BROWNIES
Mellow moment
What you’ll need
• Hand cream, 1 small blob per girl
Aim of the activity
Sometimes you need a helping hand to unwind and relax. Become a peaceful Brownie with these hand massages.
Note to leader
Get the girls to ask their partner if they’re comfortable with getting a hand massage. If not, they can give themselves a nice hand massage instead.
Stay safe
Make sure nobody in the unit is allergic to any of the items – replace them if necessary. Also check for any injuries or cuts to hands before starting.
Step by step
1
Come together in a circle. Close your eyes. Raise your hand if you have ever felt worried, nervous, or upset.
Open your eyes. Does it surprise you to see everyone else feels these emotions too sometimes? You’re not alone. Finding ways to relax can help when we aren’t feeling our best.
2
Get into pairs. It’s time to chill out with your Brownie friends.
3
Decide in your pairs if you want to massage each other’s hands or your own.
4
Everyone, point to your wrist, then your palm, your fingertips, and finally the back of your hand. Listen to your leader as they tell how to do the hand massage.
If you’re the Brownie doing the massage, grab a small blob of hand cream.
Hand massage
- Both take three slow, deep breaths to get into the relaxation mood.
- Choose one of your partner’s hands to massage, have the back of their hand facing up. Slowly and gently rub the hand cream over their hand and wrist.
- Using your thumb, gently rub small circles around the wrist.
- Then travelling up the back of the hand rub small circles - feeling the bones on the top of the hands. Ask your partner if the pressure is okay.
- Turn the hand over and gently rub circles into the palm of the hand.
- Then finger by finger, continue gently rubbing small circles from the palm to the fingertip.
- Holding their hand, gently and slowly move the hand and wrists back and forth, left to right and in circles.
- Holding their hand, gently and slowly move the hand and wrists back and forth, left to right and in circles.
- Finish by giving the palm and back of the hand one more gentle rub.
9
When you’re done, swap who is the relaxation expert and help your partner relax this time.
10
Come together in a circle. How did you find the massage? Do any of you feel more relaxed? What other things could you do at Brownies to help you feel calmer and more relaxed?