Girls Camp Resources

Edible Campfires:
Refer to Page 32 of the YW Camp Manual.

I found it works best to have small items in snack ziplock bags and all placed in a big ziplock bag, saves time in distribution as you go. A little goes a long way - only a few of each ingredient is needed

Have girls bring a bandana or hair elastic and their water bottle.

1. What are the fire regulations in your area?
(find out and discuss with the girls before building any fire)

2. Collect all of your firebuilding supplies before you begin.
(distribute baggie of supplies)

3. Cover or tie back hair, while building or working around fires.

4. Open a napkin full and place the three piles for a proper wood pile in order on half of the napkin so that the other half can be folded over the wood pile to keep the wood dry till ready to use. A good camper never has to search for wood after the fire is lit.

a. Tinder is no thicker than your pinkie finger. Fine twigs, bundles from tops of bushes and weeds, pieces of pine, thin pieces of bark, dried leaves and grass.
(coco-nut or sunflower seeds)

b. Kindling is thicker than your pinkie and no thicker than your thumb. Six to twelve inches in length. Should snap when broken.
(potato stix or small pretzel sticks)

c. Fuel is larger than your thumb.
(cheezies, cheese puffs, tootsie rolls, fat pretzels or bread sticks)

5. Get bucket of water and shovel and rake (optional) to keep close to fire for safety. Before you ever start a fire make sure you have the fire fighting equipment on hand.
(cup of water, spoon and fork. You can also use a cup of granola for Sand if you want)

6. Clear the ground in a 6-foot radius. The edge of your plate is the boundary of the safety area. Mark the safety area by outlining the edge of the plate with your finger. This is the zone where no one moves faster than a slow walk. Inside the zone no one should ever be running or playing while a fire is being built or burning. Clear away the grass, twigs and pine needles, from a good-sized area until only dirt remains. This is the base of the fire. Place your cookie in the center of the plate.
(represented by scraping spoon on 6 in plate to make it safe to build a fire. A big round cookie represents dirt. Use as much detail as you feel you need. Discuss safe places to build fires)

7. Create a fire ring to contain fire. Place a ring of rocks around the edge of the dirt area. This will help keep the fire from drifting into nearby grasses.
(tiny marshmallows, Jelly beans, M&M’s, peanuts, corn pops, cereal, raisins, cheerios or large chocolate chips)

8. Now you are ready to lay your fire. Make an “A” or “V” frame of logs, open end facing the wind.
(break a large pretzel rod into 2 or 3 pieces)

9. Lay tinder in teepee or lean to fashion in the corner of the A or V, remember tinder is smaller than your pinkie finger.
(coco-nut)

10. Add a fire starter to the base of the tinder (Optional if you have enough tinder and kindling). Burns quickly to get fire started.
(hershey kisses, gum drops or small pieces of twizzlers)

11. Light the fire. Of course we are using waterproof matches
(3 inch pieces of rope licorice or full length twizzlers)

Add sparks!
(red hots)

12. When a small fire is started add kindling on top of tinder leaving room for air to flow. Remember kindling is larger than your pinkie and no larger than your thumb.
(potato stix or small pretzel sticks)

13. Watch as the flames build.
(candy corn)

14. Next add fuel on top of kindling. Fuel is larger than your thumb.
(cheezies, cheese puffs, tootsie rolls, or fat pretzel rods)

15. Extinguish fire; let the fire die down.
(eat fire, drink water)

16. Review the method of extinguishing fires:

With dirt

- let the fire die down
- separate the burning pieces but keep them within the fire ring
- pour dirt over coals to smother keep stirring till extinguished
- continue till you can’t feel heat when you hold hand over coals

With water

- wet the area around the fire
- sprinkle water on the fire, do not pour water as you may get burned by steam and immediate hot water
- spread out coals with a stick
- sprinkle again and turn over smoldering sticks or coals, sprinkle again
- continue till only soaking wet ashes remain
- continue till you can’t feel heat when you hold hand over coals

If you have removed sod to make a fire cover the area with dirt, replace the sod, make it look as if no one has been there.

17. Leave no trace!
(put plate, spoon, cup in trash)

For an alternative you can use healthy items ie:

- Salad dressing instead of water
- Broccoli florettes for rocks
- Shredded cabbage for tinder
- Carrot sticks for kindling
- Celery sticks for fuel
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bacon bits
- Etc, etc.

Ready, Aim, FIRE! Relay
You will need matches, pots with lids, grills, water, 1 fire pit area per team.

Divide the group into teams of. The object of the relay is to see which team can be the first to boil a quart of water and then douse their fire. Only one member of each team may be away from the group at any one time. and he can perform one task only.

On GO the first member of each team runs to collect an armful of firewood. When that player has returned the second player may go and collect an armful of firewood. When all players have had a chance to add to the wood pile, the fire building may begin. Player one can set the first round of kindling. Player two can put the larger pieces of wood down. Player three can light the fire. Player four can set up the grill.

The relay proceeds with members taking turns all along the way. Some pours the water in the pot, someone else tends the fire, someone else puts the pot on the grill.

Just remember that only one person from the team can be doing a chore at any one time. Share the load and take turns.

The first team to boil the water and then safely douse their fire wins.

Handouts:
I made up 4x6 handouts for most of the certification items. The idea is that you print them, laminate them and punch a hole in the top. Then with a small metal ring you can attach them to a backpack. This handout has two sides.