Taste of Brownies Event
. . .Ideas for Activities

Songs:
Tips for Teaching Songs

Brownie Smile Song
Make New Friends

Frogger
Poor Kitty
Puppy and Bone
Chair-Sit Icebreaker Game
Friendly Ball Icebreaker
Kim's Game and variations

Traditional Kim's Game
Life of Juliette Low Kim's Game
Jumping Kim's Game
Kim's Lattice

A Story of Juliette Low - Audience Participation Game
Storytime
Choices
Web of Friendship
M&M Icebreaker

S'mores Magnet
Daisy Magnet
Girl Scout Sign and Promise Magnet
Daisy Chain Headdress

Songs
Tips for teaching songs

Brownie Smile Song

I've something in my pocket
It belongs across my face.
I keep it very close at hand
In a most convenient place.

I'm sure you couldn't guess it
If you guessed a long, long while.
So, I'll take it out and put it on
It's a great big BROWNlE SMlLE!
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Make New Friends

Make new friends but keep the old,
One is silver and the other gold.

A circle's round, it has no end,
That's how long I want to be your friend.

You help me and I'll help you,
And together we will make it through.

Games
Tips for teaching games

Frogger

I am 13 and a Cadette. My troop and I are going to lead a second grade Brownie troop. I remember when I was a Brownie when we played Frogger. The girls sit in the circle and the person who's it has to leave the room for a few moments while the other girls pick who's going to be "frogger". When they've chosen the frogger, they call whoever's it back in. The frogger must stick out her tongue at other girls and whomever she sticks her tongue out at must die enthusiastically! While the girl in the middle has to guess who the frogger is!!! I still like to play it!! This game works for all sizes of groups and all ages. Try it out! It is sooooo FUN!!!  - Laura, Troop 237, 1/9/02  (from GSUSA, Ideas for Working With Younger Girls)
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Poor Kitty!

Category: Indoor, quiet
Age: 5 and up
Number of participants: 5 and up
Equipment: Nothing
Source: Learned this one as a child

A favorite game from my early Girl Scouting days, probably late 1950's or early 1960's, was Poor Kitty. I taught this to
my older girls when they were Juniors and they still love it. Whenever we go to work with Brownies, we teach them Poor
Kitty.
     To play Poor Kitty, everyone sits in a circle, either in chairs or on the ground, except the girl who is the kitty.
     The kitty, on hands and knees, rubs up against one of the girls in the circle and says, "Me-o-o-o-w."
     The girl she targets must stroke the "kitty's" head and reply, "Poor Kitty!".  If she laughs, she has to become the
     kitty. If she doesn't laugh, the kitty can try to make her laugh again. If she doesn't laugh after three tries, the kitty
     has to try to make a different person laugh.

My troop has had some very creative kitties and some very funny facial expressions from the girl trying not to laugh.
(Anyone not targeted by the kitty is free to laugh. Trying to be the only girl in the circle not laughing is very hard.) In large
groups, it usually works better to have several circles with about eight to ten girls in each group. This gives more girls a
chance to be the kitty.  --  Jane Schuler, Junior/Cadette Troop, Knoxville, Tennessee
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Poor Kitty!  Variations:

1. The person who is 'it' chooses a victim and says to them, whilst performing such antics as to cause them to smile involuntarily, "Honey if you love me, will you please please smile?"
2. The person that they stop in front of must say, "Honey, know I love you, but I just can't smile." with a straight face.  Otherwise the game is the same as the Poor Kitty version above (without the petting!)
3. My Guide group came up with a version of this they called Sausage. The girl has to use sausage in her sentence as she tries to make the girl laugh. They can really get silly with this. Again the Guiders try to ignore some of the things they come up with...letting the girls have fun with their silliness. But I always watch that it doesn't get too out of hand and that no one insults any of the girls.  -- Michèle Buchanan

Category: Quiet, Indoors
Equipment: A blind fold and a 'bone'
Number of Participants: 8 and up!
Ages: 5 to 15 years

The children sit in a semicircle facing one child who is the puppy. The puppy wears a blind fold and the 'bone' is on the
floor in front of her. A 'thief' is chosen by pointing so as not to let the puppy know which direction the thief is coming from
to steal her 'bone'. The thief tries to steal the bone from the puppy without the puppy hearing her. (The rest of the group
must sit quietly while she tries). The puppy listens, and points in the direction of the thief and barks, if she hears anything.
If she catches the thief by pointing at her, the thief has failed and has to go back into the semi-circle. If the thief succeeds
in stealing the 'bone' then she becomes the puppy and the puppy joins the circle for the next round.

Variations: Guides might prefer the spy and the secret papers! Play this one outside in the dark with flashlights.
The spy has a flashlight and aims that at the thief, otherwise the rules are the same.

Jane Maddin
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Chair-Sit Icebreaker Game
adapted from material contributed by Katherine Town

Everyone gets a chair and sits in a circle. The Game Leader has a list of items she reads out. If any of them apply to you, you move the appropriate number of seats clockwise.

Examples:

   1.  Anyone with one brother, move one seat clockwise. If you have two brothers, move two seats.
   2.  Anyone with black hair, move one seat clockwise.
   3.  Anyone who is a Girl Scout, or has been a Girl Scout, move two seats clockwise.
   4.  Anyone who lives in _____ Area move one seat clockwise.
   5.  Anyone over the age of 21, move one seat counterclockwise.
   6.  Everyone wearing brown shoes, move one seat.

The idea is to move all around the circle, and end up back where you started. It becomes fun because if you move, but
your neighbour doesn't, you sit on her lap! Sometimes, you can have three people occupying the same chair!!

Make sure you have lots of categories so that everyone gets lots of chances to move, e.g. all hair colors (at different times, of course), all pets and so on.
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Friendly Ball Icebreaker Game

A really great get-to-know you game is the Friendly Ball. All you have to do is think up three questions that each Guide can answer about themselves. For example:  How old are you? What is your favorite guiding activity?  And what is your favorite food? Then sit in a circle with a ball and throw it to someone and have her answer the three questions when they are passed the ball. They then throw it to someone else, and that person answers the questions, and so on, until everyone has had a turn.
(an Australian Guide quoted in GSUSA, Ideas for Working With Younger Girls)
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TRADITIONAL KIM’S GAME
contributed by Jane Maddin

Category: Indoor, quiet
Number who may play:  Any number
Age:  Guides and up.
Equipment:

pencil and paper for each person
watch or timer
tray with 20 small articles (may be related by theme!)
___________________   ___________________   ___________________   ___________________   ___________________   ___________________
___________________   ___________________   ___________________
___________________   ___________________   ___________________
___________________   ___________________   ___________________
___________________   ___________________   ___________________
___________________   ___________________

Kim's Game Variations

Life of  Juliette Low Kim's Game

"A Kim's game is a game where you show a set of objects and then hide them and see how many you can remember. Often the seemingly unrelated objects actually relate to a theme.  This is an excellent learning tool for the girls and they are having so much fun!" - Mona Londraville

Juliette Low was the founder of Girl Scouting. I'd like to tell you a little about her life:

1. Juliette was born on Oct 31, 1860 - Halloween (Hold up a pumpkin)
2. Her uncle took one look at her and said, "She looks like a Daisy" - this nickname stuck with her for the rest of her life (Hold up silk Daisy)
3. Juliette always loved animals, especially horses. (Show toy horse)
4. She also loved to draw and paint pictures - so much, that she created a children's magazine with all of the articles and pictures done by children (Show crayons, colored pencils or paint brushes)
5. Juliette married Willie Gordon Low in 1886. (Hold up wedding ring)
6. Some of the rice thrown at their wedding became lodged in Julliette's left ear, causing her to become deaf in this ear (Show baggie of rice)
7. Juliette and Willie both loved adventure, so together they decided to move to England (Hold up sailboat)
8. Once in England, Juliette met Lord & Lady Baden-Powell. She very much enjoyed what they had done with the Boy Scout movement (Hold up picture of a boy)
9. Willie passed away while they lived in England, Juliette returned to Georgia and made the famous phone call which was heard around the United States, "Come on over to my house tonight, we are going to hold the first Girl Scout meeting!" (Hold up telephone)
10. As with all Girl Scout troops, money was needed to keep the program running, so Juliette sold the pearl necklace Willie had given her for a wedding present. (Show strand of pearls)
11. Girl Scouting in the USA was born on March 12, 1912 and continues today with over 3 1/2 million members. (Hold up GS pin)

Jumping Kim's Game
contributed by Nancy Roe, Abnaki GSC, Maine "My particular favorite!  I use this game in all training sessions because":

• everybody enjoys it
• it's always available in your troop box
• the girls can modify it
• the girls can use it to learn sharing, etc.
• if some people are awfully good at this, the awfully good person can say (with the leader's help) "Susie hasn't had a turn - would you like to be the game person?"
• a great way to bring in a bit of history, literature, etc.

Use long sticks to make a grid with 20 squares on the floor.  Place objects into grid squares.

1. Everyone stands in a circle and observes the grid for a couple of minutes.
2. Game leader calls out "Jump".
3. Everyone jumps 180 degrees, facing out of the circle.
4. Game leader removes one item and then calls out "Jump".
5. Everyone is now facing back into the circle.
6. Someone spots the missing item and raises hand. If she has spotted correct missing item she becomes game person.
7. Continue until Game Leader says "ONLY TWO MORE TIMES"  (which is a good way to end any game!)

Kim's Lattice

1. A demonstration lattice of sticks is laid out on the ground with a nature object such as an acorn, maple leaf, small stone, etc., place in each opening. The objects used by the teams may be provided by the leader or gathered by each team.
2. Teams are formed.
3. All teams observe the completed lattice for one minute before it is covered up.
4. Each team then makes one of its own, trying to duplicate each object & its correct placement in the lattice.
5. The team constructing the most accurate lattice in the shortest time wins.

Divide into eight groups: Each group will stand and make their assigned sound effect as the story is read by the leader or another girl.

Sound Effects:

Little Girl -- Stand and giggle
Juliette Low -- Curtsy and say "Be My Friend"
Georgia - Say "Hi, Y'all"
Horse -- Neigh
Lord Baden Powell - - Bow formally and say "How Do You Do"
London -- Sing first line of  "London Bridge Is Falling Down"
Boy Scouts -- Make Boy Scout Sign (2 Fingers)
Girl Scout -- Make Girl Scout Sign (3 Fingers) and say "Be Prepared"

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Storytime
  -- contributed by Deb Strathdee

1. As people arrive, count them off and send them off into groups of 5 or 6.
2. Give each group a bag with 3 items in it. The items in the bags should be totally unrelated goodies that will stretch their imaginations to the limit, e.g., a toothbrush, a pen, a cracker; a safety pin, a crayon, a quarter; a stale piece of bread, a book, a stone.  They can "use" their items or just name them in their story.
3. Tell them that at introduction circle, their group must be prepared to tell a story using the three items in their bag in their story.
4. They can elect a storyteller or they can all participate.

Everyone is in the middle (sit or stand - standing is easier). You ask the girls to choose a side (left or right) in response to a question or choice.  Note that they can choose things that they may not have done but would like to try.  Each girl goes and stands either on the left or right of the middle based on the choices.  It's interesting to see everyone's choices, and to watch some girls move from one side of the room to the other as their choices change.  If they need some exercise, go outdoors, make the sides farther apart and have them run from side to side. Sample choices:

• Are you  ("castles" point to the left side of the room) or "camping" (point to the right side of the room)?  Those that choose "castles" stand on the left side and those who choose "camping" on the right side. Everyone might switch, some might not move - depending on which side of the room is for which choice.
• Are you "beach" or "snow"?
• Are you "crafts" or "shopping"?
• Are you "dress-up & tea parties" or "nature walks & picnics"?
• Are you "whole uniform" or "sash or vest"?
• Are you "videos" or "let's pretend"?
• Are you "baking chocolate chip cookies" or "making campfire S'mores"?
• Are you "number games" or "science adventures"?
• Are you "clapping games" or "singing"?
• Are you "gymnastics" or "jump-rope games"?
• Are you "board games" or "hide-and-go-seek"?
• Are you "Barbies" or "American Girl dolls"?
• Are you "horses" or "dogs"?

Our troop learned a new icebreaker last year. Take a ball of yarn and say the name of the girl that you are throwing it to.  She then says the name of another girl and throws it to to her, and so on.  By the end of the game you have a spider web. This works great with Brownie Girl Scouts!
[GSUSA/JFG:  We like this one too.  You can then pull on a the yarn and talk about how everyone is connected (because everyone will feel the pull), or ask what happens to the web if someone isn't there.]
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M&M Icebreaker

When seated in a circle, give each girl a handful of M&M's.  Explain each color represents a cue to say something about themselves. For example:

Red -- tell something about your family
Green -- tell something that you did over the summer
Yellow -- tell what you like to do in your spare time
Blue -- tell about a pet you have
Brown M&M's are free just to eat

Crafts
Tips for teaching crafts

Girl Scout S'Mores Magnet

Supplies:

tan colored corrugated cardboard
dark brown felt
white cotton ball, smushed out
tacky glue
scissors, strong and sharp; craft knife (optional)
magnet strip tape for back
fine tip washable markers
baggies to put craft components into individual kits

Cut cardboard to 2 inch squares.
Cut dark brown felt into 2 inch squares.
Cut magnet strip tape into 1 1/2 inch lengths.
Assemble items into individual kits in sandwich baggies.

Girls write their names on one of their cardboard squares.
Girls glue s'mores sandwich together in this order:

1. cardboard
2. brown felt
3. white cotton ball, smushed out
4. cardboard (make sure name is on outside)

Peel and apply magnet strip to side with name.

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Girl Scout Promise Daisy Magnet
adapted from material contributed by Nancy Bleakley

Materials:

ice cream sticks - 3 per person
white paint
yellow pom poms - 1 per person
tacky glue
Girl Scout Promise phrase strips (see below)
magnet strip tape
scissors
fine tip washable markers
sandwich baggies for individual kits

Paint three wooden ice cream spoons white.
Cut Girl Scout Promise sheet into phrase strips.
Assemble items into individual kits in sandwich baggies.

Girls write their names on one of the spoons with washable marker.
Peel and stick magnet strip to the other side of the same spoon.
Now glue together all three wooden ice cream spoons:  put generous drop of glue in the middle of 2 of the spoons.  Then layer all 3 -- the one with no glue goes on the top.
Lightly pushing down on center, fan spoons out like flower petals.
Glue Girl Scout Promise strips onto "petals".
Glue a yellow pom pom to the middle of the top spoon.

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Girl Scout Sign and Promise Magnets
(adapted from http://www.makingfriends.com/gs_hand_swap.htm)

Materials:

tan and green construction paper
light cardboard and corrugated cardboard
Girl Scout Hand and Trefoil Patterns
strips of paper printed with phrases of the Girl Scout Promise (see below)
magnet strip tape
fine tip washable markers
tacky glue
scissors, small sharp and larger strong scissors or craft knife
stapler
regular or ziploc sandwich bags

Make cardboard patterns:

Print paper Girl Scout Hand Patterns.
Staple the paper hand patterns to light cardboard.  Cut out using small, sharp scissors.
Staple the Girl Scout trefoil pattern to light cardboard. Cut out.

Make final hands and trefoil:

Draw around cardboard hand pattern on tan construction paper to make hands.  Cut out.
Draw around cardboard trefoil pattern on green construction paper to make trefoil.  Cut out.
Draw around cardboard trefoil pattern on corrugated cardboard to make trefoil back.  Cut with craft knife or strong scissors.

Cut magnet strip tape into 1 1/2 inch lengths.
Cut Promise phrases into strips.

Assemble pieces into baggie "craft kits" for each participant.

Girls write their names on green trefoil with fine tip markers.

Peel protective paper from magnet strips and apply  to back of the corregated cardboard trefoil.

Glue green construction paper trefoil to corrugated cardboard trefoil.

Glue down the thumb and pinky of a "hand" to make the Girl Scout Sign.

Glue the paper strips with Promise phrases to the "fingers" on the "hand":

Glue the strip that says "The Girl Scout Promise  On my honor, I will try"  to the heel of the hand.
Glue each of the other three phrase strips to the three fingers.

Glue hand to trefoil.

Your Girl Scout Sign and Promise Magnet is done!

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Daisy Chain Headdress
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/1132/gscrafts.html

Materials needed:
     construction paper in white, green, yellow and orange
     scissors
     glue
     pencil
     stapler

Make a daisy flower out of the white paper. Make the flower about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Trace 8-12 flowers on
white paper. With the yellow paper make a circle about the size of a nickel. Trace centers for how many flowers you
have. With the green paper make a simple leaf that looks like the shape of an eye. Have the leaf be about 2 inches long
and only cut out half the amount you did of the flowers. the leaves go on every other flower. With the orange paper cut it
into strips. Take the strips and measure the girls head. You will probably need 2 strips per girl. Staple the ends together.
Have the girls glue the flowers together and glue on the orange paper.