In many families, scouting is a tradition that Children have participated in for many years! It’s not uncommon for parents to want their own children to experience the camping trips, bridging ceremonies, badges, uniforms and friendships they experienced in scouts growing up! Today, there’s dozens of different Scouting Options for children, which can make it tricky for a parent to find the perfect one! We’re a couple years away from signing my daughters up for a scout Program, but here’s what we’ll be considering when choosing from the multiple scouting options available these days.

1. Location: Since you’ll be spending considerable time traveling to and from meetings, consider the location and proximity from your house. Chances are if you are too far, it won’t be as easy to commit to.
2. Cost: Compare prices of the programs you’re interested. Some are free/reduced price if you volunteer, while others may be costlier.
3. Child’s Interests: Ask your child what kinds of things your child is interested in doing and ask the group leaders what kinds of things their group/troop already likes to do. Even within one organization, group a may spend a lot of time camping while another does a lot of cooking badges. Choose a group that reflects your child’s interests, activities and goals so your child is excited about going each week.
4. Time Commitment: Decide how much time you want to spend on this program. Some programs meet once a month while others meet twice a week. Choose the one that will work best with your family and your other commitments.
5. Mission Statement: Research the program online and read their mission statement and beliefs to be sure that the program is aligned with your thinking on a program.
6. Religious or Secular? Consider whether you will want a religious based scout group based out of your church or a secular program. This will help narrow the choices for you.
7. Age Range: Are you looking for a group where your child will be with children in his/her grade level or do you want them around children of multiple ages?
8. Group Size: Consider whether your child will enjoy a large group with multiple leaders or a small group with a couple of leaders.
9. Co-Ed or Separate: Are you looking for a group with girls or boys only or a co-ed group?

Once you know what you are looking for, check iQuriousKids.com for a scouting program near you! Some programs include Little Flowers, Heritage Girls, Girl Scouts, Frontier Girls, Boy Scouts, Trail Life, Pathfinders, Navigators USA & Spiral Scouts!