Children's Bushcraft

[pibbleb]

I've got totally engrossed in this thread, and came across this link a little while ago whilst idly googling! Woodland Trust I've accessed it myself and seems fine. It's not bushcrafty or survivalist but there is some fun stuff for the little'n's to do and thought it might be of interest.

[Scots_Charles_River]

I have had a go-ahead for an Outdoor Learning Programme for disaffected kids. It's only one a afternoon a week but for a year. So 38 weeks at 3hrs a week, 3hrs in a row.

So far we have - Rock Climbing,
Certificated - Fodd Hygiene Certicicates, John Muir Award, Canoe Paddlepower, DofE Bronze and as I'm CDT we can do bird boxes, planters, worm farms, a tool cupboard, most of the wood from recycled pallets, plastic bottle greenhouse, wind vanes/solar power. We have a fenced garden at school so can be combined with visits to local forrests, wastelands and parks.The canal Waterway Trust has volunteer programmes eg paint railings and lock gates, help clear footpaths. The kids are 15+.

So what Bushcraft Skills -
Plant/tree ID -hardwoods, softwoods and uses
Edible Plants - pignut, wild garlic, willow, pine, brambles/berries
Fire Lighting, kindling selection
Shelter building,natural and tarps etc.
Cooking over fires and stoves

What other Bushcraft skills ? (without sharps and machines)

[ProjeKtWEREWOLF]

I'm taking my daughter (2 and a bit years old...eeek) out to the woods for some Heffalump hunting tomorrow. Should be good. She loves the outdoors even if it's cold and raining. Ha, I call her 'Uncle Ray'. It's Forestry Commission land open to the public on Anglesey so nothing TOO adventurous! It's been a long time since I've been out in the woods myself.

[DOONBOY]

Risk ass and first aid is always good before you start off.who knows what can happen.

[gliderrider]

@Ron, I agree that folders are a lot more dangerouse to kids. I watched with horror as a non locking knife closed on my 9 year old sisters fingers when I was abouit 11(A lesson that has stayed with me for 20 years). The knife went in the bin(some times I regret that, as it was a gift from a relative that is no longer with us) and I've not used one since. SAK & Multi tool knife blades are just kept in the handle.

@Scots...., I donth think there are that many things that you can teach without using, or refering to sharps(or fire), and if you try I think the kids will be mighty bored.

@Chris the Cat, The chap from Man, Woman, Wild made a recurve bow, and I've been able to find it online.

Is there anything we should omit from teaching scouts(10-14 year olds), or should we go into all the gory details? Skinning & preparing fish & small game etc.

[RonW]

The problem is, is that many these days can not deal with all the gory details anymore.
As long as there's blodd and guts on tv it seems te be ok, but in real life?
On the other hand it show the kids where the meat really originates from. That is once was a real living animal and not some hump of "meat", wrapped in foil from the supermarket. It all depends on your audience....
Personally I'd say go for it.....

[gliderrider]

I agree that it shows the kids where the food comes from, rather than "The Supermarket", Thnks for your imput.

[youngbushcrafter]

You have to watch out because when i went on a sort of jamboree thing with a few people from my scouts, one of the activitys was bushcraft and i was scheduled to do it. When i went the main guy doing is seemed to be pretty annoyed that a i knew more than him about bushcraft and tryed to put me down about it, so watch out, some people are just weird...

[TurboGirl]

Theres an organisation called 'Woodcraft Folk' too... not had a whole heap o'luck getting in touch in my area but there is national coverage. I think some of the groups focus on environmental issues and campaigning but theres a fair bit of bushcraft too from what I've heard... the main site is at http://www.woodcraft.org.uk/

[Bowlander]

I'm currently at softplay at the most bc named place in England - Whittle le Woods! Quite a good place with anew climbing wall. ok for a wet day anyhow.

[Elements]

On the topic of Childrens Bushcraft I am very excited to present our new venture to you all http://elementsforestschool.com/

I hope you like the look of our website, we are currently developing a gallery of children achieving the most amazing things. Last week we had a 9yr old achieve fire by friction on there own! Days like that just make us smile :-)

[RonW]

The problem is, is that many these days can not deal with all the gory details anymore.
As long as there's blodd and guts on tv it seems te be ok, but in real life?
On the other hand it show the kids where the meat really originates from. That is once was a real living animal and not some hump of "meat", wrapped in foil from the supermarket. It all depends on your audience....
Personally I'd say go for it.....

I would like to add that I practiced what I preached the other day and showed my children how I took apart a large bird. They were fascinated!!! Allthough my oldest daughter was not too happy about the looks. But they now know how things are in real life.
Another lesson I learned was that children have a different bodyheatmanagement than us adults. They tend to get cold quicker than us. Keep that in mind! A quick energising snack works better for them than to sit around and wait for some warm brew up to get ready. Thanks, Toddy! That was some sound advise!

[Scots_Charles_River]

When you first gut a fish, I #think# I was 10, it does stink but after a minute you realise it's just meat. It's more the lingering smell on hands etc.

I was also at a Cub Camp at Fordell Firs, Angus, and a leader showed us a rabbit run, set a noose, then we went back after tracking. He then drunk a can of coke, twisted the empty can, used it as a knife. We then tracked back and found a caught, dead, wabbit in the noose. He then skinned it and I was amazed, and revolted, that the fur just came off like a jacket. We made lucky charms out of the feet and ear fur. I also recall a friends farmer dad skin a still born dead lamb and use it as a jacket over a newborn lamb who's mum rejected it, clever.

[Scots_Charles_River]

A cool wee trip doing kids Bushcraft, just read a wee blogg here http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/for...with-John-Muir

[ProjeKtWEREWOLF]

I've just received the Tom Brown book on bushcraft and survival for children. It's a bit hardcore really but has lots of good ideas.

[Gerwyn9]

Hi everyone, Ive got two kids 2 & 9 and luckily for us my in-laws own a good sized farm just below the Roaches in the Peak District with its own woods. Was just looking for ideas of what I can teach them and hints or tips in keeping them interested.

We were planning on going camping before we go up to the farm but the weather has conspired against us, so the kids are complete novices.

Cheers
Gerwyn

[JesterBushcraft]

I think just being out in the woods with your kids is a good thing, full stop.... But whilst you're out there just make them aware of stuff that you spot like not touching fungi, maybe learning the names of some of the more common ones, tree and plant identification etc. Then if you want to actually do an activity with them, maybe fire lighting basics, using a firesteel and maybe cooking something simple like a pan of beans.

My kids are 5 and 7 and just love being outdoors and I just teach them as we wander through the woods...

[Paddytray]

My 15month old son has taken over his brothers room, and with his favourite sleeping bag I think he's being introduced to bushcraft nice and early
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[caerbannog]

Hi all, wonderful thread as I am just thinking of taking the step of camping out overnight with my 8yr old daughter. Wonderful idea about laying down food for animal tracks, that has really given my brain a kickstart :-)
I shall continue lurking now.........

[stevet]

this is my first post - just ran a "flood camp" (basically need to sleep above ground) for our explorer scouts here's some photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/103662304041686068285/EVOESUFloodCampOct2012

it always rains when we camp! hence all the tarps above fires etc.

[Gus1990]

I just read your post stevet and I'm impressed. The suspended patrol tent is pure genious, some good lashings going on there! I'm a scout leader myself and try to get as much bushcraft in as possible. (although I get resistance from the "I'd rather have them camp on a grassy field with everything provided" crew)

[Scots_Charles_River]

If you take kids out, like me and my Outdoor Class, then this Festive Spotting sheet may be of use.

http://wildlifewatch.org.uk/images/D...0detective.pdf

[ExHelot]

My biggest competitor is video games. My two eldest grandsons live in the city and our physical contact is limited. I try to remember that kids have short attention spans and a craving for audio/visual stimulation that I never had. So...short lessons and relevance. When I taught my 10 year old grandson how to shoot with a .22 caliber rifle a couple years back, he got bored with targets. I set up a dozen or so beverage cans and water bottles in the weeds and ferns, distanced from 30 to 90 yards. I told him to think of them as zombies and he used up a hundred rounds without a complaint. Best part was, he hit the targets about 95% of the time with iron sights.
Teaching fire is an easy one. For some reason kids love fire. When you give them the opportunity to have one but, only if they make it, the motivation level rises dramatically. Ever since the grandkids were toddlers we've gone on nature walks together, it became a kind of ritual to spend the day alone with Grandad when they visited. Each of them got to spend a day with me one on one, I should say, I got to spend a day with each of them. Since we have very warm relationships with one another, they equate the woods with positive feelings.
I think the biggest things to remember with young folk is to keep things positive and use small doses of education. For myself it was a little hard to remember that my upbringing was completely different than theirs. I learned the woods because it was part of my culture and woodcraft was just what we did. Their motivations are much different and need to be discovered in order to make woodcraft relevant to them.

[army-surplus]

children are probably the hardest to teach.

due to:
keeping them safe so as not to allow them to cut off their finger on the first outing
keeping them interested
keeping them involved
keeping them enjoying it

but why not start simple and just get them out into your local forest and getting them out there

really does depend on their age but why not start by showing them simple like telling the different trees apart. Then next time showing some use's like birch and how easily it can catch fire!

all little steps but progress!

[Wanda]

i agree the fire thing. all children love fire and my 3 and 5 year old and when we go out walking they dont want me to use a flask. they want a fire to make hot chocolate!

my husband is paranoid about knives. i cook and my knives are hair splitting sharp. i have been teaching them to use small ones safely... he wants me to blunt them!!!!! he will not accept that a blunt knife is difficult to use....

we take a trap and make shelters, make cake and preserves from fogaged fruit... life is an adventure ....Children love to explore... turn the computer off..... let them live xx imho.

[RonW]

Kids, who use knives will cut them selves. That is a fact. So what? It hurts, they bleed, you take care of it and comfort them. Lesson learned.
Start with simple cuttingtasks and use a sharp knife, so if it goes wrong, the damage will be limited, yet the lesson will be imprinted for life.
Same goes with fire. They will get burned, because of their tendency to play with it, as their confidence grows. So no nylons around camfires, no waving burning sticks around. And if they do get burned, make sure it will not be a major burn. A hurtfull red spot is a better teaching than a constantly correcting adult.

As for keeping them involved; give them tasks and responsibility. If they do it right, praise them, so they get that same sence of accomplishment we get when we do complete a task succesfully. Let them collect wood, let them build a fire and let the light it. It'll boost their confidence, if it goes right and if it goes wrong, you have something to explein to them (and share a few moments up close with them) and then start over the proces.

[Loz2286]

Just spent my evening reading through this fascinating thread from start to finish. I am currently putting together an after-school bushcraft activity for around 12 weeks for about 2 hours each time during the Summer Term, hopefully ending up with a camp out night in a wooded area of the school grounds. Looking at the thread and other ideas I have come up with the following ideas. What do you guys think?

Shelter building
* Using tarps or bashas
* Bivouacs.
* Improvising bedding.
Basic knots and lashings.
* Clove hitch. Timber hitch. Highwayman's hitch.
* Square lashing. Diagonal lashing.
Firelighting methods
* Kindling. Maya sticks.
* Matches and lighters. SAFETY!
* Friction methods. Firesteels, firebow. SAFETY!
* Using the sun. Magnifying glass.
Simple cooking on the fire
* Making a hot drink. Using a billy can. Kelly kettle.
* Marshmallow toasting on a stick.
* Simple cooking in dutch pot. Stew. Beans and meat.
* Baking bread in the dutchie. Soda bread recipe.
Tracking
* Finding animal tracks. Making plaster impressions of animal tracks.
* Drag trail. Large log pulled by child through the woods. Follow the trail let in leaf litter etc.
Finding water
* Solar still
* Bags over tree branches.
Survival kits
* Survival priorities? Shelter, water, food.
* Contents?
Signalling. Whistles. Making whistles. Elder?

I have left knives and axes off the list as the kids are age 10 - 11. Might do a bit of bladework on a one to one basis.
Just some initial thoughts. I have a little of my own kit but I will need to get a few bob out of the Head's slush fund.

Any particular kit do you think I will need to ask for?

Many thanks in advance for any input.

Loz

[Arjati]

Hi Loz, what you have planned looks great.

Based on my experience with Forest School I'd consider adding some games/free play time into each session. The children have to concentrate a lot when we are teaching them some of this stuff, so need time for their brains to rest and absorb one lot of info before we give them the next. Low slung rope bridges and scramble nets pinned to the ground or home made obstacle courses proved popular.

Kelly Kettles are a great way to introduce fire and camp drinks. We start in week one by showing the children the kettle and demonstrating it. Over the next weeks we get small groups of children using them (1 adult to no more than 3 children), then on our sixth week the children (again in groups of 2-3) all made their own hot chocolate using the kettles, just supervised by the adults.

I'm involved in something similar this coming summer term - a two day overnight stay on the school field with 60 Y3 children. We'll be doing some of the stuff you mentioned, but obviously won't have the time to go into the depth you will.

Have fun
Richard

[ExHelot]

Hi Loz, what you have planned looks great.

Based on my experience with Forest School I'd consider adding some games/free play time into each session. The children have to concentrate a lot when we are teaching them some of this stuff, so need time for their brains to rest and absorb one lot of info before we give them the next...............

Sounds like it will be a very busy time and busy hands are happy hands. I couldn't agree more about the play time to refresh their minds.

[ExHelot]

Just spent my evening reading through this fascinating thread from start to finish. I am currently putting together an after-school bushcraft activity for around 12 weeks for about 2 hours each time .................

Loz

Sounds like a very full and comprehensive curriculum. Please keep us posted as things progress.