Each season offers different opportunities to practice and master certain survival skills. Cleverly disguised as simple and fun family time, these activities play a secondary role that most people never really think about or equate to being a ‘prepper skill.’ As you will see, a lot of the ‘normal’ Spring outings and activities often have an element of preparedness and survivalism to them. We have already covered Summer, Autumn, and Winter in previous posts that you can also read to see just how easy it is to teach valuable lessons while the family is outside enjoying mother nature.
The days are lengthening again, the sun is hinting at warmer days to come, and the land is waking up! Spring is one of the most energy filled and fun seasons to play in. The birds are chirping and the squirrels are squeaking. Most of us start getting the itch to get outside. Some people, like myself, are eager to get into the garden for some ‘dirt therapy,’ others can’t wait to go hiking around, and still others are looking forward to foraging early wild edibles.
Here are some great activities that are commonly enjoyed in the spring that are also great opportunities to teach and practice survival skills (without being a ‘weird’ parent 😉 ).
Identify the change of season. Even when the wind is still brisk and biting, and maybe the snow is flying here and there, you can still find hints of spring. Point out the buds forming on the trees and shoots coming out of the ground. You can easily make it a game to try and identify what the new shoots are. This is also a good time to have a discussion about paying attention to colder temperatures, even if the sun is out. Going over the symptoms of hypothermia can never be done enough.
Start sprouts and plant cold frames. Let the kids pick out some food or flowers to be grown in containers or, if able, cold frames and green houses. This activity that lasts all growing season is one long lesson with some great rewards at the end, too!
Planning Summer Activities. Bringing the whole family in to help make plans for the summer activities creates an excitement and unity within the group. Each person has a vested interest in the plan because they helped make them! Teaching kids how to think ahead to avoid problems (within reason) and make sure the supplies are in place is a great way to help develop organizational and prepper skills! Have the kids make a list (or help) of all the things that will be needed for a camping trip, a day on the boat, or even a short hike. You as the parent can fill in the holes of the important stuff.
One thing I have done with my nephews is to drill into their heads the things every person needs to survive (water, shelter, food, warmth, etc) and then tell me three ways they can meet those needs. It doesn’t take long before they see the correlation between items and how they can be combined to make things even better!
First BBQ of the Year. I know many of you out there never stopped grilling and BBQ’n up food through the winter. For the rest, we wait until the snows start to thaw and there isn’t ice on the windshield of the truck every morning. When the sun starts to warm things up, I know a lot of people who will get a serious craving for some grilled meat and veggies. I am right there with them, firing up the grill and marinading like some mad scientist! This wonderfully fun activity brings people together in a relaxed setting where topics such as food and where it comes from is easily discussed.
Various methods of preservation (smoking, canning, etc) can also be brought up. Even if you aren’t actively smoking up some venison, just the discussion alone has value for the family (especially kids because you know they are listening!) from simply being together.
The Importance of Preparing for the Season. Most people don’t think about it but you prepare for each season. Switching from heavy to lighter jackets in Spring, getting studded tires put on in Winter, and buying sun screen to protect yourself in Summer are some examples. It is important to teach your kids about the cycles of the seasons and what happens in each season as far as weather patterns and temps.
Year Round Activities. There are some skills that are so valuable that they apply to every season. Some of those include:
- Identifying edible and medicinal plants
- Foraging
- Finding and purifying water
- Starting a fire in less than ideal conditions
- Making shelters
- What to do if you get lost
As you can see, it is pretty easy to incorporate little ‘lessons’ into your prepping activities for spring. How ever you get out there to enjoy the season, be safe! Be prepared! What other activities that are usually done in Spring that can also be a prepping lesson? Share your ideas and suggestions below!