Secret Brownie Swap

Most people are familiar with the concept of a Secret Santa or Kris Kringle Exchange. It seems to be a fairly common tradition in most workplaces and some families - where you are randomly assigned a person to anonymously give a gift for Christmas.

I wanted my Brownies to participate in something similar, that was more inclusive and could be enjoyable even for those who did not celebrate Christmas. Thus the Secret Brownie Swap was formed.

The Brownies have participated in the Secret Brownie Swap for two years now and although it is not compulsory to do so, every girl has always joined in.

The idea is similar to Secret Santa and each Brownie creates a handmade gift to swap with another girl. They do not make their gift for any specific girl, instead the gifts are distributed randomly (usually a number drawn from a hat). This way if somebody doesn't turn up it doesn't make a difference - everybody that makes a gift receives a gift.

The girls have really impressed me with the various gifts they have made. There have been a huge range things include craft kits, decorated wooden jewelry boxes and woven bracelets. I have to admit though i'm a huge fan of the Christmas ornaments.

The swap is designed so the it can be all inclusive and not have to be Christmas related in anyway, it just happens that at the moment every Brownie in the unit does celebrate Christmas.

Here are a few sweet examples of the Christmas ornaments the Brownies made for the swap:

Painted cardboard angel tree topper 

Candy cane heart ornament

Perler bead star ornament

Painted baubles

Aren't they precious?!

The girls are so excited to receive their gifts and I think the handmade touch just adds that extra something special!

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Do you have any end of year traditions in your unit?