The Badge Archive

What Do I Do with a Guest Speaker?

Young scouts like kindergarteners aren’t exactly known for their love of sitting still or planning ahead!

Here’s some practical advice for navigating those challenges and making the meeting fun and engaging:

Prep the Scouts

Make a Guest Speaker’s visit fun and engaging.

  1. Interactive Q&A: Prep the little scouts with 2-3 easy questions to ask the guest. For example: “What’s your favorite part of your job?” or “Have you ever helped an animal/person?” Kids love being involved.
  2. Hands-On Props: Encourage the speaker to bring props or tools from their job—things the girls can see or touch, like helmets, stethoscopes, or even pictures.
  3. Movement Breaks: Incorporate quick, themed activities to keep their attention. For example, if the speaker is a firefighter, let the little scouts pretend to climb a ladder or practice a fire safety stop-drop-and-roll drill.
  4. Craft or Activity Tie-In: After the speaker, do a simple craft or game related to the job. For example, make thank-you cards for the speaker’s community role or play a matching game with jobs and their tools.
  5. Keep it Short and Sweet: Aim for the guest to speak for 5-10 minutes with interactive elements, leaving time for the scouts to ask questions or share their thoughts

Advice for Guest Speakers

Prepare the speaker and request they add interactive elements when they visit:

  1. Keep it Short and Simple: Remind them that little scouts (kindergarteners and 1st graders) have short attention spans. Encourage them to focus on one or two key ideas about their job rather than overloading them with information.
  2. Use Kid-Friendly Language: Avoid technical jargon or complex explanations. Relate their job to things the kids might already know or find interesting.
  3. Bring Visuals or Props: Anything hands-on or visual is a big hit with this age group—uniforms, tools, pictures, or even stuffed animals (if relevant).
  4. Call-and-Response Activities: Build in short moments for group participation. For example: The speaker could ask, “Raise your hand if you love animals!” when talking about being a veterinarian. The kids could practice mimicking motions, like pretending to steer a firetruck or plant a seed in a garden, while learning about those jobs.
  5. Move and Explore: If possible, turn part of the visit into an interactive demonstration. For example:
    • Firefighters could let kids practice a pretend “Stop, Drop, and Roll” safety drill.
    • A veterinarian could show how they examine a (stuffed) animal with tools.
    • A gardener could help each Daisy plant a small seed to take home.
  6. Turn Questions Into Conversations: Encourage two-way interactions by letting kids ask their questions naturally, but guide them toward conversation rather than quick answers. For example:
    • If a child asks, “Why do you wear a big helmet?” the speaker could invite them to try it on or explain a story about how the helmet kept them safe.
    • If a kid says, “I like dogs!” the speaker could respond with, “That’s wonderful! Did you know I help take care of dogs at my job? How do you think you could help take care of a dog?”

Activities for Guest Speakers to Do with Scouts

  • Hands-On Demonstration: If possible, do a quick activity related to their job. A librarian could show how they organize books, or a gardener could demonstrate planting seeds.
  • Role Play: Ask the kids to act out part of the guest’s job—for example, pretending to be a vet checking a stuffed animal, or practicing a simple safety drill with a firefighter.
  • Storytime: If the guest speaker works with animals, kids, or nature, they might share a fun or heartwarming story about their job to engage the scouts.
  • Dream Big: Encourage young scouts to imagine what job they might want to do when they’re older and how they’d help others.

During the Visit

Here’s an expanded take on “encouraging interaction” during the visit to make it both engaging for the kids and easier for the guest speaker to connect with them:

During the Visit: Encouraging Interaction

  1. Kick Things Off with a Question: Introducing the guest and asking an open-ended question to the group, like “Who has ever seen a firefighter up close?” or “What do you think a vet does all day?” This gets the kids involved from the start and helps the guest connect with them by hearing their ideas or experiences.
  2. Encourage Interaction: If the guest starts talking too long or the kids seem to lose focus, politely interject with a question that re-engages the group. Examples are “Does anyone know why it’s important for librarians to keep books organized?” or “Can anyone guess how a police officer helps keep us safe?”
  3. Encourage Sharing Personal Stories: Ask the kids if they’ve ever had an experience related to the speaker’s job, like visiting a library, seeing an ambulance, or planting flowers in their backyard. This creates a personal connection between the young scouts and the speaker’s role.
  4. Wrap Up with Reflection: Before the guest leaves, ask the group reflective questions to tie it all together:
    • “What was the most exciting thing you learned about this job?”
    • “How do you think this job helps our community?”
    • “What job would you like to try when you grow up to help others?”

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Finally, remind the new leader that flexibility is key, and things don’t have to go perfectly to be meaningful! Sometimes the unexpected moments (like kids’ funny off-topic questions) turn out to be the most memorable.

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Tia Kennard