Sep252012
26 Comments
32 Survival Skills Your Child Should Know and Be Able to Do ASAP!
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PDFThis list by Becky P. was a finalist in our List Contest. Thanks, Becky, for an excellent entry!
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Knowledge is something that takes time to develop, so we need to start teaching the next generation now. In case God forbid, our children are left to fend for themselves or we are injured or even just to make your family more apt to survive, every child must learn these survival skills so they can pull their own weight and contribute as much as they can. If your family learns now to be a well oiled machine, you will be more likely to survive any type of collapse.
- Grow vegetables from seeds
- Have local edible and medicinal plant foraging skills
- Knowledge of dietary needs and how to meet them using wild plants and game
- Make a fire and know fire safety
- Cook on an open fire
- Open a can of food with and without can opener (rub can lid ridge on cement and then pry open with knife)
- Be able to tell if food is too spoiled to eat
- How to safely use a knife
- How to shoot a sling shot
- How to hunt small game with snares, traps and sling shot
- How to fish and hunt-bow & gun when old enough
- How to clean fish and wild game
- Find water and identify if it’s safe to drink
- Filter and boil water to drink
- Basic first aid
- Basic hygiene practices
- Find or build a shelter in the wilderness
- How to stay warm, cool and dry in the elements
- How, Why and When to stay hidden
- Self defense
- How to make a basic weapon and how to use it
- Be able to run and walk a good distance and be in generally good shape
- How to climb a tree- to get away from predators, get directional barrings, and hunt.
- How to read a map and use a compass
- How to read the sky for directions, time and approaching bad weather
- Know where family and friends live if they need to find them
- How to sew so they can mend clothing or any fabric and even make things such as bags or scrap quilts
- How to bargain and trade (Kids naturally do this with their toys so teach them at garage sales.)
- How to be responsible for themselves and to be aware of their surroundings at all times
- Have a natural curiosity and good problem solving skills
- Be hard working and a self starter and a family helper not a complainer!
- Have a strong faith in God (morals, memorize bible verses, prayers, songs, and have a hope for heaven)
© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(26) Readers Comments
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ACTION STEP: Get thee to the dollar store!
Make sure the rubbing alcohol is at least 60%--anything less than that
Advice for new Survival Moms from those who have been around a while
about storing toilet paper in the garage: i read on another website t
Chandra
To open a can: If you have a sturdy knife you can open one without concrete. What you do is hold the knife vertically with the tip against the edge of the lid near the lip. Drive the knife into the can with a sharp blow. Move the knife over and repeat until you have cut through enough to get the food out. I live in the countrry where there is no concrete. I have used this method when I misplace my can opener. I would recommend a sturdy paring knife as a carving knife might be hard to control. An Old Hickory paring knife is the specific knife I used.
Dave
At what age should a child start to really learn from this list? My daughter is five, and I want to start teaching her appreciation for living in and with nature, but I don’t know if she “gets” it yet.
thesurvivalmom
There is no set age for any of these. I would start by letting my child watch me doing something a couple of times, ask if he/she would like to help, and see how it goes. Even several 5 year olds won’t all have the same physical, mental, and emotional maturity, so it all comes down to what YOUR child is capable of.
Chelle
Dave – realize this post is from last year but to answer your question, it’s never too early to start teaching your children how to live outdoors. Keep things simple and make a game of the things you want to teach her. I just told someone else who asked a similiar question to look up a copy of a scout handguide. that will show you all sortsof things to teach kids. Most importantly, have fun. Start with clouds – weather’s first indicator, animal tracks, plants to stay away from and how to respect nature. Always use deadfall for wood and start teaching fire safety rules now. I have 10 Webelos cubscouts that are getting ready for their first camp out. Ages 9-10. They have been learning for the pst 6 months and some even before that. Have fun!
Betty Smith
I think you need to talk to them a little everyday and let them see you do it and then they will just accept it as “normal” If you wait too long —society will teach them it is not “normal” and they will shy away from it….just my opinion
Jenny
What a great list. I definitely need to teach my kids and myself some more survival skills.
chuck
great list unfortunately I dont know a lot of these things,any help would be greatly appreciated.
thesurvivalmom
Check out our Skill of the Month (see the top menu bar) and just start with something! Some of these skills can be grouped together so they can all be learned at once.
Reklawj9
The best thing is to include them when they are small, a 2yearold can crack an egg for a recipe (in a cup and fish out the shells) or pick a dandelion green. you just have to allow extra time(lots)
patience now WILL pay off later…..and don’t wait too long the window when moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas are cool, and know every thing, is very short and soon you will hit resistance, because Miss Jones does it this way(2nd grade teacher) or Johnny down the street says its stupid…
Heather
Don’t forget how to swim, at least tread water and what to do if they fall into either still water or racing water (like a river).
Heather
Another one – how and where to hide, inside different rooms or their house, how to find places when they are outside (in the city and in the country), and how to find places to hide when they are in other buildings, like schools, stores, etc. Also be sure to establish a safety word that only you and your children know. If you have to “find” them, tell them never to come out of hiding unless you use the safety word when you get to them (you can have a not safe word also, to use to tell them to keep hiding). Also, if you have to send someone else to them, tell them that unless the person knows your real name (not mommy) and the safety word, never go with them no matter what they say. Also tell them how to find help, who to trust, such as uniformed people, especially fire, police and military or if they are in trouble in a store, to ask a woman with kids with her for help instead of someone else.
Jocelyn
My little 4 year old guy has been a stinker about hiking, but recently has forgotten about his “hurting legs” as long as we are always looking ahead on the trail for the next wild edible. The trick here is for them to know they may only eat from the wild as long as they get mom (or another expert adult) to OK their foraging BEFORE they even have a taste. They need to know that mushrooms, plants and berries are sometimes toxic and can make them sick or worse. Next up, we’ll be bringing our sling shot along for target practice once we get far enough into the woods to shoot- another great hiking motivator. (: Also when we go camping we set up a shelter/fort by our tents and they have fun playing in it, as well as learn some basics of building ad hoc shelters.
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Lindsay
Fantastic list! I am proud of the ones my six-year-old already knows/can do, and this gives me lots of ideas of what to keep working on!
cara
I noticed in your 2011 and 2012 skill of the month series that you had bread making and tortialla making. I would add a month of sourdough bread practice. You can make risen bread without yeast but also quick breads, french style breads, pancakes, biscuits or rolls etc. The skill is in learning how to maintain the “mother”. It is not hard but should be learned before it is critical.
The sourness can be made more or less depending on how the mother is handled and how long it is storred between uses. Some people don’t like the sour taste but it is not necessary to have a sour taste if you don’t want it.
thesurvivalmom
Cara, our skills for each month are scheduled for the next 12 months, but we can always post an article or two on anything we like! I’ll add sourdough breadmaking to my list of important topics and will try to write about it in the next few weeks. Thanks so much for the suggestion.
Melissa
A good way to get kids interested if they are already a little older or are a little stubborn is finding the right incentive. Your daughter who wants nothing to do with getting her hands dirt may be more interested if you show her how to do it on a Barbie sized scale the basic skill is what’s important and if you can make one for Barbie you can make a larger one when it comes down to it. My 10 year old loves making clothes for her barbules because aside from what they were wearing when we bought them if she wants a fashion show she’s gotta make the clothes.
My boys are going to learn how to crochet a hammocks for their action figures this year and how to sew old socks into a small bag with pockets to keep their cars in (gotta put all those extra no match baby socks to some use).
My kids love to cook no matter what it is so that one is never an issue for me.
We play his and seek constantly and they are getting better about being quiet and not giving themselves away. You want to see some improvement in hiking skills send them on a treasure hunt with a map and a prize at the end. Try looking into geocashing (sp?) same principle on a larger scale. I’d start small and work them up to a big hunt.
blah blah
These are good SHTF survival skills, but until the SHTF kids need to learn urban / modern survival skills, too. Schools don’t prep kids for what you have on your list, and they also don’t prep them for knowing how to responsibly use credit, stay out of debt, manage a household, work on a car/house/other equipment, etc. You should do up a list that goes over modern skills every child should also know.
camille
What a valuable site. I just found this in searching for ways to prepare my daughter for emergencies in the wake of the heartbreaking tragedy in Connecticut. I am always thinking of how I would keep get and her soon to be born baby sister safe in the wake of disaster. My daughter is only three but my husband and I already are instilling the basics of safety. We talk about stranger danger, staying with a trusted adult, we planted and harvested a garden together, and we are starting her in martial arts soon. I try hard not to scare her but to empower her and educate her. I’m scared everyday for her well being but all I can do is give her the tools and enjoy every second with her I think I’m different than alot of ”survivalists” in that I’m a vegetarian and not a fan of guns. I do think you can survive without guns and if someone else has a gun well then it’s you or them and eventually you will lose. my husband owns guns and eats meat and we have taken her fishing before. I do want her to learn basic skills that may help her in the future and I talk to her about only eating meat when we need it to survive. Im not going to turn down squirrel if im starving. I also have no problem killing something if need be, but in our daily lives, there is no need. Anyway, again, helpful list. I agree with most of it, I dint believe in the Bible so instead I teach my daughter to be good, to respect others and to respect the Osbert. She is already a very smart, well rounded and gracious little girl.
camille
Ha ha, not respect the Osbert, respect the earth! Planet earth
Brynn Dahlquist
I teach a survival class at our local co-op, live in the National Forest with my family, took my 7 year old across the country hiking the PCT this last summer, and he is planning his first solo backpacking trip in the North Cascades this summer for his 8th birthday. He is the youngest to have ever done the PCT. I’m telling you straight up, as a long distance backpacker, a parent, and a family who is prepping, making a shelter outdoors in the wilderness has been shown to be a TERRIBLE skill to teach. You will spend more energy, calories, and time constructing something which will not withstand the elements enough to keep you safe or warm. Teaching yourself and your child where to find shelter naturally is what needs to be taught. That along with tarp and knot skills will save your kiddo, not shelter building. That is something of Bear Gyllis and Survivor Man shows for hype, not reality.
Cindy
Thanks for your comment Brynn! Makes so much sense. This list is great, but I am so ignorant on almost all of these. Is there any curriculum/book that anyone can recommend that teaches most or all these things? I still need to look at your skill of the month series but was wondering if there was a book, etc. Is there a program anyone recommends that teaches things like this as a group? Thanks in advance.
Clarissa
Something, I am teaching my kids is preserving food. We are also raising our own chickens and going to teach them the humane way to slaughter and prepare it. I know that the kids are young but if I teach them as 2nd nature they will learn in case..
Leo Curris
I haven’t dived deeply into the site yet but have you added things like making soap and candles to the list? Or even perhaps taking a log and making it useful for tongue and grove building
mamabearlehman
This is a great list! Now all I have to do is learn these skills myself so I can pass them on to my children.
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