Nursery World - Playing with fire

In the first of a series based on the four elements, Mary Jackson, development officer at Learning Through Landscapes, explores outdoor activities involving fire What is your reaction when 'exploring fire' is proposed for an early years setting? 'Dangerous', 'Too many health and safety issues', 'Not something I would do' are all common responses from practitioners. But activities involving fire outdoors can be both safe and exciting.

What is your reaction when 'exploring fire' is proposed for an early years setting? 'Dangerous', 'Too many health and safety issues', 'Not something I would do' are all common responses from practitioners. But activities involving fire outdoors can be both safe and exciting.

Health and safety

As with any activity you undertake, it is of course important to consider the health and safety issues. If care is taken from the start there is no reason that fire cannot become a regular part of your outdoor activities, especially cooking outdoors.

First, with any fire activity, make sure you have a suitable space.

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