Life

Sportsman James Cracknell on why we should be teaching our kids outdoor skills

From map reading to making a campfire, Olympic champion and star of Celebrity Island James Cracknell has gone back to basics for his newest challenge

James Cracknell and his daughters learning outdoor skills
James Cracknell and his daughters learning outdoor skills James Cracknell and his daughters learning outdoor skills

JAMES Cracknell has won two Olympic gold rowing medals, raced across the Atlantic and the Sahara, and even made it to the South Pole. And now he's completed another huge challenge which many of us struggle with, too - teaching his two young daughters lost outdoor skills.

The Olympian took to adventuring after retiring from competitive rowing in 2006, and has recently been putting his own outdoor skills to good use in Channel 4's Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls.

Cracknell believes it's a shame that many children have no outdoor nous, such as knowing how to light a campfire and map read. So, the 46-year-old teamed up with Vauxhall Motors and got his two daughters, Kiki, aged nine, and seven-year-old Trixie to put down their tablets and get out with him, so he could help them master some of the skills.

"We lead such busy lives," Cracknell says, "for us as a family it's really important to get outside for some quality time together. It's been great to explore more of the outdoors with my girls – showing them a few skills has shown them how much fun you can have when you go back to basics."

More than half of parents questioned by Vauxhall said their children have no outdoor skills, yet 83 per cent think it's important. However, almost half admitted they wouldn't feel confident teaching children basics, like reading a map or identifying a flower.

Cracknell, who's married to the TV presenter Beverley Turner, showed his daughters how to light a fire after collecting firewood, how to use a compass and read a map. Their older brother, Croyde (15) didn't join them, but his dad says: "My lad's really not afraid of anything that wriggles, jumps or crawls, and takes a lot less persuading to get into the outdoors, contrary to my wife. In all honesty, all the kids are happy to be outdoors – though it's a bit trickier if it's raining; they'd much rather be out in the sun."

Some kids, of course, will take more than a little persuading to get off their phone or tablet to get outdoors to learn new skills, and Cracknell stresses: "Simply telling kids to go outdoors won't work, and you can't tell them to come off playing Fortnite to go outside. You might need to persuade them to go on a trip by bringing some gadgets with them, but once you're there, they'll realise how much fun it really is. After that, it's no problem getting them outdoors.

"But most children don't know how to light a fire or read a map, which I think is a shame."

Like many children of his generation, Cracknell himself learned outdoor skills at Cubs and Scouts, and on family camping trips.

"As a child, I enjoyed most everyday outdoor activities. My family would always drive to France to camp, we never stayed in hotels and I hadn't been on a plane until I was 18 for the World Championships. We also owned a canoe, so I've actually enjoyed rowing since childhood.

"To this day, I never travel without a map. With a satnav, you could be driving to anywhere and have no idea where you are."

But Cracknell thinks parents should "definitely" learn outdoor skills themselves, noting: "Almost half of parents don't feel confident in teaching their kids outdoor skills. The majority have to actually resort to the internet to do so, even though they feel these skills are important."

He says this is why he wants to encourage more people to get outdoors, and points out that, as children spend so much time being taught how to do things, it's nice for them to learn skills and do activities that will still serve them well as grown-ups.

Finally, the dad and action man says that after his time on Celebrity Island, he wants to try living more simply – and avoid plastic when he can.

"I'm in no rush to eat coconuts, that's for sure," he laughs. "One thing you notice on the island is the amount of plastic in the oceans, which is actually horrendous, so I'll really avoid using single-use plastic.

"There's a lot of simple things I want to go back to doing. This campaign is all about going back to basics, and my time on the island made me realise the joys of simplicity. We do go camping but realistically, it's more like glamping. The beauty of camping is that you don't really need to have much with you to enjoy it, so I'm really looking forward to enjoying more of that with the family."

TOP 10 'LOST' OUTDOOR SKILLS

1. Map reading

2. Reading a compass

3. Identifying flowers

4. Lighting a campfire

5. Birdwatching

6. Foraging

7. Putting up a tent

8. Tying a knot

9. Fishing

10. Toasting marshmallows