Sparks - UK Doll Swap!

When I was looking for pen pals for my Brownie Unit I was approached by a UK guider who has a Rainbows Unit. In the UK, the Girl Guide level with girls aged 5 & 6 are called Rainbows. This guider was wondering if we were interested in doing a Doll Swap.

In Sparks we have a doll named Crystal who goes home with a girl each week. Crystal has a journal and each week the girl who takes the doll home is encouraged to write or draw about the adventures they had together. In the Rainbows unit they have a doll named Olivia who also gets to go on adventures with the girls. 

UK Guider Liz said that last year their doll Olivia went on an adventure to Australia and would love to check out Canada. We thought Crystal might like to check out the UK so we set a date, mailed off crystal and welcomed Olivia to our unit for two weeks.

When Olivia arrived the Sparks were so excited. We talked about Girl Guides in the UK and about Rainbows. Guider Liz included some information and pictures of their town and Unit that really helped the girls learn about their Rainbow Unit. The Sparks were very lucky that in addition to the photos and doll Guider Liz’s Rainbow unit sent them each a title tape and friendship badge. We also received a bunch of UK badges to go on a Badge Blanket for Crystal.

Olivia had a great time with us here in Canada. The girls took turns each week playing games with her, sitting with her during crafts and teaching Olivia new songs. Olivia even joined my Co-guider Alison and me on a trip up to Camp Ma-Kee-Wa to sort through some archives materials. She met some vintage Canadian Girl Guide Dolls as well as some guide dolls from other countries.

After three weeks we said goodbye  to Olivia sending her home with  photographs of her trip, badges for  the rainbow girls and a Canadian Toque and Scarf. While we are  sad to see Olivia go, we are eager  to have Crystal home once again.

We absolutely LOVED doing this doll swap and are so happy to show the girls the power of the sisterhood of guiding which stretches far and wide across land and sea.