Joining Squirrels
Squirrel Scouts are young boys and girls aged between four and six years old.
They can move to the Beaver scouts, the next Section, any time within six months of their sixth birthday; this gives the flexibility to allow them to move with their friends or move on based on their skills and ability, ensuring that they get the best possible experience from their time in Scouting.
About Squirrels
Squirrels are the first and youngest section in the Scouting family. They are recognised by their red sweatshirts. Dreys normally meet weekly at the group, known as the Squirrel Drey. Meeting places vary between groups and may be schools, church halls or community buildings. Some Scout Groups have their own headquarters that they meet in.
During weekly meetings, activities are based most importantly around having fun and making friends. Squirrels is uniquely based on story-telling and all activities start with a story to excite and ignite imaginations. Whilst all groups do different things each week, generally activities will include making things, outdoor activities, singing, playing games, going out on visits, investigating nature, listening to stories and learning how to be safe.
Awards for Squirrels
Squirrel Scouts can gain a number of awards and badges, They start with the Membership Award which is given to Squirrels after they have made their promise and been invested into the Scout Movement.
The Moving-On Award is the last award given once a Squirrel Scout has completed their time in Squirrels and moved into Beaver Scouts.
Below are some of the different awards that Squirrels can work towards:
Activity Badges
There are a number of Activity Badges which can be awarded to Squirrel Scouts.
These are Be Active, Brilliant Builder, Exciting Experiments, Explore Outdoors, Feel Good, Get Creative, Go Wild, Let it Grow, Let’s Celebrate, Local Superhero, Story Time & super Chef. Most of the badges are covered during Drey meetings and activities, though there are some that can be completed through something that the young person does outside of Scouting.
Challenge Badges
Challenge Awards are completed together as a Drey. There are four different challenges including All Together, All Around Us, All About Me and All About Adventure.
Staged Badges
Squirrels can also work towards gaining Staged Activity Badges. They are completed in different stages, so after completing each stage Members are awarded the relevant badge. Some badges have different stages, for example, hikes staged badges are awarded after one, two, five and ten hikes (and more!). Stages badges are continued as young people move throughout the sections of Scouting.
Chief Scout’s Acorn Award
The Chief Scout’s Acorn Award is the highest award which can be gained by Squirrel Scouts. In order to attain it, Squirrel Scouts must have completed all four Challenge Awards and two Activity badges by the time they join Beaver Scouts. They can, if necessary complete this in the early stages of being in the Beaver section.