WHY have we not done this before?

we hauled the outdoor fire place from home in and made fires for the last three days of school.

there was a bit of experimenting going on (or at least the kids watched the teachers play)…which things crackled the most, look how the paper looks after being burnt, etc.

there was a somewhat spontaneous, teacher guided game of “fireball” where kids took turns tossing a ball of paper into the fire. and yes, major instruction was given on never playing with fire alone, that this fire could catch the whole building on fire, that fire will burn you if you touch it, etc.  in fact, i’m surprised anyone had fun after our “serious” talk.

after the fire burned down a bit we roasted marshmallows.  mr. rob got sticks ready for us since the skewers i bought were a little too short (not sure what i was thinking!).

like father, like son:  max made his own marshmallow stick.

it was a wonderful way to end the school year.  gathered around one of the basic forces of creation, aware of its power, enjoying the heat, tempted to do more than we could, grateful for safety…all of life in one moment.