Fire-free campfire
You’ll need
- Lollipop sticks
- Tissue paper
- A4 paper
- Fairy lights
- Logs
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out your risk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers
Making an indoor campfire
This is just one way of making an indoor campfire.
- As a group, everyone should put logs together in a pile in the middle of the space.
- You could stick some paper or tissue paper flames to the top.
- Now, place battery operated fairy lights around or over the logs to make it look like a bonfire.
Top tip: You could also build a small circle with stones or rocks and put a battery-powered tealight in the middle. Lightly scrunch red, yellow, and orange tissue paper and put it around the tealight, so the light shines through. Alternatively, you may want to make or buy a felt or fabric pretend campfire to sit around.
At the campfire
- Everyone should gather around the campfire. You could choose to sing songs, tell stories or play games.
- Why not run a talent show? You could also sit around the campfire and enjoy sharing everyone’s talents. Everyone should support each performer by clapping and cheering when their act is finished, and people should only perform if they feel happy and comfortable to do so.
Top tip: You should tell everyone in advance if you plan to run a talent show, so they can bring anything they'll need to share their talent, such as costumes or props.
Reflection
This activity gave people a chance to perform in a safe space with their friends. How did people feel before performing? Performing can make people feel nervous or excited beforehand. Afterwards, people may feel proud and happy. Anyone who’s a confident performer could share some tips that make it easier. For example, they may take a deep breath, practise lots before the performance, or perform with friends.
Some people probably tried something new by performing in front of their friends. Was it like they thought it would be? Some people may find it was less scary, or easier. Would people do anything differently next time? Well done to everyone who gave sharing a talent a go, especially the performers.
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Rubbish and recycling
All items should be clean and suitable for this activity.
- Dark
Provide some light, so the environment isn’t completely dark. Everyone must be able to see others and move around the area safely.
- Music and films
Make sure music and films are age appropriate for the youngest person present.
Make it accessible
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
Why not invite others to your campfire? It could even be a chance to get to know another group.
Everyone should choose what they perform (if they perform at all). People can work on their own or in groups.