Rainbows - whats it like and is the fact that it is for girls only 'OK'?

[mumblecrumble]

Hmmmmm so. Really good neighbour friend's kids go to Rainbows and Brownies and have put my DD down on waiting list. Which is lovely, as mainly I think DD will love it - we can share lifts etc etc.

Buts its the girls only thing that makes me a little bit uncomfortable, not sure really. Maybe its becasue I have been so keen that DD age 4 is not drowned in pink, makeup, heart and floweres but actually gets to run around, be outdoors, see nature, play sports etc.

To be honest she has drowned herself in pink...... and isn;t that keen on sports anyway.

Hmmm.

Whats it like? And do you think it would be better for her to go to a mixed gender thing.

Or do you think I should shussh?

My girls did Brownies (not rainbows). I would probably have been happier for them to mix with boys but Brownies was what was available in our area. It wasn't at all girlie, I'm relieved to say. It's a lovely no-pressure activity for them, just pure fun.

I think it's actually a good idea to have girls-only spaces. In my job I see so many girls who lack confidence and are over-shadowed by boys even at a very young age. Having somewhere to go where they aren't being shouted over all the time, or if they are, it's by someone of their own gender, sounds perfect to me.

In the last couple of weeks DDs Brownies have had usual pack meetings, a regional Jubilee event (crafts and activites) for several hundred girls, an Olympic event with other packs of Brownies and Rainbows and a day at a local scouting activity centre (tobogan run, climbing, archery etc.).

DD is having a whale of a time.

Hi Mumble
I am a Rainbow leader so may be able to shine some light. Obviously I can only speak from the point of my own unit but I would say that just because Girlguiding is just for girls doesn't mean we spend our whole time doing pink crafty things. We should all be girl led so the kids get some input into the programme. Ours love doing stuff with food (think blindfold sandwich making, edible caterpillars and making s'mores over tea lights). We also sing some very silly songs. We like to do quite a bit of out doorsy stuff so were down the park recently playing stuck in the mud and having a picnic. Yes we do some crafty stuff as well, but it's not exclusive to our meetings by any means. We often give broad choice of paint colours but it has to be said, I often seem to be buying extra pink stuff!
The girls only things is about being able to be yourself and is probably more relevent when you get older. There are a few girls who don't enjoy Rainbows but I would say, if her friend is going, go for it. If she doesn't enjoy it she can always stop

My dd went to rainbows and now goes to brownies. I think she quickly grow out of rainbows and much prefers brownies simply because they go out on more for trips and are more active. Although I think that the rainbow leader was lovely and gentle with the little ones, every session was very similar and maybe a little dull?

My ds goes to beavers and does much the same sort of things as dd in brownies. I would prefer a mix sex group, just to make my life easier, but they both like that there are no girls or boys in their groups.

I'm also a Rainbow leader, how "pink" a unit is will mostly depend on the leaders - I dislike the whole pink means girls thing so try and avoid it where I can. I think having a girls only space is useful, especially as they get older, it also gives some girls their only chance to take part in a uniformed organisation as they wouldn't be allowed to take part if there were boys there (rightly or wrongly). And the programme should always be varied, and take into account the Look, Learn, Laugh, Love elements of Rainbows.

Beavers/cubs/scouts is now mixed by the way, so it would be an option for your daughter to do that instead/as well if you think it would suit her better.

I probably shouldn't comment as I only have ds's but ds1 does beavers, I'd heard mixed things about various local groups so decided he would try for 4 weeks and we'd see how he got on, we're lucky its a fab group, the local rainbows groups isn't as inspiring so there are girls in the beaver group too - I think what I'm trying to say is it varies wildly from group and child to child, I really enjoyed (as a girl) being in Scouts as I'm a tom boy and I couldn't stand the bitchiness of the girls in Guides - so it depends on your DD, you should try Rainbows and see what she thinks, nothing to stop you putting her down on Beavers waiting list too, although if she gets on well with neighbours dd's she may love it just as much as they do...

My DDs love/d Rainbows

Have never given thought to the fact it's girls only

Lots of singing, games, cooking, making, painting, outdoor activities

They love it and it's cheap. And hats off the volunteers that run it

DD did was pink and girly, loved Rainbows and Brownies which in her units were girly, By 10 she had changed, she tried Guides and switched to Scouts as she loves the outdoorsy stuff the DS1 scouts does (more so then DS1). There are Guide units that are more outdoor but hers was very girly and indoor. No shortage of girls in it so clearly there is a demand for it, but htere are lots of girls in Scouts that are ex-Brownies.

So if she likes the Rainbow unit let her enjoy it, she will make up her own mind later on

I am a Rainbow leader, we do do craft, play games indoors but also have had a Rainbows sleepover recently and took the girls trampolining and are taking them to a forest next week to explore.
I also used to be a Rainbow, in the days that scouts only accepted boys. The scouts chose to change their rules, it imo shouldnt mean girl guiding should change. :)

One of dd2's friends was a true tomboy. She wore boy's uniform to school, she did football, played with boys, she even ran in the boys' races at sports' day (and won them!!!), boy's haircut...

She came to Rainbows, and to everyone's surprise she loved it. She changed over to cubs after starting Brownies, although that was at least partually because the evening timing was better for her.

I'd like both areas to have remained single sex; Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Beavers Cubs and Scouts.

I'm also a Rainbow leader and I would say let her go and give it a try. If she doesn't like it she doesn't have to keep going. Just don't buy any uniform until she is sure!

All units are different, it really depends on your leaders and the girls themselves. My favourite meeting we have held so far was a trip in the dark to the park across the road from our meeting place where we hunted for glow in the dark stickers with torches, then came in and had hot chocolate.

We do some craft things and the girls like cooking, we have recently made Eton mess and they loved it. We also do as much outside as we can, this term we have had a mini olympics, a torch relay, a jubilee party with the local Brownies and a big district jubilee event with local Brownies, Rainbows and Guides with a big camp fire. The Rainbows loved toasting thier own marshmallows on sticks over a real fire. Tomorrow we are going to another park to use their obstacle course, play wide games and have a picnic.

Our girls like the fact that for one hour a week they are just with other girls but we are definately not a "pink" unit!