How to Talk to Children About Fire
Today we’re stoking the flames and exploring FIRE as a DANGEROUS ELEMENT.
A quick google search of ‘why kids need to play with fire’ will reveal two polar opposite takes on the issue:
Children should not be allowed to play with fire because it’s dangerous and they’re too young to understand the risks.
AND
Children need to play with fire so they can learn to relate to it safely.
I think you can probably guess which side of the fire we stand on.
But why?
As we’ve discussed before, children need risk. They live and breathe risk. Put a risk in a room, and children will flock to it.
Children approach risk with an equal balance of fascination and trepidation, and usually after some experimentation, the fascination wins out.
Learning to manipulate fire is important because it’s something that sets humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. It’s one of the things that defines us as human beings.
Fire is a part of life – from the candles on a birthday cake to the engine in our car, it’s a core elemental force in our world, and children are innately curious about it.
One day, a child is going to encounter fire. One day, they might even play with fire without an adult present. When that day comes, we want them to have some knowledge of the risks associated with fire, and that can’t happen if we never let children near one.
So let’s have a closer look at how children relate to fire as a dangerous element, and how we can help them manage fire safely.
WHAT IS FIRE?
Before we introduce fire to our sessions, we have a chat about the fire triangle.
This frames our conversation about how fire functions and leads to problem-solving chats later.
There are three elements or ingredients that make fire. What are they?
Someone will usually shout wood, which equals FUEL.
What else? If we blow on a fire, does it get bigger? Yes, and there’s OXYGEN in the air.
And the last ingredient… what else do we need? Fires are hot, and to start a fire we need HEAT.
It’s easy to make a triangle out of sticks or draw one on the dirt to accompany this conversation.
Now, what happens if we add more of one ingredient? If we add fuel, the fire grows bigger, but if it’s too much fuel, the fire can’t get enough air, and then it could go out. If we blow more air on it, the fire grows bigger, creates more heat, eats more fuel, and the cycle continues.
Similarly, if we take away one of the ingredients of the fire, what could happen? Yes, it could go out. If we stopped giving the fire fuel, there would be nothing left to burn. If we smother the fire with too much fuel or a fire blanket, there wouldn’t be enough oxygen to keep it going. If we poured water on the fire, what element is that taking away? Yes, heat.
FIRE GUARDIANS
We want children to understand how fire functions: that it can spread easily and needs to be managed in a responsible way.
That means we never leave a fire unsupervised.
If we start a fire, we are the guardian of that fire.
We need to watch and monitor it throughout the whole process. Should we ever start a fire and walk away? Never.
Why? Because fire is alive, it’s an active element.
It moves, it fluctuates, and it’s affected by environmental conditions.
At Wildlings, we mark a boundary about one metre square around the fire pit, and call this the ‘square of seriousness’. Children are not allowed to step into the square unless they’ve been instructed by an adult and are supervised. We also establish a space around the firepit, either a log circle or some other visual aid, in which no running or rough play is allowed.
Asking questions helps children feel as though they are participating in the problem-solving process.
Why don’t we run near the fire? Because we might accidentally trip and fall in or knock someone over, and the risk of injury is higher because they could get burned.
There is so much to learn about fire.
So why not set up a campfire or BBQ at home, toast some marshmallows, and have a chat about it over a hot chocolate? When kids are able to relate to the subject matter through lived experience, they’re far more likely to pay attention and retain key information. Plus, who doesn’t love a fireside treat?
If you need a little encouragement and support on your journey with risky play, book into one of our programs and join a community of like-minded families putting the dirt back into childhood. Spaces are available in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast here https://www.wildlingsforestschool.com/bookings .
Written by Ellen Nesbitt. Ellen is a nature play advocate and creative writer with a passion for helping families connect with the outdoors. She is dedicated to exploring ways to nurture children's creativity, independence, wellbeing and love for nature.