Bushcraft Not Minecraft

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Hello,

As a young lad growing up in the wilds of Yorkshire we spent a lot of time playing in the woods, this is long before the internet.

Now as a parent the world has changed and the struggle between online and offline life has become real and very apparent. My son recently reached the age of 10 and like most other kids his age would gladly spend all of his time sitting in front of his computer either playing Minecraft (in my opinion far from the worst computer games) or watching You Tube videos of other people playing games. I can understand the importance of this for a child as this is what they talk about with each other in the school playground. Here in Belgium there is no school on Wednesday afternoons and this time was usually spent at home, he on his computer and me pottering around. I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated by this situation and decided to do something about it.

We had been on a few expeditions together during the school holidays, hiking and camping, after the usual complaints about the weight of this rucksack for the first hour he really enjoyed the experience. For me it was fantastic to be able to share my love of the outdoors and spend some quality time with my fast developing little man. The next obvious step (to me) was to combine his love of You Tube with that of mine for the outdoors on these otherwise wasted Wednesday afternoons. Here began our Bushcraft Not Minecraft channel.

We have the luxury of living close to some pristine woodland with a fine mix of trees, plants and wetland. Now our Wednesday afternoons are spent here making videos of basic bushcraft and camping skills, observing the fauna and flora and generally being outdoors regardless of the weather. His self confidence grows hand in hand with his self reliance as has his playground status by being a 'Youtuber'.

You can check out the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgYV4kVOfkPxnhFG1r5Ki1A

I glean lots of great tips and information from forums and websites such as this one and enjoy hearing of the experiences of others who share my love of all things outdoors. I would particularly appreciate any suggestions for subjects to cover in our videos.

Warm greetings from sunny (today at least) Belgium.

Phil
 

Sieddy

Full Member
Nov 12, 2016
272
70
Oxford uk
Thats great mate I will definitely check your videos out to get ideas for things to do with my daughter. Combining the bushcraft with filmmaking is a great idea as both are very engaging for children and young people! ☺
 

ValeTudoGuy

Nomad
Mar 8, 2017
325
0
Preston, England
Good luck. You are in a similar situation to me...... Unfortunately I have just lost around 200 acres of wilderness on my doorstep due to the current building drive in the UK...

I hope yours stays and you make the most of it.
 

RAPPLEBY2000

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 2, 2003
3,195
14
50
England
Hi, it's a modern age, I've played Minecraft a few times, I like the building "Lego" element to it but it really wastes time, it's easy to tune out of reality and play for hours.
I agree a very bad game!
I have very much the same problem with my kids, and the problem is growing, and sadly we don't have local woods.
I to used to go exploring with friends and took my best friend and I on a "Survival" camp in some huge woods, made loads of mistakes but had fun. I'm really sad for kids today, but it's difficult to pry them from what is ultimately very entertaining watching or playing.


I keep saying to my kids if there was no electricity for a couple of weeks they would not know what to do with themselves, not that I want it to happen perhaps it would help kids realise they can use thier brains and get more fun from exploring the real world?
welcome to the site!
 

Bear mears

Tenderfoot
Mar 16, 2017
66
1
Wolverhampton
Hi, it's a modern age, I've played Minecraft a few times, I like the building "Lego" element to it but it really wastes time, it's easy to tune out of reality and play for hours.
I agree a very bad game!
I have very much the same problem with my kids, and the problem is growing, and sadly we don't have local woods.
I to used to go exploring with friends and took my best friend and I on a "Survival" camp in some huge woods, made loads of mistakes but had fun. I'm really sad for kids today, but it's difficult to pry them from what is ultimately very entertaining watching or playing.


I keep saying to my kids if there was no electricity for a couple of weeks they would not know what to do with themselves, not that I want it to happen perhaps it would help kids realise they can use thier brains and get more fun from exploring the real world?
welcome to the site!

I still play games to this day and I'm 28, even got into Minecraft at one point and it took over my life for a couple of weeks while not working lol. Our kids are part of a different generation now to what we used to know, as soon as I was old enough I was never at home until the street lights came on. Good or bad our kids are part of the beginning of a global connection and its only going to get faster over the next few decades. I don't think its something they should be deprived of as long as they grow up knowing how to take time away with nature.... Everybody needs a bit of nature in their life its our heritage as apes lol.
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,354
2,364
Bedfordshire
Not usually a fan of Youtube video proliferation, but that is one of the best reason I have heard. Good thinking!

When I was a youngster, age 5 or so, my parents were very much against me sitting and watching lots of cartoons on TV. They wanted me to be using my brain and imagination. They realised though, after watching me and one other kid trying to play in a park playground, and struggling to find common ground to communicate on, that if they didn't let me watch the popular cartoons I wouldn't be equipped to play with other children my age. I can see this being the same situation now with computer games and mobile phones. They are the new norm. They are also like junk food for the brain and senses. Children are naturally going to consume things that are enjoyable and help them fit in socially, whether they are good for their development as people or not. The challenge is getting them a balance with real world skills and interests in addition to the digital ones needed to fit with the "norm". Good work BNM :)
 

UKYanky

Tenderfoot
Jan 25, 2017
90
0
Grantham
I'm 42, been gaming since the Binatone days.

Nothing wrong with having many interests in my opinion. I cant stand watching TV for instance, drives me crazy the drivvel I see and makes me disappointed in society lol. Each to their own I reckon.

I will check your channel out soon when I get home, drop you a sub and all that :) My wife and I have just started too and we make videos primarily for fun and for her family who live in the states. OMG We used to be Minecrafters too a while back...this is getting freaky now!

Anyway ATB. Great community here, the folks here have helped me so much and have easily made my out doors experiences more enjoyable.
 

ValeTudoGuy

Nomad
Mar 8, 2017
325
0
Preston, England
By the same token, making YouTube videos is the norm now. That what my little Jackal wants to do, he wants to make them about a game called Ark Survival or Minecraft. I have reluctantly agreed on the proviso that we make them about outdoor stuff too.
 

Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
12,776
1,510
51
Wiltshire
You will have to come to the Moot; playing all day and Dungeons and Dragons by night and very contented kids.
 

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