I find as my children are getting older, we are starting to lack in the field trip department. I think I've developed the attitude "been there done that", and I've been craving something new to engage the crew.
This year I lucked out by finding Patterson Spring Farms close to us. We're practically neighbors! We went in the fall, and I wrote about our experience here: Hidden Treasures Today, we went for their homeschooling day "Outdoor Survival Skills for Kids". Another wonderful informational day!
The class was taught by an outdoors man who knows the area, and is training his own children what to do in case they are ever lost in the wilderness.
The acronym we learnt was STOP. S = stay put T= think...don't panic O= observe ( look around and assess) P = plan and follow through.
We learnt about what type of shelter to put together; whether it be a simple orange garbage bag poncho, to a quinzee ( snow shelter) or a simple debris hut made of branches, leaves and dry grasses.
Our lesson continued about how to make fire, what type of "fuel" to use...a lot of fire supplies can be made with simple things right around you...who knew?
We learnt that water is a necessity for survival, and how to obtain it in any situation. And finally we learnt about how to put together a basic survival kit before one heads out into the wilderness...even if its a fun family camping trip.
My head was swimming with information overload, and I think the kids heads were spinning too, but we left with new found information that I think we will practice out here on our acreage. This again was another successful field trip, and I'm sure we will be back at Patterson Spring Farms for more of their homeschool days in the spring. If you are looking for more info on outdoor survival for you family, here is the link that our guide/teacher today downloaded our handouts. Kids Outdoor Survival
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| Home made fire starter: dryer lint, egg carton and paraffin wax |
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| Flint and steel demo |
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| An example of a quinzee |
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| An example of a debris hut |
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| Just enough room for one to keep cozy if lost. |
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