Brownies and Guides
ACTIVITIES FOR BROWNIES AND GUIDES
These activities are designed to provide some of the requirements for selected badges for brownies and guides and for the Rainbow Jigsaw. They are led by appropriately qualified and experienced staff employed by the National Park Authority. If you can’t find anything suitable for your group here, please let us know as we may be able to develop activities to suit your group’s needs.
We always aim to provide the activities as described but group leaders should be aware that activities may be altered or cancelled at the Education Manager’s discretion if any potential problems or risks arise relating to group arrival and departure times, the capabilities of the group members and weather conditions on the day. If an activity has to be altered or cancelled, our staff will consult with you and provide an appropriate alternative.
Information regarding health and safety is given in Essential Information for Group Leaders. Risk assessment reports are available for every activity on request.
Locations where the activity can be provided:
MC The Moors National Park Centre
SB Sutton Bank National Park Centre
RHB Robin Hoods Bay
RB Runswick Bay
OV Outreach visit to local groups.
Guides Survival Badge
This day achieves 6 out of the 7 requirements for the Survival Badge. On completion of the day each Guide will be presented with an individual certificate of merit.
Activity Day Outline
How to use a street map: use a range of street maps to plan a route to a given location. Identify symbols and how to calculate distance using a scale. Using these skills guides then use a more detailed map to locate the site for the shelter building activity within The Moors Centre grounds.
Making an emergency shelter: guides work in small teams to make an emergency shelter. All shelters then undergo the waterproof test!
Water collection: guides are shown how to collect water with a few basic pieces of equipment.
Finding north: guides learn how to find north without the use of a compass.
Derek’s day out: working in small teams the guides identify suitable clothing for a day out walking in the countryside and what items to pack in a survival kit. The final activity introduces ways in which guides might spot signs indicating that extreme weather conditions are on the way.
Duration: 4½ hours excluding lunch.
Cost: ¾ day rate per person
Location: MC
Guides Science Badge
This day achieves 3 out of 4 requirements of the Science Badge. On completion of the day each Guide will be presented with an individual certificate of merit.
Activity Day Outline
Habitats and animals of the National Park: an interactive indoor activity which will introduce guides to some of the special habitats of the National Park and some of its feathered and furry inhabitants. This session concludes with the guides each making a bird box to take home.
Wildlife survey: This entails a nature walk around an area of mixed woodland recording the plants and animals observed and investigating pre set mammal traps. Guides are welcome to bring their own cameras.
Food and Feeders: Guides investigate a woodland food web to discover who eats who and then make bird feeders to take home and monitor. This activity involves peanuts.
Duration: 4½ hours excluding lunch.
Cost: £12 per person which includes all materials for the
bird boxes and bird feeders.
Location: MC
Brownies Wildlife Explorer Badge
This day achieves 3 out of the 4 requirements for the Wildlife Explorer Badge. On completion of the day each Brownie will be presented with an individual certificate of merit.
Activity Day Outline
Start the day with either a stream survey or a tree survey. Please select on booking.
Stream survey: this activity involves a short walk to a moorland stream where Brownies use pond nets to identify freshwater invertebrates and look for vegetation along the stream banks.
Tree survey: Brownies identify four different trees in the grounds of the centre and make leaf and bark rubbings. Print your own t-shirts with the leaves for an additional £2 per t-shirt/child.
Identifying birds, butterflies and mammals: an inside activity using pictures, sounds and stuffed animals and birds. The session finishes with the group making an animal feeding station to put in the grounds of The Moors Centre.
Duration: 4½ hours excluding lunch.
Cost: ¾ day rate.
Location: MC
Brownies Out and About Badge
This day achieves 4 out of the 5 requirements for the Out and About Badge. On completion of the day each Brownie will be presented with an individual certificate of merit.
Activity Day Outline
Derek’s Day Out: working indoors in small teams Brownies identify suitable clothing for a day out walking in the countryside, what to pack in a rucksack and what precautions they can take against bad weather and being caught in darkness.
Map Orientation: Using a simple map of The Moors Centre grounds Brownies learn how to set a map using landmarks. During this activity the Brownies will take part in a quiz about the Water Safety Code.
Moorland Walk (2.5km): Brownies follow a simple map walking through a variety of habitats. Along the way they take part in quizzes about the Green Cross Code and the Countryside Code.
Duration: 3½ hours excluding lunch.
Cost: ¾ day rate per child
Location: MC
Brownies Seasons Badge
This day achieves all of the requirements for the Seasons Badge if undertaken during the summer months or 3 out of the 4 if done at other times. On completion of the day each Brownie will be presented with an individual certificate of merit.
Activity Day Outline
Bug Hunt: Brownies explore the grounds of The Moors Centre and look for and identify butterflies, bees and insects on flowering plants (season dependant).
Make a Bird Box: Brownies each make their own bird box to take home.
Create a Collage: We take to the grounds again to collect natural materials for making into small group collages. Will each group be able to identify what the others have made?
Feed the Birds: We return indoors to make yummy cake especially for birds, take this home to hang from a tree and watch who comes for dinner. This activity involves peanuts.
Duration: Up to 4 hours (3 if no butterflies and bees to
observe) excluding lunch.
Cost: £9 per child (includes all materials for bird boxes
and bird feeders) or £8 excluding the butterflies
and bees activity.
Location: MC
Activities for Rainbows
Through the following range of activities we aim to contribute to the Rainbow Jigsaw through first hand experiences and challenges set within the inspiring landscape of the North York Moors National Park. Combine more than one activity to make a fun filled day out.
Outdoor Activities for Rainbows
Woodland Adventure
This session takes place in Crow Wood, a small area of mixed woodland at The Moors Centre. It involves a selection of games and sensory activities designed to introduce young children to a woodland habitat and its wildlife.
Duration: Up to an hour
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Sculpture and Collage
This session takes place in The Moors Centre grounds and Crow Wood. Children explore the grounds and look for a selection of sculptures including our talking water baliff, leaping wooden salmon, 7ft willow otters and various animals carved in wood. We then collect natural materials to make our own group collages and have a go at making woodland faces from clay to leave amongst the trees.
Duration: 1½ hours
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Clitherbeck Adventure
A lovely walk from The Moors Centre to a small stream and back – total distance 1km. A well marked footpath takes us through a small wood and then across open grazing land to a small stream in the Clitherbeck valley. Along the way children explore the environment through games and activities.
Duration: 1½ hours
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Stream Dipping
Details are as described for the Clitherbeck Adventure, however instead of sensory activities and games Rainbows use pond nets and simple picture keys to discover and identify freshwater invertebrates living in the stream.
Duration: 1½ hours
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Seashore Habitat
We can meet your Rainbow group at either Runswick Bay or Robin Hoods Bay. Here Brownies can discover some of the amazing creatures that live in rock pools and learn what they can do to help care for this important habitat.
Duration: 1½ hours
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Indoor Activities for Rainbows
Seasons in the Park
This activity introduces Rainbows to the idea that the countryside is a special place. The National Park is explored through images of wildlife, farm animals and landscapes through the seasons. The session includes the use of sound effects and things to touch including an opportunity to meet some furry and feathered residents of the Park from our collection of stuffed animals and birds.
Duration: ½ hour
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Woolly Weaving
Rainbows watch as wool from a sheep’s fleece is spun on a traditional spinning wheel and wound with a niddy noddy. Following a demonstration children can have a go at a simple weaving technique and take finished work away with them.
Duration: up to an hour
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Moorland Bird Beak Masks and Woodland Animal Masks
Rainbows are provided with materials to cut out, decorate and stick together to make masks of either moorland birds or wildlife from a woodland habitat. A creative and fun activity and a wonderful disguise to take home! All materials provided. When booking please say whether you would like to make moorland masks or woodland masks.
Duration: about 45 minutes
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Feed the Birds
A great opportunity to make a mess! Make a yummy cake for birds and take it home to hang in a tree and observe who comes for dinner. This activity involves peanuts.
Duration: ½ hour
Cost: ¼ day rate per child
Location: MC
Tree Shirts 
This activity is great in October or November when autumn leaves are on the ground and it works really well when booked with the Woodland Adventure. Children gather inspiration and leaves from the wood and use them to print their own unique designs on white T - shirts. Alternatively, this can be done at any time of year using pre–prepared stencil designs. Cost of T-shirts included in price.
Duration: Up to 1½ hours
Cost: £4.00 per child when booked alone or £5 when
combined with Woodland Adventure
Location: MC
