Malaria activities

Here is a list of the activities to help you celebrate World Thinking Day and earn a World Thinking Day badge. You can download the PDF version of this sheet from the bottom of this page.

1. FUNDRAISER: Most mosquitoes can fly for between one and three miles (1.5 - 5km) at a speed of around one mile per hour. Organize a fun run or sponsored walk to ‘beat the mozzie’ and see how much faster you can complete the route!
   

2. Give each team a word associated with malaria. Each team must act out their words in silence. The rest of the group tries to guess what the words are: CLEAN WATER, MOSQUITO NET, INSECT REPELLENT, ANTI-MALARIA TABLETS, and MOSQUITO BITES. In the group, discuss how the words relate to malaria.
   

3. FUNDRAISER: Life-saving treatments cost US$0.13 for chloroquine, US$0.14 for sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and US$2.68 for a seven-day course of quinine. Set a target for how much money you want to raise. Offer a ‘sponsored helper’ service and ask friends and family to donate while you give service in a local clinic or care home.
   

4. Mosquito Tag. Give two players some red coloured sticker spots. Give one player some green sticker spots. These players are the mosquitoes. The other players must run around trying not to get ‘stung’ by the mosquitoes. The mosquitoes try to stick the spots on the other players. After a few minutes, stop the game. Tell the players that all those with green spots have been stung by the mosquito infected with malaria. Discuss the different ways to prevent the spread of malaria.
   

5. Malaria epidemics often occur after natural disasters such as floods when water systems become disrupted. Find out about a recent disaster where this has occurred. Give a presentation to your group about what you have learned.
   

6. Choose a country that is greatly affected by malaria in Africa, Asia or Latin America. Learn about life for a girl of your age living in that country. Write a ‘day in the life’ diary about her and read it to your group or display it.
   

7. FUNDRAISER: Anti-mosquito nets can cost just US$1.70; while a year’s supply of insecticide costs from US$0.30 to US$0.60. Draw a giant net and chart your fundraising progress on it. Ask local businesses to donate towards your net target.
   

WAGGGS NOTE


Mosquito nets and insecticide are examples of tools to help stop the spread of disease. World Thinking Day income is however used for the work of WAGGGS, which includes projects such as our HIV/AIDS training toolkit and the Anaemia Prevention project in Africa.


World Thinking Day income is not only used for health-related activities – it also helps offer Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting to more girls and young women worldwide. By growing the Movement more girls and young women (and their families, friends and neighbours) will learn about health issues and how to fight the spread of diseases.


8. If malaria is a risk in your country or community, design a leaflet using our fact sheet to raise awareness and promote ways to prevent the disease.
   

9. Swat the mozzie game. Each player should wear a paper hat with a picture of a mosquito on it. Each player is given a long sock or stocking with a sponge in the toe. The players must try to knock each other’s hats off using their sponge ‘bat’. The last player still wearing her hat wins the game!
   

10. For older members: Malaria affects the most vulnerable people in poverty. Find out more by visiting sites such as Roll Back Malaria or inviting an expert to speak at your meeting. (See fact sheet)
    

11. For older members: Don’t just think – speak out about the spread of disease. Use the WAGGGS’ Advocacy Toolkit to organize a campaign and plan your advocacy project.