Learning about campfire safety for kids is a must prior to any campfire around young children. It’s also one of my biggest fears so it helps me to have a plan in place to prevent any accidents.
Campfires and camping go hand-in-hand, and can be great experience. The smell of the smoke, making s’mores, telling spooky stories, and stargazing are all things I love while gathering around the fire. However, campfires can be extremely dangerous if proper precautions are not taken.
Campfire Safety for Kids
Here’s a list of tips and things to talk about with your children before being around a campfire. This is for personal safety as well as to prevent forest fires.
- Educate kids about the seriousness of a campfire
- Play a pretend campfire game with kids to teach them about the fire
- No rough housing, running or playing around the fire
- Create a do not cross line to be aware of the appropriate distance
- Adult supervision is required at all times especially for roasting marshmallows
- Do not throw things into the fire
- Walk behind chairs rather than in front of chairs to prevent tripping into the fire
- Stop, drop and roll if anything does catch on fire
Campfire Safety for Adults
Now for the adults. These tips can help you create safe campfire experiences.
- Build your fire in an appropriate area. I only use a designated firepit, but for others that may be backpacking, follow these rules by Smokey Bear.
- Throw all matches in the fire or make sure they are cool before throwing away
- Abide by any fire bans. Especially here in Colorado, a dry season can create a big fire hazard.
- Don’t let the fire get too big
- Do not use fire accelerators like lighter fluid or gas
- Do not leave the fire unattended by an adult
- Wear tight fitting clothing to prevent loose sleeves from getting into the fire. Better yet, wool is most fire resistant fabric while cotton is one of the most flammable.
- Stay sober. I know I talk about our camping cocktails, but seriously, here at Outdoorsy Mommy, I promote camping responsibly. Know your limits and keep your wits about you.
- Make sure the fire is out before going to bed, by letting burn it out, then dowsing with water until the ashes are cool.
- Keep a large bucket of water, blanket and fire extinguisher nearby
In Case of an Emergency:
- As mentioned earlier, teach stop, drop, and roll
- Know where the closest emergency room is located
- Remove all clothing from burned skin. If it is stuck, cut as much clothing away as possible, and leave anything stuck to skin in place.
- Place a cool towel over a burn until you can get to medical attention
- See if your camp-host has a satellite phone for faster medical attention
These Smokey Bear coloring sheets can also help with your education as well as provide a fun camping activity.
Do you have any other campfire safety tips?