Forest School Plan – KS2 – “Fire”

Week
s

Objectives Tasks Organisation/Equipment Notes & safety

 Introduce concept of  Pre-talk before entering Echelwood Glen. Define behavior expectations.  FIREBOX: Lighter, matches,  Ensure firelighting tools
Forest Schools flint & steel, cotton wool, are kept away from the
 Safety check with children of area. Look for slips and trips, holes, overhanging branches.
Gycerine & anti-freeze children in a sealed
 Introduce the fire
 Walk down to Forest School space. Survey the space with the children. What can they see? Hear? (separate), iron wool, box container when not in
triangle
Touch? Talk about finding four different elements for the four senses. battery. use.
 Learn about our FS
 INDIV: Wood collection. Explain that we need to find different sizes of wood as we explore the area,  Fire Cloth kit: Metal tin,  Demonstrate use of the
space
and to sort them into sizes; matchstick, finger, thumb, arm. Set to task. Who can build the biggest various cotton fabric patches. fire glove.
accurate pile?
 Fire glove
1  INDIV: Using 3 long branches, make a triangle, and explain the Fire Triangle. What does fire need?
 Popcorn Sieves
HEAT, FUEL, OXYGEN. Demonstrate to the children that without any of these elements, sustained fire
won’t occur.  Popcorn kernels
 INDIV: Show the fire triangle space, and explain rules. With Firebox, make a mound of cotton wool,  Bucket of water
explaining process, then look at the flint and steel to demonstrate firelighting capabilities. Show how
you would make a waffle fire using cross-hatched sticks, building each time. Light fire.
 ALL: Cook popcorn on the fire using popcorn sieve. Share this with the group.
 Using the embers, bake some firecloth in the tin, explaining it will be used next week.

 How types of fire are  Pre-talk before entering Echelwood Glen. Define behavior expectations.  FIREBOX  Ensure firelighting tools
started are kept away from the
 Safety check with children of area.  Fire glove
children in a sealed
 Practice using
 Examine the ground from last time. What has changed? What new natural elements have appeared  Bucket of water container when not in
different firestarting
since we were here last time? Wood collection. use.
methods  Damper mix (1 cup flour, 1
 INDIV: Have the children build the fire triangle, explaining the three elements of fire. cup self-raising flour, water  Demonstrate use of the
to mix) fire glove.
2  With the children gathered around the triangle, demonstrate the different ways of creating heat for a
fire. Explain that these are just some of the ways in which fire can be started. Can they think of any  Jam & teaspoon.
more?
 After building a fire, demonstrate how to make Dampers using a stick and the Damper mix.
 INDIV: Build their fires, and choose one method to use to start their fire. Support the children, sticking
with one method (adult-led, Assistant supporting others)
 INDIV: Cook dampers on their fire, turning safely and carefully.

This information is provided by the Lumen Learning Trust. For details of our latest vacancies, please see www.lumenlearningtrust.co.uk/jobs
Week
s
Objectives Tasks Organisation/Equipment Notes & safety

 Use prior experience  Pre-talk before entering Echelwood Glen. Define behavior expectations.  FIREBOX  Ensure firelighting tools
to build effective fires are kept away from the
 Safety check with children of area.  Fire glove
children in a sealed
 Look at the fuel
 In groups, build fire triangle, and prepare small fire, but do not light yet. Talk through fire triangle and  Bucket of water container when not in
properties of different
what to do with fire if it loses control (catches other items) – refresh children in how to put it out. use.
materials  salmon, sliced bread, egg, tin
 INDIV: Using a small fire, look at the properties of using a bean tin for a funnel fire. What happens to of beans, butter  Use the fireglove to
the air, and heat? How to add fuel? Pros and cons. Warn children against temperature of tin. move/lift the tins for
 Metal skewers, old
3 funnel fires
 INDIV: Talk about the four ways to cook using fire; smoke, flame, heat, embers. Look at the four saucepans, spatulas, plastic
ingredients brought along (salmon, sliced bread, egg, tin of beans) – which are best for which method? plates
 INDIV: Each group chooses to cook using two of the four ingredients outlined above; smoked salmon  Cherry woodchips for
using skewers, sliced bread using skewers in heat, egg with butter on heat in pan, tin of beans with smoking
hole in top, in embers)
 Large Bean tins for funnel
 Prepare and cook their breakfast items, collate together and enjoy. fires

 Use prior experience  Pre-talk before entering Echelwood Glen. Define behavior expectations.  FIREBOX  Use saws carefully to
to build effective fires make Elder holders.
 Safety check with children of area.  Fire glove
Demonstrate safe use.
 Learn to create art
 INDIV: Collect charcoal from last week’s fire. Using Elder, hollow out 5cm to make charcoal pencil  Bucket of water
materials from natural  Note down food needed
holders. Use tent pegs to hollow, find suitable charcoal sticks and insert into holders.
resources  Cooking wok for the children to make
4  INDIV: Use charcoal pencils to make sketches of viewpoints on paper. How many different ways can their meals.
 Plan a meal cooked  Chicken, peppers, water,
they use their charcoal?
over the fire wraps, fajita flavours
 INDIV: Using cooking wok, add water, chicken then peppers and fajita powder mix. Stir using wooden
spoon. Serve into wraps. Advantages of using over plates?
 Plan fire meal together – simple, and using only one pan.

 Build a fire most  Pre-talk before entering Echelwood Glen. Define behavior expectations.  FIREBOX  Food for children’s
effective for cooking meals needs to be
 Safety check with children of area.  Fire glove
their meal bought and brought
 INDIV: In groups, make fire triangle, and prepare fire. Talk to each other about most appropriate  Bucket of water along for this session.
 Plan, prepare and
firelighting methods.
5 cook their fire meal  Cooking equipment
 INDIV: Talk through the cooking of the meals – who will do what, which part of the fie is needed to
 Ingredients
make the food, how we test to ensure the food is cooked properly.
 INDIV: Make meals independently. FSL and assistant to support as necessary.
 Share their meals and talk about successes and challenges. What would they do differently next time?

This information is provided by the Lumen Learning Trust. For details of our latest vacancies, please see www.lumenlearningtrust.co.uk/jobs
Week
s
Objectives Tasks Organisation/Equipment Notes & safety

 Present to others their  Pre-talk before entering Echelwood Glen. Define behavior expectations.  FIREBOX  Check site for any items,
knowledge of cooking litter or dangers left
 Safety check with children of area.  Fire glove
on a fire after leaving site
 INDIV: In groups, make fire triangle, and prepare fire. Talk to each other about most appropriate  Bucket of water
 Combine cooking
firelighting methods.
elements  Damper mix (1 cup flour, 1
6  INDIV: Make dampers using sticks large enough to hold hotdogs. Cook both together. Can the work cup self-raising flour, water
 Clear the site, so it is
out how to cook them at the same time safely? to mix)
School Clean
 INDIV: Slide dampers off stick and insert hotdogs. Enjoy.  Processed hotdogs

 Pack up fire and clear site so that it is forest-ready. Clean sweep the area of equipment, mess, litter.
Ensure branches, sticks and other natural detritus are put in accessible places for the next Forest
School group.

This information is provided by the Lumen Learning Trust. For details of our latest vacancies, please see www.lumenlearningtrust.co.uk/jobs