Painting fireworks, tasty campfire safety, building a backyard campfire, and more!
Learning about F I R E and fire safety is a great way to kick of Fourth of July week. It may seem too simple, or even dangerous, but there are lots of cool activities and learning that can happen around fire and the questions that the topic provokes for little ones. As always with the thematic programming at home, it’s great to start with some discussion questions to think about through the week (or weekend, or month, or however long you choose to focus on said topic), and head to the library to check out as many books on the theme as you can get your hands on. Another great way to plan for your theme is to search the keyword on Pinterest, or check my page for ideas. For “fire,” a great overall resource is this list of 20 campfire crafts and activities by Dragonfly Designs.
Discussion questions (use these to start, and see what other questions your kiddos have on their minds):
- Who created fire and when? What is the history of fire?
- What are the tools used to make a campfire or BBQ fire, as well as safety precautions around contained fire?
- What happens when there is a forest fire? Who responds? What happens to the environment if it spreads?
- What do firefighters do to keep others safe from fire hazards? What do they do during emergencies?
R E A D I N G
Children’s books about fire (Amazon links. Really anything you can find after searching your topic at the library will work wonderfully):
- Big Frank’s Fire Truck by Leslie McGuire: Big Frank tells young readers all about firefighting and the many other important jobs firefighters do: fire safety training, fire inspection, helping at accident scenes, and more.
- Fire Trucks and Rescue Vehicles (Mighty Machines) by Jean Coppendale: Large type describes the machines, their parts and their uses. Glossaries explain essential terms, and suggested activities add to the fun.
- Contain the Flame: Outdoor Fire Safety (How to Be Safe!) by Jill Urban Donahue: Pick an open spot. Fill a bucket with water, and stay outside the fire ring. It’s time to learn the rules of outdoor fire safety!
- Here is a great list of fire safety books, posted by Jacquie Fisher via Edventures with Kids.
A R T
There are several fun and easy art projects on Pinterest that incorporate lessons on how to make a fire or fireworks with art materials, and the warm colors of fire. Here are some of my favorites:
- Glowing Campfire Craft by Buggy and Buddy: All you need is colored tissue paper (reds, oranges, yellows…), glue, cotton balls, a LED tea light, and a few other items. Help your child put materials together on a plastic cup, light it, and “roast marshmallows” right in your living room!
- Fire Truck Shape Craft: Discuss, draw, and cut out a variety of shapes (rectangle for the body of the truck, circles for the wheels) to build a fire truck. Great for developing fine motor skills, and recognizing shapes and colors.
- Handprint Campfire: Here’s a great one to hang on the fridge! You just need construction paper and tempera (non-toxic) finger paint, and littles can go to town printing flames with their messy hands.
- Painting Fireworks by Learning 4 Kids: This was a favorite in my house, not only of my four-year-old, but the one-year-old loved it too. To prepare, save empty paper towel rolls until you have at least 4 or 5. Cut slits in them, provide paint, and they become fireworks stamps!
S T E M (science. technology. engineering. math.)
For some, this category may seem daunting…you are entering serious teacher territory here. Don’t fear! You can totally do this. I sought out my most techy- and sciency-friends for ideas, solicited Pinterest on a regular basis, and (most importantly) remembered that my kiddos’ questions were the most brilliant starting point I could have asked for. I actually got excited when I heard myself respond with, “I don’t know the answer to that, let’s go find out!”
- Fireworks in a Jar. So mesmerizing, and just requires a few household items- a jar filled with water, cooking oil, and food coloring.
- Build a backyard campfire. I recommend that the kiddos use gloves, and act as assistant to the adult in charge. Talk your child through the process of building a proper fire, keeping fire safety at the forefront of the conversation.
- This one is great for early math. This Color by Number Firefighter Free Digital Download teaches about color and could also provide an opportunity for younger kids to practice number recognition. We didn’t get a chance to use this one but I wish we would have!
- Firefacts.org offers an informative website on fire safety that could be helpful to share with your kids. Also incorporating number learning again by teaching kids how to dial 911 in an emergency and what the numbers look like on a phone dial is a great addition.
C O O K I N G
Your DIY lessons are a great way to involve your kids in their food/snack prep and get them into the kitchen! Here are some easy recipes that many littles can prepare with little help, and they’ll be eager to gobble ‘em up, too.
- Campfire Safety That’s Also Tasty by Macaroni Kid: My son loved learning about the triangular structure of firewood and using pretzels to create his own. We subbed the candy corns (wrong time of year) for dried papaya, and it was healthier (and yummier, in my opinion), too.
- S’mores! What better snack to represent campfire safety and success than a true classic? Grab your family and friends and have a fire in the backyard (see S T E M) or a the beach, providing opportunity for roasted hotdogs, marshmallows, and s’more.
F I E L D T R I P S
For the fire theme, one of the greatest things I learned is that anyone, at any time, can go to their local fire station and knock on the door to ask for a tour. If the staff isn’t busy, they will happily show you around the station, and maybe even let the kids sit in the driver’s seat of a *real* fire engine and send them home with official (plastic) hats. It’s the greatest! I encourage you to check it out.
Another fun activity in the summer would be to check your local state parks website and plan the week around a little weekend getaway to a campground nearby. It’s the cheapest vacation you’ll ever take.
The fire theme is a blast, and, as I mentioned, I planned it in conjunction with Fourth of July so we could watch the fireworks as a connection to our conversations. Pick a few of the above activities, or add your own (and comment below to tell me how it went), and I promise you’ll feel like you’ve succeeded in providing an organized and thematic approach to your child’s learning. Get fired up!
