The Ultimate Guide to Family Bushcraft: Summer Adventures in Devon & Cornwall
Ditch the digital. Embrace the wild.
Your kids are glued to screens. You’re glued to your phone. The summer is slipping away in a blur of blue light and notifications. It’s time to break the cycle. The woods of Devon and Cornwall aren't just scenery; they are the ultimate playground, classroom, and sanctuary.
Bushcraft is more than "survival." It is connection. It is the raw satisfaction of building something with your hands. It is the quiet pride in a child’s eyes when they light their first fire. This summer, we're inviting you to trade the Wi-Fi for the woods.
Are you ready to become a team again?
Why Bushcraft is the Ultimate Family Reset
Nature doesn't have a "pause" button, and that’s the point.
When you step into the woods, the pace changes. Your heart rate slows. Your senses sharpen. For children, bushcraft isn't a chore: it’s an adventure. It builds resilience. It teaches problem-solving. Most importantly, it creates memories that don't need a cloud backup.
At Devon and Cornwall Bushcraft, we see the transformation every week. Families arrive stressed and leave unified. There is a fundamental magic in working together to solve the basic needs of life: shelter, warmth, and food.
Stop watching adventure on a screen. Start living it.
Shelter Building: Building Your Forest Fortress
A pile of sticks is a palace if you build it together.
Shelter is the first priority of survival. In the woods, it’s also the ultimate team-building exercise. Forget the instructions. Forget the IKEA hex key. Here, you use gravity, friction, and intuition.
Start with a "Lean-To." Find a sturdy fallen log or a low-hanging branch. Lean smaller branches against it at a 45-degree angle. This is your skeleton. Next comes the "thatching." Layer leaves, moss, and forest debris from the bottom up. Why the bottom? To shed the rain.
Watch your children lead. You’ll see them naturally take on roles: the gatherer, the engineer, the decorator. This isn't just play. This is structural engineering in the wild.
- Top Tip: Always check your "ridge pole" (the main support) for strength. If it can't support the weight of the branches, it won't support your family.
- The Lesson: Security comes from what you can build, not what you can buy.
Fire Lighting: The Heart of the Camp
Fire is more than heat. It’s the original social network.
Nothing brings people together like a flickering flame. But forget the matches and the lighter fluid. That’s too easy. True bushcraft fire lighting starts with a spark and a "tinder nest."
We teach families how to use a ferrocerium rod (a fire steel). It’s tactile. It’s reliable. It’s rewarding. You’ll need "flash tinder": think dry grass, birch bark, or even old thistle down.
When that first spark catches and a tiny wisp of smoke rises, the excitement is electric. You’re not just making fire; you’re mastering an ancient skill. Once the fire is established, it becomes your kitchen. Nothing tastes better than food cooked over wood you gathered yourself.
Don't get discouraged by failure. Fire is a fickle friend. If you’re struggling, you might be making one of the 7 common mistakes with fire lighting. Learn to fix them, and you’ll never be cold again.
- The Kicker: A fire built together stays lit longer in the memory.
Foraging: The Wild Pantry of the Southwest
The forest is a supermarket: if you know how to read the labels.
Devon and Cornwall are blessed with some of the richest biodiversity in the UK. From the hedgerows of the South Hams to the damp valleys of Bodmin Moor, food is everywhere.
Foraging turns a simple walk into a treasure hunt. Kids love it. They have the best eyes for spotting wild strawberries, blackberries, or the bright yellow petals of Birdsfoot Trefoil.
But safety is everything. We live by the "100% Rule": If you aren't 100% sure what it is, don't touch it. We focus on teaching the "Easy Wins": plants that are hard to misidentify and delicious to eat.
Want to start your foraging journey? Check out our guide on 10 things beginners should know about wild food. It’s the perfect primer for your next family hike.
- Safety First: Identification is a skill, not a guess.
- The Kicker: Nature provides the best snacks; you just have to find them.
Our Local Roots: Parke National Trust
Our classroom has no walls and a very high ceiling.
We are incredibly proud of our partnership with the National Trust at Parke, Bovey Tracey. It’s our home. It’s where we run many of our most popular sessions.
Parke is a hidden gem on the edge of Dartmoor. It offers the perfect mix of ancient woodland, riverside trails, and open parkland. It’s the ideal environment for families to practice bushcraft because it feels truly wild, yet it’s accessible and managed with conservation at its heart.
When you join us at Parke, you aren't just visiting a park. You are engaging with a landscape that has supported human life for thousands of years. Our instructors know every corner of these woods. We’ll show you the best spots for tracking, the secret clearings for shelters, and the trees that tell the history of the land.
Support the National Trust. Support local skills. Connect with Devon.
Take the Next Step: Join the Tribe
One day isn't enough? Good. We agree.
Bushcraft isn't a one-off activity; it’s a lifestyle. If your family catches the bug this summer, we have ways to keep the adventure going year-round.
If your family wants to keep building its skills, choose another scheduled course or arrange a private family bushcraft experience around the activities you most want to practise.
Whether you want to join a scheduled course or plan something just for your family, explore our courses and events or our private family bushcraft experiences.
The woods are waiting. Your family is ready. Let’s go.
- Final Word: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The best time to start bushcraft is today.
