Making Games Badge



Ideas for Making Games Badge

Requirements for earning badge:

Purpose: When I've earned this badge, I'll know how to create new games and share them with others.

Steps:

1. Try a scavenger hunt.

2. Make up a mystery game.

3. Create a party game.

4. Change the rules.

5. Invent a whole new sport.

 

Activities

Type

Activity Descriptions

supplies

Badge

At Home

  • As a family, play a game that you already own or with which you are familiar. Let your Girl Scout change or create new rules to make the game more challenging, more fun or just different!
  • Every week, help your Girl Scout hide a “mystery object” somewhere in your house and instruct your family members to try and find the object by the end of the week. Place the same object in a different
  • hiding spot each week.
  • Create a game with your Girl Scout using household objects and teach it to the rest of your family.
  • Invent a game to play while on the way to a familiar place.
  • Share a game you used to play when you were her age.

From: Girl Scouts River Valleys 

 

Making Games

Snack

Snack Discussion

While enjoying a snack, here are some things for girls to talk about:

What are some of the first games you remember playing? Do you still play them now?

When have you changed a game to make it more fun?

Think about your favorite game. How could you change it to be in a different space (inside vs. outside)? How about different size group (double or cut in half)?

What makes playing a game fun for everyone? What does it mean to be a good team player?

How about a good winner or loser?

Do you like games you can win (or lose), games where everyone plays together so "everyone wins,” or some of both?

From: Girl Scouts River Valleys

 

Making Games

Game

Find it!

Make a scavenger hunt of at least 10 things to find. It could be in your neighborhood, at home, or in the community.

For example, if your hunt is in a library, you could find a book by a certain author, a magazine, or the librarian's signature.

Now find them!

Help the girls define the game with these suggestions:

Pick a place to search and tell players where it's okay to go.

Make a list of items you might find there.

Include:

  • easy ones
  • hard ones
  • items of different sizes
  • items harder to see
  • items you have to think about, like "something that changes when a season changes"

Decide on a time limit and a signal for players to come back, like a bell or horn.

Give players a bag to collect their items in.

If you have a large group, split into teams.

Make the rules, like:

Find items in any order

Meet up in one place and see what everyone has found

Teams can win for "most interesting item" or "most items found"

From: Girl Scouts USA

paper

pencils

Making Games 1
Game

See it!

Make a scavenger hunt of at least 10 things to see.

Choose 10 items that can be found where your game is going

to be played. If you're playing in the backseat of a car, your

list might include things you'd see out the window, like an

18-wheeler, a gas station, and a roadside jogger. Make your

list, then play.

Help the girls define the game with these suggestions:

Pick a place to search and tell players where it's okay to go.

Make a list of items you

might find there.

Include:

  • easy ones
  • hard ones
  • items of different sizes
  • items harder to see
  • items you have to think about, like "something that changes when a season changes"

Decide on a time limit and a signal for

players to come back, like a bell or horn.

Give players a bag to collect their items in.

If you have a large group, split into teams.

Make the rules, like:

Find items in any order

Meet up in one place and see what everyone has found

Teams can win for "most interesting item" or "most items found"

From: Girl Scouts USA

paper

pencils

Making Games 1
Game

Touch it!

Make a scavenger hunt of at least 10 things to feel.

Your list could include things that feel fuzzy, soft, hard, squishy, and anything else you can think of. Then, go find them.

Help the girls define the game with these suggestions:

Pick a place to search and tell players where it's okay to go.

Help the girls define the game with these suggestions:

Pick a place to search and tell players where it's okay to go.

Make a list of items you might find there.

Include:

  • easy ones
  • hard ones
  • items of different sizes
  • items harder to see
  • items you have to think about, like "something that changes when a season changes"

Decide on a time limit and a signal for players to come back, like a bell or horn.

Give players a bag to collect their items in.

If you have a large group, split into teams.

Make the rules, like:

Find items in any order

Meet up in one place and see what everyone has found

Teams can win for "most interesting item" or "most items found"

From: Girl Scouts USA

 

paper

pencils

Making Games 1

Game (10 min)

Spot the Rule

1. Hand out five cards and a writing utensil to each girl.

2. Tell the girls that they are going to make a group scavenger hunt in your meeting place. Each girl is going to use one of her cards to write a clue about something to find. They must have a particular

object in mind that is visible in your meeting space, but they should not list what it is. Instead, girls will give a clue that describes it.

For example, for a ceiling fan in the room, a girl might write, "cools us down" or,"something round and brown" or, "it spins."

3. As girls complete their clues and bring them to you, start taping or posting them on the wall in a grid pattern, like a bingo sheet. If the spelling or phrasing makes the clue unclear to you, check with the girl before it goes up on the wall, so you don't have to ask her in front of the group.

4. Once the clues are up, go over the grid with everyone. Now, girls can start looking for objects that fit the clues, using their remaining cards to write answers. When they have an answer, they should write

the name or draw a picture of it on the card and tape it up next to the clue.

5. Notice that what people find may not be what the clue-maker intended. One girl might list an air conditioner control or a hand folded fan for "cools us down," a table or a jar of paint for "round and brown," or an analog clock or a swivel chair for "it spins."

6. Since girls have four cards to use, clues should have multiple answers. However, the goal of the group as a whole is to "cover the board," so if they see that some of the clues have no answers, they should

concentrate on getting those covered. Girls may decide to divide tasks in small groups, agree on a system or they may just all work individually. Let the girls decide how they want to proceed, though keep an eye out for answers being rejected or anyone being bossed around.

7. After girls have made their guesses, go through the clues and ask the clue-maker to tell everyone the correct answer.

From: Girl Scouts River Valleys

Index cards, post-its or small pieces of paper

Tape (unless using post-its)

Writing utensils

 

Making Games 1

Game

Get a clue!

Split the girls into at least two teams.  Have them make a clue scavenger hunt for the other team.  Tell the girls they will lead each other on a mystery hunt from clue card to clue card. For example, if the hunt is at your house, the first card could read, "Help me, I'm freezing." That would lead to the freezer, where another clue card awaits.  The last clue could lead to a prize.

From: Girl Scouts USA

scraps of paper or notecards

pencils

prizes

Making Games 2

Game

Mystery box!

Find large boxes and cut a hole big enough for a hand to fit through.  Bring a collection of items for the girls to choose from.  Split them into groups two teams.  Have them choose an items to put in the box.  Then have the other person or team take turns feeling item in the box and writing down what they think each object is just by touching it. Whoever gets the most right answers wins.

From: Girl Scouts USA

boxes with holes cut in them

collection of objects

paper

pencils

Making Games 2

Game

Who's who?

Write the names of famous characters or people on small pieces of

paper. (Write as many names as there are girls in the group.) Put them in a hat and have the girls draw one. Have the girls without looking at paper, tape the paper to your forehead.

Now, have them ask each other yes-or-no questions to figure out who you are! 

A list of suggested questions could be useful.

From: Girl Scouts USA

paper

pencils

tape

Making Games 2

Game (10 min)

Going on a picnic

1. First, sit in a circle. Inform the girls that you all are going on a picnic and everyone will need to bring something to share. Tell the girls that each person will take a turn introducing herself by saying her name and what she would like to bring to the picnic. After a girl states her name and what item she’d like to bring, you will tell each girl if she can or cannot bring the item.

2. Tell the girls that there is a trick, or mystery, behind what each girl can or cannot bring to the picnic and it will be the girls’ job to figure out the mystery. For the first round, the trick is that the first letter of the item a girl chooses to bring to the picnic must start with the same letter as her first name.

Example of an item a girl can bring to the picnic: “My name is Mariah and I want to bring some marshmallows.”

Example of an item a girl cannot bring to the picnic: “My name is Tiffany and I want to bring some sandwiches.”

3. Start by giving an example of what you (the leader) are going to bring to the picnic.

Example: “My name is Patty and I want to bring some plates.”

4. Give each girl a chance to say her name and what she would like to bring to the picnic, and tell her if she can or cannot bring that item. See if the girls catch on to to the trick. Tell the girls that if they figure out the mystery, they should keep it to themselves until everyone has figured it out.

5. If girls struggle with figuring it out, try to make the clue more obvious. Here are some examples of how to assist the girls with a clue without giving the mystery away:

Emphasize the first letter in your name and the first letter in the item by giving a few more examples. Example: “My name is Patty and I’d like to bring plates. I’d also love to bring pears and plums.”

Repeat and review with the girls items that were already said that other girls can bring: “Patty is going to bring plates. Patty is also going to bring pears and plums. Mariah is going to bring marshmallows…”

6. After the majority of girls have figured out the trick or solved the mystery, pick someone to share it aloud with the group.

7. Ask the girls to think about other tricks they could use to play the same game. Test out the tricks by playing some additional rounds.

From: Girl Scouts River Valleys

 

Making Games 2

Game (10 min)

Bullfrog Game

1. Tell the girls they are going to play a game called Bullfrog, which has three types of players: the bullfrog (one person), the detective (one person) and the flies (everyone else). Tell the girls that this is amystery game where the detective will have to figure out the identity of the bullfrog.

2. First, explain the job of each type of player:

The bullfrog sticks her tongue out at the flies sitting around the circle, trying to “eat” as many as she can. However, the bullfrog must be sneaky when sticking out her tongue, because she has to make sure the detective in the middle does not see her. The bullfrog’s goal is to “eat” all of the flies around the circle before the detective identifies her. The flies must look around the circle for the bullfrog. If a fly sees the bullfrog stick her tongue out at her, she must stick her tongue out and lie down, as she has been “eaten” by the bullfrog. Once a fly sees the bullfrog and lies down, she is out for the rest of the game.

The detective turns around slowly in the middle of the circle, trying to find and catch the bullfrog in action. The detective has a maximum of three guesses to try and identify the bullfrog. The goal of the detective is to guess the identity of the bullfrog.

3. Have the girls sit down in a circle, and choose one girl to be the detective. The detective will sit in the middle of the circle. The detective’s job is to try and figure out who the bullfrog is during the game.

4. Tell the girls to close their eyes (including the detective in the middle) and that you will walk around the circle and choose one girl to be the bullfrog by tapping her on the top of the head. Tell the girls that only one girl will be tapped on the head, and if she is selected as the bullfrog, she shouldn’t tell anyone else. Anyone who is not tapped on the head is a fly.

5. After selecting the bullfrog, tell everyone to open their eyes and begin the game. Remind the detective to turn slowly around in full circles in the middle, trying to find the bullfrog. Remind the bullfrog to stick her tongue out at the flies around the circle, but to not let the detective see her.

Remind the flies to look around for the bullfrog, and if the bullfrog sticks out her tongue at them, to lie down and stick their tongues out.

6. After playing a few rounds, ask the girls to think of a new twist that could be added to the game and try it out. Perhaps a different animal could be used (rather than a bullfrog and flies), or maybe there could be more than one bullfrog or detective.

From: Girl Scouts River Valleys

 

Making Games 2

Game (10 min)

Freeze Dance & Dancing Cows

Part I: Freeze Dance

Steps:

1. Tell the girls you are going to play a game called “Freeze Dance.” This is a game that can be done at birthday parties, at home with family or with people who enjoy dancing.

2. When the music starts, everyone must dance and move around the room, performing any dance

move or sequence of their choice. Everyone must keep dancing the entire time the music is playing.

3. When you stop the music, everyone must freeze in the exact position they are in. This could meantheir hands are up, one foot is off the ground, or they’re in the middle of a twirl! Girls are only allowed

to do two things when they are “frozen:” breathe and blink.

4. The last person to freeze and/or anyone who breaks their frozen position is eliminated from the game.

5. Play the game a few times. For the first round, you will be in charge of starting and stopping the music.  Later, you might consider having one of the girls be in charge of the music.

6. After the girls get the hang of the game, ask them for specific rules to add to the game. For example, for one round, everyone might have to do a dance move that involves specific hand motions. Other

examples include:

Performing a dance move that involves dancing only on one foot.

Performing a dance move that involves moving around the room or one that involves standing in one spot the whole time.

Part II: Dancing Cow Game

1. This game has the exact same rules as “Freeze Dance;” however, when the music first starts, call out“Dancing Cow!” and tell the girls they must be dancing cows, dancing around the room in any manner

they please. Tell the girls that when you stop the music and call out “Dead Cow!” everyone must lie on their backs with their arms and legs up in the air and freeze. The last person to reach this position is

out.

2. Each time the music restarts, you (the leader) will call out different kinds of cows the girls will become, and the girls will enact that type of cow. You can call out as many as you’d like as the music is playing in

between freezes. Examples:

Surfing cow: Girls pretend they are surfing to the music

Spinning cow: Girls do some type of spinning movement to the music

Rockstar cow: Girls can play the guitar, pretend to sing or play the drums to the music

Skipping cow: Girls skip around the room to the music

3. After playing the game once or twice, ask girls for examples of other kinds of cows and incorporate them into the next round.

4. Tip: Allow the girls to be in charge of starting/stopping the music or giving out cow commands.

CD player or music-playing device and music to play

 

Making Games 3

Game

Hot Potato and them make your own game with music and an object

To play Hot Potato, players sit in a circle and pass around a potato (or another item) while music plays.

Whoever is holding the potato when the music stops is "out."

The game goes until only one person is left. Think up a new game that uses an object and music.

From: Girl Scouts USA

item 

music player

Making Games 3
Game

Make your own relay race

In a relay race, players on two teams compete by taking turns running the same distance. Create a new kind of relay. Maybe each team gets only one pair of shoes, so girls must switch them off at each turn. Or instead of running, everyone could shuffle on their knees.

From: Girl Scouts USA

  Making Games 3

Game (20 min)

My Made-Up Board Game

Print off Board Game Template and Board Game Spinners. Use the templates or create your own that fit with your time, equipment and girls' needs.

1. Now that the girls have had a chance to experiment with a variety of games, they can become game masters and create their very own board games.

2. Ask girls to brainstorm a variety of board games with which they are familiar, like Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and The Game of Life.

3. Divide girls into small teams of three to four and distribute materials to each team, including game board spinners, game board templates, index cards, dice, and writing and coloring utensils.

4. Each team is going to create a new board game. The basic rules of every board game are:

To begin play, all players place their game pieces at “Start.”

Players take turns rolling dice to move their game pieces forward along the designated path.

A player wins the game by reaching “Finish” first.

5. A few of the rules will be chosen for teams at random by using the spinners. The spinners will determine the game theme and how game players move their pieces along the board. Each spinner also has a “team choice” space that lets the girls substitute their own rules for that category. More detailed instructions and examples are provided with the spinners.

6. Have each team spin the spinners to get their rules (girls should take turns). To use the spinners:

Set the spinner card flat on a table.

Place a paper clip on top so that one of the looped ends goes around the center of the wheel on the spinner.

Hold a pencil straight up and down so the point is on the exact center of the wheel, with the paper clip free to move around it.

Give the free end of the paper clip a flick with your finger to get it to spin around the pencil.

7. As girls are spinning for their team’s rules, you may need to give some examples to clarify some of the spinner choices.

8. Set a time limit for teams to develop their games.

9. If time allows, have each team meet with one other team. Teams should explain their games to each other and then try playing each other’s game. If you run out of time at this meeting, make plans to play at a future meeting.

From: Girl Scouts River Valleys

Board Game Template (one per small group)

Board Game

Board Games.pdf Spinners (one per small group

Sharpened pencils (one per small group)

Large paper clips (one per small group)

Writing and coloring utensils

Board game objects, such as index cards, dice and game pieces (colored bits of paper or other place

markers)

Optional: Additional board game objects

 

Making Games 3 and 5

Game (10 min)

Let's Do That!

1. Ask girls to brainstorm some different ways of moving.

E.g. walking, tiptoeing, running, skipping, hopping, galloping or imitations, such as lumbering like an elephant or twirling like a ballerina

2. Next, brainstorm sounds.

E.g. animal imitations, machine noises, singing or voice changes, nonsense syllables

3. Explain the rules to this game.

The group always needs both a sound and a movement to follow.

Anyone in the group can be the person to change the rule.

4. Have the group practice listening for the signal. If you have a bell or buzzer, you can leave it at the front or you can choose a clapping pattern or code phrase like "Change it up!" to signal everyone to freeze and listen for the next step. Practice by having everyone mingle around in the space. Ring the bell (or clap, or shout the code word) and everyone should stop where they are and look at the signaler.

5. When the signaler gives an action and sound, the whole group should respond with, "Let's do that!" and then use the new sound and action. Start with something, such as "Let's act like airplanes and make

propeller noises!" and girls should all yell back, "Let's do that!" before sticking out their arms and flying around, making whatever engine noises they like.

6. Give girls only a few seconds on this first action and sound before ringing the bell again. Remind them that any person can come up and ring the bell and give a new direction. If they get stuck on an action

for more than a minute, ring the bell and have the closest person pick a new action and sound.

From: Girl Scouts River Valleys

Optional: Bell or other noise maker

 

Making Games 4

 

Outings and Visitors

Field Trip Ideas:

o Visit a local cultural festival that includes traditional games and contests.

o Visit a playground and invent a new game using that specific facility.

o Watch a tournament of a game or sport new to the group.

o Attend a summer camp or recreational program to learn new games.

o Visit a local park and plan your own scavenger hunt.

Speaker Ideas:

o Invite a camp counselor, physical education teacher or a children’s program facilitator to your

troop meeting to have some game-making fun.

o Host a troop “birthday party.” Plan some party games and invite another troop to come play them with you.

 

Sample Meeting 1