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5 Fun Activities To Earn the Junior Designing Robots Badges
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Time to read 3 min
Never Struggle Planning Activities Again
Easy to use activity booklets for your troop meeting.Never Struggle Planning Activities Again
Easy to use activity booklets for your troop meeting.|
Time to read 3 min
It’s funny, there are many times in our day-to-day lives where we think, how can we do this task much easier, there has to be a robot that can do that for me today? Specifically, one day I was tired of closing my blinds, wished I had something I could have automated, thought, man, that'd be a cool invention, and then discovered someone already created it! So yeah, designing, testing, and solving problems for everyday things is great.
As a veteran troop leader and a busy mom juggling kids, work, and household chaos, I know how hard it can be to stare at a blank calendar and try to plan a meeting. But designing robots with your Junior Girl Scouts doesn't have to be overwhelming or require a computer science degree. You can teach core engineering and problem-solving skills completely screen-free!
Here are 5 fun, activity ideas to kickstart your badge meeting
What You Need:
How to Do It:
Give each girl a 3-foot strip of aluminum foil.
Challenge them to mold the foil into a functional-looking robot model in 10 minutes.
Have them attach pipe-cleaner "sensors" and "arms" to show what task their robot performs.
Why It's Fun & Works for the Badge:
It gets tactile brains working immediately, exploring physical design structures without needing complex materials.
Leader Tip:
Lay down a cheap plastic table cover beforehand for easy cleanup!
If you don’t happen to already know someone who is a Robotics Engineer, here’s a video of a Robotics Engineer who works for NASA. It’s a great opportunity to see a female role model working in this challenging field. In addition to including an interview with Dr. Howard, it also includes digital simulations of the robots she works on as well as video of the real-life prototypes she tests in the office.
After watching the video, you can discuss reflection questions like:
What You Need:
How to Do It:
Divide girls into small engineering teams.
Give them 15 minutes to build the tallest freestanding tower using only spaghetti and marshmallows.
Test the structural integrity by gently placing a small object (like a notepad) on top.
Why It's Fun & Works for the Badge:
Teaches the crucial engineering step of prototype testing and redesigning when things collapse.
Leader Tip:
Keep a pack of wet wipes handy—marshmallows get sticky fast!
What You Need:
How to Do It:
Set up a simple maze in the meeting room using cones and noodles.
One girl acts as the "robot" wearing the blindfold while her partner acts as the "programmer/designer" giving verbal navigation cues.
Switch roles and run the course again.
Why It's Fun & Works for the Badge:
Demonstrates how mechanical designs rely on directional commands and human-machine interaction.
Leader Tip:
Please remind the girls to walk slowly to keep everyone safe.
What You Need:
How to Do It:
Give girls 5 minutes to write down a pitch for a brand-new robot that solves a messy room or school problem.
Have each girl give a 30-second "Shark Tank" style pitch to the troop.
Vote on the most creative invention.
Why It's Fun & Works for the Badge:
Fulfills communication and sharing requirements by letting girls present their design solutions proudly.
Leader Tip:
Use a fun bell or chime to keep the 30-second timer moving briskly.
If you want to bypass the late-night prep, printing guesses, and scrambling for supplies, grab our complete, done-for-you Junior Designing Robots Printable Activity Booklet right now!
It features games, crafts, and choice worksheets for every single badge step.
Well of course give them the badge to display proudly on their vest, they earned it! You could also do a fun patch. Here is a real cute one:
Well of course give them the 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.
Enjoy every minute being a leader and continue to inspire your girls!
