Not bashing thread, but concerned about belittling behaviour of some GG Leaders

My DD is doing Rainbows. Two weeks in and she’s loving it, but it does indeed seem to be mainly colouring in and eating sweets …

The unit my DD goes to Guides now Rangers I cannot fault. It's everything you would hope that a guide unit could be. But, the units do vary, I haven't personal come across any that were awful, but DD did come away from a selection weekend for a county wide trip not wanting to go because the Leaders were strict and rather joyless.
Guides is a bit more of a stickler for rules etc than Scouts perhaps! But it should be girl led and the new programme has a very wide range of activities and there's lots of wider opportunities when running normally.

In the old old days, I wouldn't say GGs were girl led: they were leader led. The leaders ensured there were a variety of activities, active type games, crafts, singing etc. There were also times when girls were expected to be still, quiet and serious such as during ceremonies.

OP, can you be more specific about what the sedentary activities were?

My youngest has swapped to beavers and now loves it. Our rainbow troop was very nice but almost entirely colouring, sticking and eating sweets- she wanted a bit more active stuff.

I think the ridiculous policy of allowing boys in, but only if they say they are girls, suggests that the leadership have lost all connection with the original purpose.

That is a pity. We did rainbows, which was mostly about sweeties and friendship. Havering over Brownies.

When my Dc was in guides they had to stick sparklers into carrots and hold the carrots in case they burnt their hands. They took a shopping list to a local supermarket and bought a hypothetical basket of food to learn to budget for a meal (fine but it was about the only time they left the church hall). When in Brownies DD went on a camp where they barely went outside. Meanwhile DC in cubs went sailing on their second meeting. I wasn’t sad when DD gave up Guides.

GG has changed out of all recognition imo.
I grew up in London and even we used to go camping and do outdoor activities. I remember being chosen to participate in some activities to help a Guide from our group achieve some of her Ranger badges, she had to do things like take us camping on a bus, pitch a tent, cook a simple meal which included lighting a fire, do some first aid and make some crafts. It gave us all a sense of responsibility.

What a shame, I remember doing all sorts as a brownie including a nighttime walk through a wood with torches as a pack. Nowadays I'd have been putting together my own fashion show (yes indeed a local girl guides did this 🙄)