Avid campers like to continue the camping tradition on for as long as possible, and to pass their knowledge on to their offspring.
I’m here to help you do just that.
In this article I will show you exactly what needs to be done, to make sure your kids become great learners and great outdoorsman later on in life, all while having fun in the process.
Learning doesn’t have to be difficult, and it isn’t when you know how to teach your kids properly.
So let’s get right into it.
Skill 1: Pitching A Tent
The most basic skill for camping, tent pitching.
Without a tent, you have nowhere to sleep, making this #1 priority when teaching your kids valuable camping skills.
Most of the time this is the easiest skill to learn (out of the main ones anyway), so keep teaching them and never give up, no matter HOW stressful or difficult it gets!
They’ll become a huge outdoor enthusiast in no time.
Pro tip: Have your kids practice in the backyard for faster learning.
Skill 2: Collecting Firewood
Chopping firewood is not within their skill level yet, especially if they’re not the right age to KNOW how to keep safe when handling an axe, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t teach them how to collect wood and stack it first.
Of course collecting firewood is really easy, so you can further their knowledge by getting them to stack it properly as well.
Have an adult chop the firewood, then the kids pick it up, move it and then stack it.
They will get accustomed to the new task and it will eventually grow on them.
Skill 3: Staying Safe
Of course…safety is equally important, if not MORE important than anything else.
Teach them to:
Watch their step – This means always watching where they are stepping, whether that be in and around the campsite or out exploring, it does not matter. This will help build their awareness levels and confidence, which are both essential to have in the outdoor world.
Know how to get back to camp when lost – If for some reason they go astray, they should know how to make their way back to the campsite. Kids will always be wanderers, so you could save their life by teaching them this valuable skill.
#1 priority when lost?
Don’t panic!
Do not run from wildlife, no matter how scared they are – If there are dangerous animals nearby and they stumble upon one, they need to know how to handle the situation.
What happens when an animal runs from another animal in the wild?
It brings on a CHASE…and if you’re child isn’t ready for the unexpected, tragedy may strike.
Skill 4: Looking Out For Each Other
Just because kids are kids, that doesn’t mean they can’t comprehend what’s going on around them.
Teach them to always be on the lookout.
If they see their baby brother wandering off, they need to tell you or go and get him.
If one of their friends decides to do something dangerous, they may be able to save a life by stopping him/her from doing that dangerous activity.
If there’s a wild animal nearby and stalking people, then your child should know to report it right away instead of running up to it, which may scare it and bring on an attack.
Skill 5: Cooking
You don’t have to get them to prepare and cook everything themselves, obviously.
However, getting your kids to HELP you when you’re cooking something over the campfire is better than nothing.
Because when they get older, they’ll already know all of mom and dads great camping recipes and exactly how to cook them 🙂
Do you want that? I bet you do!
Bonus Skills
The skills I’m about to mention are for more advanced little campers!
These skills are for when you’re children know everything mentioned above.
Let’s get right into it.
- Chopping firewood
- Setting up/building the campfire
- Starting the campfire
- Fire safety
- Preparing meals
- Cooking the meals themselves over the campfire
- Searching for food
- Searching for a viable water source
- Etc, etc
In Conclusion
Before moving on to the more advanced skills, MAKE SURE they know how to pitch the tent by themselves – first – to always be protective of friends and family, and to stay calm in a dangerous situation!
Because a young overseer will make a great leader one day – a leader that knows what to do and what not to do in any situation imaginable.
If you want to raise an expert camper, then by all means begin teaching them the ways of the outdoors immediately.
So camp often (at least 4x per year), and raise your little outdoorsman before they grow up before your eyes!
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Thank you very much for reading this article.
I’d like to hear your thoughts on it! Comment below any feedback, questions or concerns you have 🙂
Cheers!