Well I have always believed that it's knives at 6 and fire at 10 guns at 16 with everything else thrown in as time allows.

Both my girls got knives at 6 and have done well enough to not bleed much. They use them to prepare tinder, carve food and other small camp chores under supervision. I watched them very carefully untill they cut themselves decently once. I helped them avoid serious cuts by teaching them proper handling but the both eventually cut their finger or thumb while cutting towards themselves - A big no-no that I had taught them over and over again. Experience is the best teacher. Neither has had a chopping accident yet (cutting something down towards a board with your grip on the object in the way of the blade). The first little slice was enough to teach them decen respect for the blade.

My 9 yr old is now in training for fire. She is a very cautious girl so I feel comfortable that she will not be taking a book of matches and experimenting without me. Two weekends ago (on a dry day with little wind) she built a fire ring while I tuaght her about scraping away forest duff, making a ring of rocks to hold the fire inside and direct wind etc. she got tinder, kindling, and fuel, arranged a little nest under tepee fire set and spent two books of matches lighting it. She got it light after burning her fingers twice and taking a break for lunch. It was a great day! She learned a lot of respect for fire from that and has since helped set the fire in the wood stove a few times. By 10 (June next year) she will be confident and capable with carrying fire tools.

The 7 yr old is very eager to learn about fire and she is a little wilder and more precocious so I will have to watch her a little more closely.

Of course. age appropriateness is relevent to the life experiences and maturity of the child. I know my parents' neighbors on a rural farm let their kids/grandkids drive any vehicle (go-cart, tractor, bulldozer, pickup truck) when they grow long enough to reach the pedals. That would never work in a urban neighborhood. <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'd also like to add that there's a difference between supervised and unsupervised survival mode. My middle son is a 10 Webelos scout and has had knife and saw training and had demonstrated a good level of maturity handling sharps. Likewise, both he and his younger sister (8) have a little experience building a fire succesfully using a MFS and dryer lint as tinder. However, I will not put a knife or matches in their fanny packs as the risk of them hurting themselves while in a survival situation out weighs the benifits. If they follow the STOP guides as soon as they realize they're lost or in trouble, they should not be far from help. I've taught them to put on the orange poncho if they get cold or it's raining. If they get colder, wrap the space blanket around themselves, etc. Blow on the whistle 3-time loud every 15 minutes or so. Do not tire yourself out. Drink you water. I sacrificed a space blanket so they could see how to unfold it and warp it around them. They quickly turned it into a teepee in which they both huddled under, all the better. The light stick is mainly for their comfort should they get stuck in the dark. They can huddle under the blanket in the green glow and blow on the whistle to draw attention.

I've only practices these things a few times. So I need to review them again.. and again...

Did you keep the chemical light sticks in their original packaging, inside the toothbrush holder, without damage to the package? If not they will quickly lose their ability to work. Pete

Yes. They are still in their original foil pack in a large plastic toothbrush holder tube (2 piece). But I've found that the sticks can be hit or miss sometimes with regard to quality control. So will replace them in the spring with fresh sticks and let the kids snap the old ones as practice on how to acticate them.