Woodcraft Folk or Brownies/Scouts

[onefunkymama]

Hi

I'm looking for a group for my kids to join. I have my doubts about brownies and scouts but looking for something along those lines. Does anyone have any experience of Woodcraft Folk? Would you recommend them?

Bumping for you.

I'm very impressed with the woodcraft folk, having grown up very involved in the brownies, guides, scout movements, I wasn't against them, but the woodcraft folk suits us as a family much better.

My 3 dds are all enthusiastic members and I'm involved in leading a group now- it sucks you in .

I like the way the organisation has been unisex from the beginning, as well as being emphatically non-religious and non-nationalistic. It tends to do more outdoor activities younger than the cubs and brownies, and there is a lot of mixing of age ranges which my children really enjoy.

Like Fennel said, depends on what you want to get out of it

if you want all your kids together then woodcraft would be better

but if (eg) a younger dd would benefit from girl-based things away from boisterous brothers then Brownies might help

conversely romping mad boys sometimes respond well to the mix of discipline and outdoorsiness you get at scouts

My dd LOVES Woodcraft. I would absolutely recommend it. The camping trips are definitely the best bit, parents and kids of all ages involved. We like all that friendship and cooperation stuff!

It varies between groups, but for ours there is a lot of involvement expected from parents. We are expected to organise or help out with the group nights.

Woodcraft folk does tend to be deliberately less structured, and with laxer discipline. It has a lot of emphasis on children of all ages having a say in the decision-making, and taking responsibility for things.

This suits us (though sometimes I find the hippy inefficiency a bit hard, I like things to be organised reasonably effectively.
But I love the people we meet through it.