Arts in the Outdoors

This week we took advantage of the good weather to explore the arts in the outdoors. As the girls arrived, they played tag in the hall.

We started out by having another go at forming a horseshoe - much better this time! The girls who went to Fall Frolic on the weekend then shared what they enjoyed about the event, and the Guiders explained the plan for the evening. Outside, the Guides had a choice of a variety of different activities:

Leaf & Bark Rubbings
We provided paper and crayons and let the girls explore the different textures found in nature - leaves, bark, acorns, stones, etc.

Sketching
This was the most popular activity! We had pre-cut paper from a sketch pad into quarters and provided sharpened pencils, erasers, and clipboards as the girls went out to draw what they could see in nature.




Watercolour Painting
Painting proved a hit and we have some talented painters in our Unit! We pre-cut white cardstock into quarters and provided watercolour palettes, water, brushes and clipboards for the girls to create nature-inspired paintings.

Drama & Dance
For those girls looking for a more active way to express their creativity, we offered the option of creating nature inspired dances, using creative movement to recreate nature, or

Music & Creative Writing
Three groups wrote original songs about nature and one girl wrote a poem - and all were brave enough to perform them for the Unit!

Shortly before 8pm, we cleaned up and moved back indoors. One of the Guides led a game of Blob Tag and then the girls had an opportunity to share what they had been working on. We have some talented artists, singers, songwriters and poets!


To end the meeting, we learned two songs - Five Green and Speckled Frogs and Land of the Silver Birch - before closing with Taps.

Discover Your Creativity

Our first meeting in February was devoted to creativity and creative expression. The girls
were allowed to choose from a variety of activities and to do as few or as many different activities as they wished.

Each activity area had a theme and some activity suggestions (with badge connections) to help the girls create their own activity options. We provided a CD player, paper, markers, and assorted craft supplies.

Dance

• Create a dance that expresses a mood. Think about how people act and move when they feel a certain way. (Dancing #8)
• Make up your own dance routine. (Dancing #5)
• Chose a piece of music that you like and make up a dance to go with it. Explain why you chose that particular song. (Music Fan #2)

 Storytelling

• Tell a scary story. (Make sure your audience knows this before you start!) (Folklore #8)
• With a group of people, take turns having each person make up part of a whole story. (Folklore #6)
• With a group of friends, write a fun story. The first person writes down one sentence and shows it to the second person. That person writes down one sentence and shares only that sentence with a third person. When everyone had had a turn, read the whole story aloud. (Writing #8)
• Think about something funny that has happened to you. Make up a story about it and tell it to others. (Folklore #7)

Arts & Crafts

• Create a work of art based on a dream or fantasy that you have had. Create a picture of collage that relates to your dream. (Art Production #1)
• Design a package for a product such as a breakfast cereal, a CD, DVD or a product you invent. (Art Production #5)
• Experiment with colour by learning about primary and secondary colours. Practice mixing colours to develop new colours. Make a picture that uses what you have created. (Art Production #3)
• Create a piece of art in 3-D that represents your heritage. (Creative Crafts #3)
• Make a craft that you would be able to display in a room in your house. (Creative Crafts #8)
• Create a poster for a movie, play or other performance (Performing Arts #4E)
• Make a piece of jewelry using materials that are not precious metals or gems. You might make a pin, necklace, bracelet or hair ornament. (Creative Crafts #4)

Music & Drama

• Write and produce a skit or puppet show demonstrating at least two emotions. (Performing Arts #1)
• Perform a solo poem, monologue or public speech for an audience. (Performing Arts #4F)
• Create a unique character, such as an actor from the movies or TV, an animal, a clown, or a rock star and tell a story or act out a scene from their live and have others guess who or what it is. (Performing Arts #8)
• With a group or on your own, perform a song for an audience. (Performing Arts #6)
• Make a puppet and use it for a performance. (Performing Arts #7)

 Creative Writing

• Create a cartoon based on a funny incident from your life. (Reporting #7)
• Write a 250 to 500 word story on any subject. (Writing #1)
• Write an imaginary interview between you and a famous character in a book. (Writing #2)
• Choose a well-known story and write a different ending for it. (Writing #5)
• Write an account of an event you have attended and report all the details. Use the five W's: who, what, when, where and why to describe the event. (Reporting #3)
• Write a verse, rhyme or poem. (Writing #4)
• Create three different story starters such as - opening lines of a story, play or poem. (Writing #6)
• Write an exaggerated story that would be fun to tell at campfire. (Writing #2)
• Write a letter of not less than 100 words describing a humorous incident or exciting event that happened to you. (Writing #3)
• Write a brief announcement for a future Guide event, such as Guide-Scout Week, camp, registration, enrolment, advancement, etc. It should be either suitable for publication in a newspaper or to be read on radio or television (100 words of less). (Reporting #2)

The Arts and Active Living

During the month of May, both Guide Guiders were out of the country for two weeks. The meeting on May 7th was run by the Pathfinders and the meeting on May 14th was cancelled due to a double-booking at the church.

The May 7th meeting was on the theme of "The Arts & Active Living".

The Pathfinders planned a Craft - Mother's Day, Friendship or Birthday Cards; Games - Colour Tag, Hide and Go Seek, Octopus; Dancing - Line Dancing, Cha Cha Slide, Skits and a Campfire.