Trying to Be Prepared for Next Time - SWAPs?

[lizzywednesday]

So, DD is finally enrolled in Girl Scouts and she loves it.

We're attending an area event tomorrow and bringing some beaded safety pins (you know - the kind we used to wear on our sneakers in the '80s) to use as SWAPs, but there will be another event in a few weeks that she's interested in attending and I would like more resources on creating them.

I don't consider myself at all crafty, but would be happy to lead a group activity at a troop meeting if all the girls want to attend the further-off event if I have an inexpensive craft that a mixed-age group of 5-to-7-year-olds might be able to do with minimal assistance.

A lot of the SWAP ideas at our Council's website are adorable, and I noticed that kits are sold, but not knowing how long shipping takes is kind of a hindrance.

Are there any other resources I could use to make a shopping list and obtain supplies?

[Percycat]

Oh my gosh.... I just typed a message with a lot of suggestions, but the reply was lost. Not retyping again.

I've been a girl scout leader for 7 years, am not crafty, and have never purchased a kit to make SWAPS. Your girls can make SWAPS with inexpensive or recycled materials. Things you will need for any SWAP include safety pins (large enough to go through the SWAP and attach to a hat/banner/lanyard) and a tag that includes info like event name, date, troop number/school/city, and a catchy message (do not put girl's names on tag).

Here is good info about SWAPS (also, do not use perishable/food to make SWAPS):
https://www.gsctx.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsctx/documents/volunteers/troop-planning-resources/SWAPS%20Tip%20Sheet.pdf

Get your girls something to attach SWAPS to at an event. I purchased these hats for my girls when they were in Kindergarten and they still wear them as 6th grade cadettes. Have the girls write their names inside the hat. Girls can decorate the hats, but soon they will be covered with SWAPS and you won't see the decorations. The quality and price is good:

http://www.ssww.com/item/color-me-bucket-hats-FA3374/

If you plan to make SWAPS for an event, check out the theme of the event and try to make something related to the theme.

If you just want to plan a meeting for the girls to learn about SWAPS, you could plan something to celebrate Girl Scout Birthday on March 12th:

1. Birthday cupcake -- supplies: mini cupcake wrappers, pompoms, glitter/seed beads, birthday candles, clear glue -- glue pompom inside wrapper, glue glitter/beads to top of pompom, insert candle into pompom and glue, let dry.

https://www.google.com/search?q=birthday+cupcake+swap+girl+scout&biw=1536&bih=895&tbm=isch&imgil=lJUCC7oy_27SwM%253A%253Bv3n7Km6RPtcVFM%253Bh ttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fmakingfriends.com%25252Fm ini-cupcake-swaps%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=lJUCC7oy_27SwM%253A%252Cv3n7Km6RPtcVFM%252C_&usg=__dvSDZehisdU2RiEEQK_H875jsns%3D&ved=0ahUKEwin1oiLvbHSAhVK-GMKHSFyBq4QyjcIJw&ei=gby0WOeRK8rwjwOh5JnwCg

2. Birthday in a bag -- supplies: clear bags, confetti, balloon, candle, instruction card -- put all items inside clear bag.

https://www.google.com/search?q=party+in+a+bag+SWAP+girl+scout&biw=1536&bih=895&tbm=isch&imgil=Oxu5-YPCzi3ODM%253A%253BiJTYa-SirzIabM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.pintere st.com%25252Fpin%25252F179088522656646584%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=Oxu5-YPCzi3ODM%253A%252CiJTYa-SirzIabM%252C_&usg=__3fwjEBAcTmwtIe46C6toj4xzJGg%3D&ved=0ahUKEwiByJatv7HSAhVJ7GMKHRKNABEQyjcIKQ&ei=4r60WIHPBsnYjwOSmoKIAQ

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/9846561553319042499?lsf=seller:3122104,store:10633 965780678803029&prds=oid:8787822468567842984&q=joann%27s+fabric+plastic+bags+resealable&hl=en&ei=pLy0WLesI9CqjwPilLOACA&lsft=gclid:CjwKEAiAuc_FBRD7_JCM3NSY92wSJABbVoxBule CfgfL2KR85UMpdnJ3k56BCCbcWrDZCek-OUgQOhoCe93w_wcB

If your girls are Brownies:

1. Brownie SWAPS - supplies: brown sponges, glue, glitter/seed beads, brown spraypaint (optional) -- cut sponges into small rectangles (spray paint brown prior to meeting if you want the brownies darker), glue beads/glitter on top, let dry

https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-Scrub-Sponge-Natural-1-Count/dp/B0015MO4F4

2. Smile in Pocket -- to go along with Brownie song, "I've got something in my pocket..." - supplies: old jeans, foam smile faces, marker --- either sew in advance mini-jean pockets or have girls use marker to add stitches to precut jean pockets, use marker to make smile faces on foam circles, attach smile to jean pocket with safety pin.

https://www.pinterest.se/pin/108508672242249415/

I hope this information helps and you and your girls have fun. Personally, I am glad my girls are old enough to plan, purchase supplies and make SWAPS on their own. : ) My girls are 12 years old and still love making and exchanging SWAPS.

[lizzywednesday]

Thank you! Our troop is "2nd year" Daisies - I put it in quotes because they're all 1st graders, but they were not in Scouts last year.

We attended a World Thinking Day celebration for our area portion of the council (which is flipping huge, but National did a lot of consolidation over the last 20-odd years) and she really enjoyed collecting the troops' swaps. And, as I suspected, she was happy to give ours to the girls she met & learned from, so I'm glad we had them.

More ideas are always a plus! I don't keep craft supplies in the house; it's just not something I get enjoyment from. (I'd prefer to read or bingewatch bad TV.)

[ang79]

I've used cute ideas from makingfriends.com (also a great place to order cheap fun patches). Or just googled/pinterest searched for easy SWAPS and lots of cute ideas came up. I've been a Daisy and Brownie leader. Some my troop has made are:

1. silver and gold pipe cleaners linked together in rings for the GS song Make New Friends
2. pompom smoothies in little plastic cups
3. marshmallows on a stick: use a real twig or make a twig from brown pipecleaner and put white pony beads on ends for marshmallows
4. popsicles: cut popsicle sticks into small parts and wrap bright colored pipe cleaners around the top to look like a popsicle
5. S'mores: use cardboard or tan foam for the graham cracker, dark brown foam for the chocolate, and a cotton ball for the marshmallow. They then put smiles faces and googley eyes on the top because everyone is happy when we have S'mores!
5. flowers made from pony beads on pipe cleaner


Some easy ones they have received:
1. flashlight: a golf tee a clear or yellow bead glued to the top for the part that the light comes out of
2. shapes made from perler beads (daisies for Daisy level, sunshine, etc.)
3. small party hats made from cardstock and ribbons on the top
4. ice cream cones: cardstock cone and pompom ice cream scoops on top

I'm sure there are more but that's all I can think of right now. We've also found that SWAPS make great props for American Girls :) We've made lots of food for their dolls from felt that could easily be made as a SWAP (watermelon slices, pizza, cupcakes, foam cookies, etc.)

[TwinFoxes]

I would not pay for swaps kits. I am the least crafty person in existence, and we've done some easy stuff. My favorite was when we went to the beach, we collected a bunch of shells, the girls glued them to popsicle sticks and I wrote "nice to 'sea' you" on them.

You'd be amazed what you can accomplish with popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and a hot glue gun. :) Pinterest is definitely your friend.

[lizzywednesday]

I've used cute ideas from makingfriends.com (also a great place to order cheap fun patches). Or just googled/pinterest searched for easy SWAPS and lots of cute ideas came up. I've been a Daisy and Brownie leader. ...

I'm sure there are more but that's all I can think of right now. We've also found that SWAPS make great props for American Girls :) We've made lots of food for their dolls from felt that could easily be made as a SWAP (watermelon slices, pizza, cupcakes, foam cookies, etc.)

I've been thinking about getting into air-dry clay for miniature birthday cakes, but maybe that's too ambitious to do in 2 weeks! Planning is not my strong suit right now. *sigh*


I would not pay for swaps kits. I am the least crafty person in existence, and we've done some easy stuff. My favorite was when we went to the beach, we collected a bunch of shells, the girls glued them to popsicle sticks and I wrote "nice to 'sea' you" on them.

You'd be amazed what you can accomplish with popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and a hot glue gun. :) Pinterest is definitely your friend.

I was really hoping not to have to buy a hot glue gun, but it seems I'm not able to avoid it anymore.

I'm reasonably crafty, but I don't enjoy crafting like a lot of people out on the internet.

Pinterest kind of baffles me. Is there a "how to use this site" area there? (I have an account but I don't use it.)