Apart from Guides what other options do girls have after Brownies

[Wills]

My 9 year old really isn't suited to Guides but then nor was I so what else is out there?

Girls can now join scouts,
My dd was a scout and a guide at the same time, but much prefer scouts.

Why do you think not suited to Guides?
St. John Ambulance Cadets, Scouts (many variants), local unaffiliated-secular youth groups & church youth clubs, ?young Farmers, when do they start?

My DD didnt like guides but loves st johns cadets.

Army cadets. I went and it was amazing. Did my doe gold with them, expedition was in Spain. Went to Germany with them as I was on the cadet Cambrian and shooting teams.

It is strict, you learn a hell of a lot and do so much more than you ever would in guides.

Both my dd's are Scouts. It's brilliant for them.

They didn't enjoy Brownies and left to join cubs then progressed onto Scouts.

Another Scout DD here.

It depends why she didn't like Guide though. Although at 9 she is too young for Guides or Scouts - you could look into Cubs.

She hasn't been to guides yet! But don't groan! My oldest is at guides and is really really struggling. Being aspergic and hating change she wont try anything else but it obviously unhappy. Whilst my dd2 is not aspergic, like dd1 she is more tomboy than make up and boys which is what my dd1 is struggling with. All 3 of my girls are more likely to view boys as friends than conquests! So with another year to go I thought I'd start researching whats in the area and putting her name down. I will still encourage her to go up to the guides but I want her to spend a term or two at different clubs AS WELL and I will force a choice (with 4 kids I can't let her have too many clubs, I'm permanently ferrying as it is and the others also need a chance) but at least I will have got her to look at her options. She LOVES building dens, be outdoors and playing rough games.

My dd is in the Woodcraft Folk and loves it. She is off to Woodcraft camp in a couple of weeks.

Well, we don't do rough games as such, but at our Guide unit we've built our fair share of dens and are outside more weeks than not in the summer months, at least. All units are different, just like all leaders are different - there isn't a single model. We all work around the same basic programme guide but the way we interpret it is individual. Neither my co-leader or I are heavily into craft, so we dutifully organise the occasional craft activity (and pretty well, all in all) in the name of a rounded programme, but we're much more likely to be found cooking over an open fire, hiking or doing archery, to name but three things from this term's programme.

The other thing to bear in mind is that Guides is supposed to be run using activity ideas proposed by the girls themselves - they get to suggest the things they want to do and we try to include them. We struggle with the wierdest requests, but get most of them in! Perhaps if this particular unit doesn't suit your DDs, there might be another one that will?

Cubs is for 8 - 10.5 yr olds, then Scouts from 10.5 - 14, then Explorers from 14 - 18. Open to both sexes. Some groups have waiting lists though, and, just like guides, the groups vary one from another. You need to go along and see what's near you, or contact the 'Join' section on Scouts.org.uk which will forward your details to the loacl District Commissioner who will be able to tell you about the groups local to you.

Air Cadets starts from 13, i loved it as a teenager, learning to fly and shoot, loads of outdoorsy stuff.

Cubs.

DD, 9, who her ballet teacher would say is a 'girly girl' [I know better!] did Rainbows, had no placer in Brownies for a year and was then offered places in both Brownies and Cubs within the same week.

She chose Cubs. DS was already a member, and she loves all the hiking / climbing / camping / firelighting / archery / outdoors stuff (but also does craft and music and mapreading and first aid etc etc). She's gone from being one of 3 girls, to the only one, to one of 2 but still loves it. My impression is that she likes the simplicity of it, compared with the complex friendship issues and all the 'stuff' that goes on around dance and other girl-dominated activities. She turns up, is loud and energetic and wild and outdoorsy, is kept in good order by an excellent leader, and does amazing things week after week.

Not sure whether she will go on to Scouts, partly because she does dance a LOT and the timetabling gets hairy, but also because the leaders aren't as strong and I don't think she's get on with the amount of horseplay that goes on during meetings...

My Aspie loves scouts, and they have been fantastic with him and accommodating his needs. His troop is mixed.

Cub Scouts are great (more camps, boys and girls, and just generally really fun) and from there they can become Scouts. There different types of Scout: Sea Scout and Scout. I am a Sea Scout leader, and I used to work with Guides, and both of them are great. Scouts and Cubs have loads of girls in them. When she's older she could be a Cadet maybe?