Dream Boards & Pillowcases

3. On the same side as their name and date, ask girls to draw a line down the center of the page.  At the top of the left column, have them write and underline “Stuff I’m Good At/Like”.  Give them 10 minutes or so of quiet time, to fill in this column with all the things they can think of that they are good at and/or truly enjoy.

4. At the top of the right column, have girls write and underline “Stuff I Care About/Love”.  Give them another 10+ minutes of quiet time, to fill in this column with all the things they can think of that they truly care about and love.

Guide girls away from putting material things, such as clothes or money or celebrities, on their lists.  Explain that these don’t help us explore who God created us to be and care about.  

5. Give each girl a post-it note, in a color of her choice.  Ask girls to place that post-it note anywhere they’d like on the blank side of their paper.  On that note, have girls write “I’m Free to B. ____________” and ask them to give some thought as to how they’d like to fill in that blank.  Who or what do they believe they are free to be?  This will be the centerpiece of their Dream Board.  They can doodle on or decorate it any way they choose.

6.  Now it’s time to let them loose and begin creating the front of their Dream Boards.  Everything that they’ve written on the back?  They should try to find a way of representing it on the front, either by cutting pictures/words/letters out of magazines or by writing or drawing.  Allow approximately an hour for this portion of the activity.

Note: Some girls will want to paste and create as they go.  Others will want to design all the elements first, before pasting; for these girls it’s nice to have the empty envelopes on hand so that if they want to take their Dream Board home to keep working, they have something in which to place all their clippings.

7. With about 15 minutes of activity time remaining, let girls know to begin wrapping up.  Explain that it’s okay if they’re not done, that they can take everything home and keep working on them, if they’d like.  Give envelopes to any girls who would like to do that. Those girls who are finished can help tidy up the room.

8.  Laminating provides a way to truly turn Dream Boards into a keepsake.  Although a heated laminating machine often provides the best results, self-stick laminating sheets (sold at most large office supply stores) are easier/faster for large groups, and also can go home with those girls who haven’t completed their boards.

9. If time allows, have girls share their Dream Boards; guide them to note that not one is exactly like another, yet each is wonderfully unique.  Ask girls to pray about what they’ve chosen to place on their boards, that God will guide them to a greater understanding of what he created them to do and care for.

Sweet Dreams Pillowcases.

Appropriate age for this activity: 5 and up

What you’ll need:

• Either Frieda B. pre-printed Sweet Dreams Pillowcases, or blank pillowcases.  Washed and dried.  One per girl.
• Fabric-safe pens, markers or paint/brushes.  Note that paint takes longer to dry, so if using paint you’ll need to have girls work on one side, then let dry before working on the other.  Avoid glues and glitters, as these are messy, dry clumpy, and the glitter will fall off for months to come.
• A large piece of cardboard or thick stack of paper (to fit inside the pillowcase), one per girl.
• A piece of paper and pencil for each girl.

Let the Dreaming Begin. 

Dear Lord, you give each of us “clues” to our stories.  And when we explore what we’re good at and care about, we can begin to uncover the plan You created just for us.  Please bless our work on this activity today, and our time together, that we might each gain a better understanding of our one-of-a-kind story, and begin to better understand how we each are uniquely Free to B. a Blessing.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

2. Using the paper and pencil in front of them, ask girls to draw a line down the center of the page.  At the top of the left column, have them write and underline “Stuff I’m Good At/Like”.  Give them 10 minutes or so of quiet time, to fill in this column with all the things they can think of that they are good at and/or truly enjoy.

Note that young girls might need help with this portion of the activity, as well as with #3, and should know it’s okay to keep things very simple if they’d like.

3. At the top of the right column, have girls write and underline “Stuff I Care About/Love”.  Give them another 10+ minutes of quiet time, to fill in this column with all the things they can think of that they truly care about and love.

Guide girls away from putting material things, such as clothes or money or celebrities, on their lists.  Explain that these don’t help us explore who God created us to be and care about.  

4. Prep each girl’s pillowcase for decorating.  Insert cardboard or paper inside pillowcase, and – making sure the table surface is clean – place pillowcase on the table.  If using the Sweet Dreams Pillowcase, make sure the “_______’s Big Dreams:” side is facing up.

5. If using the Sweet Dreams Pillowcase, instruct girls to use paint pens, markers or permanent markers to write their name (first or full) in the blank.  Those using blank pillowcases can write it out in full (i.e., Tara’s Big Dreams:) at the top of the pillowcase.

6. Using the lists they’ve created on their paper, girls now use their imaginations to turn these ideas into dreams – writing about or drawing them on their pillowcase.

If a girl has one very specific dream, encourage her to use her full pillowcase to write or draw about it.  It’s best to let each girl use this activity to truly express how she uniquely feels about her dreams and God-given story.

7. Once the “Big Dreams” side is done (and dry), turn the pillowcases over and instruct girls to decorate the Sweet Dreams side however they’d like.  A neat idea is to let girls sign each other’s pillowcases on this side, as a memento of their time together as a Troop.

8. If time allows, have girls share their pillowcases; guide them to note that not one is exactly like another, yet each is wonderfully unique.  Ask girls to pray about what they’ve chosen to place on their pillowcases, that God will guide them to a greater understanding of what he created them to do and care for.