How to Earn the Girl Scout Brownie Inventor Badge (It's Your Story-Tell It Journey)

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Updated April 2023

Think of all of the wonderful inventions that have happened in our lifetime. We can carry all of our music, our calendars and find information when we have a cell phone in the palm of our hands. The phrase “Just Google it” didn’t exist-we had to use old fashioned and out of date encyclopedias. Even at the library, we used the card catalog, not a computer, to see what books that were housed on the shelves.

Yes, we have made progress-thanks to all of the wonderful inventors in the world! Your troop will have a wonderful time earning the Brownie Inventor badge.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

and used by the author in Canva

Step 1 Warm Up Your Inventor Brain

Talk to the girls about some famous women inventors. You can find information here on the Enchanted Learning website.

Or you can print pictures of their inventions and tell the girls a bit about them. Ask how life would be different without these useful items. For example, Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper in 1903. How could we drive in rain or snow without them?

You could also share some stories from one of these books about women inventors pictured above.

Just as athletes warm up, scientists also need to get their brains ready to invent. Give everyone an empty water bottle and brainstorm other uses for it. 

Step 2 Find Several Ways to Solve the Same Problem

Materials

• 3-5 brown grocery bags filled with the same exact items (how many you make will depend on how many girls are in your troop and how many girls you wish to have in each group).
• The items should be something the girls can build with. For example, you could have:
• Popsicle sticks
• Empty cans, bottles, margarine tubs, whipped topping containers
• Yarn
• Tape
• Glue
• Twist ties

Tell the girls they have to work together to create a toy or something that would amuse a young child. See what they come up with and then have them share their invention.

There are also some easy and fun ideas using common object. You can do this one of these instead

• Easy to Make Triangle Stand

Step 3 Make a Needs List

Have the girls think of problems that happen every day in school. For example, is there too long a wait at the snack line at lunch? Does the school library need new books? Is there enough play equipment at recess for everyone?

How could they solve these issues?

Step 4 Solve a Problem

In groups, have girls take one of the problems from Step 3 and create a solution for it. They can use a mind map to visually solve the problem. There are many different kinds of mind maps to download-print one that will work for your troop.

Step 5 Share Your Invention

Image created by the author in Canva

Girls will share their solutions to the problem.

How did your troop earn the Brownie Inventor badge?