Playing with fire
mitrisue
I think Mitri has some interest in experimenting with fire, and I wonder how to do this safely. Meredith, I'm especially wondering about Ray. :)
Thanks,
Julie
Thanks,
Julie
Meredith
"mitrisue" <julesmiel@...> wrote:
Ray had the advantage of a young childhood with a woodstove and candle-light, cooking over an open fire, and hanging around people who juggle fire for a living, so he's not a good model for kids playing with fire. Lighting things on fire was part of the natural environment ;)
That being said, Mo has had the advantages of things like electricity, so she's had a slower introduction to fires. We light candles on plates or big serving trays, light small fires in a cheap metal grill, burn incense, go to the occasional camp or bonfire. A big favorite of hers is roasting marshmallows so we have a range of options for that - over a candle, over the gas stove, over a fire outside. What sorts of things does Mitri want to light on fire?
---Meredith
>**************
> I think Mitri has some interest in experimenting with fire, and I wonder how to do this safely. Meredith, I'm especially wondering about Ray. :)
Ray had the advantage of a young childhood with a woodstove and candle-light, cooking over an open fire, and hanging around people who juggle fire for a living, so he's not a good model for kids playing with fire. Lighting things on fire was part of the natural environment ;)
That being said, Mo has had the advantages of things like electricity, so she's had a slower introduction to fires. We light candles on plates or big serving trays, light small fires in a cheap metal grill, burn incense, go to the occasional camp or bonfire. A big favorite of hers is roasting marshmallows so we have a range of options for that - over a candle, over the gas stove, over a fire outside. What sorts of things does Mitri want to light on fire?
---Meredith
mitrisue
We've just done candle stuff so far. He loves the YouTube videos of people exploding toys or lighting them on fire, and I've kind of sniffed in the air that he might ask to do something like that in the future. He hasn't asked specifically yet, though.
The fire stuff is a minor interest, not a passion yet. Maybe if it heads that way I could get a volunteer firefighter to help us out. :)
Julie
The fire stuff is a minor interest, not a passion yet. Maybe if it heads that way I could get a volunteer firefighter to help us out. :)
Julie
Karen
How about a Cincinatti Fire Kite? You need a bit of open space to avoid
catching things on fire, but it's very cool.
<http://www.instructables.com/id/Cincinnati-Fire-Kite/>
Good luck,
Karen in NC
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
catching things on fire, but it's very cool.
<http://www.instructables.com/id/Cincinnati-Fire-Kite/>
Good luck,
Karen in NC
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
mitrisue
--- In [email protected], Karen <karen@...> wrote:
Julie
>That's a great idea! Thanks :)
> How about a Cincinatti Fire Kite? You need a bit of open space to avoid
> catching things on fire, but it's very cool.
>
> <http://www.instructables.com/id/Cincinnati-Fire-Kite/>
Julie
Debra Rossing
Some fin things to do (with whatever supervision is appropriate to the people/environment involved):
Get one of those big jar candles. Light it and let it go for a minute. Then put the lid on and watch it die out. You might see a little wisp of smoke start. Remove the lid right then and poof! Like magic, the flame comes back to life. Lid again, dies out; remove, poof!
Same candle, light it. Peel an orange (or lemon or lime but oranges are bigger!) Squeeze the orange peel, outside of the skin toward the candle and watch the minute spray of orange oil droplets make sparkly little bursts (not enough to ignite anything but really pretty like indoor fairy fireflies)
To do outdoors: the old "light a fire with a magnifying glass" can be fun. Look for cheap "seconds" on what are called "Fresnel Lenses" - big focusing lenses (hubby has a couple, 11"x11" - they can start a campfire or charcoal grill in a minute or two depending on the kindling and such - leaves and newspaper in seconds).
Along with playing with this, we also included information about how fire "works" - it needs fuel (wood/paper/candle wick), oxygen, and an ignition source/spark/heat. Remove any one thing and no fire. We also included fire safety (stop, drop, roll; where the home smoke detectors are and what they sound like; we discussed an escape plan from the house and where to meet outside; how to put out different types of fires, etc). Of course, this wasn't all one big "lesson" but rather little conversational bits over several YEARS of time, like when we're starting a campfire in the back yard (DH and DS would check the DEP website to check the fire safety status - if it was a "burn ban" day, due to lack of rain or high winds, DS would inform me "no campfire today - too dangerous") or when we're starting a fire in the fireplace or sautéing on the stovetop or popping popcorn.
Oh, that pops up another thought - if you don't have a fireplace or space for a campfire, then see if you can find someone who does and arrange to go visit (maybe offer to bring cookies and cocoa or marshmallows to roast). It's really interesting to see DS' relationship with "dangerous" things like fire and sharp knives (he's 13 now) - instead of "banning" those things, we helped him explore to his comfort level at whatever age he was, as his partners. I remember my brother trying to hide a small burn in his shirt (and on his abdomen) when he and a couple friends were secretly playing with matches (because that was forbidden). I didn't ever want DS to have to hide for fear of punishment, ESPECIALLY when it was something as potentially dangerous as fire.
Deb Rossing
Quality Control
CNC Software, Inc.
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Get one of those big jar candles. Light it and let it go for a minute. Then put the lid on and watch it die out. You might see a little wisp of smoke start. Remove the lid right then and poof! Like magic, the flame comes back to life. Lid again, dies out; remove, poof!
Same candle, light it. Peel an orange (or lemon or lime but oranges are bigger!) Squeeze the orange peel, outside of the skin toward the candle and watch the minute spray of orange oil droplets make sparkly little bursts (not enough to ignite anything but really pretty like indoor fairy fireflies)
To do outdoors: the old "light a fire with a magnifying glass" can be fun. Look for cheap "seconds" on what are called "Fresnel Lenses" - big focusing lenses (hubby has a couple, 11"x11" - they can start a campfire or charcoal grill in a minute or two depending on the kindling and such - leaves and newspaper in seconds).
Along with playing with this, we also included information about how fire "works" - it needs fuel (wood/paper/candle wick), oxygen, and an ignition source/spark/heat. Remove any one thing and no fire. We also included fire safety (stop, drop, roll; where the home smoke detectors are and what they sound like; we discussed an escape plan from the house and where to meet outside; how to put out different types of fires, etc). Of course, this wasn't all one big "lesson" but rather little conversational bits over several YEARS of time, like when we're starting a campfire in the back yard (DH and DS would check the DEP website to check the fire safety status - if it was a "burn ban" day, due to lack of rain or high winds, DS would inform me "no campfire today - too dangerous") or when we're starting a fire in the fireplace or sautéing on the stovetop or popping popcorn.
Oh, that pops up another thought - if you don't have a fireplace or space for a campfire, then see if you can find someone who does and arrange to go visit (maybe offer to bring cookies and cocoa or marshmallows to roast). It's really interesting to see DS' relationship with "dangerous" things like fire and sharp knives (he's 13 now) - instead of "banning" those things, we helped him explore to his comfort level at whatever age he was, as his partners. I remember my brother trying to hide a small burn in his shirt (and on his abdomen) when he and a couple friends were secretly playing with matches (because that was forbidden). I didn't ever want DS to have to hide for fear of punishment, ESPECIALLY when it was something as potentially dangerous as fire.
Deb Rossing
Quality Control
CNC Software, Inc.
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mitrisue
Thanks, Deb. We're due to buy a new house soon (I hope--our house is currently on the market), and a woodstove or fireplace is already on our wish list.
We had a spontaneous and intense exploration of smoke detectors when Dmitri became fascinated with a scene from Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry David takes a baseball bat to a smoke detector--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZCEvVBY4LI. He watched scores of fire safety and smoke detector videos on YouTube, to the point where we were all singing fire safety jingles. Just mentioning it lodges it in my head again!
I love those ideas--many thanks.
My sister and I (along with most of the neighborhood kids) got caught playing with fire when we were young, so my dad took us out into the woods to build a campfire. I always appreciated his responding that way.
Julie
We had a spontaneous and intense exploration of smoke detectors when Dmitri became fascinated with a scene from Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry David takes a baseball bat to a smoke detector--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZCEvVBY4LI. He watched scores of fire safety and smoke detector videos on YouTube, to the point where we were all singing fire safety jingles. Just mentioning it lodges it in my head again!
I love those ideas--many thanks.
My sister and I (along with most of the neighborhood kids) got caught playing with fire when we were young, so my dad took us out into the woods to build a campfire. I always appreciated his responding that way.
Julie
Bun
My son has a piece of flint that he loves. There are instructions online for making fire using flint if that might be something he'd like. http://www.ehow.com/how_5855956_light-fire-flint-steel.html
Cool youtube video on making fire with flint here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gunnd8_XGZQ
and at the end you see his kids in it too - quite interesting.
Meredith, thanks for posting Ray's metalworking fbk site!
Laurie
Cool youtube video on making fire with flint here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gunnd8_XGZQ
and at the end you see his kids in it too - quite interesting.
Meredith, thanks for posting Ray's metalworking fbk site!
Laurie
--- In [email protected], "mitrisue" <julesmiel@...> wrote:
>
> We've just done candle stuff so far. He loves the YouTube videos of people exploding toys or lighting them on fire, and I've kind of sniffed in the air that he might ask to do something like that in the future. He hasn't asked specifically yet, though.
>
> The fire stuff is a minor interest, not a passion yet. Maybe if it heads that way I could get a volunteer firefighter to help us out. :)
>
> Julie
>
Meredith
This time of year, one can often find little gizmos which spin when placed over a flame - they often have angels on them, which is what I mean by the time of year. Sometimes you can find instructions for making them, too, out of a tin can.
It's also a good time to buy cheap candles in general, and have fun with different kinds. Triple wick candles are kind of cool as are the different sorts of floating candles - the kind that float in water and the kind with a resevoir of oil which floats in water. And you can find all sorts of fun candle holders, and instructions for making pierced metal or paper candle holders.
While you're at it, burn some magazine pages and see if the flames turn colors, or look up what sorts of minerals make which colors and see if you can make colored flames. I know copper will turn a flame green. And I think its epsom salts in alcohol which make a blue flame? It's been awhile ;) A nice, sturdy ceramic dish is handy for burning things in like that.
Incense sticks are a great, simple way to play with fire and smoke. They aren't as heavily regulated as something like sparklers, but they can be just as much fun to wave around with the end still lit, or once the flame has gone turn the lights out and "write" with the glowing tip in the air. And then you can also write in the air with the smoke, too.
---Meredith
It's also a good time to buy cheap candles in general, and have fun with different kinds. Triple wick candles are kind of cool as are the different sorts of floating candles - the kind that float in water and the kind with a resevoir of oil which floats in water. And you can find all sorts of fun candle holders, and instructions for making pierced metal or paper candle holders.
While you're at it, burn some magazine pages and see if the flames turn colors, or look up what sorts of minerals make which colors and see if you can make colored flames. I know copper will turn a flame green. And I think its epsom salts in alcohol which make a blue flame? It's been awhile ;) A nice, sturdy ceramic dish is handy for burning things in like that.
Incense sticks are a great, simple way to play with fire and smoke. They aren't as heavily regulated as something like sparklers, but they can be just as much fun to wave around with the end still lit, or once the flame has gone turn the lights out and "write" with the glowing tip in the air. And then you can also write in the air with the smoke, too.
---Meredith
Debra Rossing
Oh, that reminds me - quartz is another one of those things that can spark (and is pretty abundant). I think it's quartz and pyrite (fool's gold) that go together like flint and steel.
Deb R
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Deb R
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