After nine years of being a Girl Scout leader I found that if there is one tip I would like to pass on to other leaders that it would be: that each child should have a name tag.

Yes something so simple but it really can make a difference.

It can be the first craft project of each year, and it might even be able to be used towards their first patch. This is a great ice breaker for all, kids, parents, volunteers and leaders to get to know each other. After the first meeting it will be so much easier on the next meetings when everyone has on their own name tags and you do not have to struggle to remember all those names.

This does make learning names for everyone easier and a lot more fun. But it is also very helpful to make each child feel important by being called by their name. It helps when you have outside guests attending a meeting. Best of all when you take the troop on an outing or a field trip others will know the child by name too. This can be so helpful since it can be hard to understand a child, or the child may have a very unusual name, or may be in trouble and needs some help.

Making the name tags can be so much fun, and depending on the age more creative. Here are just a few ideas:

[attachmentid=479] Pins: hot glue a pin to the back of a wood cutout that has been colored or painted and you can glue anything to the front to show your art work.

Buttons: You should be able to rent the button machine from your local troop office.

Back Stage Concert tags: a piece of paper laminated on both sides, with a whole punched out on top to string a cord through that you make into a necklace. Or you could use a bus pass holder.

Business card holder: these are plastic holders that a business card would fit into that has a pin on the back.