Teaching survival skills for kids is essential for their safety and confidence in the great outdoors. Equip your child with these crucial life skills and ensure they are prepared for any adventure.
Could Your Child Survive in the Wilderness?
If your child were lost in the wilderness, would they know how to stay safe? Would they have the skills to survive until help arrived or until they could find their way to safety?
In our modern, convenience-centered world, survival skills often seem like something from a bygone era, rarely considered essential. Yet, life is full of surprises. We never know when these skills might be needed, and by the time we realize we need them, it might be too late.
But here's the good news: It's never too late to start learning. And you don't have to do it alone—you and your children can embark on this journey together. Learning these skills can be a fun, rewarding experience for the whole family, and it’s an opportunity to pass on valuable knowledge that could one day save their lives.
Not only will you equip your children with practical skills, but you'll also build their confidence and sense of responsibility. Every time we learn something new, it feels good—it’s a reminder of the amazing potential God has placed within us. And your children will feel that same sense of accomplishment as they grow in their abilities.
Let’s explore 25 essential survival skills that you can teach your children. These skills are not just about surviving in the wilderness; they’re about thriving in life, learning to rely on God’s provision, and understanding the world He has created.
25 Survival Skills for Kids
1. The S.T.O.P Acronym
What if you and your child were to become separated in a crowded place or a wilderness setting? It’s natural for panic to set in, but you can teach them a simple technique to stay calm: S.T.O.P.
- Stop as soon as they realize they're lost.
- Think about the situation.
- Observe their surroundings.
- Plan what to do next.
This acronym is a powerful tool to help children remain calm and think clearly, whether they’re in a shopping mall or a forest. Make sure to have a plan in place whenever you go somewhere where separation is possible, including crowded venues or natural settings. It’s also wise to have a plan for natural disasters and other emergency situations. Teaching your child to S.T.O.P. can make all the difference in a crisis.
2. How to Grow Food
Gardening is a wonderful way to connect with God’s creation. It’s not just about growing food; it’s about nurturing life and seeing the fruits of your labor. Everyone should have at least a basic understanding of how to grow a small garden. It’s a skill that provides not only sustenance but also a deep sense of satisfaction.
Start your own garden and invite your children to join you in the process, from planting seeds to harvesting the produce. If grocery stores were to suddenly disappear, the ability to grow food would become essential. By starting now, you’ll not only provide fresh, nutritious food for your family, but you’ll also teach your children the value of hard work and the beauty of life that God has given us.
3. How to Preserve Food
Growing food is only the first step; knowing how to preserve it is equally important. Fresh food doesn’t last forever, and in a survival situation, having long-term food storage options can be life-saving.
Teach your children the basics of food preservation, especially methods that don’t rely on electricity, such as sun-drying, canning by fire, smoking, and salt curing. These traditional methods have been used for generations and can be a fascinating learning experience. Plus, they ensure that the bounty of your garden or a successful hunt can be enjoyed long after the harvest.
4. How to Identify Spoiled Food
We've all experienced the unpleasant effects of eating spoiled food. It’s important for your children to know how to identify when food is no longer safe to eat. While some food-borne bacteria aren’t visible, like botulism, teaching your child to recognize obvious signs of spoilage, such as mold or an off smell, can help them avoid potentially dangerous situations.
5. How to Forage and Identify Edible and Medicinal Plants
In today’s society, many beneficial plants are dismissed as weeds, yet these plants can be a valuable source of food and medicine. Teaching your children how to identify edible and medicinal plants in your local area is an invaluable skill.
Spend time learning together about the plants that grow in your region. Study their uses and how they can be consumed safely. Foraging can become a fun family activity, and it deepens your connection to the natural world God created.
6. How to Hunt and Fish
Hunting and fishing are not only practical survival skills, but they’re also opportunities to teach your children about responsibility, respect for life, and the importance of providing for their family. Even young children can learn the basics of using a bow, a gun, or a fishing rod. Along with these skills, teach them about weapon safety and the ethics of hunting.
Knowing how to hunt and fish provides a reliable source of food in a survival situation and can be a great way to bond as a family.
7. How to Safely Use a Knife
Knives are tools, not toys, and it’s important that children learn how to use them safely. Rather than instilling fear, teach your child that a knife is a useful tool when handled properly. Start with basic knife safety and allow them to practice under supervision.
Giving your child their own small pocket knife or blade to carry on outdoor adventures can instill a sense of responsibility and preparedness. It’s a skill that will serve them well throughout life.
8. How to Clean and Sharpen a Blade
Part of learning how to use a knife is knowing how to make a knife useful. If you have a dull blade, it's not going to be very useful at all.
Teach your children how to keep the blade clean and sharp at all times using a small sharpening stone they can put in their packs.
9. How to Open a Can Without a Can Opener
It might surprise you how many people rely solely on electric can openers. But in a survival situation, your child may not have access to one. Teach them how to use a handheld can opener first, and then move on to more primitive methods, such as using a spoon, a knife, or even a rock. This skill could prove vital if they ever find themselves without modern conveniences.
10. How to Clean and Prepare Fish and Game
Harvesting fish and game is just the beginning; knowing how to clean and prepare it for cooking is essential. Teach your children not only how to catch or hunt their food, but also how to properly clean and butcher it. This ensures that nothing goes to waste and that the food is safe to eat.
11. What to Do if They Encounter Wildlife
Wildlife encounters can be thrilling, but they can also be dangerous. Does your child know what to do if they come face-to-face with a bear, a mountain lion, or a pack of coyotes? Understanding the wildlife native to your area and teaching your children how to respond appropriately is crucial. It could mean the difference between life and death.
12. How to Start a Fire
Fire is essential for warmth, cooking, and even signaling for help. Teaching your child how to safely start and maintain a fire is a critical survival skill. Whether using matches, a lighter, or more primitive methods like flint and steel, this skill can provide comfort and safety in the wilderness.
In mountainous or cold regions, where temperatures can drop suddenly, knowing how to build a fire can be a lifesaver. Make sure they understand the importance of fire safety as well.
13. How to Cook Over a Fire
Once the fire is built, the next step is knowing how to cook over it. Teaching your child the different methods of cooking on an open flame—such as roasting, grilling, or using a makeshift oven—can turn a survival situation into a more bearable experience. Plus, it’s a great way to prepare them for camping trips or backyard cookouts.
14. How to Find Water and Make It Safe for Drinking
Water is essential for life, and your child needs to know how to find and purify it. Teach them how to locate natural water sources, such as streams or lakes, and how to make the water safe to drink by boiling it or using a portable water filter like a LifeStraw.
Understanding the importance of clean water and how to ensure its safety is one of the most vital survival skills your child can learn.
15. How to Make or Find Shelter
Shelter is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity. Teach your children how to use their natural surroundings to create a shelter that protects them from the elements. Whether it’s building a lean-to with branches, finding shade to stay cool, or using snow to create a tent, knowing how to make a shelter can keep them safe and comfortable in the wilderness.
16. Basic First Aid
Basic first aid is a skill everyone should have, including children. Whether it’s treating a cut, a burn, or knowing what to do in a more serious situation, these skills are invaluable. There are countless stories of children who have saved lives because they knew basic first aid. Equip your child with this knowledge—it could save their life or the life of someone they love.
17. How to Determine Direction
Knowing how to navigate is key to finding your way out of the wilderness. Teach your child how to use a compass, read a map, and recognize natural landmarks. Understanding how to determine direction can prevent them from getting lost and help them find their way back to safety.
18. How to Signal for Help
In a survival situation, knowing how to signal for help can mean the difference between being found and being lost. Teach your child how to use a mirror or another reflective object to signal to rescuers. Even a whistle can be a valuable tool for drawing attention. Making noise, using bright colors, or creating a visible signal are all ways to increase their chances of being found.
19. How to Build a Trap
If your child finds themselves in a situation where they need to catch food, knowing how to build a trap can be incredibly useful. Teach them the basics of setting up simple traps for small game, such as snares or pitfall traps. These skills are practical and can also be a fun and educational activity.
20. How to Tie Knots
Knot-tying is a skill that has endless applications, from securing a shelter to setting up traps, or even just tying down equipment. Teach your child how to tie basic knots, like the square knot, bowline, and clove hitch. These knots are easy to learn and incredibly useful in a survival situation.
21. How to Make Cordage
Cordage, or rope, is a versatile tool in any survival situation. But what if your child doesn’t have access to store-bought rope? Teach them how to make their own cordage from natural materials like plant fibers, bark, or even animal sinew. This skill not only provides them with a useful tool but also deepens their understanding of the resources available in nature.
22. How to Use a Sling
Slings have been used as hunting tools for thousands of years, and they’re still effective today. Teach your child how to make and use a simple sling. It’s an excellent way to practice hand-eye coordination and can be a fun activity that also prepares them for survival.
23. How to Collect and Use Rainwater
In many situations, rainwater can be a crucial source of hydration. Teach your child how to collect rainwater using tarps, leaves, or other materials, and how to make it safe for drinking. Understanding this process can help them stay hydrated and healthy in the wilderness.
24. How to Make a Signal Fire
A signal fire can be one of the most effective ways to attract attention in a survival situation. Teach your child how to build and maintain a signal fire that produces a lot of smoke, making it visible from a distance. Understanding the importance of location, timing, and safety can make this an invaluable skill.
25. How to Improvise Tools
In a survival situation, the ability to think creatively and improvise tools from natural materials is incredibly valuable. Teach your child to look at their surroundings and see potential tools in rocks, sticks, and other materials. This skill not only aids in survival but also fosters a mindset of resourcefulness and adaptability.
Conclusion
These skills may seem daunting at first, but remember, you don’t have to learn them all at once. Take it one step at a time, and involve your children in the learning process. Make it fun, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly they pick things up.
And remember, survival skills are not just about preparing for the worst. They’re about connecting with the world around us, learning to rely on ourselves and each other, and understanding the incredible resources God has placed in our care. Teaching your children these skills is a gift—a gift that will last a lifetime.
With grace, patience, and practice, you and your children will not only be better prepared for the unexpected, but you’ll also grow closer as a family. After all, the best survival skill of all is the love and support we give each other, guided by faith and the knowledge that God is always with us.
I hope these survival skills inspire you to spend more time outdoors and empower your kids to face any challenge with confidence. For more tips, inspiration, and updates, be sure to follow me on Facebook at The Rustic Elk and on Instagram @TheRusticElk.
April J Harris says
These are great skills to teach kids as they grow up. So many of the basic skills we used to learn as kids are being lost. Thank you for sharing this helpful post with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
John Duffy says
I wish more parents had your mindset. Too many kids (& adults) are clueless as to what to do in a survival situation. I'm sure there is an "app" for that but, eventually your smart phone is gonna run out of power. I wonder if some people would have the 'sense' to put their butts out if they caught fire. I recently bought my grandson his very own sharpening stone. I figured, if he's going to be hunting & fishing, he needs to know how to sharpen a knife. I am so thankful to my grandpa for teaching me this life skill. A sharp knife is a safe knife!
I really enjoy your website.
Best regards,
John
Danielle McCoy says
There aren't many people who think about what ifs without modern amenities. It's as if everyone assumes that even in a desperate, SHTF situation they're going to have their phones and whatever else necessary. Most people live in cities and don't think about what lurks beyond the highways and byways surrounding their populated areas.
Actually, people are probably safer outside of cities in a SHTF situation, but that's a whole other.... Their grocery stores will eventually run out of food and looters will take anything from anyone without a second thought.
My husband and I are trying to teach our daughters everything we can as far as these life skills. They actually have a lot of fun doing it and we are all happier for it. We are meant to live more naturally than modern life affords.
Travis Walker says
These are great skills to teach children, Danielle. They are young and it will be easy for them to comprehend. I'm used to bring my children with me whenever I'm going to fish. This has become a hobby, and they really enjoy it. Next time, I will also teach them how to grow food from our garden. I just wish that more people will be open to talk about survival and to have this mindset. Outdoor education and set of survival skills are essential that we have to instill in our children. In case of a worst case scenario, we can rest easy that they can thrive and survive.
Chris Gilmour says
As someone who instructs in wilderness and emergency survival as well as self-reliance skills and who ran a summer camp and youth organization for years, I LOVE this list. This is a really solid foundation to make people resilient and more in touch with both what they are capable of and the natural environment. Thanks for the great post!
Ariel says
Hello,
Thank you for putting this list together. I did not grow up learning a preparedness-mindset from my parents and it's felt like an uphill battle learning all this stuff as an adult. I SO want my own son to grow up knowing the basics of survival.
Have you considered creating this list by age? Or including baby steps to start off with younger children? As a mom of a toddler, I look at this list and think: I can't teach my son ANY of this yet. But after some thought (several hours to a couple of days), I realized, actually, I can. He already helps me water our little container garden (he's 2) and we've been working on identifying ripe fruits and veggies all summer. I just started teaching him how to use a butter knife (prompted by this blog post, actually - thank you!). We haven't taken him fishing yet but he knows to look for worms in the dirt! (Ha ha!) I've started to point out the plants that I know on our walks (dandelion, yarrow, St. John's wort, etc.) and he's such a sponge, he knows them pretty well already. All these little, baby steps that, as a mom of a toddler, I CAN start teaching him right now.
Danielle McCoy says
I haven't thought of that, but thank you so much for your suggestion!