Introducing the Brownie Binder

So i'm always coming up with these crazy ideas. Things that I think will make Brownies run smoother, better and more organized. It first started with our Brownie notebooks, then last year the Brownie Hiking backpacks. This year its binders.

A few years ago I took a look at how the girls earn interest badges. I was finding that the girls all wanted more badges but had a hard time understanding how to complete them on their own. We introduced the Brownie notebook and that helped a lot but I still found the girls didn't know which ones they've already completed and which ones they have left to do. Introducing the Brownie binder - used in conjunction with the girls notebook hopefully it will help the girls keep track of everything. And of course it will live in their Brownie backpack, coming back and forth to meetings with the girls.

The first page of the binder has the girls badge record. This is a list of all of the interest badges with a square beside it to add a date and sticker when it is completed. We used to just check off the badge in their notebook when it was completed but some girls found this confusing. Now they will be able to see at a glance which badges they have done and which they could still do.

You can download these pages Here!

I'm not going to lie, this next bit took a while. When I first started the notebooks I wrote up all of the interest badge requirements on these little slips. I find it works really well when the girls attach one of these slips to ther notebook page and then do the badge work below. We stress to the girls that badge work can be drawings, photographs, writing or making something to bring it. However, we do ask that any badge work that is in paper form get glued into the book. That way things dont get lost.

For the girls binders I printed out and cut up a set of interest badge slips for each girl. I only have 13 girls this year so it didn't take too long to print, cut and sort them all but I would definitly ask for more leader/parent help if i had a bigger group. All of these slips went into a bag and then got put into the zipper pouch at the back of the binder. This little zipper pouch will also be amazing to transport permission forms and cookie money back and forth between Brownies and home. 

The last thing I did was find a way to attach the notebooks into the binders. Since we print pages that are then glued into their notebooks the holes usually used to clip the notebooks in are unusable. Armed with some shower rings I found that if you clip 2 rings along the top and bottom edge of the notebook it can easily be clipped into the binder. Perfect! Once the girls get their binders they will also clip in their program books. 

EDIT* Some people were wondering what my Brownie Notebooks Looked Like. Please see the linked page Here to view them (you have to scroll down towards the bottom of the page)

So what do you think? Would you give Brownie Binders a Try?

Brownie Summer Projects - Volume 2

So after camp I took my annual "Break from all things Girl Guide". I get to a point in the year where I am burnt out and don't want to think about another camp, fairy circle, craft or toadstool. I think its important to take this time away - its a way to step back and let yourself get to a point where you miss GGC and want to get back to it.

As always after about 6 weeks of doing nothing Girl Guide related I jump right into project mode and work on some new fun things for the year ahead. Last year it was some things got our fairy circles as well as my Girl Guide Peg People. This year i had some other things in mind

Twist Me, Turn Me and Show Me an Elf....

Enrollment is always a big deal for us. I have a soft spot for tradition and all things to do with Brownie fairies, toadstools and wise old owls. We typically stick to an enchanted forest theme for enrollment but I feel like our decorating often falls flat. In the past we've just had a mirror on the floor for a magic pool, last year i got fancy and put out a big emergency blanket. Neither option i was particularly happy about. They didn't really capture the magic I was going for and they looked oh-so-crappy in pictures.

So introducing the Brownie Magic Pond!

Made out of felt and a shaped emergency blanket this little pond i think will add to the atmosphere of the enrollment ceremony in the fall. There is a little stone path for the girls to walk up and the emergency blanket provides a shimmery reflection. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

SWAPS Banner

The second project I wanted to work on this summer was a place to keep all of my SWAPS crafts. I have a backpack and a camp hat that i keep most of my SWAPS on but they are getting so full that things are starting. I decided I wanted a central place to keep all of my SWAPS that could show them off but also take them on and off easily. This is what i came up with.

Made out of felt its a pretty simple design. I just took a rectangular piece of felt and sewed the end to a point. Then I folded over the top of the fabric and sewed it to make a sort of sleeve. I ran a dowel through this sleeve and attached a ribbon to act as a hanger. Then you just fill it with all of your SWAPS. Easy, simple and pretty - a great project for a weekend.

Brownie/Sparks Cupboard Clean Out

We are very lucky to have a crafts cupboard at our meeting space. Unfortunately as the year goes by it gets very, very messy. Things don't get put away properly and craft stuff gets out of control. This year I got together with our Sparks leader (who happens to be my mother in law) and spent the afternoon sorting, purging and reorganizing everything. The final result was awesome. We were both able to clean out some GGC supplies from our own houses and fit it into the cupboard and overall it looks much cleaner then it did before. I just wish i had remembered to take a "Before" picture!