Age groups in Scouting and Guiding

Some Scout and Guide organizations in the Scout Movement and Girl Guides, in addition to Scouts, operate other programs for other age groups. Some Scout organizations separate older scout (e.g. senior scouts, Venture Scouts, Explorer Scouts), often specializing in or undertaking more adventurous activities such as Sea Scouts, Air Scouts, high adventure, mounted Scouts and cyclist Scouts.

The Scout Movement is a pluralist movement and has always consisted of many Scout organizations. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the Scout Movement were widely established in 1908, before central or national Scout organizations were formed. Scouts is for 11–17 year olds. Many early Scout Troops were connected with or formed a variety of associated organizations for younger boys and girls. Some older youths maintained connection with their former Scout troops.

In 1910, Robert Baden-Powell founded The Boy Scouts Association and the separate Girl Guides organization. In 1916, The Boy Scouts Association launched its Wolf Cubs program for 8- to 10-year-old boys. Baden-Powell did not want Wolf Cubs to be junior scouts and wanted them to be distinct in identity and program from Boy Scouts in order to not give the Scouts a juvenile image. The Boy Scouts Association formed its Rovers program in 1918 for those too old to be Scouts and also formed its Guild of Old Scouts. Some other Scout organizations adopted and operated these or similar programs in connection with their Scouts. The Girl Guides Association formed Brownie Guides for younger girls and Ranger Guides for older girls.

Most of these other age programs use the core principles of the Scout Method but participants in programs for younger ages do not make the Scout Promise.

The following articles contain information on the various other age programs:

In some Scout organizations, a local Scout Group combines Scouts with other age programs in a single organization structure. This is referred to as "family scouting".

The following table contains links to articles with information on specific sectional programmes within the various organisations where available:

Guiding and Scouting in Northern Ireland are administered by Irish and UK organisations, respectively.

Guiding and Scouting in Northern Ireland is served by Irish and UK organisations.

• Scouting
• World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
• World Organization of the Scout Movement
• List of highest awards in Scouting