Cub Scouts is a program for boys and girls in kindergarten through fifth grade. It is designed to help them develop into well-rounded individuals through a variety of activities, including:

  • Camping
  • Hiking
  • Fishing
  • Games and Sports
  • Crafts
  • Community service

Cub Scouts also teaches boys and girls important life skills, such as:

  • Leadership
  • Teamwork
  • Problem-solving
  • Decision-making
  • Communication
  • Responsibility

If you are a new parent, Cub Scouts is a great way to get your child involved in a fun and educational program. It is also a great way to meet other parents and make new friends.

The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling them with the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

But what benefit does Cub Scouting provide to you and your children? Here are some of my favorites:

Outdoor Activities

Cub Scouting gets my son off electronics and outside. Camping and hiking are the Scouting outdoor experiences that come to mind first. But Cub Scouts are outdoors for many other reasons.

The requirements to earn rank badges and other awards include outdoor activities.

The kids are outside for other reasons too. We visit nature centers and parks. We go geocaching. Dens play games such as tag or gaga ball.

Our pack meets at our kids’ school. As soon as we arrive, our Cub Scouts dash to the playground to play with their friends before the meeting starts. They head back out there the minute their meeting ends.

Like many other kids, mine spend too much time indoors playing with their electronics. Getting them outdoors is one of the best benefits of Cub Scouts.

Trying New Things

The Cub Scout program gives the children opportunities to try new activities.

Cub Scouts often love an activity so much that they want to explore it more. For example, building a simple collection as part of a Cub Scout requirement can lead to a lifelong love of stamp collecting.

I love that one of the benefits of Cub Scouts is that they’ll be introduced to activities that we as a family would never do on our own.

Important Skills

As adults, we know how to do many things that we may not teach our kids. I haven’t had the lesson in reading a map or tying a square knot with my son, but he has learned map reading and knot tying in Cub Scouts.

Cub Scouts learn how to use tools by building wood projects. Every summer at our Cub Scout day camp, there are at least one or two boys or girls who have never used a hammer, and we show them how.

Cub Scouts learn basic first aid skills for treating cuts, blisters, insect bites, and nosebleeds among others. They also learn what to do in more serious situations such as heart attacks and poisoning and when someone has stopped breathing.

The children test and change batteries in smoke detectors. This skill comes in handy when those things start to chirp!

We may forget to teach our kids some of these things, so I’m glad that Cub Scouts is doing it for us.

To learn more about Cub Scouts, visit the Scouting.org website.

Here are some additional tips for new parents who are considering enrolling their child in Pack 96:

  • Talk to your child about what they are interested in and see if Cub Scouts has any programs that match their interests.
  • Contact the Cubmaster for our pack and ask questions!
  • Ask questions and get involved! Cub Scouts is a great way to make a difference in your child’s life.