Who are Squirrels?

Squirrels are young people aged 4 and 5 who:

Every week, they gather in groups called Squirrel Dreys to hop, skip and jump their way through lots of different games and activities – achieving anything they set their minds to, and having lots of fun along the way.


What do Squirrels get up to?

Being a Squirrel is all about growing and learning in small but mighty ways. Here are some of the things you’ll get up to with your new friends.


Exploring the great outdoors

Squirrels spend lots of time outside when conditions are right. They will explore the local area, hunt for bugs and build homes for them, learn about outdoor dangers and how to stay safe, marvel at the stars and learning how to make the world a better place.


Trying new activities and learning new things

Going to Squirrels complements whatever they learn from nursery and school but the emphasis is on exploring, playing and doing.


Key traits that Squirrels will develop are an acceptance of each other (trust), supporting each other (loyalty), recognising right and wrong (integrity) and trying new things even if they have doubts about them at first (courage).


Helping others

Squirrels will learn to help other people, in their local communities and beyond.


Who leads Squirrels?

Each Drey is made up of young people aged 4 and 5, led by an adult Squirrel leader. Other adult volunteers are on hand to supervise activities, share their skills and keep everyone safe. In some groups, Squirrel leaders are nicknamed after characters from nature, books or films. In others, Squirrels call their leader by their real first name.


Within their Drey, some Squirrels are also part of a Nest. A Nest is a smaller group of Squirrels, so each young person has more time to do exciting activities.


The bigger Scout family

There are Scouts all over the world. From the rainy rainforests of the Amazon to the smallest of the Scottish Isles, Squirrels are a part of this worldwide Scout family. Closer to home, they’re also part of their wider Scout Group, alongside Beavers (Aged 6 to 8), Cubs (aged 8 to 10½), and Scouts (aged 10½ to 14). When they're older, they can also join Explorers (for young people aged 14 to 18) and Scout Network (for young people aged 18 to 25). Although both of these are closely associated with the younger sections, they are not part of the Scout Group.


Promises and ceremonies

As well as enjoying plenty of adventures, being a Squirrel is about exploring who you are and what you stand for. These are big ideas, and when you join the Drey, you’ll start thinking about them by making a promise. A promise is a set of words that mean something to you, which you try to follow everyday.


Making the promise is a big celebration within the Drey. Every time a new Squirrel decides to join, they chat through their promise with their leader before saying it out loud in front of their fellow Squirrels. Family and friends might come along to see this, too. Doing this is called being ‘invested’ into Squirrels, and it usually takes place once you’ve had a few weeks to settle in.


Everyone is unique but there are some things all Squirrels agree on – such as treating everyone with kindness and promising to do their best. Depending on their own beliefs, they might also promise to live by their faith.


Squirrels choose the promise that best suits them. You can find out more about the Squirrel promise here.


How to join

To join Squirrels, please fill in the Join Us form.


Squirrels is open to all, and we can usually tweak things to make sure everyone can join in the fun. If you have any questions about accessibility, chat with your leader as soon as possible. By being upfront from the start, parents/carers can work in partnership with leaders to make sure their young person has.


Is there a waiting list?

Lots of young people want to join Squirrels and you might have to wait for a space to become available before you can start your journey. If the Drey has a waiting list, parents and other adults might want to think about what they could do to help out. Regardless of skillset or availability, there’s an opportunity for everyone to contribute.


What should I wear?

On your first night at Squirrels, you’ll be taking part in lots of activities, and should just wear something you feel comfortable in.


Eventually, you’ll get your own Squirrel uniform to wear to meetings and on trips and nights away. Wearing a uniform is comfy and practical. It means no one feels uncomfortable or left out and helps everyone to feel a part of the Drey. It also gives you a place to show off all the Squirrel badges you earn.


For Squirrels, the uniform consists of a red sweatshirt with your badges sewn on and a coloured scarf or ‘necker’ to represent the group. There are lots of other optional accessories you can wear such as hats and hoodies. If you’re not sure where to start, adult volunteers can give you more information about what to buy and where to buy it.


How much does it cost?

There is a basic fee covering the cost of the hire and upkeep of the Squirrels meeting place. Trips, camps and activities that take place away from the usual meeting place are usually charged separately.


Squirrels is designed to be an accessible and affordable way for young people to learn lots of new skills through a single membership. Nobody should feel excluded from Squirrel activities because of money worries. If they’re concerned about costs, adults should speak to their leader in confidence, to see what they can do to help. In most cases, support is available to make sure nobody misses out.