Blazing Bonfires! Some of my favourite memories of my time as a small bear include evenings around the campfire at our family cabin. There was something so special about the sounds, the smell, and the beauty of the blaze, and the cozyness of the experience too. A campfire just seems to bring people together. Of course, the roasted marshmallows are pretty delicious too.
I would love for the kids and cubs in my life to have the same special campfire memories that I have, but the family cabin is being enjoyed by a new clan now, and there are fire bans and weather concerns to consider too. I have learned from experience that it is beary difficult to have a bonfire in a downpour. We couldn't have a fire outside this long weekend, but with a little imagination just about anything is possible, so we built a campfire right in our living room. It doesn't have that crackly sound, or that bonfire smell, but it was a lot of fun to make it, and we sang songs around it all the same. A few s'mores from the oven, and the evening was especially sweet. Here's how to make your own indoor campfire.
Indoor Campfire
Here's What You Need
Rocks (wash them off first, so that they are clean)
Brown craft or packing paper
Orange, red, and yellow tissue paper
Here's What You Need To Do
1. Cut wide strips of craft paper. How big you make your strips depends on how big you want your "fire" to be, but ours are approximately 12cm by 18 cm. Crumple and squish strips to give them some texture, then roll the strips into the shape of logs.
2. Cut a few additional pieces of craft paper, and crumple them up into loose balls. Place these crumpled balls in the centre of the area where you would like to build your fire, and lean your logs against the crumpled ball, tepee style.
3. Arrange clean rocks in a circle around the fire.
4. Create the fire itself. Tear pieces of red, yellow, and orange tissue paper into long triangle shapes. Arrange them in the centre of your fire pit, where the logs meet.
5. Make s'mores in the oven, turn down the lights, and share campfire stories and songs. Here's a favourite of mine:
Fire's Burning:
Fire's burning, fire's burning
Draw nearer, draw nearer,
In the glowing, in the glowing
Come sing and be merry
We sing it rounds. The first person or group sings the first line. Once the first person has sung the first line, the second person or group starts singing the first line, at the same time the first group continues on the second line.
Have a memory filled weekend, whether you spend it inside or out!
Beary Truly Yours,
Theodore Bear