21 Basic Survival Skills for Kids (From Wilderness & Urban)

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There are some basic survival skills that your kids should know in case of an emergency. I’m not talking about your average stuff like how to turn off the lights or unplug appliances. I’m talking about skills that can save their lives if they are ever caught in a bad situation.

For instance, if your child is ever in a situation where they are lost or alone and need to make a fire, they should know how to start one.

Develop a preparedness mindset at an early age.

1. Practice Situational Awareness

Start by pointing out landmarks when you’re together and create meeting places for your family if something unexpected happens.

These landmarks are good points for you and your child on the way to school, at the park, at the mall, or on camping in the wilderness and in everyday life like going shopping or visiting a fair.

The more they practice being aware of their surroundings, the better they will be at gauging when something is wrong and taking action. In addition, if they are aware of their surroundings, they will be able to make decisions faster and more accurately, this is an essential life skill.

You can also use games like a treasure hunt for young children to learn where they live or what direction they go in for things like school, church, or the grocery store, This is a great way to practice situational awareness.

2. Staying Warm Without a Fire Harsh Conditions

Learn to stay warm without fire by wearing layers of clothing such as sweaters, thick socks, and mittens.

Tucking their pants into their boots to prevent frostbite and using insulation in their clothes to keep the temperature.

They should try not to overheat in their clothing but avoid wearing so little that they risk hypothermia.

3. Learn How to Find Safe Water Source and Purify Water

Learn how to boil water for drinking, use purification tablets.

Drinking water is the most important resource for survival.

It should be treated with care and diligence.

The water can be purified by boiling it or filtering through a filter, which are very effective ways of purifying water if done correctly.

4. Keep Calm When SHTF

Let’s go with the most important skills needed – KEEP CALM.

Children need to learn how to stay calm when something bad happens. This can help them find solutions when they feel afraid, which can help them in any emergency situation or natural disaster.

When they feel scared, they may feel the urge to run or hide, but they should control their fear first by taking deep breaths and mentally preparing themselves to take action.

TL; TR Keep a positive attitude and be patient because there is no time to panic when SHTF.

5. Learn How to Grow Food

Teach them basic knowledge of farming or gardening to help them prepare for a survival scenario.

They can teach themselves to grow vegetables by growing plants in a window box and building a simple garden like a raised bed or planting seeds.

Check out the other guide best foods to grow for survival

6. Learn How to Preserve Food

Kids also need to learn how to preserve food for the long term.

Teach them how to make their emergency rations, such as canned food.

This way, they will know how to stock up on food so that nothing goes to waste if they run out of it.

7. Identify Spoiled or Poison Foods

Learn how to identify spoiled and poisoned food.

Provide your children with information on distinguishing spoiled and poisonous foods, such as the color, odor, or texture of rotten food.

This is important in case they go hungry or run short on food, but they also may prevent poisoning by identifying spoiled foods.

8. Identify Edible and Medicinal Plants

They also need to know how to determine edible plants, which can help them stay healthy in a survival situation.

Explain to your children that plants can be eaten as long as they are prepared and cooked correctly.

9. How to Hunt/Fish and Prepare for Food

Learn hunting and fishing skills, which will help your children to acquire and prepare their foods.

Teach them how to set animal tracks to trap wild animals for food and how to use twigs and leaves from the woods in place of fire.

10. Learn How to Open a Can

This seems basic, but kids must know how to open a can with or without a can opener.

Teach them how to sterilize a can opener by boiling water or rubbing it with a little bleach, especially when they live in an emergency.

11. Learn How to Survive In the Wild

Learn what to do when lost in the wild.

Tell them what to do if they get lost in a forest or another wilderness area, including to stay put, build a fire, and make some loud noise so that rescue workers can hear them.

Teach them how to make shelters and start fires.

12. Learn How to Start a Fire

Not only in the kitchen but also in the wild.

Outdoor activities are beneficial to the mental health of kids(especially younger children).

Teach them about fire safety and how to start fires using natural resources they can find, such as kindling, tinder, twigs, grasses, and paper.

13. Learn How to Cook in The Wild

Now they know how to start the fire; they need to know how to cook in the wild.

Give them some lessons on how to cook with various cooking tools, such as metal pots, wooden spoons, and spears.

14. Make Shelter

Give them some lessons on taking natural shelter in the wild, such as find a good spot for building a tent or digging a hole for protection. Build simple structures out of tarps, leaves, tree branches.

15. Learn Basic First Aid

Teach them how to prepare a first aid kit, such as how to bandage wounds or treat burns.

Explain to your children what infection is and how to prevent it from spreading, for example, by washing their hands frequently.

16. Learn Self-defense, Martial Arts

Teach your children how to defend themselves with or without weapons.

Teach them how to escape from a predator, as well as how to use a pocket knife or even how to use their fists in self-defense.

17. Navigation

Teach them how to use a map, compass, and GPS for directions in the wilderness.

18. How to Sew

Sewing skill is underrated, but it can help kids in an SHTF situation. Teach them how to sew a shirt or pants, as well as to mend and patch them.

19. Swimming

Teach them how to swim to survive.

And also teach them how to escape from drowning by showing them the rescue techniques.

20. Know What To Do in Case of Fire

Teach your children what to do if a fire breaks out around them.

How to safely escape a burning building by explaining the three exit routes: window, door, and outside roof access.

21. Learn How to Contact the Police or a Trusted Adult

Get the number of the local police or local authorities to your children to know how to contact them when an emergency arises.

 

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Survive After End

Survive After End

write anything related to surviving a catastrophe. Whether it's disaster preparation or how to prevent an apocalypse in the first place.

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