Using AG in Girl Scouts

[Katie from IL]

I just became a Brownie troop assistant leader and I'd love to somehow use AG in some way with the girls. I am a college student and the girls are 6-8 year olds, in first through third grades. My Allison (AGT 19) is the only one of my dolls in "loved" condition so I would probably use her. I also just got a AG-sized Brownie uniform set with try-it badges! OK the badges are screen printed but it's better than just a plain brown vest.

Because my council is in Chicago, they plan some events at AGPC! I just became involved and missed the AGPC outing in March, but the new schedule is coming out soon so there will hopefully be another one I can go on with the troop.

Has anyone used AG with a Girl Scout troop? What did you do? Did you use the activity to help your troop earn a badge? I am still new to Girl Scouts and I haven't even done all my training yet. The troop is also new, forming just a few months ago. I could really use some ideas, and my dolls are just itching to meet these lively girls!

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ May 16, 2006 10:30 PM: Message edited by: Diamond Dragon (Katie from IL) ]</font>

[kitandkat]

OOOOOOOOOOOOH! I just did my ENTIRE Gold Award on this.
I have lots of ideas to incorporate dolls into badges, a pattern for a hospital gown and a sash, and some other info.
Send me a PM, and I can send you the outline of what we did at the badge-a-ramas, what I talked about, etc. The girls REALLY liked learning how to take care of their dolls' hair.
My gold award is a series of badge-a-ramas to gather donations of toiletries for a local hospital. The girls bring their dolls and learn healthy habits/life skills. I'm done with all the badge-a-ramas (3 for Brownies, 1 for Juniors) and only have one box-patch project to go.
I don't want to put it all on here, so just send me a PM!

[AGTeacher]

I use them all the time!!! I have lesson plans for each Historical and also an acitvity. I also did a GS speech in the International GS Event they held this year, I used one of the girl wearing the Greek AGOT outfit.

There are something of course that I would stay away from, like WHY Felicity does not wear undies. Just say politely that they wore undershifts then. Trust me on that one, lol!

For example- I start talking on the period of the doll, then as I tell about her storyline, I will stop and ask questions to the GSs. Example: Where do you think Samantha got her clothes? Did she go to SEARS or Macy's? or How did Kirsten get her milk for the morning? Did she go to the supermarket and get it from there? What did she do? After I talk on the period, the doll's story, I play a game with them during that particular doll's period. Or do something from that particular period.

For crafts, Samantha I usually do a ornament. For Molly, I do a patriotic Flag, For Kit, I do a pencil holder using a tin can (decorate it) For Kirsten, I make a yarn doll, for Josefina, I do a memory book, For Addy, make clay letters and they paint them, For Felicity, I make the game of graces.

I have not seen a GS badge for this type of earning, but it is fun to have the girls learn about the past and the dolls.

I also suggest showing Molly with her Camp outfit as that is an authentic GS Camp uniform from 1944.

If you need lesson plan directions, please PM me, and I can send them to you.

Enjoy AG with the GS!!

[Katie from IL]

bump-anyone else?

[kitandkat]

The Circle of Smiles booklet from Halmark - 2003 - has a few good ideas that would go with the lesson plans. There a few badges, Girl Scouts through the years or something to that extent, that would probably count for the historicals.

[ams37]

We recently did this, i had the girls come over in pjs with their dolls or bears, not everyone has an AG. We talked about hygeine and demonstrated on the dolls washing and brushing and such. We then did the dolls' hair and our own and we painted our nails, not the dolls'! The girls loved the pj idea and showing off their dolls and we worked towards our healthy habits try-it. Ialso went to the dollar store and got the girls trial sized on soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.

Taking brownies to AGPC sounds like a HUGE undertaking. I have 7 girls along with a co-leader and I definitely would not attempt it. I also don't have a lot of parent involvement though. We're in Oswego, where are you guys at?

[robin0850]

Ask prasnlrd--she's been a Girl Scout leader for years! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[Katie from IL]

Originally posted by ams37:
Taking brownies to AGPC sounds like a HUGE undertaking. I have 7 girls along with a co-leader and I definitely would not attempt it. I also don't have a lot of parent involvement though. We're in Oswego, where are you guys at?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm in Evanston but the troop is on the north side of Chicago. We just did an Art Institute trip last week, but we had a lot of help! A number of parents and friends and family of the troop leader(who is a college student like me) all helped. And we needed it! Not only inside the museum but getting there, as we took the El with all the girls. Our troop is around 20 girls but we were able to do it with maybe 8 adults. It was the troops first outing since they formed in March but we are not doing another outing for awhile, though.

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ May 17, 2006 02:38 PM: Message edited by: Diamond Dragon (Katie from IL) ]</font>

[DaisyDee]

I am a Brownie leader, and I bring an AG to almost every meeting. Right now I am hosting traveling Camria, and I brought her to a couple of meetings and showed my girls her scrapbook, which they got a huge kick out of. Something that many troops do, is have a troop mascot that they send out to other troops. Usually it's a small stuffed animal, or a flat Stacey, but I'm going to be sending out Meg (#21) as our troop's traveling doll/mascot. We are going to follow her across the country using maps, and learn about where she is. Also, 7 out of my 8 girls have at least one AG, so we are going to have an AG meeting, and make all kinds of fun things for our dolls, like hair pretties, fimo food, etc. And, I'm going to make for each girl an AG care kit that consists of a container of baking soda, a piece of Mr clean Magic Eraser, a small toothbrush, a washcloth, and a wire wig brush, as well as an instruction sheet. If there's one thing I've learned from seeing their own dolls, it's that none of them know how to properly care for them. They are all very excited, and love the idea. Right now, we are working on the Try-Its Puppets, Plays, and Dolls; and Let's Pretend. We are using the AG theatre kit called Hairum Scarum. It's been a lot of fun so far, and they are enjoying all the different aspects of Theatre. Feel free to PM me if you want any more ideas. This is my fourth year as a leader, so I have a million of them! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

~Dee