to buy guide camp blanket for brownies?

[3birthdaybunnies]

Dd1 is nearly 9, dd2 is nearly 7, joining her sister in brownies at christmas. Dd1's sash is full and so was wondering about getting a camp blanket for each of them and start putting badges on there instead. Also if I can be bothered to transfer their rainbow ones. I figure that neither will want brownie blankets in guides, so thought would be more worthwhile getting guide blanket. Or maybe just a standard plain blanket? Their leaders are v relaxed so sure won't mind whichever I do - not sure what peers will say though. They tend to have one holiday and one sleepover a year.

[BackforGood]

Mrstigs My dcs have badges that have been 'superceded' ... so, when they get their '20 nights away' badge, then the '10 nights away' badge that is coming off the uniform goes onto the blanket, as an example.
Same with the 'participation' badges, as you only wear the current one.

They often will buy a badge at a campsite they have been to, as a momento/souvineer, and they go on.
Quite often there are occasions that are celebrated, where the badges are worn for that year - the Centenary (of Scouting) Badge was a good example, or last year's Diamond Jubilee badge, again, these go on when their 'time on the uniform' is finished.
Sometimes there are similar commemorative ones, if your dc's group has an anniversary or something more local.

Also they sometimes get a badge to celebrate a big camp, and they are only kept on uniform for that year, so then they go on the blanket.

Generally, blankets don't come into their own until they are Scouts, Explorers and Adults. There won't be many to come off during the time in Beavers, but may be some of the 'Staged' badges (they are turquoise with a purple border - for nights away, swimming, hikes, IT, First Aid, and music) as they go through Cubs.

[trice]

I love fleece for indoors but it is positively lethal for sitting around a campfire. If you get an ember landing on it it melts and sticks to the skin. I have nice wool army blankets made into capes. They are very warm, slightly waterproof and fire resistant.

[nickelbabe]

mine are all machine-sewn on

[MrsFionaCharming]

Actually, thinking on it, I like that my blanket is quite small. It does mean I don't use it as a blanket to sleep under, but it also means I can fit it into a bag when going on International camps more easily. Mine has traveled around the world with me, fitting easily into my suitcase. A big woolen one wouldn't do that.

[3birthdaybunnies]

[AnnaBegins]

Yay lottie pink blankets! Thanks mum too...

[AnnaBegins]

Mine is soft and pink, definitely not official, cut down to single bed size (so it doesn't drag in the mud), with every kind of badge on it - guide, scout, tourist badges from places I've been, swapped badges from other countries/camps, badges I've bought/swapped from other guidey people, patches for bands, music festival wrist bands, charity badges, school badges, it is a record of my life and I love it. It is now full, and every time I want to sew on a new badge I have to move 3 others...

Just get a lovely soft blanket and be prepared for sore fingers from the sewing! I've added "pockets" to mine for the pin badges so I can take them off in one go and wash it, I've seen ones with sashes sewn on whole and they look great!

I spread my badges out from the start but now regret it as I have to move them to optimise the space, so you may be best starting at one end.

There is a facebook page for badge swapping/buying when they get a bit older, and when you send them off to camp make sure they take spare badges (buy them from the fb page or the girlguiding shop) then they'll come back with a load more!

WhiteWine not out of touch don't worry, camp blankets only come into their own when they run out of space on their uniform or start going to camp. They're more relevant in Scouts as there are certain badges they can't wear on uniform, or only for a set time.

[flakjacket]

DD1 and DD2 have the brownie blanket. I have just finished sewing all DD2's Brownie badges on to it because she's moving up to Guides and they were all on her gilet . The quality of the fleece is a bit crap tbh and I wish we'd gone for a different one, but we were given the hard sell by Brown Owl. Lots of the Guides still have the Brownie one - it's like a badge of honour. DD1 says she's going to get a Guide one and sew it on to the Brownie one to make it bigger...

[MmmmWhiteWine]

This is all new to me....despite having had two DDs in Rainbows and now in Brownies I've never heard of, or seen, such a thing as a camp blanket. All the girls in our units just sew their badges onto their uniforms. Are we out of touch?!

[Lottiedoubtie]

Colour doesn't matter.

Size does- you want adult size.

I'd avoid fleece it just doesn't last in the same way as a traditional blanket.

Colour/officialness is totally irrelevant IMO.

Yes to putting all types of badges on them, I've had mine since I was 5 and it's a great record. It is large and not fleecy- but it is pink! .

[nickelbabe]

I would definitely say do the poncho thing - i have my blanket in the car for emergencies/picnics/cold evenings and i've used the poncho-ness several times as an adult.

[nickelbabe]

yeay Soupy - we're definitely twins

[nickelbabe]

mine is grey - colour doesn't matter

[SoupDragon]

I bought large fleece blankets from Ikea - a T cut in the middle turns it into a poncho.

I've put all sorts of badges on - swimming, Scouts, attractions... and on the back I"ve put flags of the countries they've visited sort of. A large number are still in the tin waiting to be sewn on

[nickelbabe]

pressed post by accident (not sure how...)

get an army surplus blanket if you can, because they're the best for camp when she gets to guide age.

mine has got a hole and neckcuff in the middle to make it a poncho for camp, as well as a blanket - very practical.

mine has my Brownie and Guide badges on one side and then other badges on the other side (as in, when you've got it on as the poncho)

my dad still collects camp blanket badges when he goes anywhere new

[nickelbabe]

yanbu

[Lemonsole]

Mine are on a huge navy hoodie, which means that I can run camp fires without setting fire to myself via a trailing blanket.

[Almostfifty]

Yes, mrstigs that's the way to do it. But not the stage badges, such as IT and swimming. They go on every uniform.

[redexpat]

mrstigs on the uniform, then transfer when they go up a group. Although some interest badges are transferable, I think the ones with stages so check with the Guider. Also when they get bigger they'll start getting badges from specific camps that go straight on the blanket, as do any swopped badges (from international visits/visitors).

[mrstigs]

Can i just ask, do you guys put these badges on their uniform whilst they are in scouts/rainbows etc then transfer onto blanket when they move up a group?
I've only just started learning all this (ds is in beavers, dd1 in rainbows) and atm all their badges are on their uniforms. Should i be putting them straight on blankets?

[redexpat]

I got an ex army woolen blanket to transfer my bagdes on from the really ugly picnic blanket that I got when I was 11. It's not scratchy at all. Don't get the GGUK ones - they're dry clean only. Colour is completely irrelevant, honest!

At Jamboree in Norway this year I noticed a lot of the scandanavians had hoods on theirs, and names on the back which looked rather lovely.

[3birthdaybunnies]

Thinking about getting this looks quite snuggly, not guiding blue or scouting green. Will maybe check with Brown Owl who also runs guides.

[Lemonsole]

Fleece is so much snugglier than scratchy wool - DH's is dead itchy, but the DC's are lovely. So cross that it's getting harder to get souvenir badges! I mean, you can't put a sodding fridge magnet on a blanket, can you..

[Groovee]

A lot of guiders buy blue ikea fleece blankets. get 2 and sew together to make a poncho.