Activity Instructions

Part A: Discussion

Step 1.

Begin this activity by inviting your child/ren to share what they already know about fire. You could use some of the following questions to guide you:

I wonder what you already know about fire?
I wonder if you know any stories about fire or that have fire in them?

Why use ‘I wonder..’ questions? Find out here.

You can then explain to your child/ren that for a long time in the past there was no electricity so people had to use fire to do these things. In Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples used fire for thousands of years before electricity arrived and used it for all sorts of things. Fire still plays an important role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; for example, fire is used for ceremonies, cooking, creating artefacts and tools, and managing landscapes through cultural burning practices.

Part B: Activity

Step 1.

Explain to your child/ren although we always have to be careful around fire, spending time around a fire with other people can be a wonderful experience. We can cook food together, heat up a billycan for tea, toast marshmallows and share stories.

For many traditional cultures - including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures - having a campfire constantly burning was crucial for cooking and warmth. These fires are also a place where knowledge and stories are shared.

Optional - You could share the following clip with your child/ren. Explain that the man in this clip is a Kamilaroi man (find this Country on this map - it is important to acknowledge the Country the stories that you use are from):

Through Our Eyes - Dhinawan 'Emu' In The Sky with Ben Flick (youtu.be/LzFYFutiwoA)

Step 2.

Tell your child/ren that you will now work together to create your own (pretend) campfire and you will sit around your fire cooking food, heating the billy and sharing stories.

Gather a selection of materials that you could use to build your campfire, including:

sticks and leaves
coloured paper or cellophane to represent fire
stones to create a circular fire pit
cooking equipment
pretend food
cushions for sitting on
a book to read or story ideas to share.

Once you have built your fire, invite your child/ren to sit around the fire. You could just have a play and a chat about the experience, or you could read a story, or you could invite your kid/s to share a story of their own.

You can then let your child/ren lead their own play activities around the fire. Find out more about the value of child-led play here.

Take it further

Your child/ren may have their own ideas about how to extend this activity with the themes explored in this activity, or you could consider the following:

Talk to your child/ren about fire safety and practise a fire drill - what would you do if your campfire escaped the fire pit?
Introduce some firefighter costumes and invite your child/ren to put out your campfire
Explore other Caring for Country Learn@Home activities.

Caring for Country: Fire (home learning)

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Activity Guides and Printables

Activity Details

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

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