Cheryl Levitt (aka Thumper)
Neighborhood Service Unit Director, NSU #45
Michigan Metro Girl Scout Council
USA
The most developed themes I've worked with were for encampments, but they
make me suggest the following topics/activities for a lock-in.
(Is this a shopping mall setting?)
1. Western Theme: bandannas, line dancing, leather projects, chili
contest...
Bandanna material comes in several colors and can be made into 22" (a
little over 1/2 meter) square bandannas, with matching name tags. Cut a 3/5
meter(24") x 10 cent.(3-4"), sew one length-wise seam and turn right side
out. Write name on 2"x3/4" wooden bead and thread onto bandanna strip.
Insert spacers on either side of name bead.(cotton balls, marbles and 3/4"
beads can be used.) Thread two 3/4" beads on the outside of the strip, then
tie the ends together and you are done.
Tandy Leather has group projects and if there is a local store near you,
the manager might come and run the workshop, free. Even the Daisies tooled
their own leather bracelets, although the simpler the quieter. (Warning:
Tooling is very noisy!) One 3-D stamp on a key fob or an easily laced coin
purse should work. Mystery braid suede bracelets are fun for older girls
and run around 75 cents each.
2. Fiesta Fun: pinata, tacos, guacamole, sombreros, musical instruments
(castanets, tambourine and maracas) ...
This theme is in the works right now for 10/17-19. We have delegated our
tasks and the craft chair has come up with three, wonderful ideas for
creating the instruments.
1 Tambourines from pie tins and bottle caps. She called several bakers to
find donated tins and taverns have all the bottle caps we can use.
2 Castanets made from conchos with finger loops of elastic. (Not quite the
right sound, though. Wooden nickels(2" diameter circular slice of wood, 1/2
cent. thick) might be more realistic, but someone would have to drill two
holes for the elastic.
3 Maracas are more time consuming to make, if paper mached. We are looking
for a source for large prescription bottles or other small containers.
Pinatas will be purchased a head of time by each troop or unit.(2-3 troops)
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