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Scouting and Guiding organisations are currently divided up into different age groups for the purposes of providing suitable Scouting and Guiding programmes to young people across the world.

Different organisations vary on the precise groupings, but most of them offer Scouting and Guiding from the ages of 6 to 25, in one form or another.

Contents 1 History 2 Sections Around the World 3 See also 4 References

Originally, there was only a single section for all members of the Scouting (Scouts) and Guiding (Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) Movements. Typically, these were for 11–17 year olds, although the exact ages varied between the countries and organisations.

Within the first twenty-five years of Scouting its founder, Robert Baden-Powell, saw that there was a demand to provide the Scouting programme for young people both above and below the core age range.

The first section to have a separate programme to the Scouts were the Wolf Cubs. This development allowed the younger brothers of Scouts to participate in similar activities. Later on, a senior section known as Rover Scouts was created. This was mirrored by similar sections being created for the Guide Movement - the Brownie Guides (equivalent to the Wolf Cubs) and Ranger Guides (the senior section).

In addition to the expansion of the age ranges, new programmes which ran parallel to the core Scout method were developed. For example, the Sea Scouts and Air Scouts. Another parallel programme is Extension Scouting, which aims to bring Scouting to young people with special needs.

Over time, the various Scouting and Guiding organisations around the world have continued to adapt their programmes to meet the requirements of the society they function in. However, while the age ranges and names vary, the core principles of the Scout or Guide Method are applied throughout.

There are a number of similarities in the Scouting and Guiding sections around the world, and the following articles contain generic information on the various age groups:

Scouting Beaver Scouts Cub Scouts Scouts Rover Scouts

Guiding Rainbow Guides Brownie Guides Girl Guides Ranger Guides

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

Country	Organisation	Junior Section(s)		Core Section		Senior Section(s)
Australia	Guides Australia[1]	Age grouping is determined by local organisations, as is naming of the sections Guides are 5 to 18 years
	Scouts Australia[2]	Joey Scouts 6 to 8 years	Cub Scouts 8 to 10.5 years	Scouts 10.5 to 15 years		Venturer Scouts 14.5 to 18 years	Rovers 17 to 26 years
Austria	Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs[3]	Wichtel (Brownies) 7 to 10 years		Guides 10 to 13 years	Caravelles 13 to 16 years	Rangers 16 to 20 years
		Wölflinge (Cub Scouts) 7 to 10 years		Späher 10 to 13 years	Explorers 13 to 16 years	Rovers 16 to 20 years
Bahrain	Boy Scouts of Bahrain	Al-Ashbal 8 to 12 years		Al-Kashaf 12 to 17 years		Al-Matakadem over 17 years
	The Girl Guides Association of Bahrain	Brownie Guides 7 to 11 years		Guides 12 to 15 years		Senior Guides 16 to 18 years	Ranger Guides 18 to 23 years
Canada	Girl Guides of Canada[4]	Sparks 5 to 6 years	Brownies 7 to 8 years	Guides 9 to 11 years	Pathfinders 12 to 15 years		Cadets,Junior Leaders,Rangers 15 to 17 years
	Scouts Canada[5]	Beavers 5 to 7 years	Wolf Cubs 8 to 10 years	Scouts 11 to 14 years (optional to 16)		Venturers 14 to 17 years	Rovers 18 to 26 years
India	Bharat Scouts and Guides[6]	Bunnies 3 to 6 years	Cubs 5 to 10 years	Scouts 10 to 17 years		Rovers 16 to 25 years
			Bulbuls 5 to 10 years	Guides 10 to 17 years		Rangers 16 to 25 years
Germany	Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder[7]	Wölflinge (Cub Scouts) 7 to 11 years		Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (Guides and Scouts) 11 to 15 years		Ranger und Rover (Ranger Guides and Rover Scouts) 16 to 25 years	Erwachsene (Adults) 25 years and older
	Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft Sankt Georg[8]	Wölflinge (Cub Scouts) 7 to 10 years		Jungpfadfinder (Junior Scouts) 10 to 13 years	Pfadfinder (Scouts) 13 to 16 years	Rover (Rover Scouts) 16 to 20 years
	Pfadfinderinnenschaft Sankt Georg[9]	Wichtel (Brownies) 7 to 10 years		Pfadfinderinnen (Guides) 10 to 13 years	Caravelles 13 to 16 years	Ranger (Ranger Guides) 16 years and older
	Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder[10]	Kinder (Children) 7 to 10 years		Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (Guides and Scouts) 10 to 15 years		Ranger und Rover (Ranger Guides and Rover Scouts) 16 to 25 years	Erwachsene (Adults) 18 years and older
Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland	Catholic Guides of Ireland[11]	Cygnet Guides 5-6 years	Brigin Guides 6-11 years	Guides 10-14 years		Rangers 14-17
	Irish Girl Guides[12]	Ladybirds 5 to 7 years	Brownies 6.5 to 11 years	Guides 10.5 to 15 years		Senior Branch 14.5 to 21 years
	Scouting Ireland[13]	Beaver Scouts 6 to 8 years	Macaoimh (Cub Scouts) 8 to 11 years Sea Cub Scouts 8 to 11 years	Scouts 11 to 15 years Sea Scouts 11 to 17 years Air Scouts		Venture Scouts 15 to 21 years Sea Venture Scouts 16 to 20 years
Malaysia	Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia	Pengakap Kanak-Kanak (Cub Scouts)		Pengakap Muda (Junior Scouts)		Pengakap Remaja (Senior Scouts)
	Persatuan Pandu Puteri Malaysia[14]	Tunas Puteri 9 to 11 years		Pandu Puteri 12 to 14 years		Renjer Puteri 15 to 19 years
South Africa	Girl Guides Association of South Africa[15]	Teddies 4.5 to 7 years	Brownies 7 to 10 years	Guides 10 to 14 years		Rangers 14 to 25 years
	South African Scout Association[16]	Cub Scouts 8 to 10.5 years		Scouts 10.5 to 18 years Air Scouts Sea Scouts		Rovers 18 to 30 years
Spain	Federación de Escultismo en España[17] Federación de Asociaciones de Scouts de Espana Movimiento Scout Católico	Castores (Beaver Scouts) 6 to 8 years	Lobatos (Cub Scouts) 8 to 11 years	Scouts 11 to 14 years		Escultas 14 to 17 years	Rovers 17 to 20 years
	Federacion Española de Guidismo[18]	6 to 7 years	8 to 11 years	12 to 14 years	15 to 16 years	17 to 18 years
		Age group naming is determined by the member organisations of the federation.
United Kingdom	Girlguiding UK[19]	Rainbows 5 to 7 years	Brownies 7 to 10 years	Guides 10 to 14 years		Senior Section (Guides) 14 to 25 years Ranger Guides
						Young Leaders 14 to 18 years	Adult Leaders 18 to 25 years
	The Scout Association[20]	Beaver Scouts 6 to 8 years	Cub Scouts 8 to 10.5 years	Scouts 10.5 to 14 years Air Scouts Sea Scouts		Explorer Scouts 14 to 18 years Air Explorers Sea Explorers Young Leaders	Scout Network 18 to 25 years
		Scoutlink All ages
United States of America	Boy Scouts of America[21]	Cub Scouts 7 to 10 years		Boy Scouts 10 to 18 years		Venturers 14 to 21 years
	Girl Scouts of the USA[22]	Daisy Girl Scouts 5 to 6 years	Brownie Girl Scouts 6 to 8 years	Junior Girl Scouts 8 to 11 years	STUDIO 2B 11 to 17 years

• Scouting
• World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
• World Organization of the Scout Movement