If children DON'T play with fire.... they will get burnt
“Sounds dangerous” we hear you say anxiously.
It is, but before we go any further let’s set the record straight.
Each year in America 20,000 fires are caused by children experimenting with candles, matches and lighters secretly at home.
Half of these fires are caused by preschoolers.
So even though every responsible parent is hiding their ignition sources and saying “don’t touch that! It’s hot!” young children are still curious about fire.
So how do we show children the dangers of fire BEFORE they go and try it for themselves in secret?
It comes down to demonstrating hands-on fire safety.
In today’s Podcast, we are talking all about why we MUST teach children fire safety and the effects of not creating a safe, hands-on learning environment that appropriately demonstrates these lifelong skills.
We know some people will find the idea of children and fires too dangerous and it is.
But let’s go back to a time before risk-averse culture, helicopter parenting, and cotton wool kids.
Back to the basics of “what it is to be human”.
Our ability to build and manage fire has separated us intellectually from all other animals on Earth.
Fire has kept humanity ALIVE.
🔥We cook with it.
🔥Connect around it.
🔥It has kept us safe and warm for thousands of years.
So of course children will be curious about fire!
They will want to understand it, and be shown how to respect it. They will want to know the do’s and don’ts but they can’t learn these skills if we gatekeep them.
We (the adults in charge!) MUST normalise fire safety and provide supervised experiences where children can use fire as a tool.
And we aren’t talking about just using a lighter. We are talking about learning the skills, knowledge, and RESPECT needed to build a campfire with nothing but your bare hands.
And that is HARD work which requires patience, grit, and resilience.
This is something all children need to practice - some adults do too!
P.S. At the end of May we are going to be walking through EXACTLY how to incorporate risky play with groups of children, during our free private training for Playworkers, Educators and Aspiring Forest School Leaders ready to learn Wild School Skills.
Apply to get an invitation to our FREE training in May
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OTHER WAYS WE CAN HELP YOU
- Want to learn the "on the ground" skills you NEED to run children's activities with fire, water and hand tools? Wild School Skills is for play workers, educators and aspiring forest school leaders. Apply now to get an invitation to our FREE training in May
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