Quest Clubs Homeschool Curriculum Review

Quest is a badge-based educational incentive program that can be used in a wide variety of ways from scout-like clubs to after-school programs, to homeschool curriculum, and more!  With nine Areas of Discovery, their badges cover everything from outdoor skills like camping and kayaking to character traits like responsibility and teamwork.

Quest Clubs offer a source and framework for any family, school, or church to start skills and character-based clubs to encourage their children to grow in new knowledge about our world, and in values that will help them develop into mature adults. The website gives a step-by-step approach for this as a unit study for a homeschool family, or setting up a club-type program, with a very diverse choice of badges to be earned. The skills are awarded by physical badges to be worn on vests or can be printed off the website.

To earn a badge/pin, your child has to combine traditional learning with an activity or service. For each subject, your child might learn/be involved in the following–

• Overall knowledge about the subject: this might include technical terms, jargon, or terminology.
• History of the subject and how the subject is used today.
• Art projects associated with the subject material.
• Craft applications: if applicable, your child might have to build or make something that relates to the chosen subject/badge.
• Geography: your kids might have to look at a map and find the places where the subject came from or where it is used today.
• Games to help them learn the subject material.
• Music-related to the subject.
• Technology: how is it made? How is it used? How does technology impact the process?
• Service projects/volunteer opportunities.
• Shadowing someone who works in the area.
• Internet: with a parent’s permission a child might research websites that apply to the badge/pin subject.
• Field trips to locations that make or use the subject material.

Quest Club Highlights

Quest Clubs are a great alternative to traditional scouting programs.  They offer the structure and friendship of a scouting-style program but have unlimited badges, a wide variety of higher awards, and the flexibility to design the club to fit the needs of your group. Written and designed by homeschoolers, Quest knows exactly how to turn anything your child is interested in into a fun and educational badge. Their badges combine learning with activity, service, and even career exploration.

Currently, QuestClubs has more than 1200 badges your kids can earn, with more being released every month. They are listed in the following categories:

• Agriculture
• Art
• Character
• Home
• Health and Safety
• Knowledge
• Outdoors
• Science and Technology
• World

Quest works well in a family or a co-op/group/club setting (yes, you can set up your own Quest Club!). If your kids want to wear their badges, similar to how scouts wear theirs, you can purchase a vest to display the badges, although this is not necessary. Like the scout program, there are Leader Handbooks, a Quest Song, instructions regarding a Flag Ceremony, etc. Clearly, you can make the program as loose or as structured as you’d like.

Quest Club Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Available support from Designers
• Flexible framework to build your own club
• Skills and character-based

Cons:

• Requires lots of hands-on time for parents or leaders
• So many badges may be confusing

Additional Comments from Quest Clubs Users

“Our family is thoroughly enjoying Quest Club. We’ve learned about a wide variety of topics since joining Quest. The camaraderie, sense of belonging, and coming together with others to encourage and experience lifelong learning has been wonderful. Thank you again!” -Mia L

“I love the huge array of interesting badges and higher-level awards that my kids can earn. As a homeschooling family we often do Quest activities and badge work at home in addition to what they do with their club.” -Christina

“I love Quest because it gives my children a place to form friendships and grow in so many ways! I love the structure and guidance that the badges and awards give me as a parent to be able to instill values and character traits to my children. I love that my daughter and son can be in the same troop and meet at the same time and we LOVE our leaders!” -Ginger Z,