Friends Are Fun (Brownie Try-it)

This Try-it was introduced in 1999 and retired in 2011.

In Girl Scouting you make new friends and learn to strengthen the friendships you already have.

As with all older Brownie Try-its, scouts need to complete 4 activities to earn the badge.

Activity #1 Make New Friends
Look for new friends at school or at after school activities. Is there someone who is sitting by herself? Does she look lonely? Go up, smile, and introduce yourself. Then invite her to join you!

Activity #2 Friendship Bracelet
Celebrate with a friendship bracelet. Give it as a gift, or make matching ones for your friends and yourself!

You will need: A cardboard tube (paper towel roll or toilet paper roll) Scissors Thin yarn in 3 or 4 different colors Tape Pencil Hole punch

Take the cardboard tube and carefully cut it open lengthwise.</li> Place the tube on your wrist and mark off how wide you want your bracelet to be.</li> Remove the tube from your arm and cut the tube to that width.</li> Punch a hole in each end of the tube.</li> Put together your yarn strings and push them through one of the holes in the end of the tube.</li> Leaving about 4" of yarn hanging down from the tube end, tie a note around the tube end.</li> Start to wind the yarn around the outside of the tube and continue winding until the entire tube is covered with your yarn.</li> String the ends through the remaining hole in the tube and tie off.</li> Use the two ends hanging down to tie around your wrist!</li></ol>

You can use this same technique for headbands and picture frames as well! Or you can create special friendship pencils for you and your friends to use to write to each other.

Activity #3 Paper Design
Make colorful writing paper and matching envelopes for keeping in touch with a special friend. You will need: Pencils</li> Rubber stamps and ink pad</li> Colored pencils and/or markers</li> Ruler</li> Plain paper and envelopes</li></ul>

<ol>Using the ruler, measure off 1" from all the edges of the paper. Make light dots every couple of inches along each edge. Using the straight edge of the ruler, connect the dots. You've now made a light border around the paper. This is the unit you'll decorate.</li> Use rubber stamps or colored markers/pencils to create designs along the border of the paper. You can duplicate this method to decorate the envelopes as well.</li></ol>

Activity #4 Create a code
Have you ever written a secret code or received a secret message? Making and cracking codes is fun! Here's an "alphabet soup" code you can try with a friend.

<ol><li>Write out the alphabet on a piece of paper. Leave room under each letter to write a number or draw a picture. That's your code.</li> <li>Write out a message to send to your friend.</li> <li>Now substitute the number or picture that's under each letter of the message.</li> <li>Rewrite the message using only the numbers and/or pictures.</li> <li>Pass your message on to your friend. Make sure she has a copy of the decoding sheet or she won't be able to read the message!</li></ol>

Activity #5 Measure up
You and a friend can send secret messages to each other, using this technique. Make sure you have the same size rulers or you won't be able to read what she's written.

You will need: <ul><li>2 rulers of equal length</li> <li>Tape</li> <li>Paper</li> <li>Scissors</li> <li>Marker or pencil</li></ul>

<ol><li>Cut a strip of paper 1 foot across and about 2-1/2 times as wide as your ruler.</li> <li>Tape one end of the paper to the end of the ruler diagonally across beginning end of the ruler. </li> <li>Carefully wrap the paper strip diagonally around the ruler until it reaches the end of the ruler.</li> <li>Write a short message on the paper, across the front of the ruler with your pencil. Make sure to mark the beginning of the message with a star (*).</li> <li>Carefully unwrap the paper and send it to your friend. She will wrap the paper around her ruler, beginning with the part with the star. She can then read your message!</li></ol>

Activity #6 Flower Power
Did you know that over the years some flowers have come to have a special meaning? Did you know that we give red roses to a friend as a way of saying we love her? Or that forget-me-nots represent remembering?

The chrysanthemum is a flower that stands for friendship. Celebrate one of your friendships by planting a chrysanthemum in a pot. As your friendship grows, so will the flower!

You will need: <ul><li>A flowerpot with a drainage hole and a saucer</li> <li>Dirt</li> <li>Chrysanthemum seeds</li> <li>A watering can or cup</li> <li>A stick</li> <li>Small pebbles</li></ul>

<ol><li>Line the bottom of the flowerpot with pebbles.</li> <li>Fill the rest of the pot with dirt.</li> <li>Make two 2" holes in the dirt with a stick. Your holes should be 2" apart from each other. Place a seed into each hole.</li> <li>Lightly cover the seed with dirt. Gently water the seeds and dirt until the water seeps out of the bottom of the pot and onto the saucer.</li> <li>Keep your plant in the sunshine and follow the directions on the seed package for watering. In a short time, you'll have a couple of chrysanthemum plants. Give one to your friend for her to plant!</li></ol>