Survival Guides UK is designed to help young people develop practical outdoor skills, confidence and independence through learning, exploring and having a go.
Our Parent Resources help you understand the skills your child can learn, how they can develop over time, and how you can support them along the way. You’ll find guidance on everything from outdoor skills and equipment to safety, activities and ideas for learning together.
Many of the skills and activities can be explored by young people independently, while others are best enjoyed with an adult. We’ll help you understand what’s appropriate and how you can get involved, whether that’s supporting your child’s learning or having a go at an activity together.
You can explore our online resources for free. Members also have access to downloadable resources and additional materials designed to help children and families get even more from Survival Guides UK.
Browse the resources below to discover how you can support your child’s outdoor learning, build their confidence and encourage practical skills that they can use for life.
Want to become more confident outdoors? The best way to develop practical outdoor skills is to get outside, try things for yourself and learn through experience. Reading guides can help you understand a technique, but putting it into practice is what helps turn that knowledge into a skill you can use. The SGUK Outdoor Skills…
When you’re walking in the countryside, a small symbol on a gatepost, wooden fingerpost or trail marker can tell you that you’re following a recognised long-distance route. Learning to spot these markings makes walking less uncertain and helps you understand the signs you’ll encounter along the way. The key symbol for National Trails in England…
There’s a useful difference between walking a route someone else has marked and being able to mark a route for somebody to follow. The second takes a little more thought. You need to decide where a marker belongs, make its meaning clear and check that the next person can follow it without having to guess….
A successful hike depends on more than choosing a route and putting one foot in front of the other. Conditions can change, paths can become difficult to follow, equipment can fail and people can become tired or injured. The decisions you make when something unexpected happens can have a considerable effect on how safely you…
Rainfall affects everything from ground conditions on a walk to how quickly streams and rivers can rise. Making a simple rain gauge gives you a way to measure what’s falling where you live, rather than relying on how wet the ground looks. For this challenge, you’ll make a rain gauge of your own, place it…
Navigation doesn’t have to mean walking for miles with a map and compass. For children, learning to navigate can start with something much simpler: understanding where they are, knowing where they want to go and working out how to get there. A short route is a great way to practise. It might be a walk…
Bushcraft is about learning how to use practical skills and make the most of what the outdoors provides. You might learn to light a fire, build a shelter, identify useful plants or make things from natural materials. But learning bushcraft also means learning when not to do something. Responsible bushcraft is about enjoying these skills…
A campsite doesn’t organise itself. Once you arrive, there is usually plenty to do before everyone can settle down and enjoy being there. Learning how to help prepare a campsite teaches children that camping is a shared job, and even small tasks can make a big difference. You don’t have to be the person in…
Setting up a tent is one of the most useful camping skills you can learn. The first few times it can seem confusing, especially when you’re faced with poles, pegs and a bundle of fabric, but it becomes much easier once you understand the basic process. You don’t need to do everything perfectly straight away….
Planning a walk is part of the adventure. You don’t need to plan every minute or create a complicated route, but taking a little time to think about where you’re going, how long you might be out and what you need can make a walk much more enjoyable. Learning to plan a short walk also…
