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

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Updated April 2023

As a child growing up in the electronics free, non-overscheduled era of the 1970’s, making up games to play is something my friends and I did on our own. In the playground located between the apartment buildings where we lived, all we needed was a ball, some chalk, and a jump rope. Hand games, ball games, and games we made up on the ground using chalk kept us busy and entertained for hours.

In today’s world, children barely have time to breathe between their hectic schedules of school, lessons, games, and activities.

As a Brownie Girl Scout leader, you can help the girls in your troop tap into their imaginations to earn the Brownie Making Games Badge. Don’t be afraid to have this badge take up two meeting times…the girls need time to let their creativity flow.

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Step 1 Try a Scavenger Hunt

Ask the girls if they have ever been on a scavenger hunt. Share with them what it entails. They will be creating a scavenger hunt for each other on the grounds where you meet.

Divide the troop into two teams and have them come up ten items that they could hide. The badge instructions give a listing of what needs to be be included, such as hard to find and easy to find items.

Gather the lists and make sure that you are able to collect them in time for the next meeting. Anything you do not have on hand readily available will have to be removed from the list. You can ask the girls to bring the items in, but you run the risk of them not having what is needed for the next meeting.

At the next meeting, have one team hide the objects while the other works on a coloring page or word search. Then they will hunt for the hidden objects. Then let the other team of girls hide while the others keep busy.

Step 2 Make Up a Mystery Game

Materials

• Cardboard box with hole cut out on the side
• Items for the box
• Pencil and paper

This is a fun game that each girl can try. Bring in different items to put into a cardboard box that has a hole cut out that is big enough for each girl’s arm. Place hard to figure out items in one at a time. The girls have to guess what the item is and write it down.

Some items to put in are:

Sandpaper

Pompoms

Block

Fleece scraps

Branch

Squishy toy

Tissue paper

Step 3 Create a Party Game

There are many classic party games that you could play with your girls-musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey, hot potato, balloon pop, and freeze dance are just a few.

Package of 120 Latex Balloons in Assorted Colors from Amazon

Another game the girls can play is Twister. It is a classic that never goes out of style. 

Twister game from Amazon

Step 4 Change the Rules

The girls know how to play a whole bunch of games. What you need to do is have them change the rules or add a rule. For example, play Simon Says but reverse the rules and they have to do things when Simon does NOT say.

The girls can play a relay race and you can add a component like they have to do five jumping jacks when before they tag the next person to take a turn.

Step 5 Invent a Whole New Sport or Game

Talk to the girls about different sports. What do they have in common? They have a ball, someone tries to score, and there is offense and defense.

Board games also have an objective to them…to get to the end for the win.

For this requirement, girls can make up a new ball game to play, complete with rules.

Image created by the author in Canva

Or the girls can make a new game. There are many free game board templates available online for you to print, so do a search and find one that you think will work for your girls. Spinners are also available if you do not have spare dice. Any object can be a game token.

As a launch to this activity, talk about what their favorite games to play are and ask why. Use these common factors to create a game in small groups.

What has your troop done to earn the Making Games Brownie badge?