The Badge Archive

Activity Description: Youth act out feelings without words while others guess the emotion.

Items Needed:

• Strips of paper with one emotion written on each (e.g., happy, sad, excited, nervous, angry, confused)
• Bowl or container for drawing slips (optional)

Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 20–30 minutes):

1. Get Ready to Play (3–5 minutes)
   • Youth chooses a slip of paper with an emotion word
   • They read their emotion silently and think about how to show it using body language only
2. Act It Out and Guess (12–15 minutes)
   • Youth stands up and acts out the emotion through gestures, posture, and facial expression
     • No words or sounds
     • Other youth guess the emotion being shown
     • If it’s tricky, youth shares the answer and a new person goes next
3. Reflect and Share (5–10 minutes)
   • Youth talk briefly about which emotions were easiest or hardest to show
   • Optional: Discuss how body language can help us understand what people are feeling, even when they don’t speak

Suggested Emotion Cards for Elementary Scouts

• Happy
• Sad
• Excited
• Nervous
• Angry
• Tired
• Surprised
• Shy
• Curious
• Proud
• Scared
• Confused
• Calm
• Silly
• Frustrated
• Brave
• Bored
• Joyful
• Embarrassed
• Lonely

Suggested Emotion Cards for Teen Scouts

• Embarrassed
• Confident
• Awkward
• Proud
• Anxious
• Relaxed
• Frustrated
• Hopeful
• Disappointed
• Curious
• Excited
• Bored
• Grateful
• Guilty
• Tense
• Calm
• Lonely
• Inspired
• Suspicious
• Determined
• Shy
• Surprised
• Defensive
• Thoughtful
• Overwhelmed

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