WHAT IS A SQUIRREL?
Squirrel Scouts are the first and newest Section in the Scout Family and are young people usually aged between four and six years old. Dreys only starting in February 2022.
At Squirrels everyone is a friend, children from all communities, all backgrounds, and genders. We aim to play games, tell stories, get active, and explore the outdoors.
Yes we will fall down, but we will pick ourselves back up again and bounce back stronger. Squirrels will laugh, and learn new skills almost without realising – it’s the start of their journey for #skillsforlife.
The never ending adventure starts here! They meet once a week in what is called a Squirrel Drey.
WHAT DO SQUIRREL SCOUTS WEAR?
Squirrel Scouts have a uniform which consists of a Red Sweatshirt with optional activity trousers.
Squirrel Scouts also wear a Group scarf and woggle.
WHAT DO SQUIRREL SCOUTS DO?
Squirrel Scouts are in their early years and are just amazing, their minds are fizzing, their energy and curiosity is sky high. This is the time to fill the little ones’ lives with wow and wonder, to set them climbing up the Scouting tree – who knows how far they will reach?
They will work towards their Chief Scout's Acorn Award.
Squirrels move on to Beavers when they are six years old.
WANT TO BECOME A SQUIRREL SCOUT?
You need to be at least four years old to become a Squirrel Scout and at times the Drey may be full so you may have to go on a waiting list. At the moment there is only one in Gordon District but there may be more soon.
Squirrels are our youngest, and newest, members, and generally meet for an hour per week. We’ve started opening a new provision for four and five year olds called Squirrels, to help young people gain skills for life at a time when it matters most and where it's most needed.
The Squirrel Drey is the first and youngest section of the Scout Group. Squirrel Scouts are young people aged between 4 and 6 years old. There is core flexibility in the age range: young people can join from age 6, and can move to Cubs between age 6 and 6½. It may sometimes be appropriate to extend this flexibility for young people with additional needs. For further information, see our guidance on age range flexibility.
Structure
A Squirrel Drey may be organised into smaller groups called Nests. Nests can be used in a number of ways to facilitate the organisation of the Squirrel Scout Drey. They may provide a ‘home’ area for Squirrel Scouts to gather at points at the start, during or at the end of the Drey meeting.
Activities
We’re really excited to share the Squirrels programme with you!
Each badge is packed with wow and wonder, perfect for anyone who’s ever asked ‘Why?’ (or ‘Why not?’). You’ll tell stories and play games. Get active and explore the outdoors. Become a brilliant builder and a super chef. There’s something for everyone – and that means that there’s something for you.
When designing the badges and activities for Squirrel Scouts, our goal was to create:
an age-appropriate programme,
that meets the Theory of Change,
and is respected by Early Years practitioners,
without compromising our Scout values,
which encourages community and home learning,
and works in areas of deprivation and for diverse ethnic communities.
To do this, we wrote, tested and updated a programme proposal with nearly 400 people to create badges full of adventure, fun, and, of course, skills.