Program Planning & Active Games

Our first meeting of 2019 was spent brainstorming and making plans for our meetings until March Break - and also playing some active games!

As the girls arrived, they were asked to fill out a slip of paper with four questions for ideas for Guide activities:

• Something I would like to do ...
• Somewhere I would like to go ...
• A topic I would like to learn more about ...
• A theme I would like to explore ... 

This generated some really good ideas, and encouraged the Guides to come up with their own ideas rather than copying or agreeing with other people's. 

We had our usual opening ceremony, followed by an active game led by one of our Patrols. 

Each Patrol was then given two sheets of paper with four broad themes, based on their earlier suggestions:

• Girl Guides Go Tropical
• Girl Guides in Space
• Art-tastic
• Build. Create. Invent.

Patrols then brainstormed ideas for activities related to those themes. 

We then had a break for an active game, then sent the Patrols off to separate parts of the room to come up with a theme for a partial meeting to be run by the Patrol. Once their theme was checked out by the Guiders, the girls came up with activity ideas to fill 45 minutes of meeting time. Working back and forth, with Guider input as needed, each Patrol came up with a unique plan for their program time, including activity instructions and supply lists. In February, we will be exploring memes with the Forget-Me-Nots, pets and animals with the Thistles, and global cultures with the Daisies.

We finished with a final active game, reminders for next week, and closed with Taps.

Outdoor Games Night

This week we didn't have access to our regular meeting space, so we headed out to a local park for some outdoor fun!

The Pathfinders and Rangers had planned the evening and led us in a Glowstick Scavenger Hunt, Glowstick Tag, Sardines, and Flashlight Tag. Before heading back to the church for pick-up, we had some time to play on the swings, teeter-totters, slide and play structure. Everyone had a great time - and running around helped us all stay warm! 

 

Bridging: Outdoor Games and Activities

Tonight we turned the meeting over to the Pathfinders to complete the Outdoor Activities Bridging section of their program. We started with out usual opening, then the Pathfinders took charge!

We headed outside for a bit, although it was raining lightly. Everyone started off with a Scavenger Hunt, designed by our Ranger, around the property in partners, followed by a round of the ever-popular, Everybody's It Tag - when one girl tags another, they play 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' and the loser sits down until she is tapped by another player to rejoin the game. 

Two of the Pathfinders then explained Fox and Rabbit - essentially link tag, where the person who is It is the fox and the runner(s) is the rabbit. The rabbit can link onto a pair at anytime, causing the person on the free end to become the new rabbit. This was followed by a round of Four Corners - where girls choose a corner to run to and the person in the center closes her eyes, spins around and points at a corner. Anyone in the corner that is pointed to is out.

As the rain was getting heavier, and not everyone had proper rain coats, we relocated back into the hall. After removing wet shoes and socks, two Pathfinders explained and led a game of Ladders - girls sit in pairs with their legs outstretched to form the rungs of a ladder. Each pair is numbered, when their number is called their race along, jumping over each pair of legs, along the outside and then over the remaining 'rungs' until they get back to their spot. (**Safety Note: This game has a high risk of slipping, tripping, and being stepped on. Girls must listen to instructions, follow the rules and play properly; wear non-slip shoes or bare feet; and keep their legs flat and hands tucked in while they are sitting down.)

Our final game of the evening was Streets and Alleys (which apparently was a new one to many of the Guides!) - Girls stand in a grid formation (i.e. 4 parallel rows of 4 girls) with their arms outstretched to the sides. Everyone faces the same direction - in our case Streets was facing the windows, and Alleys was a 90 degree turn to face the stairs. The caller calls 'Streets' or 'Alleys' frequently changing the space the cat (chaser) and mouse (runner) have to run. The cat and mouse cannot go through walls (arms) and can only run along the open rows and around the outside.

The evening finished up with a long sing-song with lots of action songs! We enjoyed My Paddle, My Aunt Hoover, Fried Ham, I'm Being Eaten by a Boa Constrictor, My Name is Joe, Pizza, Pizza Hut, Zulu Warrior, Swimming Pool, Bananas in the Sky, Baby Bumble Bee, Herman the Worm, and Purple Light. We closed with reminders for next week and Taps.

Sports & Games

After hearing about the sports that the Guides take part in, we decided to help them all earn their Sports Badge!

As the girls arrived, each Patrol was challenged to find a sport for every letter of the alphabet - we had to get a bit creative for some of the letters!

After our usual opening, we played "Rabbit Without A House", a game from Brazil. One player is It (the rabbit without a house) and one person is the caller. Other players form groups of three - two people to be the house and one to be the rabbit in the house. When the caller calls out 'Find a House', all the rabbits run to find a new house, including the rabbit without a house. The player left becomes the new rabbit without a house.

We started the program portion of the evening with a discussion about the different sports the Guides play or have played and about the importance of fair play and competition. The girls then split up into small groups or worked alone to create a sports poster. The posters were used to explain how to play their chosen sport, the basic rules, and how to stay safe (including safety equipment). 

After the posters were finished, we played "Big Snake", a game from Ghana. One player is the Big Snake and tries to tag others. Tagged players join hands to form a bigger snake and try to tag others players. the leader and the tail of the snake are the only ones who can tag free players. If the snake's body breaks, the snake must start again.

The final activity of the evening was to make up cheers and chants. The girls broke up into small groups and each group created a short cheer and routine about a real or made-up team, and then presented their creation to the rest of the group.

We ended with reminders for next week and closed with Taps.

Eco-Guides

This week's meeting was spent working on the Ecology Badge. One of the things we often do is to created our own requirements to meet the purpose of the badge, and this was no exception.

As the girls arrived, the Patrol Leaders took attendance and collected dues. Each Patrol then did some brainstorming and made two lists - things to eat at camp and things to do at camp - as we look ahead to our winter camp in February.

Following our usual opening, we played a Find Your Match Game with animal noses. Each girl is given the name of an animal (cat, dog, chicken, snake, bumblebee) and has to find the other person who has the same animal by making the sound that animal makes.

We then sat down for a short discussion. We talked about what ecology is (the study of how animals and plants depend on each other, the weather, sunlight and water) and ecosystems (environments and the plants and animals that live there). As we have a new subdivision being built just outside of town, we also talked about what happens to animals when humans build roads and houses where the animals live. This led to talking about the animals that are seen as 'pests' in the community (raccoons, rabbits, rats) and why we are seeing them more often.

The next activity was a Food Chain Game. I believe this game is often called Amoeba or something similar. Everyone starts as a Bumblebee and moves around the playing area 'buzzing'. When they meet another Bumblebee, they play "rock, paper, scissors". The winner moves up the food chain and the loser moves down the food chain, unless they are already at the bottom (Bumblebee), in which case they stay there. So, when two Bumblebees play each other, the winner moves up to become a Sparrow. Players can only play someone who is at the same level of the food chain as they are - i.e. Sparrows can only play other Sparrows. The goal is to moves up the food chain - Bumblebee, Sparrow, Fox, Eagle, Human - although we kept the game going by having the Humans play each other to remain at the top.

The group then split into two, with one group making milk carton birdfeeders and the other learning about vermicomposting.

The birdfeeders were simple, made out of 500mL milk cartons with a hole cut in the front and and a popsicle stick for a perch. We filled them with a mixture of birdseed and sunflower butter and talked about what birds eat and why it is good to leave some plant life (i.e. dead sunflowers) in the garden over the winter as a food source.

One of our Guiders has a vermicomposter that she brought in to show the girls. Vermicomposting is a form of composting that uses red wriggler worms to breakdown food scraps into rich compost that can be used in your garden. What's neat about vermicomposters is that they can be kept indoors and as long as they are cared for, they don't smell! The girls were able to see the composter (worm poop!) and handle some of the worms.

As our final activity, we divided the girls up into two groups and had each create and lead a game. The first group was
asked to come up with a game about living things and their surroundings. In their game one player is the Germinator and one is the Gardener. When the Germinator tags a player, they become a Weed and have to sit down on the floor. The Gardener can 'water' the weeds to turn them back into plants who can then rejoin the game. The second group was asked to come with a game about recycling. In their game, one person leaves the room and the others sit in a circle. One player has a water bottom and the person who was out of the room has to guess who has it. They made up and sang a song called 'Who's the Litterer?' to the tune of 'Make a Circle'.

We ended with reminders for next week and closed with Taps.

Useful Links

• Vermicomposting - Cathy's Crawly Composters 

 

Teamwork & Active Games

As some of the girls have been having difficulty working in small groups, we decided to spend the evening practicing our teamwork skills along with some active games!

As the girls arrived, the Patrol Leaders took attendance and collected dues. We started with a Horseshoe and the Guide Promise, followed by a game called "Germinator Tag" led by one of the Guides.

Our three Patrols then moved through four activities that challenged them to work together as a team.

(1) Trust Walk - Guides work in partners. One girl is blindfolded and her partner has to direct her around the room and different obstacles. The partner giving directions can only use her voice!

(2) Tarp Games - In the first tarp activity, the Patrol stands on the tarp then gets off and folds it half. They keep repeating this activity, making the tarp as small as they possibly can while still getting every one on it. In the second tarp activity, the Patrol stands on the tarp and then has to turn the tarp over without getting off.

(3) Pick Up and Carry -  The girls have to use an elastic band and some string to move and stack 6 cups in a pyramid.

We then tried two group teamwork activities. The first was a Beach Ball Pass. The girls lay on their backs in a circle and has to pass a beach ball around the circle using only their feet. The second activity was a game called Islands where there are islands (mats) spread around the playing area. Everyone moves around and at a signal has to find an island. Each round, an island is removed and the girls have to share until everyone is standing on a single island!

After spending several weeks playing Everybody's It Tag, we've decided that we need to teach the Guides some new active games!

Our first game was "Captain's Coming". To play, everyone starts in the middle of the playing area and practices the commands (see below). Once everyone has an idea of what to do, the game leader calls out commands and everyone follows them. The Guiders prefer to play this just as a fun game, but the majority of the Guides wanted to play it as an elimination game. For eliminations, it is the last person to reach a spot or perform an action (often it is too close to tell, so there isn't someone out after every command).

• Captain's Coming - everyone lines up, stands at attention and salutes
• Bow - players run to the front of the room
• Stern - players run to the back of the room
• Port - players run to the left side of the room (left when facing the front of the room) 
• Starboard - players run to the right side of the room (right when facing the front of the room)
• Man Overboard - players lie on their backs and 'swim'
• Submarines - players lie on their backs with one leg in the air like a periscope
• Man the Lifeboats - players find a partner and join hands
• Torpedoes - players lie on their stomachs with their hands clapped together above their heads

Our second game was suggested by one of the Guides - Blog Tag - however it seems there are a lot of different versions of this game! The one we settled on is that when 'It' tags someone, they link arms and keep adding people as more players are tagged. The blob has to stay together and if they break apart, they have stop and reform before catching anyone else.

Our final activity was to design Be Prepared Kits. Each Patrol had to choose a theme (we had Camping by two Patrols and a trip to Canada's Wonderland by the third) and then decide what would be in their kit. They also had to create a short skit or commercial to advertise their kit to the rest of the Unit. After clean up, we closed with reminders for next week and Taps.

Messy Night!

Our final regular meeting of the year was Messy Night, with paint, shaving cream, water, and bubbles all playing a part!
I think I'll let the photos speak for themselves this time, see the attachment below for more information on what we got up to, as well as some extra activities we didn't have time for!

Downloads:

• Messy Night Activities 

Go For It! Be A Good Sport

Tonight we shifted our focus to Active Living and worked on the UK's Guide Go For It! Be A Good Sport. Activities helped the Guides to work on the "Stay Fit & Healthy" section of the program and our Pathfinder to work on the "Beyond Baseball" Module.

After our opening ceremony and an active games, the girls made up small groups and were able to choose from 8 different activities.

How Do You Play?
Supplies: Paper, Pencils
Look around your meeting place and think about the games you play.
What do people need to do to stay safe while playing games?

Sport in the Community
Supplies: Paper, Pencils, Pencil Crayons
A new sports team is being set up in your area. What sport do they play?
Design a uniform for the new team!

Up, Up and Away
Supplies: Balloons, Newspaper, Tape
How about balloon volleyball, passing a balloon between your knees or balloon hockey using rolled up newspapers as hockey sticks?
Improvise a range of sports that you can play with balloons.

Sports From A to Z
Supplies: Paper, Pencils
Can your group come up with a sport for every letter of the alphabet?

A is for Acro, Acrobats
B is for Baseball, Basketball, Bocci Ball, Ballet
C is for Curling, Canoeing, Cricket
D is for Dancing
E is for Eating Corn, Egg Race
F is for Football, Fan Dancing
G is for Guitar, Gymnastics, Golf
H is for Horseback Riding, Hockey
I is for Ice Skating, Ice Hockey
J is for Juggling, Jazz, Jogging
K is for Kite Flying
L is for Lacrosse
M is for Minor Hockey League, Mat Boxing
N is for NHL, Net Fishing
O is for Octopus, Organized Baseball
P is for Polo, Pilates
Q is for Quarter Finals, Quail Hunting
R is for Ringette
S is for Singing, Swimming, Soccer
T is for Tennis
U is for Underwater Race
V is for Volleyball
W is for Water Skiing, Water Polo
X is for Xylophone Playing
Y is for Yak Riding, Yoga
Z is for Zebra Riding, Zumba

Getting Ready
Supplies: None
Before any physical activity, make sure you warm up to prevent muscle pulls and strains.
Create a warm up routine to stretch your muscles before your favourite activity.

Cheer Them On
Supplies: None
Cheerleading is both a recreational activity and a competitive sport involving organized routines, dance steps and gymnastics.
Make up a song, chant or dance to support your favourite team or sport.

Invent a New Game
Supplies: Paper, Pencils, Equipment
With your group, invent a new game. You may want to adapt an existing game or create something completely original. Don't forget to give it a name!
Create a set of rules for your game and don't forget to think about the safety aspects.

Poster Persuasion
Supplies: Paper, Markers
Design a poster to encourage others to be more active, eat healthy, or try a new sport.


Our meeting ended with a campfire and Taps.

May & June with the Pathfinders and Rangers

May was a busy month for everyone, followed by camp in June. Most of our activities were done in conjunction with the Guides - more people=more fun!


We started off the month working on the Mental Health & Me Challenge created by Emily and the 1st St James Guides from the UK. This challenge asks girls to take part in activities in 3 categories: What is Mental Health?; Say NO to Stigma; and Get Practical.(While the Guides worked on the same challenge, the groups did different activities.) At the same time, we completed the Relationships, Vales & Choices Module.

The Pathfinders and Rangers started the evening off with a discussion about the difference and connections between mental health and mental illness, followed by a fact versus myth quiz about the two (the Guides did the same quiz). This was followed up by exploring their ideas about what makes a relationship healthy or unhealthy. We then did the Know the Facts Jeopardy Quiz about relationships from the Day of Action Challenge (GGC) and researched places girls their age could get help with issues they face. we had a drama break to act out scenarios, showing how the main character could get help and what we can do as a friend (scenarios covered suicidal ideation, stress, self-harm, and depression), and ended the evening by making stress balls.

We then took part in the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-Up with the Guides - http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/05/great-canadian-shoreline-cleanup.html

Three Pathfinders took part in the Leave No Trace Outdoors Night - http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/05/outdoors-night-leave-no-trace.html

This was followed by an evening of Outdoor Games - http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/05/outdoor-activities.html

Our final regular meeting was Messy Night! - http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/05/messy-night.html

Our joint Advancement Ceremony was held in the last week of May, where we welcomed one Advancing Guide, and said good-bye to our Advancing Pathfinder and Ranger. - http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/05/advancement-awards-ceremony-2016.html

The camp we chose to attend was The Amazing Race at Camp Marydale. We had a great time and would go again! - http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-amazing-race-camp-marydale.html

And we're not done yet! We still have a year-end trip to come in July and then a break before coming back for another great year in September!

Messy Night!

One of the Facebook Groups I follow is a group for Australian Guiders. I was inspired by an activity that is very popular there, which led to the Caledonia Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers having their first Messy Night! We had beautiful sunshine and 24 degree weather, which meant everyone was ready for water games, paint twister and outdoor fun!

As the girls arrived, we had bubble solution ready for blowing bubbles while we got organized.

We started out with rules:
1. You don't have to get wet if you don't want to, BUT you can't get other people wet without their permission.
2. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
3. Don't throw things at people unless instructed to (i.e. as part of a game)

We explained a number of different activities, and let the girls choose which ones they wanted to do. The chosen activities were Bouncy Balls, Shave the Balloon, Paint Twister, Splat Tag, Water Fight, Bubble Art, and Armpit Fudge.

Bouncy Balls
In one cup, combine 4 tbsp warm water, 3 tbsp cornstarch and 1/2 tsp borax. In a second cup but 1 tbsp of white glue and food colouring. Mix the glue and food colouring, then mix the water/cornstarch/borax mixture. Pour the water mixture into the glue. Stir. You'll see it immediately start to clump together. Stir a bit more until you have one, big slimy glob. Take the globe out of the liquid and roll it between the palms of your hands until you have a nice smooth ball. Store in a plastic container or ziplock bag. (If you're ball doesn't bounce well, play with the material like flubber!!)

Shave the Balloon
Girls work in pairs. One girl inflates the balloon and holds it for her partner while she covers
it with shaving cream. She then uses a butter knife (or razor) to 'shave' the balloon, trying not to pop it. If the balloon doesn't pop, 'help' it along with a pin - but be aware that when it does pop, shaving cream will go EVERYWHERE!

Paint Twister
Paint twister is played the same way as regular twister, except that instead of coloured circles on  mat, you make coloured circles of shaving cream mixed with paint on a tarp!

Splat Tag
Two players are IT and each has a water ball (cloth balls that absorb water like a sponge). To tag other players, they throw the balls trying to hit people below the shoulders. When a player is hit, she becomes it. Have a bucket of water nearby for re-soaking the balls.

Water Fight
Buckets of water, water balls and small squirt guns were provided, and everyone had a great time!

Bubble Painting
Mix food colouring with bubble solution in small containers. Dip a straw in the coloured solution. Place the end of the straw just touching a piece of paper and gently blow a bubble. When the bubble bursts, it will leave the colour behind. Repeat until you have finished your design, then let dry.

Armpit Fudge
This is a group favourite! Put 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1 tbsp butter, 2 tsp cream cheese, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp cocoa powder in a ziplock bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal. Smoosh all of the ingredients together until they are blended and the mixture is coming away from the bag. Use the heat from your hands, or armpit, to help mix the ingredients.

Resources
Girl Guides Western Australia - Dirty & Messy Night
PBS Kids - Super Bouncy Ball - www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/super-bouncy-balls/

Outdoor Activities

Due to the weather, we had to flip our final two regular meetings, so tonight became Outdoor Activity Night!

As the girls arrived, those going to camp in June were asked to fill our their menu choices and activity selections and everyone was asked to write down their favourite outdoor games and activities on a large sheet of paper.

We had our regular opening, followed by an active game, then went through some of the activity suggestions from the girls. Capture the Flag and Man Hunt were by far the most popular choices, so we headed outside to play.

The group divided into two teams and each team was assigned half of the space around the church for Capture the Flag. We wound up playing two rounds before moving onto Man Hunt - which was restricted to the space at the back of the church.

As it was cooling off, we went inside to make ice cream! The method we used was mix 2 cups Half and Half, 4 tbsp Sugar and 1tsp Vanilla in a small can. The lid was then secured and sealed with duct tape. The small can was put inside a large coffee can and ice packed around it. Some salt was sprinkled over the ice and the outer lid put in place and secured with duct tape. The girls then sat in a circle, rolling the can back and forth between themselves while singing campfire songs. We didn't quite have time to get the ice cream completely solidified, but it was still pronounced taste and disappeared quickly!

The "Challenge" Challenge

April started off with a visit by the 2nd year Brownies from the 3rd Caledonia Brownie Unit.The 8 girls who joined us were divided up between the Patrols, and we created a 4th Patrol for the evening to keep the groups to a manageable size!

As the girls arrived, each was asked to make a name tag using index cards and decorating with markers and stickers.

We held our usual opening ceremony, with the Brownies placed into the Guide Patrols, and then had everyone introduce themselves. Our Active Living Patrol for the week then led an active game before we moved onto our program.

The Guides have been working on the Diversity Challenge from BC and the Brownies 100th Anniversary Challenge from NS, so we used activities from these challenges as the basis for our meeting.

Our first activity was the "Who Are The Lucky Ones?" Game from the Diversity Challenge. Each girl was given a card and a napkin and a plate of Smarties was placed in the middle of the circle. Each girl read her card out in turn and followed the instructions (usually to take no treat!). We then talked about how the girls felt and if they thought what had happened was fair. (Each girl did get a few Smarties to eat after the game!)

We then played a game from Japan called "One-Legged Race". In this game, players stand in teams at one end of the room. The first player in each team runs to the far end of the room and then returns by hopping (keeping their feet and legs together to make a single leg). The first team to have all their players complete this trip wins.

Next up, we explored fractals and each girl created her own triangular fractal pattern. The girls stated with a triangle of paper and were asked to mark the halfway point on each side and then draw straight lines with a ruler to create a total of four triangles. They then coloured in the centre triangle. Each of the three remaining triangles was then divided in the same way and the one in the centre coloured in. Girls could continue as far as they wanted and then colour in all the triangles if they wished. See the image at the right for a better explanation!

The Fractal Foundation has a one-page explanation of Fractals in Math and Nature -
fractalfoundation.org/fractivities/WhatIsaFractal-1pager.pdf

An active game followed - Chopstick Race - the girls were in Patrols, and had to manipulate chopsticks with one hand to pick up pieces of sponge from to opposite end of the room. One girl per Patrol at a time and only one piece of sponge at a time! The Patrol with the most pieces of sponge at the end was the winner. (Despite many protests of "I can't use chopsticks", everyone managed very well with this activity.)

Our last activity was a Brownie Badge Quiz using images of early badges. Each Patrol had a sheet showing 9 old badges and they had to decide what it was called, what would need to be done to earn it, and which current Brownie badge it was related to. The answer sheet is below:

We ended the meeting with a couple of campfire songs and reminders about the aquarium trip on Saturday and next week before closing with Taps.


The Diversity Challenge can be found on the BC Council website -
www.girlguides.ca/WEB/Documents/BC/DiversityChallenge_2014.pdf

The Brownies 100th Anniversary Challenge can be found on the Nova Scotia Council website -
www.girlguides.ca/WEB/Documents/NS/challenges/branch15.doc

Black-Out Party

As our second meeting of November fell on the day before Remembrance Day, we held our own 'Black-Out Party', featuring games and activities from the 1940s to celebrate and remember.

Our meeting opened with our usual horseshoe, followed by an active game (Ladders) chosen and led by our Active Living patrol for the night.

We started out with a discussion where the Guides shared what they had been learning about the wars and Remembrance Day at school. They then wrote Postcards for Peace that will be sent to veterans and members of the Canadian Forces. (see www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/get-involved/remembrance-day/learning-resources for more information)

The first game we played was the "Balloon Game" from UK Homefront (www.ukhomefront.co.uk/kids_page_41.html). In this game a piece of string is stretched between two chairs and players kneel on either side (like in volleyball). They have to hit the balloon back and forth using the backs of their hands. Points are scored when the balloon touches the ground on the opposite team's side. (We played this game using soft balls and it was hilarious!)

We then moved on to a game in the dark called "Hunt the Ghost" from the Girls' Own Annual 1941. In this game, one player is the ghost and has a flashlight. All players scatter around the room and the lights are turned off. The ghost flashes her light on and off and the other players try to catch her. The player who catches the ghost becomes the ghost for the next round. (This was fun until we had a big collision - I would try this again but outdoors in twilight so shadows and silhouettes could be seen, and grass would be softer to fall on than the floor.)

Next we had an active story called "Mary's Day Out" from The Guide, December 7, 1939.
For this, the Guides spread out around the room and acted out all the parts of the story as they were read out to them:

"It was Mary's day out, and she was in a great hurry to get ready. She walked around the room, combing her hair with one hand and pulling up her stocking with the other! The bell rang. 'Bother,' said Mary. She proceeded to run down the stairs. There were twenty steps and she counted them as she ran. Now she had only one shoe on, so she had to hop along the corridor. She could do it in five hops, she knew, as she had done it before! She opened the door and there was no one there. 'Bother,' said Mary. She hopped back along the corridor, five hops, ran up the stairs, twenty steps, and bent down to put on her other shoe. She then put on her coat, hat, and hung her gas mask over her shoulder - the right shoulder, as she had been taught. she then ran downstairs again, twenty steps, putting on her gloves the while. She opened the door and ran out and found that she had just lost her tram. 'Bother,' said Mary. She slammed the door and was lost in the black-out."

After all this activity, we had a brief storytime and the Guides listened to a diary entry, "Camping in 1943" from Like Measles, It's Catching! (Girl Guides of Canada, 1974, pages 68-69).

The last part of the meeting was spent singing songs that Guides would have enjoyed during the 1940s - and still enjoy today: "Fire's Burning", "Kookabura", "Ging Gang Goolie", "My Paddle", "Land of the Silver Birch", and "Make New Friends".

We ended the meeting with reminders for next week and Taps.

Fall Frolic 2015 - STEM

On Saturday, October 3rd 6 Guides and 2 Guiders attended Fall Frolic 2015 at Camp Teka in Paris along with about 250 other Sparks, Brownies, Guides and their Guiders. Despite the cold, windy weather we had a great time and the rain held off until the final activity of the day and didn't become heavy until shortly before the parents arrived to pick up the girls.

After opening and flag raising, we headed to our first station - Compass Games. The girls learned about the 8 main points of the compass and played a number of different games. They started off with a game where if they had the item that was called out (i.e. blue eyes, a brother, like pizza) they had to run to a given point. Next they had a choice of different games. The ones chosen were Foxlease Ball, where the girls form a tight circle and have to move a ball from North to South (or any other set of directions) using only their feet. If the ball goes outside of their circle, they have to return to their starting point. Another game was to make as many words as possible using the letters in the word COMPASS, and the last game was compass drawings.

Our second stop was a craft. We talked about DNA and what it does, and then each girl made a beaded double helix of her own.

After a snack and a drink, we headed onto our third session - Wide Games. Here the girls were challenged to gather the supplies necessary to recreate a molecule to save the world! Lots of teamwork was needed in order to put gain all the items and put the molecule together correctly.

After lunch, we moved onto a Games session where the girls took part in a relay race to complete various challenges and earn puzzle pieces. Once they had gathered all the puzzle pieces, they had to work as a team to put it together.

Our next stop was the Music session, where we sang Tall Trees, McDonald's, My Name is Flo, and played the Norwegian Number game - linking each song to a part of STEM. The girls also made up a STEM yell.

We ended the day with the Science session where the girls completed experiments in Chemistry and Physics. The Chemistry activity was chemical reactions, and the girls used baking soda and vinegar to power film canister rockets. This was hugely popular and the girls tried many times to see who's rocket would go the highest. The Physics activity was on centripetal force, which the girls tested by swinging yogurt containers about 1/4 full of water around on strings - and seeing for themselves that the container could be upside down, but the water stayed inside!

The day ended with a brief closing where we sang Make New Friends and Daylight Taps. We then walked back to the High School for pickup and the girls played on the play structure while we waited for parents to arrive.