The Badge Archive

Pen and Puffy Paint

Activity Description: Scouts draw a group of balloons, bugs, or cupcakes using pen, then add puffy paint to decorate each one with color, texture, and patterns.

  • Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Daisy Art and Design badge requirements.
  • Fulfills Steps 2 and 3 of GSUSA Brownie Art and Design badge requirements
  • Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Junior Art and Design badge requirements.

Info Needed for Daisy Art and Design: Crayons, colored pencils, and markers are types of art materials called mediums. Mediums can be things like clay, wood, or fabric. You can use paint or even a tablet or computer to make art. These are all different mediums. Artists sometimes use tools like paintbrushes, hammers, sewing needles, and 3-D printers to use the mediums. When an artist uses more than one material, like paint and crayons or yarn and wood. This is called mixed media or mixed mediums. If you use a pencil to draw something and then crayons to color it? You used mixed mediums!

Info Needed for Step 2 Brownie and Step 3 Junior Art and Design: Different colors can show different feelings, like happy, sad, or calm. Colors also help us see and understand what things are, like a green tree or a blue sky. Using colors in art helps make the pictures more interesting and tells a story.

Info Needed for Step 3 Brownie/Junior Art and Design: Shape refers to 2D objects, like circles, squares, and triangles. These shapes are flat and only have height and width. Artists use shapes to create pictures and designs on a flat surface, like paper or canvas. Form refers to 3D objects, like spheres, cubes, and pyramids. These forms have height, width, and depth, making them look more like real-life objects. Artists use forms to create sculptures or 3D models that you can see from different angles.

Items Needed:

  • Paper for each scout
  • Black pen or marker
  • Puffy paint in assorted colors
  • Paintbrush or stir stick for applying paint
  • (Optional) Printed examples of balloons, bugs, or cupcakes

Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 15 min):

  1. Scouts choose one theme to draw: balloons, bugs, or cupcakes (5 min)
    • Draw 3–5 simple shapes using pen.
    • Add details like strings, wings, sprinkles, or faces.
  2. Scouts decorate each shape with puffy paint (8 min)
    • Use different colors and textures for each item.
    • Add patterns like dots, stripes, or swirls.
  3. Let the artwork dry flat (2 min)
    • Remind scouts not to tilt or shake their paper.
    • (Optional) Share designs with the group or display at the next meeting.
Tia Kennard