New troop leaders asks: We’ll be meeting our girls, and they will be meeting each other, for the first time next month at their first troop meeting. What fun games or activities have you tried that would help everyone feel more comfortable? New to this so specifics would be helpful.
leaders on our Facebook page Girl Scout Leader 411 from MakingFriends.com offered some ideas for games and activities for first troop meeting:
Donna replied: We did a bracelet of beads, 1 pink bead for every sister you have, etc. then they had a questionnaire with find someone who has more sisters than you. No talking just looking at the bracelets. Next year get to know each other tic tac toe. Each spot had a question about another girl. Both went over well. Check out Pinterest
Shelley shared: We do the “mingle mingle mingle game” even with the older girls. They stand in the middle of the room and I’ll say “find someone with the same number of sisters you have” and when the do they link arms and continue moving until everyone is linked up. I then ask each group how many they have etc. we do it for different things – favorite subject, food, birth month, eye color, etc. the girls can even choose the topic. It gets them moving and they always seem to love it.
Ina suggested: I had Daisys all new together 2 years ago. We kept it simple. We started each meeting with a “hello, my name is… and my favorite ——. Is (what ever it was) I would start. I picked first like favorite color or animal or flavor ice cream. Was always “oh mine is too.. we eat it at home” or certain connections. Helped everyone learn names since most could not read or write yet. No supplies needed and we learned likes and dislikes they loved us leaders joining in. Did that for about first 6 meetings.
Jessica offered: HI my name is Jess and I plan on ____ this year. That way you have a idea of what each girl is into.
Tracy wrote: I think sharing something they love and something they hope to do in scouts will give you great ideas to tailor things to their interests and see what they want out of scouts. Scavenger hunts in teams helps girls to work together. You could pair an adult with each group and make it a photo scavenger hunt. I’ll post the list I did after summer break with my teenagers. (We we’re at my house so they were able to walk the neighborhood, had a pool at their disposal, etc)
Tracy added: My first ever meeting with Daisies 10 years ago ? we did a GS Promise craft to start talking about what GS is all about. (photo above)
Sherry suggested: Get a list of “would you rather” questions. Each girl answers a question and it usually gets the other girls talking.
Leah’s idea: We are Brownie Troop & we are doing activities from the Making Friend’s badge. We are taking a beach ball & writing questions like: favorite-color, food, activity, etc. in each section & have the girls stand in a circle and toss the ball around & answer a question, written on the ball, when it comes to them.
Deana shared: Yarn/ String toss. Say your name, toss to anyone. They say your name then theirs and so on. When last person is reached reverse the steps saying all names again.
Deana added: Also, the treat ball. Make a ball with treats or stick patches in tape. Must roll a certain number to pass to next person. Whatever they manage to get during their turn belongs to them.
Making Friends Badge In A Bag® from MakingFriends®.com makes earning the Brownie Making Friends Badge fun for girls and easy for leaders.
