I got my son a pocket knife instead of a cellphone. Here's why.

• My 12-year-old son spends so much time outside in the woods with his friends.
• He asked for a cell phone, but he already has a tablet and a smartwatch and we felt it was too much.

Over the last two years, my 12-year-old son has become increasingly consumed with going to the woods near our home. On many Saturday mornings, he's the first one up, dressed, and headed out the door with Pop-Tart in hand. He heads to meet his pals at a particular spot in the ravine near a creek that runs through our neighborhood.

He's told me about hawks that frequent the space, and he's scavenged for wild blackberries. He's used wagons and shovels to haul mud and rock, converting this forest area into his own covert space, diverting water to flow better, and carving out his own small natural space. He comes home muddy from head to toe, has dirt under his fingernails, and sometimes tracks dirt through the house.

The "outdoor boys," as we parents have affectionately dubbed them, seemingly live for their time out there. I know this because the questions he asks most days center on the impact of his time in the woods.

"Do we have any plans for the weekend?" he asks often, his curiosity piqued by how family activities may allow for or interfere with his time in the woods.

When I pick him up from school most days, his first words when entering the car are, "Can I go to the woods today?"

He does go and sometimes is out there until dark. I love this about him and his buddies. As a parent, it is a joy to me when he asks to go to this space in the woods.

He asked for a cellphone.

But just like many other tweens, he's also asked, "Can you get me a cellphone?" He made a case for it: he does well and behaves in school, participates in sports and activities, he could contact me quickly, I could track his whereabouts, and many of his classmates and friends have them. He could have access to the world via a tiny screen in the pocket of his jeans.

We considered getting him a phone and whether it was the right time, if there was a suitable time. Plenty of parents have given their kids phones, and I'll admit I like the appeal of knowing my kid's whereabouts and being able to message him as he grows older.

But he also spends plenty of time on a tablet and plays video games, and he has a smartwatch, so I can track him and even message him via the watch when needed. I wondered if adding another device to the mix was necessary. I considered my time monitoring and setting limits on more technology.

I worried that connection via a phone could replace the camaraderie he had found with his buddies in the woods. I questioned if that time with a phone might eventually take precedence over his time in the woods. Maybe not, but we felt it wasn't worth figuring it out.

We told him no to the cellphone. It was just a no for now, and we communicated that we had no idea when we would consider a phone.

Then he asked for a pocket knife

As he continued working and playing in the woods, he eventually saw the need for tools to make achieving a clear path or clearing a small area easier. He needed a tool other than broken branches and found objects.

"Can I have a pocketknife?" he asked us one day. Again, he explained his case: he needed something to help him clear an area of brush and cut twigs and small branches. After all, his grandfather always carried and used one. Yet again, we considered the issues of safety.

The pocketknife would be a potential weapon in his pocket that could harm him or someone else if not used properly.

We bought him a pocket knife. We knew his intentions with the knife, taught him when he could use and carry it, and taught him how to be safe with the blade. We had trial runs of opening and closing the knife. We whittled sticks for fun practice and made sure he knew what to do if there was any type of accident with the knife.

He cuts twigs, fixes small toys, and replaces batteries with the blade. He mostly keeps the knife in his pocket when he heads outdoors, only bringing it out when a project calls for a sharp object.

Then, he built a fort

The pocketknife inspired other adventures in the woods. Now that he had a tool, he and the other outdoor boys began drafting plans for a fort in their little covert spot in the woods. Other boys' parents entrusted their sons with a few tools — a hatchet, a saw, a hammer, and nails — and they constructed their small fortress in the forest. An endless work in progress, the tree fort has evolved due mainly to the tools and materials they've requested, received, and borrowed.

As for the pocket knife, when it's not in use or at the bottom of his camo pants pocket, it stays safely displayed in his bedroom, a token of independence and ingenuity. I think, overall, he's just proud to have access to a powerful little tool. And I'm proud of that, too.

From time to time, my son still asks for a cellphone. We know the time is coming when we will eventually consent, but we want to make the right decision at the right time.

For now, though, along with his scratches, poison oak rash, and possibly a few stitches, I think I'll vicariously enjoy this outdoor adventure, do whatever I can to support the habit, and keep punting the final verdict on the smartphone for as long as possible.