Girl’s ideas make a programme successful and fun – make sure you ask them what they want to do.
Working in a team with other leaders or parents will make weekly planning easier. Create a balance of activities that are fun and educational.

Try to include activities that -

• encourage positive values and emphasise the GirlGuiding Promise and Law
• balance indoor and outdoor activities
• balance active and passive tasks
• involve team work and develop respect and caring for other people
• promote caring for the environment
• help people in the community, without any expectation of reward ie service
• develop self esteem and life skills
• encourage an understanding and tolerance of other cultures
• support creativity
• encourage cooperation and healthy competition
  

A gentle game counterbalances a more active game. Make sure you don’t continue with the same activity week after week. If you do try an activity and girls don’t like it - don’t worry about it! Try something else another time.

Particularly helpful for new leaders, are the ‘Getting Started‘ guides. There is a guide for each section, and they each contain four complete sample programmes, and formats for developing your own programme. Available from Mail Order.

Other useful programme ideas are in -

• Girl’s Guides and Leader’s Guides (available from Mail Order)
• Help Yourself publication (downloadable)
• past issues of Te Rama
• regional magazines (available from your regional secretary)

Go to our Links and Resources Area for useful documents you can download. There is a Syllabus area on the Downloadable Documents page.