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Updated April 2023
There are many fun activities that your troop can do to earn the Brownie Girl Scout Making Friends badge. When all of the girls get along with each other, meetings run more smoothly and everyone, including the leaders, enjoy their time together more.
Image from Pixabay and used by the author in Canva
You may want to open the meeting by talking about what makes a
good friend. Brainstorm ideas and list them on the board or a piece of
poster board. There are many books about friendship that you can read to the
girls as a springboard for earning the Making Friends badge.
AThis is one if the best children's book series ever written. These short, sweet stories that teach valuable lessons. The illustrations are hilarious.
Frog and Toad Are Friends is another classic from children's literature that has withstood the test of time. One short story from this anthology is enough to have girls get the idea of how important friends are.
Another thing your co-leader and you can do is bring in a few photos of yourself and a friend that you still keep in touch with. The younger you are, the better your girls will enjoy it! Tell them a story about your friendship through the years and why this person is so important to you.
Step 1 Make a Friendly Introduction (game)
The first thing your co-leader and you need to do is help the girls learn how to make a proper introduction. As adults, we have all experienced being introduced to a new person and then quickly forget that person's name!
Here is how to properly introduce yourself.
1. Teach girls to do a proper handshake (firm, not floppy)
With COVID-19, how about elbow touch or just a wave
2. Look a person in the eye and say "Hello. I'm (your name).
3. The other person will respond, "I'm _______."
4. The first girl repeats the other person's name and says, "Nice to meet you, ______."
Have the girls do this with you, your co-leader, or a few of the other girls.
Then it is time for the game.
There are many online "Getting to Know You" bingo games available. A search of this in images will lead you to several different ones or use Pinterest to find one. Download the one that will work best for your troop and make a copy for each girl. Then have them play until someone gets a Bingo.
Step 2 Show Friends You Care (craft)
This gift that the girls are be making will be shared with someone who is NOT in your troop. Feelings will get hurt if girls start making this for others and someone does not have a person making a gift for her.
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Materials
- Hinged wooden box
- Foam brushes
- Modge Podge
- Scrapbook or tissue paper
- Construction paper
- Markers
- Mints
- Lifesavers
- Sweet Tarts candy
- Paper plates
- A sheet of paper you have prepared that says the following:
"We were "mint" to be friends"
"You are a "Lifesaver'"
"I think you are a 'Sweet tart'"
The girls then choose a color scheme and Modge Podge the crafting paper onto the box. When they are done, have the girls cut out the sayings and tape them to the piece of candy. Then have them put them in the box. Place on a paper plate to carry out after the meeting.
Image created by the author in Canva
Step 3 Share a Favorite Activity
In small groups, give the girls a chance to share one thing they enjoy doing. If possible, see if they can give a short demonstration.
Step 4 Learn How to Disagree
There is an art to learning how to disagree with another person without hurting their feelings. Even though we all know adults who have yet to master this, as Girl Scout leaders, it is important for us to teach this to our girls. As they get older and meetings become more girl led, they need to learn how to speak to each other without putting the other person's idea down.
With your co-leader, demonstrate the right way to disagree and the wrong way to disagree. (you can be humorous but not insulting).
Divide the girls into pairs. Then hand each set of girls a chocolate bar. They have to disagree over who gets it and why. Then they have to figure out a compromise. Have the girls share their results and them let them eat the chocolate!
Step 5 Practice Friendship (game)
Honestly, most girls practice this each and every day. Unless there is some underlying issue and the girl really has no friends, each child interacts with others every single day.
You can find a game to play in one of my favorite Girl Scout resources, Games for Girl Scouts.
Here are some other resources for games to play for the final activity to earn the Making Friends badge.
What has your troop done to earn the Brownie Making Friends badge?
This. Was. Awesome!!! Thank you for this post and the links! My Brownies loved earning this badge! I asked one of my Brownies (coincidentally my daughter, ha!) What was her favorite part and she said compromising over the Kit Kat and her least favorite part was...nothing! :-) Thank you for the games link, too; we played the Trust Path game which was a huge hit! Thank you, thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad your troop and your daughter enjoyed doing this badge! It makes me feel good that I was able to help a fellow leader.
DeleteThank you! I was looking for a good way to teach "Learning to Disagree" and I loved your idea.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome!
DeleteThis was a HUGE success with our troop last night! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI am SO HAPPY to hear your feedback! Thank you. Was there anything in particular that worked? Readers would love to know and so would I!
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