Detective (Junior badge)

The Detective badge is part of the “It's Your Planet - Love It!” badge set introduced in 2011.

Activity #1: Practice the power of observation

 * Create a crime scene for the girls to use their powers of observation. You can do the whole Mystery Festival sessions from the Lawrence Hall of Science, or just do part of it for the badge.


 * Shake up a room activity. We did this from the badge book. We had the girls look around the room, then sent them down the hall to get drinks from the drinking fountain (a good distraction). While they were gone, the parent program leader hid 5 items, then asked them to figure out what was missing.

Activity #2: Communicate in code
Note: we had one parent program leader work with the girls on this, while another set up a crime scene. They had to make up their own code to communicate

Activity #3: Fingerprint for fun

 * Fingerprint basics. How to classify fingerprints. We tried this with washable ink pads and paper. Works better with plan printer paper and just drawing on the fingers with a pencil, then pressing the finger on the paper. The girls will need some magnifying glasses to do this.

Activity #4: Try out detective science
Graphology is the study of handwriting. Supposedly one can figure out someone’s personality traits based upon how she writes. Although not a proven since at all, it will be fun for the girls to try.

Have the girls write a sentence of your choosing in their regular handwriting. The have them write it again with their other hand. Then have them write it a third time, intentionally trying to change how they form their letters. Have another scout compare the three styles and see if they are consistent.

Activity #5: Follow the clues to solve a real mystery
Before the meeting, wrap up a treat for each girl. Depending on how many groups you will divide the girls into, make one large box for each group that is wrapped and will contain the treat. Hide the boxes and write at least three clues for the girls to follow so that they find the box. Then they can eat the treat!

Meeting Plans

 * Meeting plan with Royal Guard Incident Report

Other Fun Activities

 * Make your own invisible ink

Reading List

 * Genius Files by Dan Gutman. More about spies than detectives, but lots of fun codes to decipher in these books.
 * Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol.