It took me years to learn this super SIMPLE thing!

Hey, Play Advocate.

Summer is here. Campouts are likely in full effect. You might be up to your ears in s’mores and ready to change it up. Good news- I got you!

During the month of July, I will share with you some of my go-to fire tips, tricks, and most delicious recipes for fireside snacks. I’m a simple lady, so all of this is straightforward info - save the fluff for your toasted PB&J sammies!

I'll walk you through my setup, safety protocol, and tools, and share our cohort's most loved recipes. So hang in there, and take note. But first- Let’s get set up first, on the HOW.

Smoke Signals - How I finally got the message on what I was doing wrong as a fire tender.

I don't know about you, but I could not have a fire for the longest time without completely smoking out the poor children! I thought I was doing it right, just the way I was taught. I truly believed I had to have a fire pit built into the ground to be legit and that I had to be super primitive in my skill set…and ya’ll - that could not have been further from the truth. It does not have to be hard, or miserable! Since my start in this field, I have learned a few tricks or hacks along the way.

Here are three surefire things to consider (see what I did there) when you start a fire for cooking with kiddos.

• Start off the ground. Say what?! At our program, we have a "fire circle" of rocks, but inside is an old fire pit I had kicking around our house that we never used. It was rusted and not super gorgeous, but it was functional and just so happened to fit perfectly inside the fire circle. I highly suggest this setup for two reasons. One, you can cover it and keep it dry and won't ever have to fight the ground's natural moisture to start a fire. (This works for winter roasting as well. The frozen ground will create steam and smoke everyone out. Cue burning eyeballs.) Two, it provides a container, edge, and distinct visual place for a fire to be tended. Below are some options I suggest. Steel Lattice Fire Pit or Solo Stove. Tip: Hardware stores have great summer sales; you can even snag second-hand ones at summer yard sales!

• D-R-Y Kindling. Collecting sticks is great, and super resourceful, however having a stash of dry kindling cut and ready is super helpful. It keeps the process streamlined and fast. We receive donated kindling from a local cabinet maker/woodworker who bundles their scraps for us to use. This has been a game-changer. It's free, simple, and lasts forever. Add in a little newspaper or Gulf Wax or a few DRIED pine cones and you're good to go, getting ready to blaze!

• Small, Medium & Large Logs- prepare for your cooking day ahead of time by chopping some smaller-sized logs to help feed the fire while cooking is happening. We use this kindling splitter with the kids and it's AWESOME. It's become a staple in our tool kit. Splitting wood is not an adult job in our cohort with this tool, it’s a real confidence booster!

So gather around, and get ready to have the tastiest campfire summer snacks! If you find this helpful, please refer a friend to this newsletter by sharing this link and giving us a shoutout on social media. The more we reach, the more we teach

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