Ontario Council
For Guiding in Ontario and Nunavut

Brownies

Brownies

Join Brownies!

For girls ages 7 and 8
Brownie Units meet once a week, usually for an hour and a half

Brownies

The hands-on Brownies program is all about encouraging girls to develop their own identity and positive relationships with others. Brownies gain confidence by learning skills that they can use in their daily lives and develop a commitment to their communities through service projects and special events. Programming covers everything from science and technology to the arts and eco-awareness and camping.

Your Brownie could experience these activities.

  • Learn about healthy friendships
  • Community service projects
  • Finding out how to use basic tools, like screwdrivers and hammers
  • Planning menus for eating together
  • Visiting an artist's studio
  • Planting and gardening
  • Learning how to build and light a fire

The Girl Guide uniform

The Girl Guide uniform is a simple, modern design – the stylish T-shirt or tunic is the only piece girls need.

Buy your Girl Guide uniform

Brownie Promise
I promise to do my best,
To be true to myself, my beliefs and Canada.
I will take action for a better world
And respect the Brownie Law

Learn more about the program and how your Brownie can earn badges here

Brownies can go further by earning badges.

Introducing: Discovery Badges!

“What makes you unique?”

That’s a question many of our Brownies and Guides are excited to answer! They know what they’re passionate about, and they’re looking for badges that can help them explore and share their interests.

Why Discovery Badges?

These badges celebrate the Brownie or Guide who wants to dive deeper and explore everything she wants to be. Discovery badges are a fun new way for a girl to put her own stamp on her Guiding journey, either on her own, with a trusted adult, or with her unit (in patrols or small groups). These badges are girl-driven and flexible – it is up to each girl whether she wants to explore them in addition to the program. They aren’t meant to show that she has “mastered” a skill or subject. Instead, they showcase her unique passions and interests as she discovers who she is!

What discovery badges can I earn?

Check out some badge design examples here.

How do I earn a badge?

1) Connect with a woman who’s a leader or role model in your area of interest.**

Talk with her about:

  • Your interests! What you want to learn about, try, and/or do for this badge
  • What she does in this area and how she started
  • Your plan for this badge (asking her advice on how to make that happen)

If you can’t connect with a role model in person, you could also:

  • Connect with her online (using video calling or email) or on the phone**
  • Watch a video or do research on a role model (for example, a woman in history) to get inspired!

**Remember to always have a caring adult with you when you’re meeting someone new!

2) Make or do something related to your area of interest to practice your skills or try something new. You could:

  • Build or make something (e.g. a new invention!)
  • Practice your skills in a real-life way (e.g. try new recipes and make your own dinner!)
  • Experiment (e.g. use a new material in an art or science project!)
  • Put your learning into action (e.g. volunteer in another unit to practice your new leadership skills!)

Check out our examples below for more ideas about how to get started on each discovery badge.

3) Share your experience and what you’ve created with others. You might choose to share with:

  • Your unit or another unit you know of
  • A trusted adult or the role model who inspired you
  • A small group in or outside of Guiding

How and what you share is up to you. When you’re planning, think about:

  • Who would be interested in my badge?
  • Why did I want to do this badge?
  • Who did I talk to in the beginning and what was inspiring about her?
  • What did I learn, try and/or make that I want to share with others?
  • What’s an interesting way I could show this?
  • What do I want others to know, try, see and/or hear about my badge?

Brownies will spend about 2-4 hours completing a discovery badge.
Guides will spend about 3-6 hours completing a discovery badge.

Can I get an example of what earning a badge could look like?

I am a/an… (discovery badge) Who can I connect with? What can I do or make? How can I share it?
Volunteer I want to help a cause I care about and make a difference (big or small)! I can talk to my local librarian to learn who needs books in my community. I can plan a book drive and deliver the books to a place that needs them. I can share a photo I took at the book drive with my family members.
Leader I want to help others work together and use what they’re good at to reach new goals. I can talk to my Guider or a teacher at my school to find out what makes her a leader. I can plan and lead activities for the Sparks unit in my neighbourhood.  I can tell the Sparks Guider what I learned from leading the activity.   
Animal Helper I want to help creatures and critters stay safe and happy – from the furry and feathery to the smooth and scaly! I can read a story about Jane Goodall with my older cousin who walks dogs in her spare time and learn how they’ve both helped animals. I can build a bee habitat in my community to help these little pollinators.  I can take my Guiding friends to visit my bee habitat and tell them how my cousin and Jane inspired me.
Planet Protector I want to take action and make green choices to help keep our planet healthy, now and in the future. I can talk to a woman in my local government about the water in my community and ways to protect our waterfront.  I can pick up garbage on my local beach with my family over two weekends in the spring. I can take “before” and “after” pictures and share them with someone in my unit.
Artist I want to be creative and express my ideas through drama, dance, visual art, music, creative writing and more! I can ask a local artist about watercolours and get some painting tips from her. I can test out different techniques to see how watercolours work and create a painting. I can hang up my painting and teach some friends in my unit the tips I learned.
Inventor I want to come up with new ideas, solve problems and make things better. I can go into a local woman-owned business and ask them about how they got started. I can take a great idea I have and make it real! I can create it, build a model of it or make a drawing of my design. I can show my creation to my unit and explain why people will want it.
Experimenter I want to try new things and see what happens by diving into science, technology, engineering and math! I can watch a TEDx video of Dr. Eugenia Duodo sharing her research in chemistry. I can use the scientific method to do a few chemistry experiments with baking soda and vinegar. I can share the experiment with my unit.
Maker I want to try some tinkering and get hands-on to build, craft and make things that are uniquely my own. I can visit the tech teacher at the local high school to talk to her about the tools they have available and how to use them. I can create a funky keychain using a 3D printer. I can bring my creation to show my class at school or my unit.
Adventurer I want to explore new and exciting places all over the map to create unforgettable memories! I can connect with an adventuring Guider in the Trefoil Guild to learn about places I can explore in our local conservation area. I can draw a map of where I want to go, practice using my compass and pack a lunch for my adventure. I can make a scavenger hunt of interesting things I saw on my hike to share with my unit.
Foodie I want to explore my passion for food and learn more about it. I want to make food, eat food and discover new flavours! I’ll interview my aunt about how she learned to cook and what food she most likes to make. I can find a recipe, gather the ingredients, and create a dish with my aunt. I can start a recipe book with the recipe I made with my aunt. I’ll invite friends in my unit to share their favourite recipes too!
Mindful Mover I want to try out different ways to get moving and power up my mind and body. I can connect with a local soccer coach or watch videos of soccer stars like Ashley Lawrence or Abby Wambach so I can improve my soccer skills. I can try out what I learned and do some practice drills that include hitting a target. I can show my unit my improved skills. I can also teach my unit the skills at a meeting.
Girl Champion I want to be a champion for myself and other girls and work towards equality for all. I can read a story at bedtime with a parent about a famous feminist who made things better for girls. I can write a letter to my local library explaining why girls should be included in its boys-only after-school LEGO club! I can share the story I read with my unit. I can also ask them to sign my letter to the library.
Camper I want to go camping and build the skills to thrive and survive outside, no matter the season! I can ask my Guider to introduce me to a young woman in Guiding (e.g. in LINK) who loves to go camping! I can go camping! I can plan what I’ll do on my trip and what I’ll need, pack my own bags, and pitch a tent. I can share what I learned when I was camping with someone in my unit who hasn’t camped before. 
Support Us
Copyright © 2014 Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada
Girl Guides of Canada-Ontario Council
Charitable Registration #: 11893-8554-RR-0015
11/13/2019 10:33:56 PM