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Can we have some more information on bushcrafting with a family?
Ways of teaching the children about nature that they will find interesting?
Hi Di,
Just for you I will be penning a short peice in the very near future.
As a taster, I find that children respond better to games than instruction so thats the place to start - make the outdoors fun rather than a lecture hall.
Gary.
My kids love the sense of adventure that comes with being outdoors, especially if there is wildlife to see fruit to eat etc. They will really listen and learn if it means they can get closer to a squirrel or a bird. Use the opportunities as they arise, the children usually create them themselves, we just need to be aware and act.
Over the next few months we are going to be collecting information so that we can have a family area on the site. So if you have any ideas let us know. It's going to be good so keep an eye out for it.
Glad to see that there is some stuff on kids going up on the site. Has anyone had experience of teaching kids (5years) to carve?
Harry,
I've taught on family courses were the children have had small pen knifes at around 5 years and generally they make great pointed sticks when carving.
Things to be aware of though are, an infant doesnt have the strength for sustained work so dont expect too much and as they will tire easily accidents are more likely to happen if supervison isnt maintained.
Also it helps if they are using a sensibly sized tool - no Mears machettes here and no folders either. I'd suggest either a small Bruseletto such as the Troll or visit kellam knives webiste and you'll see they actually sell a blunt ended training knife - ideal for children and greenhorn adults too.
If you contact Kellam mention this site and Harriet will be more than happy to help you.
As for kids and carving projects - enjoy your pointy sticks!
Gary.
Thanks for that Gary.
I wonder if there is a market for pointy sticks with the local Vampire hunters!!
What would be a good project to get the kids doing? Other than the pointy stick!
Harry, on all the bushcraft course I've taught on we always start people off carving spoons - after safety instruction etc - and I'd say that would be a good place to start children to.
You would probably be better off carving the bowl for them and then let them loose on the rest.
Spoon carving is taught to bushcraft students as it requires the carver to use vertually all the cuts needed in carving and as such is excellent practice.
Bows and arrows out of Elder work well too and the elder isnt that strong as to make a deadly weapon.
All kids love a den, even if it's just a corner of the garden or some other open space. I've an old homemade tarp which I took to putting up when we stop for a brew, out in the woods. My two have adopted it as a portable den now. They're getting better at pitching it all the time. Now their friends want to come out to the woods too. S'great :-D
Keith_Beef
28-11-2003, 12:55
Pointy sticks are great! Kids love them. There's so much you can do with a pointy stick!
Get several pointy sticks, and stick them in the ground as the frame for a shelter, or the stakes for a hurdle.
Push them through apples, marshmallows, bits of meat and grill them over a small fire...
Dave Barker can make a child's knife to order; small blade, with a dull "point" (it still has a point, so it looks like a grown-up's knife). The handle suited to the size of a child's hand...
Here's the thread:
http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/community/viewtopic.php?t=277&highlight=
Tony, did you get him to make one for you?
Keith.
i carved fire bows when i was about ten. thats a sort of pointy stick.
If you are interested in teaching children about bushcraft or finding camping organisations that do this I would recommend you look to the Woodcraft Folk or Forest School Camps (FSC) both have good websites- check them out, contact me if this interests you!
Jim. :wink:
Roving Rich
26-03-2004, 17:37
Hi Di, Wild Life survival are running their Family camp again this summer, a week long family based activity break. I have heard great reports from kids and Parents a like. Contact them for details:
http://www.wildernessliving.co.uk/
Cheers
Rich
the naughty boy
28-03-2004, 17:08
couple of weeks ago i took my pair away to sleep in bivvy bags under a tarp,we had a fire and all the rest.if i knew how to post digital images i would post a couple as i always bring my little digital with me.ages 10 and 13.
You can post pictures up onto here:
www.yoxio.com
the naughty boy
29-03-2004, 19:17
yes m8 ,i tried that but it said they were too large ? how do i make them smaller i wonder? go to a photo forum? :cry:
yes m8 ,i tried that but it said they were too large ? how do i make them smaller i wonder? go to a photo forum? :cry:
If you are using Windows XP you can right click on the image and choose "Resize picture".
the naughty boy
29-03-2004, 19:35
tried it ,i have xp pro but it didnt give me that option :cry: now what
What types of file are they? I have XP pro and I get the option for GIF and JPG.
the naughty boy
29-03-2004, 19:41
theyre jpegs.
ah sussed it you must have the power toy for windows installed.i just d/loaded it. :-D
You want ImageResizer ... available from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
Hope this help!
I don't think there are many limits to Bushcraft skills you can teach kids. You just need to see where their interests lie and then use your own judgement of what their capabilities are. For instance I thought river crossings would be one limitation, but then one day I come back to camp to find their dad giving them a lesson in it and them midstream floating their backpacks across! :shock: I also thought night navigation would be too much for kids, but when it comes down to it they handle the dark better than I do! :lol:
My kids have grown up surrounded by these ideas (hiking, navigation, sleeping outdoors without a tent, lighting fires, using knives, plant recognition, survival skills etc) and are happily developing their own skills. If they see you enjoying bushcraft, they will join in! Mostly it starts with play, imho. Make a game out of it!
But, sometimes kids these days do need a bit more of a push to get them outdoors than kids used to, because there's so much more interesting stuff to do inside. And because kid's television and movies tend to be somewhat biased against the outdoors, you may have to actually give them lessons in doing some of the stuff that used to come naturally to kids eg. building dens or making mud pies (the first steps of bushcraft?? :-)) because they don't necessarily see other kids doing these things on tv. But once they get the hang of it, there will be no stopping them and you can take it from there. :lol:
Have fun! :-D
the naughty boy
29-03-2004, 19:57
http://img44.photobucket.com/albums/v135/thenaughtyboy/crawfordsburn_008.jpg
http://img44.photobucket.com/albums/v135/thenaughtyboy/crawfordsburn_007.jpg
look at these gypsies lol.
cheers adi
http://img44.photobucket.com/albums/v135/thenaughtyboy/650906f4.jpg
the naughty boy
29-03-2004, 20:07
good one kath, you gotta drag em out sometimes .but once theyre out they soon come round.i gotta take mine to the forest park now for a long walk in the dark,their choice i may add!!!