Light A Little Cherry Campfire
Well ladies and gentlemen, the summer holidays are edging ever closer and that means busy days for children and parents alike. You’ve no doubt handled the long six week break like a pro in the past, stocking a limitless supply of colouring books and water balloons (hopefully biodegradable ones?!), along with enough biscuit-baking materials to sink a battleship. What about this summer though?
Have you given much thought to what you will do with the children when it’s hot and bright and they’re in need of some summer holiday entertainment? No doubt you’ve started stockpiling the supplies and of course, the fail safe favourites like those mentioned above are always a good choice, but perhaps you could try something new this summer. Something along the lines of a big event everyone can countdown to and spend days or even weeks preparing for (whether that means drawing treasure maps and invitations or making some crafty decorations).
Whether you plan on going away with the family or indulging in a bit of a “staycation” this summer, one sure fire way to keep little hands and minds busy is to plan and host a campfire. Now, having a campfire doesn’t mean you have to trek into some distant woods and embrace your inner Bear Grylls. A campfire can be as simple as going to a regular campsite with a tent and a miniature barbecue (for toasting marshmallows of course) or setting up camp in the back garden (the bonus here being easy access to indoor plumbing!).
Of course, camping outdoors is far greener than if you were to jet off here there and everywhere, but if you want your summer fun to be super stylish and extra eco-friendly then start with your camping supplies. To give you a little hand, here’s a list of five fun things you need to light a Little Cherry campfire.
The Ideal Dinnerware
Recyclable picnic sets are ideal for days out exploring or for weekends camping. They come with all the picnic essentials – well, all except food – and everything inside is recycled, recyclable or compostable. For longer camping trips or for more of a sit-down dinner around the campfire (or barbecue, or even just under the stars), you should consider using disposable palm leaf or bamboo tableware which is both stylish and durable. There are even compostable cups and straws in our range of eco-friendly tableware, so feel free to stock up!
Creature Comforts
Even when you are taking the family on an adventure where they’ll sleep beneath the stars and get closer to nature, there’s something to be said for creature comforts. To create ambience or keep the campsite smelling sweet, there are all sorts of scented and non-scented organic tea lights as well as candle bags and holders (make sure adults are in charge of candles and supervise at all times). You could make the tent itself more homely with comfy quilts and cushions or decorative bunting. You may even want to invest in some bamboo twist skewers which can be used to make s’mores (recipe), kebabs and trusty toasted marshmallows. Of course, if you’re walking your way to the campsite then you will need to look at what you take in relation to what you can carry. If you’re planning on a back garden campfire though, you can make it as comfy as you like!
Smart Storage
Storage can be an issue when sleeping outdoors. Everything needs to be assigned its own place and that place has to be practical, both in terms of being in confined quarters and at risk of elements and pests. Compostable corn starch deli pots are an incredibly practical and versatile solution as they can be food containers and used to store things like jewellery and phones. Recycled lunch boxes are also useful because they will store all and sundry, plus their carry handle makes them easy to use and move around. Cotton bags, either the drawstring or the tote variety, are another great storage solution for camping because they can keep clothes, shoes, makeup, jewellery, food, drink and other odds and ends safe and secure.
These are just a few of the campfire-perfect, eco-friendly bits you can get from Little Cherry but there are plenty of other things you can take, make and do to make your summer campfire good green fun!
See Out and About Live’s article about Eco-friendly Camping for more ideas and practical advice.