The Daisy years are all about learning what it means to be a Girl Scout. With that in mind, try to make the crafts selected for your Daisy Girl Scouts not only age appropriate, but meaningful as well.
Below are two crafts that you can do with your Daisies that are easy enough for their level of manual dexterity and will help the littlest Girl Scouts understand two fundamental parts of Girl Scouting.
Girl Scout Law Bracelet
Making this bracelet will help the girls memorize the 10 parts of the GS Law, and serve as a reminder of their Promise to live by it. The supplies listed below will make ONE bracelet. Please be sure to multiply by the number of bracelets you wish to make.
You will need:
Pony Beads in the following colors
1 EACH of blue, light blue, yellow, spring (light) green, red, orange, light purple, dark pink, green, light pink, dark purple (or dark blue)
12 White
1 piece of narrow elastic, about 8-10″ long, with one of the white beads tied to one end to help the girls get started
Have the girls recite the Girl Scout Promise aloud as they string the first bead, the blue one, onto their bracelet, followed by a white bead. Next, tell the girls the first line of the Girl Scout Law, “I will do my best to be honest and fair,” and have them repeat it back to you as they string the light blue bead and then another white bead. Continue the same way with the next part of the law, “friendly and helpful,” as the girls string the yellow and another white. Repeat this process through the entire Girl Scout Law, in the color order listed above and with a white bead after each color. End with the last white bead.
Once all of the beads are strung, the girls will likely need help tying a nice tight knot in the bracelet. Do not tie in the original white bead. Cut off the excess elastic and the original white bead.
Girl Scout Promise:
“On my honor, I will try to serve God and my Country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.”
Girl Scout Law:
“I will do my best to be
honest & fair,
friendly & helpful,
considerate & caring,
courageous & strong and
responsible for what I say and do
and to respect myself & others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.”
Single-Layer Tied Fleece Blankets
The second craft for Daisies is a great one for teaching girls how Girl Scouts can work together and serve their communities. Two to four girls can work together on each blanket. Fleece can be bought by the yard at your local fabric store and is relatively inexpensive, especially if you watch for sales.
For EACH blanket you will need:
1 ½ yards of fleece, any color or pattern you like (full width – usually 58″ wide)
masking tape
ruler (1 per pair of girls)
washable marker (1 per pair of girls)
safety scissors (1 pair for each girl)
Prepare ahead of time by placing a strip of masking tape along each edge of the fleece, approximately three to four inches from the edge (see photo).
Have the girls work on the floor, spreading their fleece out flat, with the taped side up. Using the ruler and marker, have the girls work together in pairs to mark the fleece every 1″ along all four edges (see photo). Once the fabric is marked, the girls can use the safety scissors to cut “fringes” at each mark, up to the tape (see photo). Each girl will cut one or two sides of the blanket, depending on whether there are two girls or four working on each blanket. Of course, some girls will be better at cutting than others. Encourage the girls to help one another.
After all the cuts are made, the girls can begin tying knots with every two fringes. Demonstrate how to tie a knot, since some girls may not know how. If you want to make the knot-tying process more meaningful, tell the girls that they should be sure to put “a little bit of love inside each knot” and tie the knot tightly so it can’t get away.
Remember that the girls’ small motor skills are still developing at this age. Allow the girls who are good at knot-tying to help the ones who are struggling. Adult helpers may be needed as well. Remove the strip of masking tape after all fringes are knotted.
When the blankets are finished, your Daisies can donate them to an assisted living center, a nursing home or Project Linus, making this a community service project, which is an integral part of Girl Scouting.
Girl Scouts of all ages love to do crafts. Make it a point to always keep in mind the age and skill level of the girls you are working with, and try to choose projects that are fun and significant.
