The Kids Campfire Book is an excellent source of useful information, creative ideas and entertaining activities for youth to use in the presence of a campfire. Camping is a past-time that many families enjoy, especially during the summer months, a season often favored by children. One of the major necessities to a night spent in the woods, is a campfire around which many activities can take place. The Kids Campfire Book takes its readers through the stages of a campfire, teaching them how to tend a fire, inventing creative food ideas and introducing games, stories and songs along the way. From the first spark to the last embers, with this book at hand, the night around a campfire can be exciting and adventurous.
The book consists of five sections, which include the four stages of a campfire: the spark, the blaze, hot coals and the last embers. The fifth section contains songs that add to a special campfire evening. The front cover is very colorful and beautifully illustrated. The many bright pictures depict scenes created around a campfire. The cover is very enticing and defines the content of the entire book. The pages in the book consist of thick, recycled paper upon which illustrations and stories are designed in black, white and green. The purpose of The Kids Campfire Book is to inform the reader on basic ways of handling a campfire and the safety rules that accompany it. The book also encourages children to be creative when choosing activities around the camfire and it offers their readers advice and suggestions.
The informative aspect of the book includes many tips on choosing the perfect campfire site, what kind of wood is best to use, how to stay protected from the flies and how to put out a fire safely. This section also gives advice and answers many questions children often ponder over while around a fire such as: "Why does smoke follow you around?" The book also offers a section of the solar system and instructions on how to use a star map.
The creative aspect of the book consists of suggested campfire games such as: Twenty questions, Owl and Mouse Hide and Seek, and Twister. The book teaches how to make campfire furniture, utensils and musical instruments as well as fun things to do with ordinary marshmallows. There's a section on suggested ghost stories to tell as the night moves on as well as a chapter of songs: in rounds, action songs and traditional camfire songs such as "Down by the Bay." The musical notes are included in case someone brings their instrument from home.
The illustrations, although restricted to only three colors, are very helpful, especially in the areas where children are learning to create and design new objects such as a home-made reflector oven. The author succeed in achieving their purpose throughout the book by using these illustrations as well as easy to read explanations and descriptions.
The book does not recomment an age group of children to whom the information would appeal, however, parental guidance is advised throughout each activity suggested. Judging from the content of the book, ages seven to thirteen seem to be appropriate. These ages are popular for Brownies, Boy Scouts and summer camp. This range of age also consists of children who have a thirst to learn and are begniing to appreciate the outdoors, as they are most likely learning such sugjects as Science, the environment and the solar system in school.
The Kids Campfire Book is an excellent portrayal of children and young teenagers. The content involved clearly defined independence and rising maturity in youth. Parents usually light the campfire themselves; however in the book, the children do the work while the parents merely supervise. In today's society there are many latch key kids who are taught to fend for themselves at an early age. Similar children are portrayed in the book becausethey ahve higher levels of responsibility.
The book offers excellent tips on how to keep the forest clean and keep the fire safe. It teaches youth to value the earth and nautre. Children in positions where they have more independence will acquire more self-confidence and self-esteen and will become better leaders in society. The information is aimed at giving children more knowledge so that hey can pass it on to others and help out in any way they can. I feel that these values are essential because our society needs to teach children the qualities of excellent leadership when they are younger as one day they must use these gifts in everything they do.
I would recommend the reading and exploring of this helpful book to any child or younger teenager. Many games, songs, and stories suggested would be useful in all kinds of surroundings and not only around the campfire. I myself, enjoyed reading and learning safety tips that many campers may take for granted. This book will also bring out the creativity and leadership qualities in each child who reads it.
Karen Dumanski