2010 Afterschool Badge Workshops at Bush-Holley Historic Site

Workshops are designed for Girl Scouts to work toward earning badges. Bush-Holley does not provide the actual badge. Leaders are responsible for arranging the purchase and distribution of badges. All workshops are 90 minutes and are available to other youth groups as well. Each workshop includes a specialized tour of Bush-Holley House and two activities toward the badge. All workshops are in the Education Center at Bush-Holley Historic Site, 39 Strickland Road, Cos Cob. The cost is $15 per child. Small troops should consider registering with another small troop. Minimum to hold a workshop is 8 girls; maximum group size per workshop is 20 girls. For more information or to reserve a time for your troop, contact Marybeth Nisco, Director of Education:  by phone (869-6899 ext 31) or by email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

COLORS AND SHAPES

Brownie Girl Scouts

Take a specialized tour of Bush-Holley House to view Impressionist works of art created by artists of the Cos Cob art colony. Learn what made this group of artists unique and talk about their art work. Learn how to mix your own colors using only red, yellow, blue and white. Then create your own Impressionist painting on canvas of a portrait, landscape or still life. Finally assemble your own mobile based on the art and artists of the Cos Cob art colony.

*Activities Fulfilled Include:  Colors and Shapes Mobile & A Rainbow of Colors

LISTENING TO THE PAST

Brownie Girl Scouts

Take a specialized tour of Bush-Holley House to learn about members of the colonial family who lived there and some of their stories. In small groups, girls will choose one of these people and act out a scene from her life. Dress in period costume and present a short skit to the rest of your troop. Themes include cooking, chores, sickness and learning.

*Activities Fulfilled Include:  If These Buildings Could Talk & Acting Out

MY HERITAGE BADGE

Junior Girl Scouts

Learn about the interesting family relationships of the Bush and Holley families. Create a family heritage photo scrapbook including your own family tree charts and photographs. Then make your own personal diary and write about important events from your childhood. Please bring the following items to the workshop: photographs (or photocopies of photos) of family members; basic information on family members (full names, maiden names, dates of birth, marriages). 

*Activities Fulfilled Include:  Create a Heritage Scrapbook & Your Personal Heritage

OUTDOOR CREATIVITY BADGE

Junior Girl Scouts

Experience a specialized tour of Bush-Holley House to view works of art created by artists of the Cos Cob art colony who were inspired by nature and their natural environment. Learn more about these works and the artists who created them. Then, using nature as inspiration, create a painting on canvas inspired by the landscape around the site. Share your work with others in a discussion and talk about why your subject appealed to you and what you hoped to show in your work. 

*Activities Fulfilled Include: It's Famous & Many Ways to Be Creative          

PRINTS & GRAPHICS BADGE

Junior Girl Scouts

Experience a specialized tour of Bush-Holley House to view etchings created by printmaker Childe Hassam. Discover what makes a print different from other kinds of art. Then experiment with two forms of printmaking. First, make oil pastel rubbings of objects both found and from nature. Then use styrofoam printing plates to create a series of note cards of images based on works of art by printmaker Childe Hassam.

*Activities Fulfilled Include: Rubbed the Right Way & Eye for Design