Autumn
is such a beautiful time of year, where the leaves start to fall off the trees
and more importantly the temperature starts to cool down to winter. These are exciting times for us at
kindergarten as we patiently wait for the weather to change and the temperature
drop so we can start our open fire for cooking.
I was pretty excited when I realised that Christine and I would be the
lucky teachers cooking on our first fire for winter 2018.
Our
fire day helps to rekindle my own childhood memories of cooking on an open
fire. There is certainly something special about sitting around the fire on a
cool winter’s day, cooking delicious food.
That is exactly what we do at Mairtown kindergarten; during our cool
winter months we hold our greatly anticipated ‘Fire Thursday’.
The creation of
fire is an essential factor of a Nature programme. It is one of the four elements and provides
opportunities for children to experience success and self-accomplishment when
starting a fire from scratch that will ultimately cook food.
I love
how our fire day provides our children with so much valuable learning. Well before the first fire is lit, we engage
with our kindergarten community to discuss our plans to minimise risks
associated with having fire. During the
build up to the first fire we engage with our children to share and discuss
thoughts of how to keep safe around fire. It so lovely to see our children who
have experienced ‘Fire Thursday’, take on the role of leadership in sharing the
rules and reflecting about what they enjoy.
Whānau
time provides an excellent opportunity to have discussions and share ideas about
how to be safe around the fire. We actually
bring our fire (not lit) inside onto our mat, where we get our children to role
model how to keep themselves safe around the fire. Keeping everyone safe is our
key priority, one of the many measures we have in place is a safety bubble that
is drawn around our fire.
Important
rules that our children shared; “No going
in the safety bubble, only the teachers are allowed to go in there.” “Walking
around the fire, cause if you run you might get burnt.” “No scarfs or capes by the fire cause if it’s
windy it might blow them in the fire.”
“If you be silly near the fire, the teachers will tell you to go away.”
I
think it is brilliant how our children seem to have a sense of responsibility
for their own well-being and that of others.
I know that our children are excellent at remembering the rules and are
quick to point out if I am wearing a scarf on fire day. Wisdom Commons describes responsibility as ownership and committing ourselves to lead,
to create, to solve problems and then following through. It involves taking risks and working
hard. Being responsible can be daunting
but also rewarding. (Wisdom Commons)
Our
children are involved throughout the process of preparing the fire, and all
have great expertise and knowledge of what is required to get the fire
going. There are always keen helpers to
scrunch the newspaper, and lay the kindling ready for the teachers to light. Of course there is the food to prepare too
and our children can choose to be involved with measuring the ingredients,
working the dough and picking the rosemary to cut it and add to the oil.
Cooking is all
about people. Food is maybe the only
universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the
world, people get together to eat. Guy Fieri
The
key purpose of our fire is to cook kai; so far this season we have had a
particular favourite of the homemade garlic and rosemary bread (including
gluten-free). Previously our menu has
also included cheese toasties, pikelets and delicious little sausages.
Sometimes
once the fire is lit it can take a little while for the fire to heat up enough
to start cooking. These times can
provide the perfect opportunity for our children to practice their patient
muscles while they wait for their turn to cook.
I believe it is a valuable lifelong skill to learn patience and know
that they will eventually get to cook.
Childspace explains Patience is
about waiting and having confidence in a positive outcome. When we are patient we are able and willing
to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. We work with quiet, steady perseverance and
diligence.
Everybody loves
fire! Fire is amazing, beautiful and
warm. It has historically brought people
together. It’s where you come to make
food and sing and tell stories. (Eric Westervelt, April 3, 2015)
Ngā
mihi, Susie
