Brownies Visit Mountain Equipment Co-op!

Every year as a unit we complete several interest badges in addition to the program keys. Typically the girls get to choose which interest badges they want to complete together and then my co-leaders and I pick a few more to round out the other badges we are doing. Now that its my 5th year leading a Brownie group I've pretty much done every interest badge with my girls. There are however a few that have always been tricky to accomplish as they require going somewhere specific. 

In early October I got a call that our meeting space wouldn't be available that week due to a large church function. I was worried we would have to cancel as its often hard to find a meeting space - especially in a time crunch. Luckily with come quick thinking and a great community partnership led to the perfect idea. A Trip to Mountain Equipment Co-Op!

When I called up our local MEC store and asked if i could bring a bunch of rowdy 7 & 8 year olds to run around their store for an hour and a half I wasn't sure what the were going to say. The gentleman I spoke to was AMAZING and said not only that the girls could come to tour the store but what programming did he want them to provide? I sent him the requirements for the "Go Camping" interest badge and he said not to worry he would plan something awesome for the girls. 


When we got to the store we were greeted with this happy sign. We chatted with the girls about using our best manners in public and that since the store was still open for shoppers that we would need to be mindful of our voice volume. The first thing we did was meet with Graeme our MEC Liaison who answered any and all the girls had about camping equipment and gear. Afterwards he handed out a group scavenger hunt which had the girls tour the store and find out information about different products they might use while tent camping. 


We went around the store in small groups - taking pictures of the fun camping gadgets and equipment that were available to purchase. The girls learned a lot about what was things were waterproof and why it was so important to stay warm and dry when being outside. 

All of the Brownies loved the "tiny things" you could take camping with you. Collapsable water bottles, tiny flashlights, etc. were all super exciting to the girls. 

After the scavenger hunt we came back to the MEC community room and got to learn about tents! The staff at MEC provided 2 tents for the girls to practice setting up. We learned about where is best to pitch tents, about tent poles and most important - the waterproof rainfly. The girls LOVED setting up and playing in the tents. Truly a highlight of the trip!


Thank you SO MUCH Mountain Equipment Co-Op! We had a FANTASTIC TIME!

Key to Brownies Camp 2017!

So every year I have this great idea to take the Brownies camping right away - Like 5 weeks into the guiding season. I think camp is a pretty magical thing. Something about being at camp brings the girls together so much faster then just sharing weekly meetings. For the second year in a row we've bridged with the 374th Toronto Brownies for a Fall residential camp at the Girl Guide property 

Camp Ma-Kee-Wa. 

This year we were able to rent the Barn which was great because we had a FULL house. Every bed was full and only 1-2 Brownies did not attend. We use this camp as a way to complete most of the requirements needed for the girls "Key to Brownies" and to start building the camp skills they will need throughout their time at Brownies and once they go off to Guides. 

The girls arrived Saturday morning brimming with excitement. This year we opted for a one night camp (girls arriving Saturday morning vs. Friday evening). This worked out WAY BETTER then we could have ever imagined. Not only did it give the leaders a full evening to prep for the girls and settle in to the building space, but it allowed the girls to get a good Friday night's sleep in their own beds, unwinding from the school week on Friday and being ready for camp on Saturday. 

Once the girls were settled in we went over camp rules and then went outside to start our adventure! We began by making friendship trail mix as a snack the girls could keep in their bag and eat anytime throughout the day. Each girl brought with them a small container of one ingredient (nut-free!). When we all came together the girls added their ingredients to the blanket. A few quick tosses and shakes and everyone had a snack for the day!

After the trail mix was divided up we split the group in half to teach trail signs and to work on a service project. While Guider Wendy worked with the girls on building trail signs I worked with them to collect rocks and sticks from the field so it could be mowed and relocate river rocks from the space beside the Barn. Of course we had to work in some time to roll down the Ma-Kee-Wa hill!

After these activities it was time for a hike to the Fairy Forest. Before the girls came we leaders worked some fairy magic and created cards for each girl stating which fairy circle they were a part of. It was so magical to see the girls wander into the forest and one by one realize that there was a card from the fairies with their name on it! Inside the fairy forest the girls found their groups, learned their fairy circle songs and learned how to do the grand howl to thank the fairies for their generous gift. It was so fun to watch them explore the forest, looking for signs of magic!

After we got back from the hike it was definitely time for LUNCH! Tawny Owl our wonderful quartermaster was hard at work while we away and prepared an amazing meal for the girls. Once everyone had eaten it was time for some patrol duties. The girls all enjoyed learning how to wash their dishes properly and helping with other patrol duties!



Once we finished up the chores the girls (and leaders) were ready for a little down time. Girls had a choice of a rest in their rooms, crafts in the Barn or playing outside. 

The weather was so amazing this weekend and the girls were so engaged with their friends that we forwent the structured round robin activities in the afternoon for a more free-flow system. Since the girls all received patches from the fairies earlier in the day we felt that they should learn how to sew them to their sashes. 


That afternoon we did 2 sewing projects. Most girls sewed their new fairy emblems onto their Brownie sashes and many sewed fist aid kits which we would fill later the next day. 

Before dinner we thought it might be good to get some of the girls energy out so Guider Kate ran a mix of tag games with the girls. Hospital tag, freeze tag, everybody is it tag. I've never seen the girls run so fast!

After tag it was time for parachute games! The girls loved the games cat and mouse and of course under the toadstool!

The rest of the night was filled with dinner, night games and campfire (all of which I sadly didn't get pictures of). The girls had a blast and actually got to bed at a really decent hour - which NEVER happens at Brownie camp. 


Since they went to bed at a good time the girls were up EARLY - like 5am early. The leaders eventually gave up trying to get them to be quiet and decided it would be a great time to finish off that Brownie Hiking Badge.

While some guiders stayed to make breakfast the rest of us took 25 girls for a morning hike around the property. It was pretty wet with the morning dew but we got to see all sort of different plants, birds and animal scat! 

After breakfast the girls packed up their things and we had some free time to play outside. Parents started arriving around 10:30 and soon everyone was headed back to the city. We had an AMAZING time at this fall camp - can't wait for next year!

International Day of the Girl

Every year on October 11th we celebrate International Day of the Girl.The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights (UN.Org).

This year I had an opportunity to work with Girl Guides from across Toronto to create a TV segment for CP24. During the TV segment we talked about the importance of this day and worked on a mural piece to show a girl "just being a girl". It was great to hang out with so many empowered women - girl and adult members. Such a great thing to be a part of!

Canada 150th Celebration at Doe Lake!

To celebrate Canada's 150th Girl Guides of Ontario organized an amazing event that took place at every GGC property across the province. I had never been to the Girl Guide Camp Doe Lake so I was really excited to volunteer at this event. My friend Alison decided to come along as a "Brownie Unit of 1" bringing along her Brownie daughter. 

The event was an amazing experience and Doe Lake is a very beautiful site - especially in the Fall. So happy we could share this event with so many other girls and guiders! Happy Birthday Canada!

Brownie Binders and Glue Gun Permits

Its September and that means Brownies is starting up again. We had our parent meeting last week and we are so excited to get started with 15 eager Brownies.

One of the first things we do in our unit is get the girls comfortable with how to earn an interest badge and how to use a glue gun. They seem like strange skills to spend a whole meeting on - but believe me having the girls fluent in both makes a HUGE difference. 

The girls enjoyed colouring in their name and owl for their binder cover. After they had all finished this we went over what was in their binder (Brownie notebook & interest badge slips). As a group we went over what their Brownie notebook was and how we use it in interest badge earning. Some of our second years shared their notebooks from last year showing the girls all of the things they did to earn badges. To say this got the girls excited about badge earning was a big understatement!

Next we moved onto Glue Gun Permits. In our unit if you want to use a glue gun you have to do and pass glue gun training. This includes learning how to safely set up and use the glue gun, how to control the glue and how to glue tiny things without burning yourself. It also covers basic first aid regarding burns. Once they learn these things they are awarded with their Glue Gun Permit and are allowed to use glue guns at Brownies under the supervision of the leaders. 

The girls LOVE the glue gun training and getting their permit. They feel so special and grown up once they "pass" the test. Once the girls did their testing they were given their Brownie backpack to decorate. We use these backpacks weekly to bring things back and forth. We also use them at camp for hiking.  

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!