Bushcraft Sessions

Over the summer holidays, thanks to funding from Holywood Trust and Crossdykes Community Benefit Fund, we had a lot of fun running a series of bushcraft sessions for local children!

They provided an opportunity for children to safely and responsibly explore natural habitats and learn a range of nature-based bushcraft skills.

Starting with the basics, we learned about the requirements of survival – warmth, water and food. Learning knot-tying skills and building shelters to keep dry in the wet weather; using charcoal and other natural materials to filter water, and learning how to responsibly and safely build, monitor and extinguish fires.
We foraged for blaeberries and wild raspberries, tasted lemony wood-sorrel and cooked tasty bread and cakes over the campfire. Using bushcraft knives, we split kindling and had a go at whittling spears and spoons.

In addition to practising survival skills, we also learned about native wildlife, looking for tracks and trails of different mammals. We found otter and badger footprints on a sandy patch by the River Tarras and made plaster casts to take home.

Spending time in nature is vital for children, with huge benefits to their mental and physical health, promoting creativity and imagination, as well as helping to build confidence while working together to problem solve and learning how to assess risk to explore the natural environment safely and considerately. The convenience and safety of spending time indoors, as well as the reduction in access to natural spaces, are part of the reason why modern children are spending much less time in nature than past generations, so we hope to be able to run the sessions again in future school holidays and continue to provide the opportunity for young people to learn valuable skills and have fun in nature!