TO THE LITTLE GIRL INSIDE US ALL WHO WANTS TO COME OUT AND PLAY
INTRODUCTION Welcome to the wild and adventurous world of hands on girls What's a hands on girl Hands on girls fix things we make things we experiment we play and we end each day tired and happy and probably a little dirty We know how to hammer a nail and we can tell you all about the stars and their names We know which plants to avoid in the woods and which plants to grow in the garden We race outside the minute we can for a quick hike or a game and we spend rainy days building forts or test flying paper airplanes Maybe you do none of those things right now or maybe you do just a few of them That's OK The most important thing about being a hands on girl is that we love to try new things We'll try on this we'll test out that we'll play a new role for a day or an afternoon That's what this book is really about It's about exploring and learning to listen to the voice inside of you that tells you what you really like In these pages you'll get to try on a bunch of hats scientist trailblazer athlete artist builder and chef without having to sign up for a class or a team buy a bunch of new equipment or lose all your after school free time With this book you can test out what it's like to be an astronomer who can name the stars or an ornithologist who
can lead a bird watching expedition or a scientist who can experiment with chemical reactions in a lab all in the first chapter In Chapter 2 we'll hit the trail just like the naturalists pioneers and other trailblazing women who explored the American frontier before us You'll learn survival skills like how to build a fire how to get unlost in the woods and how to tie the five most useful knots You'll also learn how to plan mindful nature walks how to perfectly stock a campsite and how to make the best s'mores of your life along the way In Chapter 3 we'll lace up our sneakers for some super fun games giving the classics you know like softball hopscotch and jump rope fun new twists to make them more challenging and more exciting for hands on girls like you And for those days when we can't run around outside you can find card games for smarties and simple self defense moves that will help you karate chop away an otherwise boring afternoon If you like art or you're not sure what kind of art you like try some watercolor painting splatter painting hand lettering or nature photography activities found in Chapter 4. Or kick back with a book in a new to you genre from The Hands On Girl's Reading List Or maybe you'd like to try woodworking and building things The only way to find out is to tackle some of the activities in Chapter 5 where you'll find step by step instructions to build sand and paint your own tree swing fort bench and race car all of which you could do in just a few hours after school And if your artistic impulses lean more toward the culinary arts then we have a whole chapter of fun food challenges pro level tips and recipes for you You'll get to see what it's like to grow your own herb and vegetable garden make your own jerky and dried fruit and up your chopping game with a knife skills tutorial all of which is way easier than you'd think
Anytime you complete five activities from a chapter you'll earn a Hands On Girl Badge which you can find at the back of this book You can also rack up bonus badges like the Jane of All Trades Badge which you can earn by completing one activity from each chapter or the Outdoorsy or Indoorsy Badges which are awarded for trying six outdoor or six indoor activities And because hands on girls are always looking for ways to watch out for others you can also earn the Good Friend Good Neighbor and Good Citizen Badges for acts of kindness to a friend a neighbor or the planet Whatever you try in this book never be afraid to be honest about whether you like it or not Maybe softball is totally not your thing but you could spend all day chopping veggies in the kitchen Maybe you're happiest when you're reading on the couch or walking through the park instead of working in the woodshop Whatever it is it's never wrong and it's always right because it's right for you Because at the core of every hands on girl there's a burning flame of You what you like and what you don't like what makes you special and unique that this book hopes to throw some kindling on Think of these activities as fuel for figuring out and nurturing your passions and interests Some pieces will take some will sputter But all will teach you a little bit more about which way to go next And wherever that takes you you can have the wildest most amazingly fun time getting there if you kick back and enjoy the ride So grab your sneakers apron lab coat or whatever else you need scan through the Table of Contents on the previous pages to see what sounds the most fun to you and let's go get hands on
