Nail Art Badge

My oldest daughter received nail polish for her last birthday and for Christmas last year.  Who knew that she would love it so much? Her interest in polish has really exploded!  We have induldged her interest by buying her a few tools and gadgets that make doing nails more of a challenge and more fun!   We've also been scouring the net and getting books from the library to learn new nail art techniques and designs.








In fact, she's enjoying it so much, that she plans to open a small business doing nails for little girls' birthday parties.  She hasn't had her first gig yet. We're still working on practicing some of the techniques, setting up the marketing and developing a business plan.  But she's raring to go!

In the mean time, I created a Frontier Girls badge to accomodate her budding interest in nail art.  I love that Frontier Girls is so flexible this way!  This is the second badge I have written to suit my kids interests.  The 5 week KinderBoys class that I did for my son resulted in a Career Exploration badge for him.  The owner of Frontier Girls (Quest Club for the boys) is more than willing to add my badges to the main list and create the badges themselves.  I love it. It means I can create a badge for any unit study or interest we may have, which is super fun for homeschoolers.  Or anyone else!

Anyway, so here's the badge I wrote.  Maybe it will spark some ideas about how to turn your kids' interests into a real learning experience that they can receive recognition for.

Nail Art

Otter: Do the 2 starred and pick 2 more.

Dolphin: Do the 2 starred and pick  4 more

Butterfly and Eagle: Do the 2 starred and pick 5 more.

*Learn how to keep your nails healthy and well groomed, including proper nutrition and personal hygiene  Be sure you can handle nail clippers safely. 

*Learn how to safely use nail polish and polish remover.  Remember to use a well ventilated area. To avoid over exposure to fumes,  some suggest that you avoid changing your polish more than 2-3 times a month.  Consider using acetone free remover.  Remember to wash hands after using remover.  Acetone can weaken your nails if it enters the nail bed.

1.  Check out several books from your library about nail art.  Study the various techniques.

2. Search for blogs and Pinterest boards that teach various nail art techniques.

3.  Learn about and describe some of the tools used in nail art such as brushes, pens, stencils, stamps, decals, glitter, gems, etc.

4. Nail art brushes can be purchased inexpensively at a beauty supply store or online.  Consider purchasing some brushes and trying some of the techniques you have learned on friends and family.  If friends and family do not wish to have their nails done, you can also purchase a manikin hand or fake fingers, or a wheel with fake fingernails to practice on for not much money.

5. Learn about and/or experiment with magnetic nail art.

6.  Arrange a visit to a nail salon and ask the nail technicians about the training and education they needed to get their job.  If possible, watch them perform some of their tasks on the job.  Note their attention to cleanliness.

7.  Learn about nail fungus and how to prevent and treat it.

8. Provide service to the community by offering to share your new skills with the elderly, home bound, or possibly a women’s shelter.  Avoid using any sharp tools or objects on others, unless you are a trained nail technician.  Stick to just polish for now.

9.  Share what you have learned with your family or troop and do their nails. 

10. Some polishes contain Formaldehyde, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), and Toluene. Research these chemicals and their possible side effects. Identify at least 3 brands of polish that do not use these chemicals and compare their prices to brands that DO use them. Discuss possible pros and cons of using nail polishes without these chemicals.