covering the tables in paper tablecloths. Volunteers and Leaders can make hot chocolate for the girls, and they can try Swiss rolls as well as different types of Swiss cheese, which should be cut up and put on to cocktail sticks before the session. There will be paper napkins included.



Be safe


Community project session All: There are some country-specific activities and some generic activities for all centres.

Preparation required||| Set out the craft activity equipment.

||| Set out the ingredients for the Peppermint creams activity. Please hand the icing out to each Brownie so they use the correct amount.

Chai tea bags (Sangam)India is famous for its tea, and chai tea is becoming very popular in the UK. Brownies can make chai tea bags to give as a gift.

You will need||| Coffee filter paper

||| Loose tea leaves

||| Ground cinnamon

||| Cardamom pods

||| Cotton thread

What to do1. Give each Brownie a piece of coffee filter paper. They should fold it and put half a teaspoon of

loose tea leaves into it.

2. They should then add half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the tea leaves.

3. Next, break a cardamom pod so that the shell is removed and put the inside of the pods into the coffee filter paper.

4. Finally, bring the edges of the filter paper together and tie with cotton. Make sure the cotton is long enough so that it can hang outside a mug.

5. Brownies can make two or three tea bags, each which they can give to people as gifts.



Piñata (Our Cabaña)This paper bag piñata can be taken home and given to the local Rainbows or to other Brownies in your unit who did not attend the weekend. The group can teach them what they have learned about Mexico and then let them break open the piñata to find the sweets.

You will need||| Paper bags

||| Sticky tape

||| String

||| Sweets

||| Googly eyes

Be safe


||| Tissue paper

||| PVA glue

||| Glue pots

||| Glue spreaders

What to do1. Each Brownie takes three paper bags and puts them inside each other. The bag on the outside

should be decorated with tissue paper and googly eyes to make a face.

2. Streamers of tissue paper can be attached to the bottom of the bag using sticky tape.

3. Brownies can then add some sweets to the bags, but remind them not to overfill it as the bag will get too heavy and rip.

4. Finally, Brownies need to seal their bag using sticky tape, and attach a piece of string to the top of it for hanging.

5. Each girl can make a piñata buster by rolling up a piece of coloured card and sticking it in place with sticky tape.

Log cabin bird feeder (Our Chalet)This can be taken home and put up in a community garden near the Brownie unit.

You will need||| Empty milk cartons

||| Pens

||| Scissors

||| Brown acrylic paint

||| Twigs

||| Leaves

||| PVA glue

||| Glue spreaders

||| Glue pots

||| Paint pots

||| Water pots

||| Paintbrushes

||| String

||| Sticky tape

||| Plastic food bags

||| Bird feed

What to do

1. Each Brownie needs to take an empty milk carton from the box and pierce some holes in the bottom with a pen (this is for drainage).

2. Then they should pierce a hole in one of the sides with a pen, and from this point cut a large hole in one side of the carton for the birds to go in and out of.


3. They can paint the box brown using the acrylic paint and while this dries collect some thin twigs and leaves from the grounds. These can be stuck to the outside of the box using PVA glue. The thinner the twigs, the easier they will be to stick to the box.

4. Brownies should use sticky tape to attach some string to the top in a loop so that the box can be hung up from a tree.

5. They should pierce one more hole with a pen in one side of the box and push a sturdy twig through the hole. This will act as a perch and can go through the box so the birds can sit inside or outside.

6. Finally, each girl needs to take a plastic food bag and put a handful of bird feed into it. When she has taken her box to where she will hang it, the feed can be emptied into the bottom of the container.

Leaders will need to supervise Brownies when making and cutting out the holes.

All


||| Ready-made icing ||| Plates ||| Straw

||| Peppermint extract ||| Forks ||| White card

||| Food colouring ||| Pencils ||| Pens

||| Rolling pin ||| Colouring pencils ||| Paper

||| Icing sugar ||| Erasers

||| Cutters ||| Sticky tape

Peppermint creamsThese peppermint creams can be taken back as a gift to someone in the community, such as the residents of a care home or for the girls’ parents as a thank you. They are a British treat, but Brownies can add an international feel by making the sweets in the colours of the flag of the World Centre’s country. Volunteers and Leaders should give out the ready-made icing to each girl to ensure they have a suitable amount.

You will need||| Ready-made icing

||| Peppermint extract

||| Bowls

||| Food colouring (green, orange, red)

||| Rolling pins

||| Icing sugar

Be safe


||| Cutters

||| Plates

||| Forks

What to do1. Each girl needs to add the peppermint flavouring and the colouring to the ready-made icing.

Use separate bowls for each colour being used. For India, make green, orange and white. For Switzerland make red and white, and for Mexico make red, white and green.

2. The girls should knead the icing and mould it into separate balls with their hands.

3. Next, they can roll out the different coloured icing mixtures on a clean surface, sprinkled with icing sugar, to about 1cm thick.

4. Using the cutters the girls can cut the icing into small pieces. These should be left on a plate sprinkled with icing sugar to firm up slightly.

5. After 10 minutes, they can flip the pieces over so that both sides are lightly coated with the icing sugar. They’ll have a plate of peppermint creams in the colours of their flag.



Straw puppet showsThe girls can create some characters from their World Centre country and make a puppet show with a story based on this country. They could perform this to another group of Brownies or Rainbows in their area at home, and they will also have the chance to perform at the Closing ceremony. Below is a story idea for each country to get the girls started.

You will need||| Pencils

||| Colouring pencils

||| White card

||| Straws

||| Sticky tape

Mexico India Switzerland

Be safe


What to do1. Each Brownie needs to draw a person in a traditional outfit from the World Centre country and

colour it in.

2. They can then use sticky tape to attach the character to a straw.

3. Brownies can get together and create their show!

Ideas for storiesIndia: Elephants

In Indian mythology, the Indian gods and demons churned the ocean to enable themselves to live forever. They used a 100-headed serpent to churn the ocean. Out of the ocean came nine jewels. One of these was the elephant. Elephants are precious like jewels in India.

Mexico: Day of the Dead

The Day of the Dead is a national holiday every year to remember people who have died. The day is called El Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. It is not a sad day, but a celebration. It is full of colour and people dancing and singing. People also wear lucky charms on this day. The favourite foods of the people being remembered are left out for their spirits to smell, and then the living eat the food.

Switzerland: The Singing Fir Tree (a Swiss fairy tale)

One winter in a town in Switzerland there was a strange fog. This caused lots of villagers to mysteriously die. After the fog passed, the villagers started to hear a beautiful singing throughout the valley. The villagers went out each evening to listen to the singing, but one man called Hans loved it especially. He went in search of the voice and soon discovered it was coming from a huge fir tree. He spent his days climbing the fir tree but soon had to go away to visit family in another village. While he was away a wood carver found the tree and decided it would make a perfect statue. He cut the tree down and began carving. He created a figure of the Virgin Mary. When Hans returned he went to the tree and found only a stump. He began to cry and the sound echoed in the whole valley for the villagers to hear. At the same time, they heard the beautiful singing again. The wood carver was carrying his singing statue and placed it in the church. It is still there today and many people say they hear it sing when somebody dies.

Newspapers and newslettersA creative writing task to share Big Brownie Birthday experiences.

You will need||| Pens

||| Paper

What to doExplain to Brownies that writing a newspaper or newsletter is a great way to support your community. When they get home, they could create a newspaper regularly at home for their Brownie unit, the street they live on or their neighbourhood, telling people all about the exciting things going on in their area. They could start by writing an article about their Big Brownie Birthday experience and include this in the newspaper. At the end of the weekend Brownies could get together and have a look at what other girls have written.

Tell Brownies about the fifth World Centre in Africa. This has been part of a two-year pilot project during which the centre moved around to places including Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda and Kenya. It uses facilities already available in Africa.


WAGGGS sessionAll: The WAGGGS session will be the same at all venues.

Start by providing a brief explanation of WAGGGS to Brownies. WAGGGS stands for World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and Girlguiding is part of WAGGGS. It brings girls from Guides and Girl Scouts together from all over the world.


||| WAGGGS facts ||| Tennis/sponge ball ||| Large beach ball

||| Flags ||| Football ||| Scenario cards (in envelopes)

||| Bouncy ball ||| Basketball

||| Ping pong ball ||| Medium beach ball

Preparation required Please hide the envelopes (containing scenario cards) for the treasure hunt quiz around the session area.

True or false running gameTest Brownies’ WAGGGS knowledge with this fast-paced quiz.

You will need||| WAGGGS facts

||| WAGGGS badge to show the girls

What to doThe Leader shouts out WAGGGS facts and girls decide if they are true or false by running to assigned ends of the room/field. The Leader then reveals the correct answer. Brownies then come back to the middle of the room and the next fact is done in the same manner.

WAGGGS facts||| There are Brownies in 145 different countries – TRUE

||| WAGGGS stands for World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts – TRUE

||| Brownies and Guides around the world shake hands using their right hand when meeting members of WAGGGS – FALSE (they shake with the left and make the Guide sign with the right)

||| The WAGGGS badge is different from the Brownie Promise badge – TRUE (it is blue with a yellow-gold trefoil)

||| WAGGGS around the world has 10,000 members – FALSE (there are 10 million)

||| There are Brownies in Canada – TRUE

||| All of the activities of WAGGGS take place in one area, Europe – FALSE

||| WAGGGS is made up of five regions: Africa, Arab, Asia Pacific, Europe and Western Hemisphere – TRUE

||| Your Brownie unit is part of WAGGGS – TRUE

||| All over the world Brownies and Guides make a promise in different languages – TRUE


Flag tagA game of ‘tag’ with a flag theme for Brownies.

You will need||| Flags

What to doEach Brownie has a flag, which they have to protect (except those who are ‘it’). Three people are ‘it’ and have to tag the flags by touching them. When they touch a flag, Brownies have to surrender it over to the person who is ‘it’. They are then out. The last person in with a flag wins.

Crab WAGGGS ballTeach Brownies how to play this floor-football game.

You will need||| Bouncy ball

||| Ping pong ball

||| Tennis/sponge ball

||| Football

||| Basketball

||| Medium beach ball

||| Large beach ball

What to doSplit the girls into two teams. The game is like football so each team will shoot in one direction, but Brownies need both feet and both hands on the floor, with their chest facing the ceiling. Brownies have to keep their hands behind them and can only kick the ball using their feet. Try the game using one ball, and then swap to a different ball. The team that scores the most goals wins. Alternatively, play in a circle and try to pass the ball around. The differently sized balls represent different parts of the organisation as below.

Ball size… Represents…

Bouncy ball unit

Ping pong ball District/Division

Tennis ball (or sponge equivalent) County

Football Region/country

Basketball Girlguiding

Medium beach ball WAGGGS region

Large beach ball Whole of WAGGGS


Treasure hunt quizOnce the Brownies have played the above games and have a basic understanding of WAGGGS, play the Treasure hunt quiz. This gives some more information, checks understanding and introduces the Millennium Development Goals.

Explain to the group that WAGGGS brings Girl Guides and Girl Scouts together from across the world, and unites communities. WAGGGS seeks to make a difference to the lives of girls and young women across the world. The organisation helps to raise awareness of issues such as the need to reduce hunger. This activity will help Brownies to understand why this is important. In Uganda, one in five people don’t have enough food, and it is mainly the women that grow the food.1 Even if you grow your own food, it doesn’t mean that you will have enough, as there are many things that could happen.

Playing this game will demonstrate what might happen if you don’t have access to enough food all the time.

You will need||| Scenario cards (in envelopes)

What to doThe envelopes should be hidden around an area of the grounds (if weather permits) or throughout the TAC. Brownies need to get into small groups. Identify the starting point as the base. Set a time limit to find the envelopes – this will differ depending on the area you are able to hide envelopes in. Brownies will need to race as a group and stay together to find the envelopes, but they must not open them until they get back to the base. Once the time is up, blow the whistle to call Brownies back to the base.

Once the groups are back they must open the envelopes and read the scenarios, then calculate the points they have collected. Some groups may end up in minus numbers. The scenarios are as follows.

Scenario cards||| Your crops all grow this year and you sell them at the market. Collect 3 points.

||| Your crops failed last year because of drought so you lost your income. Lose 2 points.

||| You are given some money to help build your business. Collect 3 points.

||| You are not allowed to go to school because you have to work on the farm. Lose 2 points.

||| You become undernourished and ill because you don’t have enough to eat. Lose 2 points.

||| Your crops are destroyed by a chemical you used to stop insects eating them. Lose 3 points.

||| A new well is built in the village giving you better access to water. Collect 2 points.

||| You are given immunisations against diseases like malaria, measles, typhoid and tuberculosis. Collect 2 points.

||| You break your leg working on the farm and you can’t work for weeks. Lose 1 point.

||| Your family help you to work on the farm. Collect 2 points.

||| You become ill and can’t work on the farm. Lose 2 points.

||| Your mother becomes ill and can’t help you on the farm. Lose 1 point.

||| You get a grant for new machines to help grow your crops. Collect 2 points.

||| Bad weather means your crops don’t grow this season. Lose 3 points.

1 source: http://western.wagggsworld.org/en/grab/909/1/RTF-english.pdf – page 76


WAGGGS quiz gameOnce you have calculated the number of points that each group has you can then play the WAGGGS quiz game. All groups start with one life. The group with the most points starts the quiz with an extra three lives. The second highest team so far starts with an extra two lives, and the third highest group starts with one extra life. The groups need to give an answer, and after every question the answer is revealed. Those who get the answer wrong lose a life. Once they have lost all their lives they are out.

You will need||| Map

1. Can you say what WAGGGS stands for without making any mistakes? World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

2. In your group can you spell WAGGGS using your bodies? You can do each letter separately if you like. (Volunteer decides if any groups lose a life.)

3. In your group can you use your bodies to make something that represents the World Centre you are visiting? (Volunteer decides if any groups lose a life.)

4. Can you name four World Centres? Sangam, Our Cabaña, Our Chalet, Pax Lodge. The fifth World Centre can also be an answer (based in Africa with no fixed site and being piloted at time of printing).

5. Do you know in which countries the World Centres are? India, Mexico, Switzerland, UK (Africa – no set country).

6. The first World Centre to open was Our Chalet. Did it open in 1845, 1932 or 2007? 1932.

7. Put your counters on to the map where you think the countries with World Centres are. India, Mexico, Switzerland, UK.

The winner is the group that has the most lives left at the end of the quiz.


18.00–19.00All: Dinner will be served with a flavour of your country.

19.00–20.30All: All centres will now have a campfire. This is an opportunity for Brownies to lead the singing. Each unit will be asked to come prepared with a song to teach the other Brownies. They will also be asked to prepare a short sketch if they wish, which can be performed here. Brownies can also sing the World Centre song (learned by Our Chalet and Our Cabaña in the morning – Sangam can learn it now).

The campfire will be run by volunteers and one volunteer must maintain the fire at all times. The TAC staff will show you to the campfire circle. Please ensure Brownies are kept at a safe distance from the fire and that the ratios of 1:6 are adhered to. Ensure the fire is small, and that a bucket of water is taken to the campfire. At the end of the campfire, ensure the ground is completely wet and that all embers have been put out.

20.30–21.30Bollywood dancing (Sangam)The dancing that features in Bollywood films is usually based on classical Indian dance styles or folk dances. Encourage Brownies to have a try.

Preparation required There are lots of videos online that teach basic steps, so please have a look for some of these and go prepared with some short moves which they can put together.

Set up the music.

You will need ||| CD player

||| CD

What to doSplit the group in half if necessary.

Using the music provided, teach the girls some basic Bollywood steps – they can then have a Bollywood celebration! Please use the music provided.

Sticky rice (Sangam)If there is some time, play sticky rice with Brownies. Explain to the girls that many Asian dishes use sticky rice, rather than the fluffy rice which we eat here, as it is easier to eat without cutlery.


What to doOne girl is ‘it’ and runs around shouting ‘sticky rice’ as she tags the other girls. When a Brownie is tagged she joins hands with the girl who is ‘it’ to make a chain. When four people are in a chain holding hands they must then separate off into two chains of two girls holding hands. The winner is the last Brownie to be caught.

S’mores (Sangam and Our Cabaña)Brownies will be making this Girlguiding holiday favourite.

Preparation required Set out the ingredients for the S’mores activity.


You will need||| Tea lights

||| Marshmallows

||| Skewers

||| Biscuits

||| Matches

What to do1. Split the group in half so they are not all making s’mores at the same time.

2. Give each girl a tea light and supervise them closely while they light these using the matches.

3. Each girl should then push a marshmallow on to the end of a skewer and hold it over their tea light.

4. When the marshmallow has heated up and softened, tell Brownies to take it off the skewer carefully and squash it in between two biscuits. Then all that’s left to do is enjoy them!

||| This activity must be supervised at all times.

||| Be aware of any allergies or special dietary requirements in the group.


||| Tell Brownies to take care when using matches around the tea light flame and when handling hot food.

Fiesta (Our Cabaña)There will be mariachi band music provided for the girls to have a fiesta once they have made their s’mores.

Preparation required ||| Set up the music.

||| Set out the activity equipment.

You will need||| CD player

||| CD

||| Piñatas

||| Piñata busters

||| Sweets

||| Blindfold

What to doPut on the music. Split the group into smaller groups and give them each a piñata and sweets to fill it with. Once the girls have filled their piñatas, hang them up. Using the piñata busters, the girls can then take it in turns to be blindfolded and try to knock them down and get the sweets out! Be sure to remind them to share the sweets, no matter who knocks them out of the piñatas!

Be safe


Banana split (Our Chalet)Brownies can enjoy cooking and eating a tasty treat.

Preparation required Set up the barbecues on top of the fire altars.

You will need||| Bananas (one each)

||| Knife

||| Foil

||| Chocolate, cut into small pieces

||| Disposable barbecue

||| Forks

||| Fire altars

What to do1. Split the group in half if necessary so that not everyone is using the barbecues at once. Each girl

should take a banana, peel it and slice it in half lengthways. Place the slices on a piece of foil and sprinkle the pieces of chocolate over the slices.

2. Fold the foil around it to make a parcel and place it on the barbecue. Please remind the girls that this will be very hot, and supervise them at all times. The banana splits will be ready after about five minutes or when the chocolate has melted. Eat straight out of the foil parcel with a fork.

||| This activity must be supervised at all times.



||| Tell Brownies to take care when using the barbecue and handling hot food.

Folk dancing (Our Chalet)The Alpine culture is characterised by expressive dances. The melodies are songlike, and popular themes include love and the homeland. Encourage Brownies to try some folk dancing.

Preparation requiredSet up the music.

You will need||| CD (folk music)

||| CD player

What to doSwiss folk music will be provided for the girls to dance to!

21.30–21.45All: Hot drinks can be served, then it’s bedtime!

Be safe


SundayThe final session will run on Sunday, and there will be time for Brownies to pack up before the Closing ceremony and checking out.

8.00–9.00All: Breakfast.

9.00–9.30All: Brownies need to pack their bags ready for leaving. Remind them that they need to go through passport control as they did on the way in. See how many Brownies can get their things into the same number of bags as they brought. The kit list will include a bag to take crafts home in, which can be excluded from the measuring. They will have received a Big Brownie Birthday drawstring bag, which can also be excluded.

9.30–11.00All: Final session in rotation from Saturday.

11.00–11.30All: Biscuits and drinks. Brownies will have another opportunity to visit the shop (dependent on TAC – please see final details letter). At this point Brownies will also need to swap any unspent WAGGGS currency back into pounds with their Leaders.

11.30–12.00All: There will be some time to finish packing, play any games that were missed out, visit the shop or spend free time in the TAC grounds. Brownies could do the activity below.

Paper chain peace dovesAt Pax Lodge it is common to make peace doves. Pax Lodge is the fourth World Centre and is based in London. People from all over the world visit Pax Lodge for a chance to learn about other cultures as well as discovering London. Brownies can make a peace dove paper chain.

You will need||| Wrapping paper

||| Ruler

||| Dove template (page 49)

||| Scissors

||| Pencil

||| String

||| Hole punch

What to do1. Each Brownie takes a piece of wrapping paper and cuts a piece 1m in length and 10cm in width.

Then, using a pencil, they need to mark every 10cm along the piece of paper.

2. Fold the paper at each mark to create a concertina – this means you will be able to open it out once you have folded it.

3. Keep the paper folded up and draw a dove on the top layer of your folded paper. You might want


to use the template to help you. Make sure the chest of the dove touches the paper on one side and the tail and wing of the dove touch the edge of the paper on the other side.

4. Cut out your dove, making sure the paper is held together by the chest, tail and wing. When you unfold your doves you will have a paper chain. Using a hole punch, put a hole in the last dove at each end of the chain and thread string through the holes so you can hang your dove paper chain up. You could also write a peace message on each separate dove.

12.00–12.30

All: Closing ceremony Brownies come together for the Closing ceremony. Any girls who wish to remake their Promise might like to do so at this point. Please hand out World Centre badges to each person. Any Brownies who have created a puppet show may perform this if they wish.

You will need||| World Centre badges

||| Our Cabaña: Brownies can wear their ponchos and sombreros for the ceremony.

12.30–13.30All: Lunch.

13.30–14.00All: Checking out

Preparation required Please set up the area as it was set up on arrival, with a check-in table and a bag weighing area.


You will need||| Weighing scales

||| Tape measure

||| Tables

||| Visa stamps (stickers)

What to doBrownies will leave through ‘passport control’ when their transport arrives. Bags will need to be weighed and checked. They will need to show their passports when leaving – this will get a ‘departed’ visa stamp (sticker).

Close downPlease return all materials to the box and leave this with the TAC staff.

Thank you again for all your support and efforts. These weekends would not be possible without you!

© Girlguiding 2014

Registered charity number 306016. Incorporated by Royal Charter.

Lead volunteer: Rikki Mackenzie Project Coordinator: Claire Murphy Project Editor: Alison Shaw Designers: Yuan Zhuang, Angie Daniel

Documents

Volunteer Activity Pack - Girlguiding Edinburgh · This pack has been written for you, the volunteer, to help you run the activities, rather than for the Brownies. However, you might