5 Fun Activities To Earn the Junior Detective Badge

April 3, 2023

Time to read 4 min

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If you're searching for ways to add excitement to your meeting and explore the world of being a detective while working on earning the Junior Detective Badge, you're in the right spot. With the activities listed below, your girls will embark on thrilling adventures, uncover clues, and unveil fascinating facts, all while honing their detective skills. Let's dive into the world of investigation and discovery!

Below are a few ideas to get you started.

Junior Detective Badge Activity Booklet

If you're looking to simplify your meeting planning, consider using this Activity Booklet filled with engaging and hands-on activities that will teach your girls about the everyday work of a detective. These activities include honing their observation skills, delving into detective science, decoding messages, and exploring the world of fingerprints. With easy-to-follow steps, this booklet is the perfect resource for running a successful meeting.

Get Booklet

Finger Print Without a Ink Pad

Create your own fingerprint without the need to buy ink pads! Simply gather paper, a pencil, and clear tape. Have the girls scribble a large area on the paper using the pencil. Then, press their finger onto the scribbled area, ensuring ink transfers onto their finger. Cover the finger with clear tape and press the tape onto a white area of the paper or a new piece of white paper. Voila! You now have a fingerprint without the need for ink pads.

If you do decide you want to do fingerprinting with a kit here is a great finger printing kit to use: 4M Fingerprint Kit

Be a Detective: What Type Of Finger Prints Do You Have

Now that you have collected the girls' fingerprints on paper, it's time to explore the fascinating world of fingerprint analysis. Help the girls figure out what type of fingerprint they have by understanding the different types. Here's a breakdown of the various fingerprint patterns:

1. Loop: The most common type of fingerprint pattern, loops have one or more ridges that enter from one side, curve around, and exit from the same side they entered.

2. Whorl: Whorls have circular or spiral ridges with at least one ridge that forms a complete circuit.

3. Arch: Arch patterns are less common and have ridges that enter from one side and exit on the other side, forming a slope or wave-like shape.

4. Tented Arch: Similar to the arch pattern, tented arches have a more pronounced upward thrust or angle in the center.

Encourage the girls to examine their fingerprints closely and identify which pattern they have. This activity will not only spark their curiosity but also introduce them to the fascinating science of fingerprint analysis.

Below is a visual of the different types of finger prints.

Original Image comes from: http://www.fun-science-project-ideas.com/The-science-of-fingerprints.html

Power of Observation – Answer a few questions about a video

Enhance your observation skills with an entertaining video activity! Gather your group and watch a short video together. As an example, try watching the "Observation Quiz" video. After the video, challenge the girls to answer 10 questions on a sheet of blank paper. Test their observation skills and discover how keen their eyes are!

Code Breaking Challenge

Introduce the troop to different types of codes and ciphers, such as Morse code, Caesar cipher, or simple letter substitution.

Morse Code Messages: Teach girls the basics of Morse code, including how each letter and symbol is represented by a series of dots and dashes. Create messages using Morse code and challenge your girls to decode them. Provide a key or a cheat sheet to help them crack the messages successfully.
Caesar Cipher: Introduce the Caesar cipher, a simple substitution cipher where each letter is shifted a certain number of positions in the alphabet. As a group you could all create your very own secret messages using the Caesar cipher and exchange them with friends to decipher.
Number Substitution: Assign each letter of the alphabet a corresponding number (e.g., A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, and so on). Then create number sequences that represent words or phrases and challenge your girls to decipher them by substituting the numbers with letters.
Symbolic Codes: - Invent a set of symbols to represent different letters or words. Then create messages or clues using symbolic codes and challenge your girls to decipher their meanings.
Word Jumble: Rearrange the letters of common words to form anagrams. Then challenge your girls to unscramble the jumbled letters to discover the original word.
Secret Messages: Provide your girls with invisible ink pens or lemon juice and guide them in writing secret messages on paper. Then reveal the messages by heating the paper with a light bulb or iron.

Remember to provide hints or clues as needed to prevent frustration and encourage your girls to work together or compete against each other to crack the codes. These code breaking challenges will not only keep them entertained but also enhance their problem-solving, logical thinking, and attention to detail skills. Happy code breaking!

Get ready for a thrilling and educational journey that will foster critical thinking, observation skills, team collaboration, and a passion for investigation while you work on this badge with your girls. Good luck, detectives, and happy sleuthing!

What do we do after your girls complete the activities?

Well of course give them the Junior Detective Badge to display proudly on their vest, they earned it! Additionally If you are like many leaders we want to award our girls when they complete something even beyond just the patch. One great way to show achievement is with a certificate. Don’t worry you don’t have to make them, I found a resource that has done all the work for you and all you have to do is print them and customize the certificates with each girl’s name, badge or award earned, date, and troop leader.

Editable certificates perfect for awarding girls after earning a badge.