Queensland adventurer & outdoor enthusiast Tyrone Kolbe is on a mission to teach children real-life skills that he believes are being lost in the digital age.

"We are all, adults included, being consumed more and more into the digital world," he said.

"What I'm doing isn't teaching them to be survivalists … just inspiring them to engage with nature and they're going to find their own way.

"Skills that you learn in the wilderness or in nature definitely translate into your real life."

Mr Kolbe, based in Rockhampton, central Queensland, hosts digital detox programs for kids.

Some of the skills taught include building survival shelters, water filtration and purification, fire ignition, hunting and navigation.

As a proud dad of two teenage daughters, Mr Kolbe started the outdoor courses as an extension of his parenting experiences.

"The things that I've experienced and lived through [on] my journey I wanted to pass on to them and … their friends started to want to come with us, particularly the exciting things like rock climbing, abseiling or caving," he said.

Mr Kolbe grew up in Cape Town, in South Africa, and just like his kids, became connected with nature and the outdoors from a young age.

Life-changing adventures for kids:

Twelve-year-old Theo McKenna has been participating in the wilderness retreats.

In a recent activity, he was asked to pretend he had survived a plane crash on a deserted Island.

He was given supplies from the wreckage to help him make it across the island and locate an emergency rescue beacon.

His mum, Amanda McKenna, said it was a challenging scenario for an adult, let alone a child, but Theo loved it.

"Theo was very much interested in all things survival and army type stuff," Ms McKenna said.

"For him, it was immersing himself in that experience … you've been dropped off on a deserted island. You've got to make yourself a shelter and filter your water and all of that kind of stuff and he loved that."

Ms McKenna said the experience and skills gathered had been life-changing for her son.

"The amount of learning that comes from doing things outside is something that's definitely lost in society," Ms McKenna said.

"We live on a property at Cawarral [between Yeppoon and Rockhampton] and Theo has already been implementing some of the things he has learned in making shelters and stuff at home."

Ditching devices for fun outdoors:

Researcher and clinical psychologist Tom De Pauw, from Central Queensland University, said switching off devices in favour of an outdoor adventure had many health benefits for children, including improved sleep patterns and emotional control.

"Previous research has actually shown that being outdoors has got a lot of benefits, not just for kids, but everyone," he said.

"These kids are learning a lot of skills, which not only teaches the mastery of something, but as a child it teaches a little bit more self-confidence."

He said learning some of these "Old-school" skills were also important in child development.

"Even if kids don't use the skills anymore, just having that confidence of knowing if something happens to me I know I can be fine and I can manage myself [is helpful]," he said.

Original Story By | Aaron Kelly