Children's Bushcraft

[Willowbark]

Excellent thread!
Can I go a little off track here? My son is 9 in a couple of weeks and I was thinking of a bushcrafty theme for his pressies. Any suggestions for things that should be in his first kit? I have a few ideas already, but would love to hear from others who have had successes (or otherwise) with kit for kids.

Thanks in anticipation

WB

 

[Toddy]

Excellent thread!
Can I go a little off track here? My son is 9 in a couple of weeks and I was thinking of a bushcrafty theme for his pressies. Any suggestions for things that should be in his first kit? I have a few ideas already, but would love to hear from others who have had successes (or otherwise) with kit for kids.

Thanks in anticipation

WB

Aside from the usual suspects, can I suggest a small pointing trowel? It's useful for digging roots and tubers, scat holes and prying up up things for a look see, it'll make a great job of tidying up after a fire but it's also excellent for peeling off bark far more safely than a knife is. And..... if you get it right, it can be used with a firesteel too
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Fire Ferret]

Getting kids used to the dark beyond the fire is important. no telling ghost stories

When i was 7 i was part of brownies and one of the things i enjoyed most was orienteering with map and compass, treasure hunts built around it added extra excitement, everyone loved it.

Red

Love your rhyme about the different woods, never heard that one before.


Ferret

 

[JohnC]

Excellent thread!
Can I go a little off track here? My son is 9 in a couple of weeks and I was thinking of a bushcrafty theme for his pressies. Any suggestions for things that should be in his first kit? I have a few ideas already, but would love to hear from others who have had successes (or otherwise) with kit for kids.

Thanks in anticipation

WB

A decent daysack, book of knots,

 

[Ed]

A small pocket first aid kit, (plasters, blister plasters, antiseptic wipes etc....)

Ed

 

[Nathan Sturgess]

I have been part of the scouts for 9 years (since i was 5). Last year I went on a Junior Fundamental at Woodlore (a birthday present) it was brilliant, whatever you do, after training don't deprive us of the cutting tools (unless we are total idiots/dimwits) giving us a bit of space with our own knife earns our respect, it shows that you are not just treating us as little kids. I have a Wilkinson Sword Woodlore Micarta handled knife (my baby) and an Extrema Shrapnel both have razor edges. By allowing us these knives, gains our respect, in turn this gains us their respect. It is a give and take balance. A lot of kids have been put off by there parents not allowing them a knife of there own. My greatest advice would be to earn there respect and you have them. The skills learnt took me and my patrol on to win the county Backwoods cooking competion for the third time for our group . We are going to the regionals on mothers' day, and I hope to God that we win. Some advice for kids. If you are given the chance to do something outdoors, take it. 1. It is another thing to go on your CV, 2. It is a another chance to learn more skills and 3. It is a brilliant experience.

Cheers

Nathan

 

[woodwalker]

as a scout leader we normally follow the idea that, for instance in pioneering, in the winter the scouts learn the skills - lashings knot work, basic structures. Then when summer comes we go out with lots of rope and large pioneering logs and make something.

For instance last year we made a giant bridge across the local river, about 8m wide. This way of going through learning then reinforcing in practice works for many other things too and is always fun. Hope it helps.

 

[SMARTY]

Its great to see that so many peope are keen to teach young adults bushcraft skills. we go to schools, youth groups, cadet groups etc on a regular basis. Some of the things I feel are important to teach the young ones are the legalities of the skills they are learning and the responsability that goes with them. For example if you show a group of children the Pignut, you must also tell them that it is illegal to dig it up with out the land owners permission. Knife law is a vital part of their education as is fire craft. Always make the activities fun and if possible incorporate competition.
Does any one think that there is a time when someone is just "Too young" to appreciate the skills and knowledge that is intended to be passed on.
Some of the best results i have seen are in groups where the parents and children are taught together and then compete against each other.
Discovery learning is a great medium for this subject.

 

[bushcraftbeginer]

hi every one my name is leon and i am 14 years old i realy want to get into bushcraft but i dont know how so could anyone please give me some info on how to start ps what equipment do i need to get into bushcraft
many thanks leon

 

[hilltop]

hi leon, the most important things you need are, an open mind, a sense of humour and common sense, all the rest is window dressing, lol, lol, devolop these 3 things and the way to finding your gear and what works for you will be childs play, remember,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the best gear inthe world is worth nothing in the hands of an idiot, lol, good luck and enjoy,

 

[hobbit]

I just do anything my dad does like:
camping
fire lighting
tie knots
setting up tents, bashas and hammoks

 

[AlexGlynn]

I have to say that what got me into all this, was a combination, of making fires with my grandad, wrapping up warm in winter and eating marshmellows he gave me his constant support and guidance. Without him i would never have looked at nature the way i do and to top it all off he's sending me on a survival course. Take it from a 15 year old, the support of my parents (especially my dad) and relatives has ignited a passion for the outdoors.

 

[Caboose117]

Im in the scouts we do all kinds of cool stuff and my younger brother who is going to be 11 is intrested

 

[WERDNA]

my daughter is 5 and she is also eager to get hold of my knife, she tells me she will be carfull with it, i tell maybee when shes 12,the idea about carving one is great i will try that, she has her own hammock in the back garden tied to a tre and a fence post, she loves it

 

[Zodiak]

What about the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides, they may have pertinent info.
just a thought

In the UK we have "Scouts" which is mixed and "Girl Guiding UK" which isn't

Both have the option of buschcraft type activities sadly the nanny state and blame culture can make organising this a real nightmare.

 

[Zodiak]

Some of us explorer leaders try!
Welcome to BushcraftUK.

Its easier for our section, I used to do scouts and under the new rules most of the camps I ran would not have been possible. My wife and I reglarly took away a troop of 20 for a weeks camp, nowdays we could only take 12.

Last year we did a joint troop/unit camp of 28 kids and I borrowed enough kit so they could all spend a night under a basha in a hammock if they wanted to and most meals were cooked on fires.

They love using a firesteel, but like all scouts it takes a week to realise how much tinder and kindling they really need. Even when they see explorers stopping to pick up handfuls of fuel on the way back to the site they still don't seen to "get it" , but they will

This year we are taking over 35 kids and 10 adults so its going to be fun

 

[Nyayo]

I read 'The Hatchet' to my class of 9/10 year olds every year, complete with occasional props (an axe, billys, firesteel, fire bow etc.).My son (known as Curly, age 6. Green fleecy jacket in the Bushmoot photos) enjoyed 'My side of the mountain immensly, and had great fun at Bushmoot (mostly thanks to Moduser and his bow skills and patience, and the Fire Demo boys - thanks again everybody!).

I remember suggesting that we organise something for next Bushmoot for the smaller bushrangers (say under 12?), if anyone is willing?

Curly has got embers from a fire bow, is well into wild food (we dined very well on wild raspberry and bilberry pancakes, with fried wild mushroom 'chilli' on Bannocks in Scotland this summer holz.) and enjoyed sleeping under a tarp. He's looking forward to trying out my newly constructed Ray Jardine tarp sometime soon. He really likes brewing up hot chocolate on winter walks in the Peaks.

N

 

[WiND]

I'd love to learn bushcraft and pass this onto my children... which I'm sure will be some years to come. My father as loving as he was never knew any and I can always recall the time spent at school being a little lad trying to lite fires with sticks and leaves.

Would be interesting to know if your kids enjoy it more then TV and computer games.

 

[BOD]

My 8 year old had her birthday in the jungle yesterday.

When she asked what we were doing for her birthday, I said “we’ll do it in the jungle” more as a joke than anything else but she responded enthusiastically, more than she has for any previous birthday that we can remember.

She called and told her older brother and sister in Australia, all her cousins, my ex-wife and her new husband and friends here in Borneo.

Trapped I had to deliver so on Sunday morning she and I went in early to set up camp collect firewood, put in safety ropes to the lake etc and then later Mum came in shepherding the smaller ones and balancing the cake. All in we spent about 8 hours in there.

Try it with your kids.

Here are photos of the day and a couple of her starting a BBQ at home

 

[I_WILL_SURVIVE]

:You_Rock_