What would camp be without a campfire? Since we're doing a pretend camp inside, though, I had no desire to start a real campfire. We improvised with a few supplies from Dollar Tree and a few things we had on hand.
Can you guess what forms the base of our firepit?
These salsa bowls from Dollar Tree come two in a pack. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to make a firepit. They would also make a pretty neat kettle to cook over the fire with, too, so I may do that at some point by adding the pretend fire under the pot. For now, though, it went inside. Just what makes the actual fire? You've probably guessed it: a tealight that flickers like real flame! (2/pack from Dollar Tree)
Here is where it gets tricky to illustrate, simply because we buried a tealight with black marbles and a few strategically-placed red marbles to mimic the red-hot embers.
My only dilemma was how to switch the light off and on without rebuilding the whole firepit every time. It turns out, it's quite easy. We just pull out the tealight to shut it off, then re-bury it by holding it against the side of the bowl and sliding it to the center bottom. This way, no marbles get stuck underneath it to make it show. You could also wrap the base in black duct tape or glue black foam over the top to make it easier.
To turn it back on, we do the same thing. It may sound a little fussy, but it's not. Both of my kids are proficient at it by now.
Of course, you can't have a campfire without roasting at least marshmallows. I used bamboo skewers cut down to fit the dolls' proportions and hot-glued white pony beads close to the pointy end to be the marshmallows. My kids are fine with pointy objects, but you may need to caution younger children in the use of these marshmallow sticks. :)
Alex is enjoying roasting his marshmallows!
2 comments:
Your kids must think you are the funnest mom ever. They must be having a blast with all these things. -Susie
Bet your kids are enjoying your interest in American Girl Dolls -- neat firepit!
Post a Comment