One benefit of having support from parents and leaders is that we gain valuable insights from their professional experiences. For instance, one of our leaders, an occupational therapist, proposed we educate our girls about disabilities to foster awareness and compassion. She suggested hosting an Ice Cream Social for this purpose. Here's how to organize this event and educate your girls about disabilities.

Ice cream socials are always fun, regardless of age. However, this event adds a unique twist: each girl will be assigned a disability to make creating their sundae more challenging. It's crucial to discuss with the girls beforehand, explaining that certain tasks can be more difficult for people with disabilities. If there is a girl in your troop with a disability, you should speak with her and her parent to ensure the event is respectful and considerate. This could also provide an opportunity for her to share her experiences.

If you have Brownie girls, consider incorporating these two badges, which focus on using senses and including everyone during play. These would complement an ice cream social well:

• Ideas to earn the Fair Play badge, including a complete activity booklet.
• Ideas to earn the Senses badge, including a complete activity booklet.

At the ice cream social, have each girl experience eating their ice cream with a simulated disability, followed by games that demonstrate how disabilities can affect daily activities. 

To prepare the girls for making their sundaes, use the following items:

• Field Corn in Shoes : This will simulate foot pain.
• Safety Glasses/Goggles with Vaseline on the Lenses : This will mimic decreased vision.
• Sling or Scarf to Immobilize the Dominant Arm : This will challenge their coordination.
• Crutches : These can be used to simulate mobility issues, though they will need to be adjusted for each girl's height.

By using these simulations, we aim to increase understanding and empathy among the girls.

What You Need:

• Earplugs for each girl

How to Play:

1. Have the girls sit in a circle on the floor.
2. Give each girl a pair of earplugs and have them put them in.
3. The leader will softly whisper a word or phrase to the girl next to her.
4. That girl will then repeat the message to the next girl, and so on, until the message has gone around the entire circle.
5. Once the last girl hears the message, everyone removes their earplugs.
6. The last girl then shares what she heard with the group.
7. If the final message doesn't match the original, let the girls take turns sharing what they thought was said.

This game is a fun way to illustrate how communication can be affected by hearing impairments.

What You Need:

• 2 wheelchairs
• Cones
• 2-liter bottles or duct tape

How to Play: 

If you have access to two wheelchairs, this race can be a fun and educational activity. Divide your troop into two teams. Each team takes turns with a member sitting in the wheelchair and racing down a designated path using only their arms to propel themselves, not their feet. The team that completes the course first wins the race. The length of the path can be determined by the leader.

What You Need:

• Blindfolds or scarves
• Cones
• Boxes
• 2-liter bottles
• Any other items to add to the course

How to Play:

1. Divide the girls into pairs.
2. Blindfold one girl in each pair.
3. The other girl will give verbal directions to guide her blindfolded partner through the obstacle course.
4. After completing the course, the girls switch roles.
5. Ensure the course is set up in a safe area, away from windows and stairs.
6. For larger groups, consider setting up multiple courses to accommodate everyone.

The Ice Cream Social promises to be a day filled with fun, learning, and delicious treats. By simulating disabilities, playing engaging games like the Telephone Game with earplugs and the Blindfold Obstacle Course, and enjoying activities like the Wheelchair Race, we aim to foster empathy and awareness among the girls.

Leaders can take time at the end of the social to talk about what the girls learned from the experience.

Enjoy every minute being a leader and continue to inspire your girls!