It’s always exciting to hear about groups completing challenge to earn the badges. It seems that Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Guides and even adult social groups have enjoyed the Scarecrows & Garden Gnomes badges.

One Girl Guide group recently organised a special Garden Gnome Day with a program full of creative, hands-on fun and outdoor adventure, all themed around gnomes, gardening, and the environment.  The girls:

• decorated calico bag using fabric pens to colour a picture of a gnome
• coloured, cut and folded gnome-themed and scarecrow-themed bookmarks
• befriended cute, hand-knitted gnomes (creatively knitted by a busy volunteer)
• enjoyed a Gnome Hunt around the campsite and searched for hidden gnome pictures
• created unique ‘mini scarecrows’ using using wooden spoons, material and natural materials
• used recycled milk bottles to make a bird feeder to hang at home
• viewed wildlife pamphlets with a challenge to identify local birds and animals
• weeded around growing trees
• made newspaper seed pots and labelled wooden plant tags
• decorated stones to look like ladybugs and bees, which were then used to play noughts and crosses outdoors
• participated in a sensory challenge, searching for the pairs of black socks that Geraldine Gnome had lost and identifying the hidden contents using only their senses of touch and smell.

Well done, and congratulations on the completing such a wide range of activities to complete the badge. There was a mix of craft, nature, singing, and friendship — the perfect setting for learning, creativity, and exploring.