this is my little bit of heaven when I what to get away from things a little hunting and pitch for however long I choose
http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb124/woodstock_025/
http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb124/woodstock_025/
Children's Bushcraft
- Thread starter Tony
- Start date
I often take my little brother down the rocks and have a small fire etc. I let him collect the wood pick what he wants to cook and let him fill the messtins with water etc.
Aswell as when were about to go out i let him get the bag ready. If he wants ive promised he can have my old 3 inch fold knife when hes 9.
Aswell as when were about to go out i let him get the bag ready. If he wants ive promised he can have my old 3 inch fold knife when hes 9.
What would you pack in a Lost Kit/PSK for a younger person, say 7-ish? I'm trying to put something together that is both highly practical, safe and small (and potentially airport safe - i.e. no sharps, no mysterious powders and no Anarchists' Cookbooks...).
Any thoughts? So far I have:-
signal mirror (mini CD)
1 x Calpol sachet
whistle
1 x bin bag
1 x fudge slab
1 x mini torch.
N
Any thoughts? So far I have:-
signal mirror (mini CD)
1 x Calpol sachet
whistle
1 x bin bag
1 x fudge slab
1 x mini torch.
N
This weekend with the great help of buckshot (cheers Mark) we took a group of explorer scouts out where they learnt about shelter building, how to prep and cook a rabbit, making pine needle tea, making cordage from nettles. Everyone enjoyed the day and learnt a great deal, even the leaders. I found a supply of crampball which i collected to give to the explorers after they already learnt about its properties for firelighting in a session about 3 months ago, when i went to give this out to them they produced there own collection. this i found amazing as they had only seen it once and a while ago but had remembered what is was. It just shows that if you give younger people the oppotunity to learn something new or different they will remember it.
hi dave I'm 12 (at the monent) and this is my 1st post
i'm suprised you've been to Woodlore and you havent looked at the Junior Fundamental Bushcraft ? you don't need to be 18 to use a knife I'm going in 2008 and I plan to write a review.
links
http://www.raymears.com/courses.cfm?id=364
http://www.rosshome.dsl.pipex.com/AlexanderRoss.htm me website still in develoment on content
THIS IS A OLD LINK PLEASE SEE THIS ONE --> http://www.rosshome.dsl.pipex.com/abushcrafter
Small belt pouch size - something unobtrusive that won't get forgotten because it's too much hassle to put on...
N
I have been a scout leader for quite a while now and we take the kids out as often as possable in to the woods to teach them bushcraft, fire lighting, shelterbuilding, etc etc. we used to teach knifecraft as well but so many parants were woried and complained that there child might turn in to a maniac (thanks to the press) that we had to unfortunately stop doing that. on our last trip out they all had a go at making a pit oven, was great fun and the kids realy enjoyed themselves. think you have to keep it interesting as you are compeating with the ps3 and xbox 360.
Boon
Boon
I'm slightly ashamed to say it. I went on the Youth hostel asociation's do it 4 real survival course I was the oldest one there (I think I was 16, nearly 17 ), we did basic first aid, fire making (with fire steels and silver birch bark), water purification, shelters, skinning ang gutting rabbits and preparing and eating pidgeon, map reading, basic foraging.
we stayed out in the shelters for a night tents for another night went on a trek, and were allowed to use knifes saws and fire which for a kids course was pretty impressive. its also very cheap. I do however have a few personal problems with the course butI don't think it fair to post them on a public forum (if anyone is interested in the course or my problem with the course and would like to ask PM me)
but my main point is as long as the children are checked that they haven't brought their own knives (one more than one occasion and when they're not expecting it) and the correct supervision is given there is no problem with knifes, saws, fire ,etc so long as its in context.
Ben
we stayed out in the shelters for a night tents for another night went on a trek, and were allowed to use knifes saws and fire which for a kids course was pretty impressive. its also very cheap. I do however have a few personal problems with the course butI don't think it fair to post them on a public forum (if anyone is interested in the course or my problem with the course and would like to ask PM me)
but my main point is as long as the children are checked that they haven't brought their own knives (one more than one occasion and when they're not expecting it) and the correct supervision is given there is no problem with knifes, saws, fire ,etc so long as its in context.
Ben
I have spent some time as a Scout leader and more recently I ran a Survival course for a group of Army Cadets.
The trick I've found is to have is to set the lessons up as sequential.
EG start with a reef knot, ten fifteen minutes tops, when you go back to knots the you up the ante and make the knots more complicated, as you go on. Then you end up at lashings. This ties in towards the end of the course. With them using all the knots they have learnt to build a shelter and camp funiture.
We start fire making with a lighter and paper, move up to one single match, then spark and Vaso-cotton, finally light a fire with spark and natural tinder. In the final fire test it has to light from one spark and boil 500ml of water with out being tended.
Cooking starts with not burning spam ( don't laugh)
cooking with brought groceries, and finally bushtucker.
But the trick is to make the lessons short, varied and as I said seqential one leads on to another, The lesson uses the points taught in the previous lesson. It reinforces what has been taught previously but the kids work out that they need to pay attention or they are stuffed for the next one
That is a class situation. My little fella is two and we fish and cook together, he is a little young to hunt yet. I explain everything I do as I do it EVERYTHING. From making the bed to cleaning my boots.
Carl
The trick I've found is to have is to set the lessons up as sequential.
EG start with a reef knot, ten fifteen minutes tops, when you go back to knots the you up the ante and make the knots more complicated, as you go on. Then you end up at lashings. This ties in towards the end of the course. With them using all the knots they have learnt to build a shelter and camp funiture.
We start fire making with a lighter and paper, move up to one single match, then spark and Vaso-cotton, finally light a fire with spark and natural tinder. In the final fire test it has to light from one spark and boil 500ml of water with out being tended.
Cooking starts with not burning spam ( don't laugh)
cooking with brought groceries, and finally bushtucker.
But the trick is to make the lessons short, varied and as I said seqential one leads on to another, The lesson uses the points taught in the previous lesson. It reinforces what has been taught previously but the kids work out that they need to pay attention or they are stuffed for the next one
That is a class situation. My little fella is two and we fish and cook together, he is a little young to hunt yet. I explain everything I do as I do it EVERYTHING. From making the bed to cleaning my boots.
Carl
Our kids (13, 12, 12) are just getting to the age where some stuff is too much like hard work! When we are away each day I set 3 challenges, each challenge gets a first, second and third place, OR a team challenge gets points depending on effort and success. At the end of each day, around the fire these placings and points turn into marshmallows or other treats.
Points will be deducted if the firewood/water isn't collected and other jobs around camp that can sometimes seem like a drag to them .
Reading that back it all sounds really brutal, but the challenge might be to name 10 plants, or to make a pot from river clay, a miniture raft race is ALWAYS favourite, and shelter building (team challenge) they might have a challenge to come up with some form of entertainment for fire time, or to read that night's story...... but without the firewood or the water they lose points!
It's probably the time when we enjoy each other's company the most, I feel really close to them when we are out in the woods, they never debate or argue these points, it's just accepted as part of the team work of being outdoors, which is great, at home I can barely get them to stack the dish washer, but in camp they'll carry twice their body weight in wood without a murmur.......... as long as I pack the marshmallows!
W x
Points will be deducted if the firewood/water isn't collected and other jobs around camp that can sometimes seem like a drag to them .
Reading that back it all sounds really brutal, but the challenge might be to name 10 plants, or to make a pot from river clay, a miniture raft race is ALWAYS favourite, and shelter building (team challenge) they might have a challenge to come up with some form of entertainment for fire time, or to read that night's story...... but without the firewood or the water they lose points!
It's probably the time when we enjoy each other's company the most, I feel really close to them when we are out in the woods, they never debate or argue these points, it's just accepted as part of the team work of being outdoors, which is great, at home I can barely get them to stack the dish washer, but in camp they'll carry twice their body weight in wood without a murmur.......... as long as I pack the marshmallows!
W x
who on earth gos there. stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid parents, you where teaching them a valuable skill. stuff like this makes me what to destroy the earth but thats just stupid.
+
my web site been up dated :wow1: but i am doing a lot :thinkerg: for it still.:Wow: http://www.rosshome.dsl.pipex.com/abushcrafter/
Im also new here, i'm 17 years old and a Young leader at the local scouts, up here bushcraft is dissapearing in scout tradition with very few groups still actively doing it, mostly our group ( 19th Earsdon) our number shave increased because of this, the scouts enjoy it, we are trying to bring it back into scouting tradition by teaching basic skills, this weekend i will be involed in a survival camp teaching scouts basic bushcraft, surving for the weekend, with little input after they have learnt the skills, bushcraft should play a major part in scouting , i will update you all to see how it went, Cain
sounds intresting do tell me your tips. I'm 13 at the moment but when ye time comes that might be useful.
I've read this thread with great interest, we had a boy on 11 Jan 08, we already have a little girl aged 3 who lalready oves roaming around the woods and looking at the plants and animals with me. I've booked myself on a 5 day survival course to refresh my bushcraft knowledge, not actively practiced my skills since at uni 15 or so years ago, so I can pass the skill sonto my son and daughter.
Anyway to the point.... young kids are like sponges when it comes to information and learning....a couple of weeks back, I showed my daughter how to light a fire using a firesteel and shaved Silver Birch bark and how to tap the birch for its sap. I collected her from nursery the other day and the nursery had taken the kids out , her carer told me how she had informed the carers that this tree was a silver birch and what its uses were...I take her out as often as I can we revist what I have already shown her and I try to show her someting new...last weekend on Cannock Chase she pointed to a muddy patch telling, me a doggy had been here and she could see its foot prints in the mud....It reminds me greatly of when my dad used to take me when he went shooting on Romney Marshes in Kent when I was a young boy. It also makes you feel very close to your kids, its healthy and its fun...I will continue to do it with my kids for as long as they want to! Robert
Anyway to the point.... young kids are like sponges when it comes to information and learning....a couple of weeks back, I showed my daughter how to light a fire using a firesteel and shaved Silver Birch bark and how to tap the birch for its sap. I collected her from nursery the other day and the nursery had taken the kids out , her carer told me how she had informed the carers that this tree was a silver birch and what its uses were...I take her out as often as I can we revist what I have already shown her and I try to show her someting new...last weekend on Cannock Chase she pointed to a muddy patch telling, me a doggy had been here and she could see its foot prints in the mud....It reminds me greatly of when my dad used to take me when he went shooting on Romney Marshes in Kent when I was a young boy. It also makes you feel very close to your kids, its healthy and its fun...I will continue to do it with my kids for as long as they want to! Robert
I have twin sisters, 9yrs old and they love the woods, we are hopefully going to rough close again, they thoroughly enjoyed the first session and learnt a lot. They both have carbon moras that I bought them for their birthday and although one of them sliced her hand the second time she used it she has the ultimate respect, the other also, after seeing what it did to her sister.
Bimbles are a great idea, just pointing stuff out and getting them to try the wild foods they find is a great way for teaching them. They know to leave no trace and it always looks as if we haven't sat down and 'camped' for a bit.
I sometimes send them off on their own with a couple of books and tell them to come back with something they didn't previously know about and they always do! Sometimes they end up teaching me and they love it.
I'm going to practise fire building with them soon, they can get fire from loo roll and a ferro rod but not much more than that and they want to take it to the next level. I believe that it's best to work and teach at their pace, that way they learn everything fully before moving on.
Kids are amazing
Bimbles are a great idea, just pointing stuff out and getting them to try the wild foods they find is a great way for teaching them. They know to leave no trace and it always looks as if we haven't sat down and 'camped' for a bit.
I sometimes send them off on their own with a couple of books and tell them to come back with something they didn't previously know about and they always do! Sometimes they end up teaching me and they love it.
I'm going to practise fire building with them soon, they can get fire from loo roll and a ferro rod but not much more than that and they want to take it to the next level. I believe that it's best to work and teach at their pace, that way they learn everything fully before moving on.
Kids are amazing
hiy guys i know being twenty and all, i ant really a kid but i have to say i wish i had been taught more bushcraft when i was younger because i all also went through the scout movement and loved it.
The things i have learnt are: Knots, navigation on land, at sea (but forgotten on the sea how to do it due to not done in age) also camping, and basic fire cooking, sailing.
Other things i have learnt thanks to my mother is how to sew and also how to use sewing machine also taught this in scool.
Also even though my mum and dad arnt campers/bushcrafters as such they do have and still go caravaning and have along with my brother taught me how to camp and use a tent.
Drew
The things i have learnt are: Knots, navigation on land, at sea (but forgotten on the sea how to do it due to not done in age) also camping, and basic fire cooking, sailing.
Other things i have learnt thanks to my mother is how to sew and also how to use sewing machine also taught this in scool.
Also even though my mum and dad arnt campers/bushcrafters as such they do have and still go caravaning and have along with my brother taught me how to camp and use a tent.
Drew
My 3 yo daughter started her first fire with Firesteel and birch bark last weekend...I think I have created a little pyro
When it started burning she did a little dance, again..again..again she said when it went out.
When we got home she swaggered into the front room and pronounced to mum and friends... been up the woods with dad starting fires...priceless Although I'm still trying to calm my wife down
When it started burning she did a little dance, again..again..again she said when it went out.
When we got home she swaggered into the front room and pronounced to mum and friends... been up the woods with dad starting fires...priceless
Although I'm still trying to calm my wife down If you want to get kids interested in map reading the ordnance survey have a game zone online which introduces kids to the most basic parts of navigation, and it has a plethora of games that can played.
http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/index.html
I buy most of my kids outdoor stuff from here, she loves wearing it outdoors
http://www.commandokid.co.uk/
http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/index.html
I buy most of my kids outdoor stuff from here, she loves wearing it outdoors
http://www.commandokid.co.uk/
