Bushcraft is so much fun! And what makes it even better is that your scouts can learn the ins and outs of it while working towards some scout badges! Here are some of the key bushcraft activities for scouts that can boost your unit’s knowledge and help them gain that badge.
In this blog, we’ll take a deeper look into what bushcraft skills are, why they are important and which ones your scouts can do at home, at an activity centre or on a scouts weekend!
What is Bushcraft?
Bushcraft refers to the skills and knowledge needed to live and thrive in the natural world. While it shares some similarities with survival training, bushcraft is more about long-term outdoor living than just getting through an emergency.
The word “bushcraft” is commonly used in the UK, Australia, and other parts of the world with large wilderness areas. It draws inspiration from the traditional knowledge of indigenous people, early explorers, and military survival experts. Over time, these techniques have been passed down and adapted for modern use in outdoor education, especially in scouting.
Bushcraft covers a wide range of practical skills, including:
- Shelter building – Knowing how to create a safe, dry space using natural or basic materials
- Fire-lighting – Learning to start, maintain, and use a fire safely using flint, steel, or other methods
- Water sourcing and purification – Finding water in the wild and making it safe to drink
- Foraging – Identifying edible plants, berries, and other resources in nature (always under supervision)
- Navigation – Using the sun, stars, or natural signs to find your way without a map or compass
- Tracking and awareness – Spotting animal tracks and reading the environment
- Tool use and woodcraft – Using knives safely, carving, or crafting useful items from wood
- Signalling – Sending messages using mirrors, ground signals, or improvised tools
Bushcraft is about knowing how to make the most of your surroundings. Scouts who learn bushcraft gain a deeper understanding of nature and how to work with it, not against it.
How Bushcraft Helps Scouts Build Valuable Skills
Bushcraft isn’t just about practical outdoor tasks — it plays a big role in personal development. These hands-on activities teach scouts important life lessons that go far beyond the forest.
- Builds independence and resilience
When scouts are given the tools to build their own shelter or cook over an open fire, they learn to rely on themselves. They discover how to stay calm under pressure and keep going, even when something doesn’t work the first time. This helps build patience, determination, and confidence.
- Encourages problem-solving and decision-making
Bushcraft constantly presents new challenges. Whether it’s choosing where to build a shelter or how to light a fire in damp conditions, scouts must think critically and adapt quickly. These are the same decision-making skills they’ll use in everyday life.
- Strengthens teamwork and communication
Many bushcraft activities are best done in pairs or groups. Scouts learn how to share ideas, delegate tasks, and support each other. For example, building a group shelter or preparing a fire for cooking can only be done efficiently through collaboration.
- Grows environmental awareness
Through bushcraft activities, Scouts learn to respect the great outdoors. Bushcraft includes principles like “leave no trace” and encourages a deep appreciation for the environment. Understanding how to live sustainably and responsibly outdoors is a lesson that stays with them for life.
- Links to scouting values and badge work
Bushcraft aligns perfectly with the core aims of scouting — helping young people develop skills for life. It also ties in with several scout badges, such as the Survival Skills Badge, Outdoor Challenge Badge, and Navigator Badge. Practising bushcraft can help scouts achieve these milestones while enjoying a memorable experience in the great outdoors.
Popular Bushcraft Activities for Scouts
Bushcraft is all about learning by doing, and there’s no better way to develop outdoor confidence than through practical, hands-on activities. These popular bushcraft tasks are ideal for scout groups of all ages and abilities, and each one supports key personal development and badge work.
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Shelter building
Take your scouts into the woods and teach them how to build their own shelter from the ground up. Start by introducing the basics using a tarp or survival sheet, then challenge them to collect natural materials to strengthen and weatherproof their shelter.
They’ll need to look for sturdy branches, sticks, moss, leaves, and bark. As they go, talk about how to choose a good location — flat, dry ground away from strong winds or hazards like falling branches. You can guide them through different structures too, like lean-tos or simple debris huts.
This activity is brilliant for building teamwork, encouraging creative thinking, and helping scouts learn how to assess risks and adapt to their surroundings.
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Campfire skills
There’s something magical about learning to light a fire, especially when it’s done using natural materials and a bit of patience. Start by teaching fire safety — how to create a safe fire circle, use kindling, and manage the flames responsibly.
From there, show scouts how to light a fire using tools like flint and steel or even a bow drill. Once the fire’s going, it’s time to cook. Whether they’re boiling water, making toast, or trying their hand at campfire recipes like bannock or baked bananas, scouts will love seeing the results of their efforts.
This activity helps them gain independence, learn responsibility, and tick off requirements for badges like Outdoor Challenge, Backwoods Cooking, and Fire Safety.
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Signalling
Knowing how to signal for help is a core part of survival. It’s also a fascinating skill to learn. Teach scouts how to use whistles, mirrors, hand signals, and natural materials to communicate without speaking.
They can practise creating SOS patterns with stones or sticks, using torches to flash light in a sequence, or even building a smoke signal fire. It’s a fun and engaging way to introduce serious topics like staying calm in an emergency and knowing how to ask for help.
Signalling can also support badge work — including Emergency Aid and Survival Skills — while giving scouts real confidence in their ability to stay safe outdoors.
The benefits of learning bushcraft skills
Bushcraft isn’t just about lighting fires or building shelters. It’s about giving scouts the confidence, independence, and know-how they’ll carry with them for life. Here’s why bushcraft is such a valuable part of any scouting programme.
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Earn Badges
Bushcraft activities help scouts tick off key requirements for several badges. For younger scouts, the Survival Skills Activity Badge covers core tasks like shelter building, fire-lighting, and learning how to signal for help. For Explorers, the Survival Skills Badge dives even deeper, adding skills like purifying water, navigating without a map, and cooking in the wild.
But earning a badge isn’t just about ticking a box. It’s about setting goals, working through challenges, and coming away with a genuine sense of achievement. It also helps scout leaders structure their sessions around meaningful learning.
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Useful in real situations
The skills learned through bushcraft aren’t just for the woods — they’re genuinely useful in everyday life. Whether it’s knowing how to stay calm in a tough situation, build a shelter if caught out in bad weather, or light a fire safely on a camping trip, these are life skills with real value.
Bushcraft also teaches risk awareness, personal responsibility, and how to stay safe in unfamiliar environments. In the event of an emergency, even basic bushcraft knowledge can make a huge difference.
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They’re fun!
Most importantly, bushcraft is fun! Scouts love the challenge of building something with their own hands, learning how to survive in the wild, and spending time outdoors with their friends.
They can get stuck in, work as a team, and try things they’ve never done before, whether that’s cooking over a fire, carving wood, or spotting animal tracks. Every session is different, and that sense of adventure keeps them engaged and excited to learn more.
Bushcraft brings out the best in scouts. It encourages creativity, boosts resilience, and helps them grow in confidence, all while having a brilliant time outdoors.
Scouts Learn Bushcraft Skills at PGL!
Looking for a fun and immersive way to teach bushcraft? At PGL, our Survivor activity is the perfect hands-on experience for scout groups. It brings all the essential elements of bushcraft together in one exciting challenge, encouraging young people to think critically, work as a team, and build their confidence in the great outdoors.
They’ll also explore practical survival techniques, such as how to safely light a fire, how to stay warm and dry, and how to assess risk in unfamiliar environments. And with guidance from our experienced instructors, they’re supported at every step of the journey.
- Learn about different types of shelters and how to build one using available resources
- Develop an understanding of safe fire-lighting methods and the risks involved
- Gain awareness of potential hazards in an outdoor environment
- Build effective teamwork and leadership skills
- Support one another, share responsibility, and communicate clearly
Survivor is more than just an outdoor activity, it’s a chance for scouts to put their skills into action, explore the outdoors in a new way, and walk away with a real sense of achievement.
Book your Scouts residential trip at PGL
We hope these bushcraft activities for scouts help your unit to achieve success in their badge endeavours! If you’re not already heading on a Scouts adventure with PGL, then take a look at what we have to offer. We have a range of group residential trips to choose from, including Girlguiding residentials, Youth Club & Trusts residentials, Faith Group residentials and many more!
If you have any questions, get in touch with our friendly and experienced team today. They’ll be more than happy to help!
