Adventures With Your Children: This week…Build A Fire

It’s officially camping season!  But you don’t have to pack all the gear into your car and head for the mountains to build a fire.  Get a few bricks from your local hardware store, make a circle in your back yard, and create a place where children’s imaginations flourish.  A fire attracts bugs, burning wood creates a wonderful display of colors, the stars fill the night sky, and nature provides the ambiance.  When the flames start to rise, so will your child’s eyebrows.

Think of all the wonderful things you can do around a fire…make s’mores, have a picnic, bundle up next to your little one, and tell stories.  You see, the fire will be the center of attention, which will take the pressure off you to be the hero for the moment, but as the night goes along, you will take center stage again.  Tell a wonderful story and have your child chime in with plot twists.  Hand out goodies and treats, while mimicking the strangest voice you can muster.  Play hide and seek in the dark.

Your child already wants to go outside.  Everybody loves a fire.  Who can resist chocolate and lemonade while the moon is glowing?  This adventure begins with the spark of a match and continues into a world of adventure.