Camping is a fun and adventurous activity especially while sitting near a campfire in an open sky! However, although a campfire is fun while singing songs, roasting food, and enjoying with friends, it might pose a great danger for children. So, as a parent you might want to know all the necessary requirements and tips regarding kids and campfire safety.
So, today in this article, we will look at 5 campfire safety rules for kids and later, we will also discuss about four general tips for a safe campfire. Let’s get started!
Campfire Safety for Kids: 5 Tips
1. Address Fire Safety
As a parent, it is your utmost priority to teach your kid about fire safety. And like all other safety teaching, this one also begins at home. You should have active conversations about fire safety and hot objects. All kids are familiar with the word “hot,” so they do understand that they should not touch anything hot. Hence, you must demonstrate how fire is interlinked to the word “hot” and how it can be extremely dangerous.
Moreover, if you have a wood stove or a fire pit at home, it might be the perfect replacement of a campfire. Train your kids not to go near these things and help them identify and learn about fire. Also, let them know that campfire has certain objectives and uses like providing light and warmth and it is also used for cooking. This will help your kid build a logical understanding on how these things function.
2. Clear the Campsite
Your campfire pit should be cleared before lighting the fire. I Usually prefer a six feet clearance around the campfire. Look for any objects such as fire sticks, wood, roots, stones, etc. that can cause your kid to trip. You must at all costs prevent tripping hazards near the fireplace. Especially with kids, we must be extra cautious about this step!
Also, if you do not want to go through the hassle of cleaning the campsite, you can light your campfire in a predefined spot, where there is usually a campfire. Such places often are clean and do not contain obstacles such as stone, logs, or anything else that can cause injuries.
3. Protect the Campfire
We must define a certain barrier around the campfire with stones or logs. If you want, you can even cover it with a toddler fence, but that would just ruin the fun for others. This barrier is just there to let your kid know that the area beyond the barrier is dangerous and he/she should stay away from it.
Although children usually do not understand the term “danger” until a certain age, you as a parent must constantly supervise your kids to refrain them from getting into that area. This will instill a sense of fear in your kid which will eventually lead to understanding the concept of “danger.”
4. Do Not Allow Playing with Fire
Playing with fire, tossing stones or objects, or even poking it can be dangerous. Moreover, while playing with fire, children tend to come near to it. So, as a parent we must always supervise them to refrain from this playful activity. After all, it is a bad habit, and it can prove to be extremely dangerous especially for younger kids!
5. Constantly Supervise your Children
Camping is a cost-effective vacation. However, being on vacation does not mean we do not have to do our job as a parent. Telling our kids that fires can be dangerous a thousand times will not make them think they are not. Even though we are the best parents, toddlers will put us to the test when we turn our backs.
However, they are not trying to be mischievous by doing so, they are only trying to learn more about the world around them. The most important thing you can do to keep your child safe is to always keep an eye on them. While camping, there are a lot of things that need to be done, and each one needs a lot of attention. When you need to step away or get distracted by something else, be sure to tell your spouse to keep an eye on the kids.
This way, one person is always focusing on the kids. Camping with a toddler requires a lot of giving and taking. By trading off tasks, everyone can have a fun time together and enjoy their activities.
4 Efficient Tips to Build a Safe Campfire
Apart from considering the safety of our kids, we must not forget to take care of ourselves and the surrounding environment while camping. So, below we have mentioned four safety guidelines which we must follow before lighting a campfire.
1. Consider Local Restrictions
Before setting up a campfire, always make sure to look at the safety guidelines and restrictions regarding the area. Some places do have campfire rings to let people know where to build a campfire. If your place does not have one, make sure you follow specific camping rules before setting up the fire. Also, the search for a proper campsite is extremely important depending on the type of camping.
If you are at a public campsite, then you do not need to worry as much about these rules and regulations since they are all determined by the campground. You can clearly spot the campsite rings!
2. Your Campfire should be Small
A small fire is easy to maintain and supervise. Moreover, if things go out of hand, then a couple of buckets of water would be adequate to put it off. However, larger fires cannot be managed as easy and moreover they have the risks of spreading to nearby shrubs and roots, thus causing a bigger fire which can cause complete devastation.
So, it is always recommended to light up a small fire. Moreover, a small fire will not pose as much danger to your family (your kid in general)!
3. Keep Necessary Fire Extinguishing Equipment Handy
As per campfire safety regulations, one must always keep a shovel, a couple of buckets of water and a fire extinguisher handy! Although, the shovel and water can be used to manually put off the fire before bed, the fire extinguisher would come in handy in case the situation goes out of control.
4. Always Put Out a Campfire
The primary rule of camping is to always put out a campfire after use or before going to bed. This will prevent the fire from spreading and thus resulting in an uncontrollable disaster.
Conclusion
As a parent, we must follow these campfire rules to prevent any mishap while camping with our kids. Moreover, before taking your kid directly to a campsite, introduce them to the concept of fire and discuss about the complete topic a few times at your home. So, for a quick recap, the five kids and campfire safety tips are:
- Address fire safety at home before visiting the campsite
- Clear all objects that pose a tripping threat near the campsite
- Surround the campfire with a barrier made of stones or logs or else
- Refrain your kids from playing with the campfire
- Lastly, constantly supervise and keep an eye on your children.
Hence, if you follow these five safety tips, I can assure that you will enjoy a healthy and safe family time while camping. Thanks for reading, if you think I forgot something or if you have a story or some advice to share, feel free to leave a comment below, but for nw…Be Safe And Happy Camping.!