Individual circles meet, usually at a circle members home, about once per month. Circle meetings should be structured with an opening ceremony, some kind of activity that includes the parent and the child, and a closing activity – often with snacks! (Some sample circle meeting agendas are posted in the documents section.)

Over the years, individual circles have come up with a variety of activities for their monthly meetings. Crafts, charity work, tours and games of all kinds have come and gone. This page is an attempt to list some of the more memorable ones.

Please send your favorites to contact@advguides.org and we’ll add it here.

Arts and Crafts:

Plate Decorating – http://makit.com/

Craft Kits like Paper Pinwheels – orientaltrading.com

Decorating / Planting Flower Pots

Pinecar Building

Pumpkin Carving / Decorating

Making Sling Shots

Pine Cone + Peanut Butter + Birdseed = Bird Feeder

Paper Airplane Making / Flight Contest

Decorate a Campout Pillowcase - Decorate a white pillow case with fabric markers / permanent markers. Make sure you put your Guides name on it! Put it in dryer or iron to “set” ink and bring it to the campouts!

Home-Made Ice Cream in a Baggie – then the kids pour the accessories on.

Weather Predictor – rock in a tripod hung by string. Instructions to observe weather are obvious. Easily accessible on line.

Make a Motor – battery, magnet, wire and conductors – popular science.

Prepare and present family genealogy and family roots to the circle. Research family name, (either side Mom or Dad) prepare report and props and present.

Prepare basic essential kits for disasters or the homeless through your church. Find the event in need and satisfy a small part of the requirement as a circle activity.

Origami

Games and Activities:

Board Games like Apples to Apples

Capture the Flag

Tag

Hot Tubbing

Snowball Fight (Dads vs Kids)

Carnival - great for spring, set up multiple challenges like shoot a basket, score a goal in hockey, treasure hunt, pennies in a bottle, pop balloon with darts, etc. Keep score with a scorecard for each participant.

Knot tying – short piece of rope, and a multitude of knots and knot history.

Away From Home:

Laser Tag

Corn Maze/Haunted Corn Maze

Huckleberry Railroad

Mini Golf (Indoor or Outdoor)

River Rouge Truck Plant Tour

Archery (Great Outdoors / Great Lakes Crossing)

Professional, Collegiate or Minor League Game

Free Press Plant Tour

The Henry Ford Museum

The Robot Garage (Birmingham)

Charity:

Gleaners Food Bank

Forgotten Harvest

Red Kettle/Salvation Army

Care Packages – Military or Disaster Relief