Venturing out of your comfort zone and into the forest to find mushrooms with small children might put some of you on edge. I am a firm believer that we need to educate our children on how to correctly identify mushrooms and what to do if they encounter one on the trail or in a play area. We must have an open, honest dialogue with them about the risks of misidentification to keep them safe and aware of their surroundings.
Different times of the year pose some very different challenges when you're trying to complete a successful hunt with your family. While winter isn't the best time to find mushrooms, spring, summer, and fall offer a colorful bounty of beautiful specimens for your child to study and explore. Certain animals and insects that might not be found in Winter and Spring, but are prevalent in the summer and fall months. (Think snakes, mosquitoes, bears, cougars, spiders; just to name a few.)
If you go into the forest prepared and ready to take on any challenge that might arise, you are sure to have a much better experience than a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants afternoon jaunt, whilst being carried away by 100's of blood thirsty insects looking for their next meal.
Whenever you're going out into the woods during the warmer months, I highly recommend some type of mosquito mesh; whether it be a
hat,
pants, jacket,
stroller/kid carrier, you're going to want to protect the kiddos from having to apply excessive amounts of
DEET from insect repellent if you plan on traversing any deep woods with heavy leaf litter. Spraying a
waterproof suit with 15% DEET also helps limit skin contact. You might be asking why not a natural insect repellent. Trust me, I've tried this, and it just doesn't cut it in the deep woods. It will be a miserable experience for your family.
A
high waterproof boot does wonders for protecting your child from possible snakes that might be hidden on the ground if they are running through the woods and not watching their surroundings. They are also easy to clean if your child walks/runs through poison ivy/oak/sumac, and you need to wash the urushiol off their boots with soap and water.
Extra socks are like extra clothes; a must if your child plays hard, as mine do.
Thick gloves offer protection from possible unknown mushroom residue on a cap or from poison ivy that could be close to specimens. It's often hard to keep an eye on your child when they are lost in the forest's excitement and the hunt. You want to make the experience fun, but also safe, without worrying about extraneous factors that might change a pleasant day into something unforgettable, and not in a good way.
A trekking pole or walking stick will allow your child to inspect areas where they might want to investigate. Snakes are one of my biggest fears when I'm in the forest with my girls, but if you teach them to go slowly and pay attention to their surroundings, then that might prevent a dangerous encounter with a venomous snake.
Some of you might be leery about giving a child a knife. You need to consider that if you want your child to be capable and prepared to go into the forest to hunt mushrooms, you will want to get them a good knife.
Opinal France makes high-quality knives for kids, whether for mushroom hunting or the kitchen. You will not be disappointed by the quality or timeless design.
A few other things you might want to include are a guide for your area, a kids'
shockproof/waterproof camera, a
compass, and a
utility cord. The
split-willow creel is my go-to basket for foraging or collecting in the forest. It's better known as a fish basket, but it's got a small square hole in the top where your kiddos can drop all of their finds and forest treasures. It's also hinged and has a cross-body strap.
If you have some other really useful finds to add to my list, please do so in the comments. It's always so helpful when everyone shares practical knowledge. It fosters a stronger community for our children and builds their confidence in the wilderness. Happy Mushroom Hunting!
-Stacey
