Activity Overview
Girl Scouts learn about animal communication by playing charades.
- Talk about examples of animals communicating their needs and feelings.
- Guide Girl Scouts to look through animal facts in Animal Communication, then play charades with the provided cards.
- Encourage Girl Scouts to guess which animal they are portraying and what they could be trying to communicate.
Leader Guidance
Say:
- Do you know that animals can “talk” without using words? They might use sounds, movements, or even color changes or scents to express their needs and feelings. Can you think of some examples? (Wait for answers.)
- Different animal species communicate in different ways.
- For example, monkeys may make loud calls to warn others about danger, rattlesnakes raise their tail to intimidate predators, and ants leave scent trails (or pheromones) to guide their colony.
- Think about how different animal species might show feelings like being happy, scared, or hungry.
- How do YOU communicate? How might an animal communicate in a different way?
- We’re going to play animal charades! You’ll silently act like an animal and communicate a need using your body—no talking!
Pass out Animal Communication and give Girl Scouts time to look over it. If you have a large group, break Girl Scouts into pairs or small teams. Cut out the cards from the Animal Communication Charade Cards handout, fold the cards in half, and give one set to each group—along with a container to hold the folded cards.
Invite Girl Scouts to play Animal Charades with the provided cards, taking turns acting out an animal while the rest of the group guesses. Encourage them to observe closely—not just to figure out which animal the Girl Scout is acting out, but also to notice what need or feeling that animal is trying to show. When everyone has had a turn, bring the full group back together.
Say:
- Who wants to share what they noticed or learned while playing charades?
- You can talk about the animals you acted out or guessed, what their behaviors or movements taught you, or any surprises you noticed during the game.
Multi-level Tips
This activity is suitable for all Girl Scout levels. Girl Scouts can do the activity together or split into small groups and play Animal Charades. Older Girl Scouts can also help younger ones, if needed.
