Survival Knife Safety for Children

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If you and your family spend a lot of time outdoors, it is important that you teach your children early when it comes to knife safety. This will show them not only to respect knives and use them properly, but also helps to avoid injury.

Why is this important? Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that knives are sharp and, when used incorrectly, can be very dangerous. We’ve all cut ourselves with knives; it happens, but when a child cuts themselves, it is often due to a lack of knife safety education.

I remember as a child getting my first Swiss Army Knife from my uncle; most kids back then did, especially us boys. It almost felt like we’d become men even at those young ages, but that no longer happens now. The difference back then was that we were taught that those knives were tools, not weapons. I believe this is a lesson more important now than it ever was to teach our children.

How Old Should a Child Be to Learn Survival Knife Safety?

You could ask 10 different people this question and get 10 different answers, but to me, it isn’t so much about the age of a child as it is about their maturity.

We are all unique, and every child will mature at different rates than others. Some faster, some slower. My daughter was incredibly mature at a very young age, while other children may have reached that stage a couple of years down the line. So the answer to the question is to start teaching your children as soon as they are mature enough to listen, follow instructions, and handle a little responsibility.

Start by Cutting Soft Foods

Before ever heading into the wilds with a survival knife, the safety lessons should start at home, and there is no better place to do that than in the kitchen. Now, I’m not saying to go ahead and give your child a meat cleaver, but by starting with a knife that they can easily handle and control will go a long way when learning knife safety.

Find some soft foods around the kitchen, such as a banana, and have them follow your technique. Don’t be tempted to keep hold of their hand; allow them to hold the knife themselves, or they won’t truly understand or get the feel for it properly.

Be a Good Role Model

As adults, we can be very good at giving safety advice to a child but then not following that same advice when we use a knife ourselves. This is the worst thing a parent can do if they wish to teach their child proper knife safety. If you use a knife wrongly, they will too, as they are always taking note, even when you don’t realise it.

Safe Knife Storage

Your child needs to understand how to store their knife safely when it’s not in use. A survival knife will usually have a sheath. They need to know that their knife cannot be left laying around like their toys can; they should always know where it is.

Basic Knife Safety Techniques

It doesn’t matter how old your child is; you must always start with the very basics and move forward from there.

• Forehand knife grip: this is a basic but often used grip when using a knife in the wilderness. You make a fist, being sure to hold the knife firmly. Some people make the mistake of placing their thumb on the back of the knife, which is never a good idea, especially for children.
• Always cut away from the body: anytime that you/your child is cutting a branch, they should do so by cutting away from the body and also away from the hand that is holding the branch. Never teach them to cut towards the body or hand.
• Start small: there may not seem to be much common sense left in the country today, but that doesn’t mean your child should lack it too. Teach them to cut small amounts of the branch at a time, shaving it to get used to the action. It won’t take much force but will allow them to control the knife movement better.
• Use a fallen tree, rock, or log: it will take some time for your child to build enough hand and arm strength to do the above properly, so it is better to place the furthest end of the branch on a fallen tree or other solid surface. In this instance, it would be safer and more stable to have them kneel down.
• Elbows on knees: once the above technique has been learned and thoroughly understood, teach your child how to sit with their elbows on their knees using the same cutting motion. If they don’t have elbows on knees, there is potential for the knife to cut into the inner thigh and the femoral artery.
• Passing the knife: most of us adults were taught at a very early age how to pass a knife, even if only a butter knife. This again is something that, today, most kids just don’t know. Teaching them correctly not only makes it safe for them but also the one receiving it. The blade should always be pointed upwards with the fingers out of the way and on the handle.

Final Thoughts

How many times have you cut yourself on a knife? Well, your kids will; it’s unavoidable. But, with the correct teaching, you can control how serious those cuts will be. By teaching your children early about proper knife safety, you can ensure that they have a healthy fear and respect for knives.