Tiny Back Garden Campfire: Avoiding Corona Boredom
Feeling less frustrated and hemmed in this week. Think we have hit a bit of routine now- this definitely involved a good chunk of time outside. The girls can blow off steam, be active and still be engaged! Also think that me getting out with them is a positive thing- reducing that pent up angst of being inside. They are active, and we are getting fresh air!
So here’s the next idea in the #avoidingcoronaboredom series- simple ideas you can do at home, with a Forest School feel, that allow you to be active, stay positive and maintain positive mental well-being! And remember, these are all things you can do with stuff you can find around the house- so you don’t need specific equipment or tools to do this! It’s a Tiny Back Garden Campfire! And what’s the purpose of a campfire…, it’s got to be toasting marshmallows!
What you will need:
- Some scrap wood- pallet wood is great!
- Saw
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Tin (we used the one from our Tin Cakes!)
- Fire lighter and lighter/matches
- Skewers and Marshmallows
If you’re in Guisborough and you don’t have pallet wood, get in touch (morgan@rewildingadventure.co.uk), or message the Facebook page– I’ve got some that would have been sued as kindling, but I’ll keep it to one side and you can willingly have it- we will arrange for you to pick it up during your daily exercise!
If you don’t have any firelighters then some scrunched up newspaper, or some cotton wool will do- anything that will light a small fire (you can also split the wood really small so it’ll take a a small flame). Also, you can use something other than marshmallows- a chunk of banana is nice when it’s roasted, as is pineapple. You could even toast a slice of bread, crumpet or a tea cake!
Step one: cut and split the wood- use the saw and cut the wood into small lengths- about 3 or 4cm- small enough to fit inside your tin. Then, lay the wood down on another piece of wood, and using the chisel and hammer- split it with the grain into small batons. This is your fire wood- and you will need a handful- so not much! Clearly, make sure little people are supervised when using tools!
Step two: preparing the fire! Pop some holes in the sides of the tin- so that air can get in. Place it, open end up, on a hard surface, we used the concrete path in the back garden, and away form anything that could catch fire! Pop four pieces of your fire wood in the bottom of the tin, in a hash tag shape. Then pop a fire lighter on top, with the remaining fire wood to hand.
Step three: lighting the fire- using a match, or a lighter- light the firelighter; then gently place more firewood on top. Again- this is going to get hot- so don’t touch it, make sure long hair and loose clothing is kept out of the way- and kneeling down is a good way of keeping safe.
Step four: get toasting! Grab your skewers, pop a marshmallow on the end and toast it to perfection! If you don’t have skewers- then a fork will do just as good! Again, be careful, as toasted marshmallows get really hot! We sandwiched them between digestives and made smores!
Hope you are all staying healthy, both physically and mentally. If this simple idea is done by at least one person, then that’s a good thing! Would love to hear who it went for you, and see some photos of you giving this a go!
See you all soon, Morgan
