Build teepee and star fire lays

Grab first

• Dry tinder, kindling and permitted local firewood
• An established fire ring where fires are allowed
• Water and a shovel; matches handled by the adult

Before you start

• Check current fire restrictions and weather. Use a permitted fire ring and keep the fire small.
• An adult stays with the fire and children throughout. Keep water ready; drown and stir until all material is cooled before leaving.

The steps

1. Sort the wood before the lesson

   Put tinder, thin kindling and larger wood into separate piles. Keep the pieces for your comparison unlit.

2. Arrange a teepee

   Place tinder in the center of the fire ring. Lean small kindling pieces together over it like tent poles, leaving gaps for air.

3. Compare a star

   Take down the unlit teepee. Arrange larger pieces in a star around the center, with their inner ends near the tinder. Place smaller upright kindling in the center.

4. Choose one small lay

   Ask your kid to point to the tinder and the air gaps in each pattern. Choose one arrangement; the adult lights it only if local conditions allow a fire.

5. Finish the fire completely

   Keep the fire attended. Before leaving, drown and stir the coals and sticks, check for heat, and repeat until everything is cooled. No flames does not mean no heat.

Common mistakes

• Packing kindling so tightly that there are no air gaps.
• Building a big fire just to make the shape easier to see. Use an unlit model instead.
• Leaving warm coals because the flames disappeared.

Practice together

On a table, use pencils as pretend logs and a crumpled paper marker as pretend tinder. Build both shapes, name the differences, then put the model away. Do not light the table model.

Sources

• Smokey Bear, campfire safety. Supports the teepee arrangement, preparation and extinguishing method. Checked Oct 26, 2026.
• The Scout Association, star fire. Describes a star of larger logs around upright smaller pieces. Checked Oct 26, 2026.
• NPS, fire safety. Supports permitted sites, continuous adult supervision and drowning, stirring and checking for heat. Checked Oct 26, 2026.

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