Hi Everyone

[Cazzie]

Just to introduce myself. I'm Cazzie, from North Wales UK. I'm a completed craft nut who loves a bit of a challenge. I will have a go at anything craft related and if it takes my interest I become addicted.
I'm a primary school Teaching Assistant with the side role of Forest School and Outdoor Learning. However, my Forest School skills have not been utilized since I passed my training, due to the school not requiring those skills. Now the new curriculum is upon us and Outdoor Learning is at the forefront of education, I've become the go-to person for implementing all things 'Outdoorsy'. As a result, I'm submerging myself in as much woodland craft, including willow weaving and basic bushcraft. I would love any help and ideas for simple bush crafts that can be completed by myself (a complete novice) and children from the ages of 6 to 10 years.
Happy crafting

 

[Broch]

Welcome to the forum Cazzie

I'm sure there'll be loads of responses from the members with more children-teaching experience than me!

 

[Cazzie]

Thank you, Broch. Any ideas would be welcome as I can adapt them to suit individual needs.
For example, I'm currently teaching the children to whittle with a potato peeler. Year 3 has whittled a willow branch skewer to roast marshmallows.

 

[Broch]

I'm afraid my experience with children is limited to what I do with my three grandchildren in our wood so, I guess, I can get away with stuff that you may have difficulty justifying Also, I'm only dealing with three kids at a time; I'd struggle with more!

The stuff they like doing includes (but I'm sure you're already covering these where you can):

Fire starting with a spark - don't make it difficult, use a ferro rod and cotton wool
Making stick structures - using lashings, some simple knots needed for that
Basic campfire cooking - particularly simple things like flat breads, savoury and sweet
Making dream catchers and the like - collecting natural things to weave into them
Making simple stick bows and arrows - then doing 'roving' shooting (they loved that)
Whittling - the two oldest ones (9 & 13) now have their own penknives
Tracking - simple walks looking for signs of wildlife and working out 'what happened?'
Exploring - sending them out on their own with map and compass and a course to follow

All the time I will be teaching them other 'wilderness skills' without them really realising it

 

[John Fenna]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Mesquite]

Hello and welcome to the forum Cazzie

 

[Erbswurst]

Welcome!

Inform yourself about shelter building without tools, how to make natural cordage, cooking without kitchen equipment and so on.

The most radical survival techniques don't need any equipment and that's in your case surely the best way to go.

 

[Cazzie]

I'm afraid my experience with children is limited to what I do with my three grandchildren in our wood so, I guess, I can get away with stuff that you may have difficulty justifying Also, I'm only dealing with three kids at a time; I'd struggle with more!

The stuff they like doing includes (but I'm sure you're already covering these where you can):

Fire starting with a spark - don't make it difficult, use a ferro rod and cotton wool
Making stick structures - using lashings, some simple knots needed for that
Basic campfire cooking - particularly simple things like flat breads, savoury and sweet
Making dream catchers and the like - collecting natural things to weave into them
Making simple stick bows and arrows - then doing 'roving' shooting (they loved that)
Whittling - the two oldest ones (9 & 13) now have their own penknives
Tracking - simple walks looking for signs of wildlife and working out 'what happened?'
Exploring - sending them out on their own with map and compass and a course to follow

All the time I will be teaching them other 'wilderness skills' without them really realising it

I work with roughly between 8-14 children at a time, with additional adult support depending on the activity/task.
We have only just introduced a fire pit to the outdoor area so that has expanded learning opportunities, especially for the older children.
What is 'roving' shooting?
We will be introducing map reading next term
Tracking would be ideal for younger children.
Thank you for the suggestions Broch

 

[Cazzie]

Hello and welcome!

Hi John. Thank you for the welcome

 

[Cazzie]

Welcome!

Inform yourself about shelter building without tools, how to make natural cordage, cooking without kitchen equipment and so on.

The most radical survival techniques don't need any equipment and that's in your case surely the best way to go.

Hi Erbswrust,

We have already started shelter building with tarps and what bit of natural materials we have, we have limited access to trees on the school site. It is a case of make-do with what is on hand. I love the idea of challenging the children to find ways of surviving without equipment. Thank you

 

[Cazzie]

Welcome!

Inform yourself about shelter building without tools, how to make natural cordage, cooking without kitchen equipment and so on.

The most radical survival techniques don't need any equipment and that's in your case surely the best way to go.

Hi Erbswrust,

We have already started shelter building with tarps and what bit of natural materials we have, we have limited access to trees on the school site. It is a case of make-do with what is on hand. I love the idea of challenging the children to find ways of surviving without equipment. Thank you

 

[Cazzie]

Hello and welcome to the forum Cazzie

Hi Mesquite,

Thank you for your welcome

 

[Erbswurst]

Oh, that's a luxus problem that I didn't expect. Most people have access to the forest but no money for equipment that's robust enough for children.

Apart from teaching a few knots you can't do so much with children on a school ground. Teenagers you could teach a lot even in a classroom but for children from 6 to 10 it would become immediatly boring and you would achieve the opposite of your intention. They surely would start to hate it.

in my opinion you have to organize access to forest and field, however.

 

[zornt]

Welcome from across The Pond.
Jon

 

[Cazzie]

Welcome from across The Pond.
Jon

Hi Jon
Thank you for your welcome.

 

[Cazzie]

Oh, that's a luxus problem that I didn't expect. Most people have access to the forest but no money for equipment that's robust enough for children.

Apart from teaching a few knots you can't do so much with children on a school ground. Teenagers you could teach a lot even in a classroom but for children from 6 to 10 it would become immediatly boring and you would achieve the opposite of your intention. They surely would start to hate it.

in my opinion you have to organize access to forest and field, however.

Organizing trips to the forest are not feasable as i have to implement activities for a class of 30 children in the afternoon. The class is split into two groups that have roughly 45 minutes outdoors before they swap over and go back into class. Each class is allocated an afternoon each week (e.g. Class 2 Monday afternoon, Class 3 Tuesday afternoon etc).

 

[Erbswurst]

Are you allowed to give them knives?

The boy scouts do that with good reasons.

 

[Cazzie]

Are you allowed to give them knives?

The boy scouts do that with good reasons.

If they are cutting up food but not pen knives or such.

 

[Broch]

What is 'roving' shooting?

There is a formal type of archery called 'roving archery' but what we do is much simpler.

Bare in mind that these are stick bows with very little power and hazel twig arrows with a little weight but no point on the front and just wool tassels as flights. We walk the paths in the wood and just point out a stump or a clump of fern or other object, one of the kids will decide it's a troll or a monster or something, and we all try to shoot it - we collect our arrows (use bright wool) and carry on walking.

 

[Erbswurst]

If you can't access forest and field and aren't allowed to give them something like a Victorinox Walker it becomes pretty complicated to train them in outdoor skills and bushcraft.

Check this out:Walker

Victorinox Walker - 0.2313 ++ Explore the world of perfect Swiss quality online ++ Home of the Original Swiss Army knife ++ Order online ++

www.victorinox.com

Did they learn in biology about the most common larger animals, like ants, wasps, bees, spiders, common wurms and frogs, the usual birds, mice, rats, and larger wild mammals?

Tree identification and the properties regarding use as fire wood come to mind.
Different ways to build fires and to ignite them with a single match.

Water purification by boiling, let's make a tea that's save to drink! Basic cooking over fire and bread made on sticks. Serious meat barbecue on sticks I would prefere by far over stupid marshmallow burning.

Edible plants may be a bit risky, although it's taught among boy scouts. Depends on the plants of course and other members are in this case surely better informed than me. The same about the question if making flint knives is a secure option and can be done in that age. Like that you would get the needed blades for further tasks. I have no idea about that.

Reading and drawing maps.
Use of the compass and other orientation and navigation.

The most used knots.

Most used knots?

Which knots do you usually use if you are wild camping? And in which function?

bushcraftuk.com

Swimming and first aid are relevant themes among boy scouts. Should be covered in school anyway in my opinion.