Lion  Tiger  Wolf  Bear  Webelos  AoL
Scout  Tenderfoot  2nd Class  1st Class  Star  Life  Eagle

Since 1930, Scouting America has helped youth of cub scouts age. In 2026, parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the 10 purposes of Cub Scouting:

1. Character Development
2. Spiritual Growth
3. Good Citizenship
4. Sportsmanship & Fitness
5. Family Understanding
6. Respectful Relationships
7. Personal Achievement
8. Friendly Service
9. Fun & Adventure
10. Preparation for Scouts BSA

The Cub Scouts colors are blue and gold. They have special meaning, which will help boys and girls see beyond the fun of Cub Scouting to its ultimate goals. The blue stands for truth and spirituality, steadfast loyalty, and the sky above. The gold stands for warm sunlight, good cheer and happiness.

As a boy or girl begins the Scouting Trail, they join other boys or girls the same age. A youth can start the scouting program from 5 (starting kindergarten) to 17 years old.

The Cub Scout age program is for kindergarten through 5th graders, with each grade age having a corresponding rank - Lion scouts, Tiger scouts, Wolf scouts, Bear scouts, Webelos, and Arrow of Light ranks.

Starting in 2024, a Cub Scout program update aligned requirements for all 6 Cub Scout ranks to 5 major categories. Each rank requires completion of an adventure for each category, plus some elective adventures that the scout can choose. These categories of activity continue on when the scout transfers up to the Scouting BSA program for older youth. The categories are:

• Citizenship - being a member of a community and helping others
• Family & Reverence - being part of a family and understanding your family's faith traditions
• Outdoors - learn the Six Essentials and outdoor ethics
• Personal Fitness - developing a healthy diet and activity lifestyle
• Personal Safety - recognizing unsafe situations and approaching activities safely

Adventures in a specific category for each rank are similar so that Pack-wide activities can be applied to advancement at all levels. The requirements in each category just get more complex as the age of the scout increases.

How to Join:

1. Go to BeAScout.org
2. Click the 'Cub Scouts' tab.
3. Enter your zipcode and click the arrow button.
4. Click on a Pack near you to see its contact info so you can call the Pack or your local Council about joining.
5. Complete a Scouting America Youth Application and Health Record and give them to the Cubmaster of the Pack you choose.

The Cub Scout program has an Organizational Structure that puts boys or girls into groups called dens with recommended size of from 6 to 8 scouts. Dens of youth in a community form a pack which is part of a district. Districts combine to make a council - see this page for organization details.

More Cub Scout Information to Use in 2026:
  Cub Scouts - information about the cub scout program
  Lion Info - kindergarten
  Tiger Info - 1st grade
  Wolf Info - 2nd grade
  Bear Info - 3rd grade
  Webelos - 4th grade
  Arrow of Light - 5th grade

To help make your Cub Scouts program the best it can be in 2026, use these pages to find good stuff:
  Activities - find age-appropriate, advancement-supporting activites for Cub Scouts
  Games - den or pack games just right for 1st through 3rd graders
  Projects - fun projects for cub scouts to use to do a good turn
  Recipes - easy recipes
  Scout Skits - skits that Cub Scouts love
  Songs - songs to liven up a cub scout den or pack meeting
  Stories - choose stories that cub scouts will enjoy and understand
  Awards - see what awards are available to all cub scouts
  Pinewood Derby - advice for the big race