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We are doing some programs at a local nature center to teach girls the art of fire builing & outdoor ethics.  We do the candy campfires outlined on this website, talk about fire safety, and make our own one match fire.  In addition, we play with old time strikers & some more modern ones.

I like the kids to have success with the strikers.  Flint & steel can be too difficult for little kids.  So, after talking about the flint, steel, and char cloth,  we use cotton balls with a little Vaseline on them & a more modern striker that throws a pretty good spark.  Almost every child can do this if they keep trying!

Success!

Older girls can master the flint and steel.  Lighting a fire without a match takes a lot of effort, but the girls are so proud when they achieve it!

Contact me if you would like this program for your group or troop.

The girls love it!

Photos by our Technical Director, JJ.

A few years ago, I took my kids to Glacier National Park & we stayed in a lodge on Sacred Dancing Waters Lake. The beach area was made up of smooth, beautiful colored rocks.

I struck up a conversation with the couple staying next to me, who had been coming to the lodge for 20 years.

‘I can’t believe how long my kids will throw rocks in the water!’ I exclaimed. ‘We came over 1500 miles from the Midwest and all they want to do is throw rocks in the water.’

‘It’s like this every summer,’ the husband said. ‘All the kids will be out here, throwing rocks in the water, over and over, for hours.’

Exactly what dynamic is fascinating about the plunk of rocks hitting the water and the endless rings cascading out I am not sure, but I admit I am fascinated as well. Along these lines, there is something intrinsically satisfying about finding the perfect skipping rock & making it fly over the surface of water. I am not alone in this hobby. Did you know there are even rock skipping tournaments around the country?

Today, the Campgirlz crew took advantage of the beautiful sunshine to finish our rock skipping post. We have a favorite spot along the Illinois River, which we affectionately call ‘Dead Turtle Beach’.

My personal skipping technique is to find a very flat, thin, yet heavy rock with a groove for my finger. Slug found this rock & I think it is a perfect example!

My goal is to line up the flat surface of the rock parallel to the water. I put a spin on the rock, and send it zooming horizontally along the surface of the water. Slug has a different technique. She says she points her left arm where she wants the rock to go & then uses a swinging motion with her right arm, to send it out across the water. Her goal is three skips.

Slug’s best skip so far is 2 skips. My best skip is 14. Can you beat us? Do you have a different technique?

Here are a few more pictures from the day.

We had fun with the shadows on the playground, collecting shells and exploring the beach:

This is Technical Director, JJ’s favorite picture that he took today. He named this photo, ‘Water Watching’.

An update on an older post! Shirley, the lady who is still canoeing at 82, sent us some photos of herself and her canoe club!

Check them out: http://www.campgirlz.com/?p=242

Cattails have always been one of my favorite plants. They grow in groups along shallow water, and are connected together under the water by a common root system, called a rhizome. Some of the many uses of cattails: the shoots are edible, the fluff is insulating and absorbent, the pollen can be used as a flour, and the mature plants can be used for baskets and cordage. Many books state that Native Americans used the fluff for diapers and for bleeding. They also are very beneficial to the health of water!

Collecting

For a survival unit at camp one year, I focused on the cattail. It was very successful! Make sure to bring waders to collect the cattails. When I collect the cattail leaves, I try to collect them so no one can tell there has been a harvest in the area. I cut the blades as low to the rhizome as possible, taking care not to pull up the rhizome. I also like to move around a stand, taking only a few blades from one spot. If the girls are not old enough to use a knife to cut the blades, have them help hold the blade while you cut and carry the harvest to a designated pile.

The collecting will not take that long, but it is a great excuse for a pond study! (More on a detailed pond study next time). You can also plan a picnic or hike to round out the day.

You will need to dry the cattails by placing them in a dry, dark area with good ventilation around the leaves. You can tie them together and hang them to dry or spread them out on a table or shelf.

Making necklaces, mats and baskets

It is easier to work with the cattails if they are slightly damp, so you can soak them in a bucket or wrap in a wet sheet.

To make necklaces, simply start twisting the cattail leaf from top to bottom. Add some wooden beads and tie in the back! This is so simple, but is SO popular. The jewelry looks great!

Younger girls can make mats instead of baskets. Tape five leaves into place on a table and weave other leaves back and forth. We have simulated the idea with construction paper. To finish the mat, you tuck the ends back into the weaving when you are finished. I found that the ‘tucking’ part frustrated some young girls. Also, if they accidentally wove some cattails unevenly, they might not have enough left to tuck back into place. A little bit of Elmer’s glue brushed over the back of the weaving will hold it in place also. Once dry, you can cut off the excess.

A simple basket pattern is to weave a small base:

Then, bend and lift the sides:

Then, weave cattails around the upright blades. Finish by tucking ends back into the weaving.

I have found that some girls really take to weaving, while others get frustrated quickly. Taping the cattails while working with them makes the job easier. You can also do your weaving on styrofoam trays and pin them into place as you work. One or two girls gave up and just made a bunch of bracelets and necklaces out of their basket materials. That’s okay, too!

As I write this, we are in the middle of a winter storm warning, so I cannot wait for springtime & seeing those little cattails shoots!

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I received a poem through the comments section!  The topic?  My beloved cattails.

The poem is from Scott Schuldt from Seattle. When I looked up Scott’s website, I really enjoyed his writings.  http://www.canoepost.blogspot.com.  He also does beadwork.  http://scottschuldt.com.  Scott grew up playing in cattails across from his grandmother’s house.

Here is the poem:

One Canoe Length

Somewhere, below and to my left
an unseen and bent or broken cattail
rubs against the side of my canoe.
It is a squeak, a mild soft squeal
not fingernails on a chalkboard,
but more the sound of a badly played note on a violin.
Although no bad violin player can play so softly.
Today, that bowing of the cattail
on my canoe flushes a snipe, so swift.
It darts into the air,
never more that six inches above the cattails.
Just long enough for the mind to catch and hold its silhouette.
And, it drops down into an unseen landing spot,
just 10 yards away.
While that happens,
while my attention is diverted,
The sound of the broken or bent cattail upon the side of my canoe ends,
and, I have traveled one canoe length farther.

Here are some cool night activities to try with girls.  Remember to always check out the area in the daylight to ensure a safe area. Make sure you know the area well & that it is safe for this type of activity.

Beginner night hike

Before the hike, explain to the girls what will happen & make sure they know there is no talking once the hike activity begins.  Have one or two adults stay with the girls at a start point.  Another adult can move down the trail a comfortable distance.  The distance will vary by age/comfort level of the girls.  For very young girls, you should be able to see the group but stay hidden behind a tree.  The adult at the start of the hike, will send girls one by one down the trail at intervals.  The interval time will vary by age/comfort level of the girls.  The idea is to give the girls a chance to experience a solo night hike in a safe environment.  As each girl approaches the end, the second adult softly whispers to her & she joins the adult in hiding.  Variations: for very young or very frightened girls they can go in buddies holding hands (but no talking!).

Bug Activity

Hang a white sheet between two trees.  Have the girls shine flashlights on the sheet & see what insects are drawn to the light. Girls can also do hand charades on the sheet.

Constellation Finding Activities

Check out constellation books from the library if you are unfamiliar with the basic constellations.  Here are some fun activities:

• Have each girl look at pictures of the Big Dipper so they know what it looks like.  Then, make a tin can constellation.  Trace the pattern of the stars on black construction paper & poke through each ‘star’ with a nail.  Tape the paper onto a tin can &, in the dark, shine the flashlight through the can to illuminate the constellation on a wall.  At night, have the girls find the Big Dipper in the Sky.
• Once they find the Big Dipper, it is easy to find the North Star.  Find the two stars that make up the outer edge of the cup of the Big Dipper & draw an imaginary line away from the Big Dipper….you will arrive at the North Star.  The North Star is the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper.
• Repeat this activity with other constellations.  Orion is a good start point in the winter & from Orion it is easy to locate Taurus & the Pleiades (the seven sisters riding on Taurus’ shoulder).
• Show pictures of how the constellations look with their elaborate drawings added.  Tell stories of the constellations-keep it short and animated.

Winter Full Moon Hike

A great time for a hike is during the full moon (or near it) when there is snow on the ground.  The moon shadows on the snow are beautiful and the light will be enough to light up the hike.  A good activity for the cabin (or house) after the hike, is to have the girls draw a picture of the shadows they have seen.  Make sure to tell them to look for them as you hike along.

Candy Campfires are a great way to introduce campfire building & safety to young girls.  I have used many supplies for the campfires, but these are my favorite:

Supplies:

Paper towel or paper plate for each girl

Fire Source:  Red Hot

Fuel: Breadsticks or large pretzel sticks broken to small pieces

Kindling: Small Pretzel Sticks

Tinder:  Potatoe Shoe Strings (Shredded Wheat or Coconut are a better analogy but not as tasty. )

FireRing: Mini Marshmellows

Flame: Candy Corn or redhots

Bucket of Water:  Rolo

Adult:  Large Gummi Bear

Start the discussion, with the question, “What do we need to have before we EVER use any kind of match or flame?”.  Most groups will guess some adult, such as Mom, Dad, etc(Large Gummi Bear).  The second item is something to extinguish the fire in case it gets out of hand or when we are finished with it-bucket of water (Rolo).  After brief discussion, hand out the following candy & have the girls set out on their paper towel.

• Adult=Big Gummy Bear
• Water=Rolo

Next we need to make sure our fire is controlled.  So we preferably use an established fire ring.  We need to clear off everything that can catch fire, such as old leaves, pine needles, etc.  Have the girls brush their paper towel or paper plate.  In order to contain our fire, we will make a fire ring.

• Fire ring rocks=mini marshmellows

So, we have our safe area for fire.  We need to make sure we really need a fire & that we only use the wood we will need.  If we just want a fire for an hour, we would not want to use a lot of big wood, that would be wasteful.

Lead the girls in a discussion of what a fire needs to burn.  Keep it short & sweet.  Have them guess a few times & you will be surprised how many of them get the answers.  If they do not guess within a few minutes, give them the answers.

1. Fuel: Fires need a source to burn.  For our campfire, this would be wood, but could be anything such as paper, bark, or anything else flammable

2. Oxygen: Fires need air or they will go out.  That is why a good campfire will be stacked in such a way as to allow air circulation

3. HEAT: A source of ignition, such as a spark or flame

We need to place wood on the fire from small to large size, letting each level catch well as we add the next layer.  To illustrate why we need to start small & build bigger, say….’If I tried to light a big log on fire with a tiny match would it work?  How about if I tried to light a clump of dried pine needle?’  So we need to keep in mind that smaller fuel needs to catch fire before we add bigger fuel.

The safe way to add wood to a fire is to hold it at the bottom and add the wood carefully from the bottom of the fire area.  Hair needs to be pulled back and we never want to lean over a fire or throw wood onto it.

There are many types of fire we can make, but one of the easiest is the A frame.  Can you make an A with your Breadsticks?  Now we add our layers.  Put some Shoestrings on the cross bar of your A frame, and make a stack of pretzel sticks and breadsticks by your papertowel.

Now take your redhot & light the tinder…now add some kindgling…..last we will add some of our breasticks.  Wow, now that is a fire!  Girls can throw on some candy corn or redhots as the flame.

Invariably, girls will put the marshmallows on the pretzel sticks & pretend they  are roasting marshmallows.  All part of the fun!

After their attention seems to be waning, you can have them spread their fire out & pretend to spread water over it with the ‘Rolo’ water bucket.

Gladbags for take home candy.

Dani shows us why leaning over a fire without hair tied back is dangerous for girls.  The flames could reach up and catch the loose hair on fire.