"What if We Get Lost Overnight?"

We’ve been training Boo for a couple years now that if she’s lost, she should stay put and blow her whistle. 

Last fall, she started asking what we would do if we got lost. And she was very intrigued about how to shelter overnight with no gear. 

So when we raked the yard, I burrowed us in and we felt how toasty warm it was compared to the chilly air. And of course she noticed that leaves blow away.

Since then, when she starts to get fidgety, we’ve added into the mix “where would you spend the night?” As we walk, we look for sheltered areas. We discuss which side of a fallen log would provide the most shelter. How to keep the leaves from blowing away. How that hollow would be great if there was no rain, but “Never sleep in a hole if it’s going to rain.” 

 This does eventually end with her wanting to try out all these locations, and climb trees off trail, so we have to have another distraction ready. 

Her last words of advice? “Sleep close to where you get lost.”

Do your kids enjoy learning survival stuff?
 

Keeping Warm

I have taken Boo hiking in the snow in sneakers and jeans. And I’ve carried her back inside and picked ice off her socks, too. I don’t recommend it. 

Keep an eye on your little kid. They’re not as good at recognizing when they’re cold if they’re having fun. I’ve had good luck with “Are your toes (fingers, ears) a little cold or a lot cold?” Lips will turn purplish, hands will be tucked next to legs, noses and ears will be cold to the touch. 

Obviously, dress appropriately. Boots, snowpants, hat, mittens, coat as warm as you are wearing. Remember that their shoes and legs are shorter than yours. When tennis shoes or low boots are fine for an adult, your kid may need boots and snowpants. 

Did you mother tell you “If your feet are cold put a hat on”? Do it. A nice wool hat will work wonders for winter hiking ability. It can be really hard to keep kids in a hat, so make sure it’s one that fits and suits your kid’s sense of style. We’ve had the best luck with bright yellow with eyes and a ducky beak. (As with everything, bright colors make it easier to keep track of when it’s flung into the woods.) If the hat is refused, occasionally offer it again, reminding them that it will keep them warm. 

Kids run with their hands out, they touch snow, they fall and catch themselves in icy puddles. Put mittens on at the beginning of any hike where you will eventually put your hands in your pockets. 

Yesterday, we were out riding bikes. It was sunny and 50-55F. And windy. The kids’ fingers were frozen. A good windbreaker or raincoat can do wonders in windy conditions. 

Sometimes she’ll get whiny about the cold more because she’s bored or tired or hungry. Then those issues need to be addressed or whining about cold will continue no matter how warm she is. 

When she’s too cold (our poor planning), a shoulder ride or piggy-back shares some adult body heat. If that’s not enough, I have her cling to my front and wrap her into my coat. It’s resulted in mud in odd places of my wardrobe, but it’s a good way to share warmth and get her out of the wind. 

Carry spare socks and mittens. Dry shoes and a change of clothes in the car is never a bad idea, either. Your kid needs to be allowed to get wet, snowy, muddy. It’ll be easier on you if you know they won’t freeze on the way home and you can take them out in public if necessary. 

What does Boo think is good to keep warm? “Mittens, coat, jacket, boots. Pockets on your pants. Or a poncho. “

How do you keep your kids warm?

Learning Camp Skills

Disclaimer: any specific kid on a specific day may be capable of a wide range of things. Or not capable of things they could do last week. Your knowledge and observations about your kid are a better guide than any number of bloggers or experts.

Kids are sponges for new information. Especially little kids don’t know what’s normal outside what your family does. If you hike and camp, they will think it’s normal. Teach them outdoor skills as you teach them indoor table manners, how to answer the phone, etc. Kids want to be with you, they want to act like adults, they want to help.

Something even the smallest toddlers can do is clear a spot for the tent. Encourage them to help you pick up sticks, pinecones etc. and make a pile. Depending on the kid’s mood, you may get the whole campground cleared. Even if they pick up one stick and play with it while you set up, they’re not making more work for you. If your kid hasn’t slept in a tent in their memory (which for a baby can be last week), have them “unpack” in the tent and get used to it. Boo’s first night in a tent she was awake far too late exploring.



Walkers love to take trips. Trips to the bathrooms, trips to refill water, trips to pay the campground host. I once had 3 kids vying to hold the cap to the water cooler.

As kids get older (and I’m still talking pretty small here) they can help unroll the tent, carry the sleeping pads, bags, and other small things that go into the tent. At some point they’ll be able to put tent poles together, Velcro and clip the rainfly, thread or clip the poles… Boo loves taking the tent down; we chant “Roll it tight! Roll it tight!”



Kitchen help has to start with kitchen safety. I keep the sharp knife in my hand or pocket. We use an alcohol stove, so I started with “Is it lit?” Of course she thought not. I showed her how to feel for heat with the back of her hand*, slowly. We felt by the stove. We felt by the fire ring. We felt by the neighboring fire ring (that I had seen smoking when we were setting up camp). She understood enough that she couldn’t trust her eyes. At three, she stayed as far away as I liked from the stove, and needed to be convinced to get close enough to the fire to cook marshmallows.

*I learned that trick from a blacksmith. The back of your hand, being less calloused, is somewhat more sensitive to heat than the front. And if you do touch something hot, you clench your fist away from the hot thing instead of around it. And the working surface of your hand isn’t damaged.

Boo’s still not much help in the camp kitchen. If there’s a table, she can set it. She loves the color-coded mess sets we have. She puts garbage in the garbage bag. She sometimes hands the cook the next ingredient. She’s awesome at handing around dessert.



We use a Steripen for water, and she can push the button and hold the pen in the water until it makes a smiley face. She takes this duty very seriously.



All the kids love tying knots. Boo and J spent a good hour putting up clotheslines once. Then fishing lines, then a bow and arrow. J practices knots from his survival guide. Boo works on “Cross, then through the loop.”

What outdoor skills have you taught your kids? What do you want to teach them? What do you wish you had taught them?