Fire is an essential element of so many of the programs here at Educated by Nature. Once the Winter season comes around and the air cools we begin our journey again of introducing the art of fire to children and parents at our programs.
We are mesmerised by the power and the beauty of fire, the way it captures and holds our attention and calls our gaze. You can lose yourself in the glowing embers of a campfire!
We use fire in our programs for a range of different reasons. From the simple task of cooking a sausage or roasting a marshmallow and keeping ourselves warm, to the more metacognitive purpose of eliciting stillness, encouraging calmness and developing empathy. The presence of fire requires our bodies to slow down, to take more notice, to take care.
We teach the art of making fire through the use of flint and steel as a way of supporting the development of persistence and perseverance. Making fire in this way takes time and precision. It’s not easy to make fire, especially when it is wet, and this causes frustration and discomfort, these are valid emotional responses. The key with these feelings is to sit with them, to acknowledge them and then move forward.
In this episode of Campfire Conversation, Daniel Burton and Trudi Bennett discuss the purpose of fire in the Educated by Nature ‘kit bag’, and why it plays such a crucial role in so many of our programs.
The Educated by Nature team offer school holiday programs and afterschool programs involving fire and cooking as well as an incursion for schools and Early Learning Centres to help educators see fire as a teaching tool and educational experience.
To find out more, email admin@educatedbynature.com or visit the Programs page here.
This episode of Campfire Conversations is now available as a podcast! Listen here, or on your favourite listening app.