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.