SWAP? Swap? S.W.A.P.?

SWAPS

 

What is a swap? Swaps are Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere or sometimes you may have heard them referred to as something you can Share With A Pal! Either way you describe it, SWAPs are FUN! SWAPS are small crafts that Girl Scouts give as gifts or trade with other Girl Scouts when they meet each other to promote friendships! Some Girl Scouts include their first name, troop number, or email address to stay in touch with the new friends they meet, but that is optional!



Each SWAP represents a special memory of an event or a fellow Girl Scout sister! SWAPS can tell something about the giver, or the troop or they can just be something cute you found on Pinterest that you want to put your own flare on! SWAPS can also be created to represent your country, community or your Girl Scout Council, depending on where you are going or what you are planning for!



When I was a young Girl Scout, SWAPs were a really big part of my troop and they were something that we worked on throughout the year. When we were going camping, we made different camping themed SWAPS, such as a sleeping bag, a s’more, and a swap for roasting marshmallows. When we were learning about Ancient Egypt for an International Fair, we made pyramid swaps! At our state fair, we picked Georgia and created peach swaps, to represent the state fruit! No matter where we were going or what we were doing, we were making swaps.



One of the best things about them is that you can never make too many! And by “using your resources wisely,” as Girl Scouts do, you can make SWAPS from just about anything you have at home, such as, recyclable items like bottle caps, paper towel rolls or water bottles.


Yesterday was World Book Day or International Day of the Book! 
Here is an example of a Bookmark SWAP that you could create to celebrate it: (Bookmark SWAP Video)

Bookmark Craft Swap

Materials:

·         Duct Tape

·         Scissors

·         Paperclips

·         Marker

·         Colored Paper (optional)

These Bookmark Swaps are awesome; they’re so cute, tiny and easy to make! This SWAP gives you full creative freedom! You can collect all of the Bookmarks you make onto one safety pin so you can have them handy to give to your fellow Girl Scouts or Volunteers!



I only had pink Duct Tape at my house, but you can create this fun Bookmark SWAP with any color Duct Tape, even the Original Gray can be decorated with markers or something else we haven’t used yet!



Let’s see all of the different kinds of Bookmarks you can create!