Activities to get into the international guiding spirit

It's a great time to reflect on the wider international movement we're a part of. 

World Thinking Day is just round the corner, and there are just six months to go until the World Scout Jamboree.

The World Scout Jamboree is the largest event of its kind - bringing together more young people than the Olympic Games! 

The UK Scouts invited some Girlguiding members to be part of their contingent, meaning 164 Girlguiding members from across the UK and British Girlguiding Overseas will also be going to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea this August. 

With just six months to go, here are some fun and easy ways to get into the spirit of international guiding without ever leaving your unit meeting place!   

Rainbows 

Harness the power of imagination! Get crafty while learning all about the WAGGGS world centres with the World centre postcards unit meeting activity from our Guiding traditions topic in pack 2. Or if you’re looking for a skills builder, Teddy travels from Explore stage 1 takes Rainbows on a fun virtual adventure around the world. 

Brownies 

Build language skills and learn something about ten different countries with Thank you, merci, takk! This unit meeting activity was released in guiding magazine in 2019. You might also want to try out Custom of customs from Explore stage 2, which gets girls thinking about what to take on an exciting trip away.  

Guides 

Fancy blowing off some steam and trying your hand at an international sport? Burning ball from the Get sporty topic of pack 7 is sure to get the heart pumping. For a fun skills builder activity, Travel like a pro from Explore stage 5 gets Guides and Rangers prepared to make the most of their trips away.  

Rangers 

How would you represent your own culture to your international peers? Try out Unit on a tabletop and see what you think. This unit meeting activity was released in guiding magazine in November 2020. Rangers can also get stuck into International impact from Make change stage 6, which gets girls thinking about how they can have their own adventures whilst making a difference. 

These are just a taste of some of the activities you can get stuck into while teaching your unit about the World Scout Jamboree and all it stands for.  

Have you got your own ideas of how you’ll be learning about international experiences through guiding? Maybe you’d like to try your hand at cooking another country's national dish. Or do you fancy learning to write your names in another language? 

Whatever it is, we’d love to hear from you. Share your stories by tagging us on social media @Girlguiding or emailing us.