Squirrels
Squirrels are young people, aged 4 to 6, who:
- Tell stories and play games
- Have fun and go on adventures
- Make friends and grow social skills
- Are curious about the world around them
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.
Meetings
Our Squirrel Drey meet from 17:00 to 17:45
These meetings provide young people with an opportunity to learn new skills, make friends, and have fun in a safe and supportive environment.
Activities
The Squirrel Scout Program is designed to to help young people work towards the Chief Scout Acron Award, it is the highest award a Squirrel can earn, and it’s something you work on gradually throughout your whole time in the section. To get your hands on one, you’ll need complete all of the Challenge Awards and two Activity Badges.
Our activities include:
- Outdoor adventures and exploration
- Hiking and nature walks
- Games which promote teamwork, problem-solving and leadership skills
- Cooking
- Craft projects
- Learning about the world
- Community based projects
Our Leadership Team
Our adult leaders and young leaders are committed to providing a positive and engaging experience for all our Squirrels in Harwell.
Meet the Leaders…
Investitures
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 and being invested into Scouting. A promise is a set of words that mean something to you, which you try to follow every day.
Making the promise is a big celebration within the Drew. 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.
Uniform
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 requirements are:
- Squirrel Uniform Sweatshirt – this is compulsory and where Squirrel badges are sewn on.
- Squirrel Uniform Polo Shirt – this is optional, but many Squirrels choose to wear this under their sweatshirt during the winter and instead of the sweatshirt in the summer
- Scout Necker – this will be provided by the group when you are invested
- Core Unifrom Badges – these will be provided by the group when you are invested