Kid’s Wilderness Skills Day
Always been free, always will be!
Email us at Askcentralohiooutdoors@gmail.com to RSVP today! Let us know how many will be attending, and if you would like to camp out with us on Friday night!
Don’t just survive, Thrive!
Every summer we host a day just for the kids and it costs nothing to be a part of it! We launched our inaugural Free Kid’s Day in early September of 2024 to wonderful reception and success. We covered Knife safety, basic wilderness survival, first aid, land navigation, and signaling for rescue and we had a fantastic group of kids. The concept for the day has evolved since then and it has become larger, spanning a bigger age range for attendees and offering more programming to choose from, all with a focus on being as hands-on as we can possibly make it!
Our Next Free Kid’s Skills Day will be Saturday, August 16, 2025. Check back regularly for updates!
Join us on the night of Friday, August 15th and all day Saturday August 16th 2025 for a full lineup of skills classes and activities geared towards a younger audience, all completely FREE!
In response to feedback from last year’s event, we are opening up Friday evening for camping! The venue will open to overnight campers at 6:00 P.M. to arrive and set up their campsites for the night. We will have a large communal campfire that night (feel free to bring hot dogs and marshmallows!) and there will be a Wet Fire presentation starting at 7:00. Learn how to take wet wood and less than ideal conditions and still make a successful fire from it! Camping on Friday night will be free to kid’s day attendees, but donations are welcome.
This event is recommended for kids ages 7 and up. Participation in workshops is up to parental discretion. Parent or Legal Guardian MUST be present at all times.
Classes & Activities
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Classes & Activities -
Class topics for the 2025 Kid’s Skills Day include:
Gathering Water for Survival
Foraging & Wild Edible Plants
Wilderness First Aid
Improvised Tools and Weapons
Plant & Tree Identification
Survival Shelters and Campsite Selection
Knots & Knot Tying
Making Bannock over the Campfire
Meet Your Instructors
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Meet Your Instructors -
J.C. Messer, Messer Custom Leather
J.C. is an expert leather craftsman and veteran woodsman. He grew up in the Rendezvous circuit (Pre-1840 living history) and he will be joining us from Indiana to lead classes on Gathering Water for Survival, and Plant & Tree Identification.
Bill Carpenter, Where There’s Smoke BBQ
Bill is a local business owner, entrepreneurial coach, and outdoors enthusiast who will be joining us to lead foraging walks to find wild edible plants, and to teach how to make Bannock over the campfire.
Daniel Harding, Bully Pully Bushcraft
Daniel is an outdoors enthusiast who hails from the east/central side of Ohio. His background is steeped in working with youth of all ages through the Boy Scouts and through various faith-based organizations and his church. Currently he works with troubled youth to give them guidance and, hopefully, a new trajectory in life. Daniel will be leading workshops in Wilderness First Aid & Trauma Response, and Knots & Knot Tying.
Caleb Thompson, Central Ohio Outdoors
Caleb has been teaching wilderness and survival skills to youth for over ten years. He currently owns/operates Central Ohio Outdoors and is passionate about sharing his love of the outdoors with the curious. Caleb will be leading workshops about Primitive & Improvised Weapons and Tools, and Survival Shelter & Campsite Selection.
Event Schedule
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Event Schedule -
Friday - 7:00 PM:
Wet Fire Presentation & Instruction. Learn how to build and start a successful fire with wet materials, in wet conditions. Taught by Caleb Thompson
Saturday:
10:00 -
Event Opens and check-in begins for attendees
10:30-11:15: Session 1
Workshop 1: Survival Shelters & Campsite Selection with Caleb Thompson -
Basic Tarp Shelters: Lean-To, Plow Point, A-Frame, and Modified Lean-To
Workshop 2: Trauma Scenario 1: Hiker W/Broken Leg with Daniel Harding
Workshop 3: Gathering Water for Survival with J.C. Messer
Workshop 4: Foraging Walk with Bill Carpenter
11:30 - 12:15: Session 2
Workshop 5: Improvised Tools & Weapons with Caleb Thompson - The Bola
Workshop 6: Knots & Knot Tying with Daniel Harding
Workshop 7: Plant & Tree Identification with J.C. Messer
Workshop 8: Making Bannock on the Fire with Bill Carpenter
12:30 - 2:00:
Lunch Break
Open Skills Practice
Q&A With Instructors.
Axe Throwing
Slingshots
Lunch (Bring your own lunch): Pavilion
2:00-2:45: Session 3
Workshop 9: Survival Shelters & Campsite Selection with Caleb Thompson - Emergency Shelters from the Land, Building a Basic Lean-To with what nature provides
Workshop 10: Trauma Scenario with Daniel Harding
Workshop 11: Gathering water for survival with J.C. Messer
Workshop 12: Foraging walk with Bill Carpenter
3:00 - 3:45 Session 4
Workshop 13: Improvised Tools & Weapons with Caleb Thompson - A Humble Fish Spear
Workshop 14: Knots & Knot Tying with Daniel Harding
Workshop 15: Plant & Tree Identification with J.C. Messer
Workshop 16: Making Bannock on the Fire with Bill Carpenter
4:00 - ?? :
Skills Challenge! Winners get bragging rights, a certificate signed by all four instructors, and a spotlight on our website and social media!
