Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with some Scout organizations, for young children, usually between 8 and 12, who are too young to be Scouts and make the Scout Promise. A participant in the program is called a Cub and a group of Cubs is called a "Pack".

The Wolf Cub program was originated by The Scout Association in the United Kingdom in 1916 to provide a program for boys who were too young to be Boy Scouts and make the Scout Promise. It was adopted by some other Scout organizations. Most Scout organizations, including The Scout Association, no longer use the Wolf Cub program and have replaced it with other program but have retained the name Cubs. Others, including some Traditional Scouting organizations, maintain the original Wolf Cubs program.

Originally, cubs program were open only to boys, while young girls could join the Brownies. Some Cub organizations are open to both girls and boys, although not necessarily in the same unit. A few organizations also operate a Sea Cub version of Cubs.

Wolf Cubs was started by The Scout Association in 1916, nine years after the establishment of the Boy Scout Movement, to cater to younger boys who were too young to be Boy Scouts. During these first years, many troops had either allowed younger boys to join or had set up an informal junior or cadet Scout troops. In 1916, articles in a Scout leaders' journal, Headquarters Gazette outlined "Junior Scout" and then "Wolf Cub" schemes. However, Robert Baden-Powell wanted something quite different from a watered-down Boy Scout program and recognised that too close of an association between the junior program and the Boy Scouts would detract from both. Baden-Powell wanted a junior scheme with a name, uniform and other identity and program distinct from the Scouts.

In 1916, Baden-Powell published his outlines for such a scheme, it was to be called Wolf Cubs. Baden-Powell asked his friend Rudyard Kipling for the use of his Jungle Book history and universe as a motivational frame for the Wolf Cub scheme. The scheme was given a publicity launch at The Boy Scouts Association's Imperial Headquarters in Buckingham Palace Road, Westminster, on Saturday 24 June 1916. Baden-Powell wrote a new book, The Wolf Cub's Handbook, the first edition of which was published in December 1916. He collaborated with Vera Barclay in devising the Wolf Cub training program and badges, which were published in the second edition. On 16 December 1916, a public display of the Wolf Cubs was held at Caxton Hall, Westminster, to which Kipling was invited; he was unable to attend but sent Baden-Powell a letter of apology, praising his work with the Scout Movement. Vera Barclay co-founded Wolf Cubs with Baden-Powell in 1916.

From the 1960s, many organizations varied or abandoned the Wolf Cub Jungle Book theme. Some organizations changed the name to Cubs, Cub Scouts or similar but retained the Jungle Stories and Cub ceremony as tradition—such as the use of Jungle Book names (as described below); and the Grand Howl which signals the start and end of Cub Meetings. Other organizations kept the name but dropped the Jungle Book theme.

Originally, Cubs was open only to boys while the Brownies were set up as a parallel for young girls in Girl Guides organizations. This remains the situation in some places. Most World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) member organizations admitted girls to Cubs while others have separate co-ed units with a different theme. Most member Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe (UIGSE) member organizations have two single-sex units both named Wolf Cubs and both in the jungle theme.

Cubs has ideals of spiritual and character growth, citizenship training, and personal fitness.^{[citation needed]} Cubs provides a positive, encouraging peer group, carefully selected leaders ^{[citation needed]} who provide good role models and a group setting where values are taught to reinforce positive qualities of character.^{[citation needed]}