Parents turning to Google to help children learn as 'traditional skills are lost'

Youngsters keen to learn outdoor skills such as camping but parents don't know how to teach them, survey suggests

Parents are turning to Google to help their children learn new skills

(Rex Features)

Parents are turning to the internet to help children learn new skills because they lack the knowledge to teach them, according to survey.

With summer holidays approaching, parents are worried about being unable to help them take part in outdoor activities, the research found.

Six in 10 wished they were better equipped to educate their children, with more than half admitting they feel embarrassed at how little they can pass on to their offspring.

But while two-fifths believe their child’s grandparents would be able to teach the skills children want to learn, they are more likely to turn to Google over asking an older relative.

Making a campfire is among the outdoor skills most coveted by children. Putting up a tent, building a raft and fishing were also popular.

Livvy Gormally, a parenting expert, said: “Doing activities as a family and learning together can encourage kids to try something new helping them to build confidence and boost resilience.

“For some children and parents the relaxed environment of an outside family experience can make learning seem more fun and accessible than a traditional learning environment.”

According to the survey, more than half of parents could not confidently show their children how to toast a marshmallow, with nearly nine in 10 unsure how to build a raft.

Millennial parents, aged 25 to 34, said they struggled the most when their children wanted to learn new skills.

Just 17 per cent are confident they could build a campfire, compared to a third of those aged 45 to 54, the survey commissioned by Haven found.

SWNS