Junior Drawing Badge

I had planned to have the girls' art teacher as a guest speaker for this meeting, but unfortunately he had something come up and he could not attend.  So I scrambled to get some activities together for the girls.  As usual I went to Dollar Tree to get supplies.  I picked up a large pack of markers for each girl, a nice fine permanent marker, a pencil and a good eraser, poster board and a sketch pad.

1.  Name some different forms of art work that involve drawings?

• newspaper comics
• cartoons
• graffiti
• nail art
• tattoos

Showed Slideshow

2.  I drew a simple cat photo upside down.  I wanted the girls to think outside of the box.  Prior to the meeting, I used an overhead projector to trace the cat with a pencil on the poster board.  When I got to the meeting, I turned the poster board upside down and I used a sharpie to draw the cat.  I drew the cat one mark at the time and had the girls copy my marks on their sketch book.  When we got to the eyes I had the girls turn their papers upright.  The girls immediately recognized the drawing as a cat!  It was a fun twist!

3.  I read 7 tips to improve their drawing.  I asked them a few questions:

• What are your favorite things to draw?
• What tips can you offer others when drawing?  

4.  I showed them examples of professional sketches.  I asked them a few questions:

• What makes the drawings professional in appearance?
• What can you learn and use from these examples.

5.  We discussed how different paper will affect your drawings:

• card stock - heavy weight and smooth
• sketch paper - slightly raised
• manilla paper 
• glossy paper - how will it affect drawings

6.  We discussed a used various drawing mediums:

• overhead projector (many girls had never seen one!)
• tracing paper
• graphite paper

They were given simple drawings to reproduce free hand or using the above mediums.

7.  Girl Created Drawing Portfolio - Folded poster board in half and stapled edges.  Girls copied example of graffiti name on the front of their portfolio.  They could copy exactly or embellish.  I created each girl's name in graffiti print using:  http://www.graffiticreator.net

8.  Towards the end of the meeting the girls were encouraged to experiment with everything they had learned.  Also they could color an adult coloring page. I purchased a set of coloring books for $12.95 from JoAnn's Fabric and I used a 40% off coupon to maximize our savings.  (Any craft store carries these new adult coloring books which are very detailed and beautiful when colored.) The sheets were perforated so the girls removed the pages they wanted to color.

9.  Each girl went home with her art supplies, drawings, coloring page in her portfolio.

To View or Print any of the materials above please CLICK HERE

Juniors: Social Butterfly

Junior  - Social Butterfly Badge

We obtained the Social Butterfly badge in November prior to Thanksgiving and the Winter Holidays.  The skills learned in this badge were perfect for the party season. 

1.  Table Manners - My co-leader and I acted out a lunch date scenario.  She told the girls she had invited me over for lunch and the girls had to write down all the improper manners we exhibited.  I don't know why the girls like these skits, but for some reason they love watching us be silly.  During our skit we acted out the following bad  manners:

• Picking Food out of my teeth
• I started eating before my co-leader sat down
• She blew her nose at the table
• We talked about potty habits
• I spilled my drink and reached across the table to grab her napkin
• I commented that the green beans were cold
• She removed a green bean from my plate and tasted it
• I laughed and spit water out of my mouth
• We both spoke with our mouths full of food
• I ate as fast as I could, telling her my day is really busy and I barely have time to visit
• I gestured with my fork
• She fidgeted a lot
• I loudly sipped my drink
• She opened her purse and began brushing her hair
• She placed her elbow on the table and propped her head 

I bet you can come up with even more poor table manners.  This was really pretty fun, but felt totally unnatural :-)  We gave the girl who identified the most poor manners a small prize - Free Sonic slush!

2.  Hold a Conversation / Practice being at Ease - After identifying a Winner, we discussed all the poor behaviors.  We provided a Bucca di Beppo pasta meal with a salad and bread for the girls for dinner.   We asked them to use their good manners which they had learned and we awarded points.  We identified 3 girls with the best manners, but awarded all the girls for their effort with dessert :-)
We set conversation starters on the table to give them an idea for good table conversations.  They really enjoyed this activity.  Examples of conversation starters:

• If you could go anywhere in the world , where would you want to travel?
• If you could have an old teacher again, who would it be?
• What grade level do you miss the most?
• What was the most favorite gift you have ever received?
• What is the nicest thing you have ever done for another person?
• If you could double a class, what class would it be?
• If you could eliminate a class in your schedule what would it be?

3.  Be Prepared for Special Occasions - Each girl was given a template and shown how to set a formal table.  We also included dollar finds from Dollar Tree to allow them to decorate the plate setting.  Once the table setting was explained, we grouped girls in 3s and asked them to properly set a table from a random set of dishes and silverware.

Template:

 

Random Dishes

 

Proper Placement

 

Decorated Place Setting 

 

At Dollar Tree I purchased the following items to allow the girls to decorate the table:

snowflake ornaments, glitter tree, glitter ball ornaments, ribbon, holly plate, holly bowl, red glass, silver wine glass, napkin, place mat, holiday scarf, floral items, place card holders etc.  

The girls really enjoyed picking and choosing decorative items to decorate the table.

4.  Say Thank You - Each girl was asked to write a thank you note for the dinner.  We gave each girl a nice piece of card stock and stamps with different color ink and let them design their own cards.  Each girl walked away with a "Thank You" stamp provided by the leaders. A Holiday gift placed in pretty cellophane wrap.

Cadettes Comparison Shopping Badge: Wal-Mart Scavenger Hunt

 

It's important to me as the girls age to apply the badges to real world scenarios.  I try and introduce them to careers and concepts that will help them in college and beyond.  This can be a challenge at times, but well worth the added effort.

Sunday the girls enjoyed a scavenger hunt at Wal-Mart.  This idea is not a new one, many student groups and birthday parties have been centered around scavenger hunts at Wal-Mart.  I had hoped I could find a fun scavenger hunt online that would entertain the girls, but found most of the ideas online were merely a hunt for miscellaneous items in the store.  So I had to invest some time to make this a meaningful event for the girls.

I met the girls in the McDonalds at our local Wal-Mart.  They enjoyed lunch while I introduced the topic of Comparison Shopping.  We talked about coupons, name brands vs. generic, what items are taxed and for how much, how apps and discount promo codes can benefit the online shopper, ebate sites and unit pricing.  This was our first meeting of the year and I felt the troop was a bit apathetic and lethargic.  The looks on their faces was "this is going to be boring!"  I had to continue to refocus their attention.  I reminded them that the information I was providing was truly going to help them on their hunt.

I have 9 Cadettes so I grouped them in teams of 3.  I tasked them first with finding a team mascot and sent them out into the store to be creative.  The "Onsie Squad" dressed up in adult onesie pajamas and had a store clerk take a photo.  The "Get Shrek'd" team took a photo of a video cover with Shrek. And the "Most Awesome Team on Earth" was a photo  of a blow up pumpkin.  To add a competitive drive to the scavenger hunt I agreed to buy the team completing the most tasks  an ice cream cone from McDonald's.

Next, I assigned each team a warm-up exercise which required them to find the lowest price on an item in the store: Motrin, Cheerios, Strawberry Yogurt and Deodorant.  This took some thought because these items have lots of brands, choices and prices.  The girls had to realize that Motrin can be named Ibuprofen or Advil during their comparison in order to find the best price.  And the girls needed to compare spray and roll on deodorant.  I did not have the girls collect all the items in a basket, I felt this would be too time consuming and they would have to put it ALL back, so instead the girls were asked to take a picture of the item and the price tag. 

Following the warm-up the game officially began.  I printed each task on an index card.  I gave each team a different task.  They needed to complete the task, report back to me for critiquing and then get another card/task.  They had an hour and a half to do as many challenges as possible to win.
Each Team was given 1 of 10 real-world scenarios (on an index card) and asked to find the best deal they could, given the budget they were given.  Some of the tasks included coupons (paper-clipped to the index card) that they could use if it proved to be the best price  (sometimes the coupon was not beneficial).  I tried to create scenarios that sent them throughout the store, from one area to another.  I also encouraged them to think outside the box and use some of the savvy shopping information I shared with them.  They received bonus points if they could figure out what items were taxed and how much it would affect the overall price.  Once the team completed the task they had to report back to me and tell me how much they spent and I would critique their finds and make suggestions like: "Did you ever think to look for an inexpensive plastic bowl from kitchenware, rather than a real dog bowl?  Would that have been cheaper?"   It was really interesting to watch the girls improve with each task.  Sometimes I would hand them the card and they would say, "There is no way possible I can buy all this stuff with so little money."  And then they would return surprised that they had $10 left over!

 I will share one task so you can see how the girls worked:

You have school pictures tomorrow and need the following make-up items, any brand: foundation or concealer, powder, light pink eye shadow, mascara, blue eyeliner and lipstick. Can you buy everything you need for $21? Also your Mom gives you $15 and tells you to buy a hair dryer for her and you can keep the change (if any).

The girls were given 2 coupons on this task:  $2 off any Maybelline NY Mascara

$2 off Maybelline NY foundation

The girls found all the make-up items for $18 and change. The cheapest in-store hairdryer they could find was $13.97, but they wanted to save even more. So they found a hairdryer for $9.97 online and said they would plan to have it shipped to the store for free, since the task did not indicate that Mom needed it TODAY.   (Ahhhh smart, I like it!)  Plus they said if money was not a factor they would go back and upgrade some of their choices and spend all of the left-over cash. :-)

CLICK HERE for Notes

If you download my files please list your troop #, council and state in the comments area.  I love for readers to see all the active leaders in the area looking and sharing resources! Also this keeps me inspired to continue updating my posts!

Scribe Junior Badge

In preparation for our BIG Emmy Awards ceremony for earning the Amuse Journey, I decided to tie in the Scribe Badge because I wanted the girls to complete their invitations and write a short speech to thank the guests that attended the ceremony.  The girls were asked to write a few sentences about what the Journey or Girl Scouts mean to them and thank those who attended the ceremony on their behalf.  They could also include their favorite Amuse activity and why.  The speech also offered the girls a great opportunity for public speaking.  It is not easy at their age, or any age for that matter, to get up in front of a large group of people and be the center of the attention for a few minutes.  I was very proud of my girls at the ceremony.  Each and every girl stood up with an air of confidence, spoke loudly and made eye contact with our crowd of nearly 80 people!  It was a beaming moment as a leader and a clear indicator that we are molding female leaders of tomorrow.  Although we talked a little bit about what to include in the speech and I offered some tips on how to write a successful speech, I wanted to have a meatier experience to earn the scribe badge so we played some word games.

All who have read my blog know I have a large troop and for this reason I have to be a bit creative in managing activities.  Often times I create centers, stations or teams to help give every girl a meaningful experience and to help myself and my co-leader and volunteer moms address all the girls' needs.  This badge was no different I divided the girls in to 4 team with about 6 girls at each table.  Each table was given an activity and then we shared our activities with the group.  While I thought all the activities were really fun, "the grass is always greener on the other side" and some girls were disappointed they did not get to do the other activities.  If you have a smaller troop yo may be able to allot 15 minutes for each game and play them all.

GAMES:
Traditional Password Game Show - This is an oldie, but goodie!  If you can't remember how it is played here is a quick refresher:

1. Break up the girls into pairs.  One player tries to guess a given secret word based on clues offered by his or her partner.  The partner can only say one descriptive word and the player must guess the secret word.  If the clue-giver inadvertently says part of the word, they lose a turn.  In the traditional game shoe the rounds are timed and hen the time is up, the team with the most points wins.  In my GS version, the girls just enjoyed trying to figure out each other's secret words based on the descriptive clues given.
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My Most Favorite Thing - I handed each girl an index card and an unusual or odd item and asked them to creatively pretend that this is their "Most Favorite Thing".  On the index card they needed to write down why this item is their favorite and sell it to the troop.  They need to try and be persuasive so everyone will want what they have.

Odd Items:

wooden spatula

lobster claw writing pen

lint roller

pencil sharpener shaped like a tooth

bar of decorative soap

brightly colored knee sock (one)

domino or clothes pin

red dog kong

smooth rocks

anchovies

you have the idea...

Create a Story:  This game the girls were given 24 word cards and asked to try and incorporate as many words as they can into a story.  They were given specific and totally unrelated verbs,  adverbs, nouns, adjectives, prepositions,  and persons.  The stories they created were pretty funny!

Define It:  The girls were given made-up words and asked to create a definition for each of the words. I will share my words, but you can just as easily make up your own.

We ended our meeting by writing down scripts and creating a segment of the news.  Each group of girls got a specific part of the news to cover i.e. weather, breaking news, fashion, cooking, sports and transportation.  These skits were really cute and the girls had a blast creating them and then acting them.

I am happy to share all of the game cards in pdf format.  You simply print out what you need.  

CLICK HERE Create a Story

Define Game

My Most Favorite Things

Password Game

If you download my files please list your troop #, council and state in the comments area.  I love for readers to see all the active leaders in the area looking and sharing resources! Also this keeps me inspired to continue updating my posts!

Good Luck and have FUN!

Cadettes Wood Work Badge

OK Leaders.... so I am pretty upscale savvy and good with power tools, but teaching a wood working badge to my Cadettes had me stumped.  As usual I scoured the Internet, but I was unable to find any concrete suggestions on how to obtain this badge.  I moseyed on over to Pinterest and still could not find much via Girl Scout Boards, but I was able to find some clever ideas to help meet the requirements of this badge.  And while I am not certain I met every criteria GS would suggest, my girls had fun and they learned a lot!  In my mind that makes this badge worth-while and meaningful.

Discussion 30 minutes
To begin our meeting I posed a few questions to my girls...

Has anyone ever used a power drill?  For what?

Drills come in all sizes today and you can use electrical power, battery or re-chargeable batteries

Has anyone hung a picture using something other than tack?  What?

What is the most complicated thing you have made? or built?

Have you ever fixed or helped to fix a household item?  What?  Did you have directions?  

At this point I highly encouraged the girls to help the next time Mom or Dad is putting together something in the house that requires directions, i.e. a new entertainment center, large toy for a sibling, swing set, installing a washer.  Girls can learn a lot from reading directions, handing tools to Dad and simply watching. 

If something breaks in your home, do your parents call a handyman or repair service?  Do they attempt to fix it on their own?

I encouraged the girls to try and fix items that break in the household through trial and error, especially if they plan on calling a handyman any ways.  They might just get lucky and fix it themselves, building their confidence, saving money and learning a lot in the process.

Where to start?  Consider re-purposing or sprucing up existing furniture.  How?

I showed the girls some great photos of Furniture Upscaling, simply taking an old piece of furniture in their attic, from a garage sale or thrift store and transforming it into something different and new. You can view my Pinterest Board, "Upscaling Furniture", by searching for my pins Shannan Willman-Needleman

Most importantly I tried to make them realize that in the near future they will move on to college and Mom and Dad will not always be around to help hang a picture and they will not be able to afford brand new, nice furniture, but they can fix things on their own and build things to meet their needs with some simple knowledge and the confidence to try on their own.

Next we talked about some very important safety tips:

  

Dress appropriately.  Do not wear gloves, ties, scarves, loose fitting clothing or jewelry around moving equipment.

Avoid distractions at all times.

Always wear safety equipment such as goggles, face shields, dust masks, and hearing protection appropriate for the type of tool or equipment being used.

Keep the working area and floor clean.

Do not stand in water or use any electrical equipment in the rain.

Be sure all equipment is properly grounded before use.

Always use the correct tools and equipment for the job.  Never use a tool or attachment on a machine for which it was not designed.

Before plugging in a machine, make sure the switch is in the OFF position.  Keep the power cords away from equipment while operating.

We ended our discussion with a quick Hardware Challenge Worksheet I created and we reviewed some hardware facts.  E-Mail me and I am happy to send these pdf files to you.

Opening Activity:  20 minutes

Each girl got a block of wood and was asked to drill in one flathead phillips screw.  First they tried to drill in the screw by hand using a phillips screwdriver.  Next they attempted to use a small drill, the Black and Decker Gyro.  They attempted WITHOUT a pilot hole and struggled.  So I taught them how to drill a small pilot hole using a drill bit and then they screwed in 2 screws and REMOVED them.  

***The Black & Decker Gyro is one of the niftiest power tools on the market.  It is perfect for every hand size and operates with the flick of the wrist.  It comes in black and pink as a lady version.  And the drill makes a great graduation gift :-)***  It is a nice tool for girls.

In hind sight I probably would have chosen one of these activities below rather than trying to fit in both during our 3 hour, once a month Sunday meeting.  Some girls were focused and nearly finished both, others barely got one done.  If you have 2 meetings, you might be able to do both.  It would be hard to choose one or the other however, the girls really liked both.

Lighted Wooden Letters (1 hour Minimum):
Goal:  Girls will learn how to use a power drill and spray paint

I purchased each girl their first name letter from Hobby Lobby ($3.99).
I purchased 20 mini lights battery operated string lights ($3.99)
Additional Supplies:
Spray Paint
Painter's Tape
Staple Gun and Staples (mine was electric, but any heavy duty stapler would suffice)
Power Drill with a 13/64th drill bit (preferably electric, my rechargeable battery power drill lost                    power after the 4 or 5th letter)

Directions:  Have the girls pencil 12-15 dots on the letters evenly spaced and avoid the edges of the letter, so try and have them stay relatively midline

Using the 13/64 bit, drill holes where the girls penciled the dots.  Allow the girls to drill the holes, watch closely and offer assistance.  MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SCRAP PIECE OF WOOD BELOW THE LETTER BECAUSE THE DRILL BIT WILL DRILL THROUGH THE LETTER AND INTO THE SCRAP WOOD.  

Next have the girls paint the letter.  My daughter chose to use chalkboard paint, some girls created chevrons using painter's tape.  I had a variety of spray paint colors.  The girls were asked to spray outside in the grass using an old cardboard box.  This dries within 15 minutes to touch.  

Finally the girls poked the lights through the holes and I stapled the wires into place.  I would not let the girls use the electric stapler, but they could probably use a simple heavy duty stapler.

PRESTO!  The girl's were mesmerized by the light and the marque-look.  They can hang the letters, but I recommend a tripod for display so you can set the relatively heavy battery box next to the letter.

Wood String-Art Elephant (1 hour Minimum):

I really worried the girls might not be able to handle this project, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The girls loved hammering and did amazingly well.  

Goal:  Girls will use hammer, nails and stain

Wooden Plaque from Wal-Mart ($3.49)

Grey String from Wal-Mart (100yards for $1.99, can make 2 or more)

Nails (18gauge, 3/4in length, make sure the nails have a head or the string  will pop off)

Tack hammer from Wal-Mart ($2.79)

Stain

Foam Brush

Mechanical Pencil (lead removed) 

Elephant Template (printed on simple, white computer paper)

Saw-Tooth Picture Hanger

Stain the wood and remove the excess with a damp cloth (baby wipes).  Allow to dry for a few minutes.  

Set elephant template on the plaque and place 3 nails on the 3 dots on the template to hold into place. Nails do not have to go in deep, merely a few taps to press the nails in 1/4 of the way. Continue taping in nails every 1cm or less, not too close, not too far away :-)

Once all the nails have been placed, remove the template by simply ripping it off the plaque.  

Next, I used an exacto knife to create a small hole in the side of the mechanical pencil and thread the string through the hole and out the tip of the pencil.  This step is CRITICAL and was a fantastic Pinterest suggestion.  I am not sure the girls could have completed the stringing part without it.  

Click here for the Mechanical Pencil Tip:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/164029611404843673/

(The only difference I made my hole closer to the tip)

I DID NOT LET THEG IRLS USE THE EXACTO KNIFE.  I had these ready for use at the meeting.

Knot the thread onto one nail and begin the stringing part.  It is really self explanatory if you look at the picture really well.  Tip:  Be sure and double wind the string around a nail after every 3-4 nails, this will ensure that the string stays in place.  At the end simply double knot the string and trim.

Embellish with gems or sequins near the trunk.  We used E-6000 to adhere the sequins.

Turn over plaque and hammer in the saw-tooth hanger.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/164029611404843666/

Here is one of the girl's elephant:

Awesome Right?

CLICK HERE to view all worksheets

If you download my files please list your troop #, council and state in the comments area.  I love for readers to see all the active leaders in the area looking and sharing resources! Also this keeps me inspired to continue updating my posts!

UPDATE!!

Recently I completed this activity with my younger Cadette troop. I changed the activity a bit to accommodate for the amount of time we had at our meeting.  The girls really loved their personalized monogrammed artwork.