3 Fire Safety Crafts to Reassure Kids in a Wildfire-Affected World

Last Updated on February 20, 2025 by ellen

If you live in the United States, your kids may have seen media coverage of the rampant wildfires in several areas. California has seen devastating fires lately, damaging homes and buildings. 

Fire Safety Crafts

NASA reports that the world may see fires worsening due to the constant emission of greenhouse gases and persistent global warming. By 2050, the land destroyed by wildfires may increase as much as two to six times. 

It can be unsettling to see fires take control of land, even for adults. Besides wildfires, we also witness frequent accidents caused by short circuits or mishandling of flammable materials.

For parents of young children, now is a good time to participate in fire safety activities. Besides teaching kids how to stay safe, these crafts can be lighthearted and fun – just what children need to feel reassured.

#1 Create Your Firefighting Foam

Many kids love everything related to foam! Its soft, fluffy texture can provide for hours of countless fun. Science Buddies has a fabulous idea for teaching kids how to extinguish fires.

You only need simple things like a glass dish, a candle, Play-Doh, and kitchen ingredients like baking soda and vinegar. Let the kids stick the candle onto the disk with Play-Doh. Then sprinkle baking soda around the candle. Help the kids light the candle with a matchstick. 

Next, pour vinegar into the dish to dissolve the baking soda, making foamy bubbles. Watch the kids be amazed as the flame goes out, even though nothing touches it!  You can explain to the kids how the “magic” happened due to carbon dioxide produced when baking soda and vinegar reacted. 

This activity is also a simple way to educate kids about the dangers of using harsh chemicals to fight fires. For example, AFFF is a commonly used foam to fight liquid fires. However, it contains chemicals like PFAS that can cause health concerns like cancer. In fact, the firefighting foam lawsuit intends to hold people accountable for the health hazards that firefighters have faced all these years.

During the activity, you can discuss with your children how they can keep safe as firefighters or people who live in sensitive areas like airports and military bases. 

For example, they can become scientists when they grow up, figuring out how to make safer materials to fight fires. They can also become lawyers and help wronged people get help for medical treatment. According to TorHoerman Law, anyone who has suffered due to PFAS exposure can raise their voice to get financial assistance for dealing with health conditions.

#2 Meet The Greenhouse Gases Cards

Perhaps your kids have heard about greenhouse gases (GHGs) in school. STEM-based learning now heavily focuses on raising environmentally aware kids who know GHGs are responsible for global warming and rising temperatures. They are responsible for longer and more intense wildfire seasons.

This NASA activity is great fun for teaching kids about greenhouse gases. You may print the cards and employ them as educational aids. But doing something craftsier with them may be more fun.

First, list the greenhouse gases on paper. You can start with simple ones the kids might already know, like carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons. Next, you can ask the children to create pictorial descriptions of the gases on cardstock. They can use their imagination and any craft materials, from beads and sparkles to buttons and leaves. The artistically inclined kids can opt to draw the GHGs instead.

Once the cards are ready, help the children learn vital facts about the source of these gases and why they can be dangerous. Now is the time to explain how increasing emissions of GHGs lead to more wildfires. 

You can also have an animated session discussing ways to reduce these gases in the atmosphere. Just get them started with an idea like upgrading the refrigerator to an energy-efficient one or switching off the lights when not in use. 

Tip: You can also use the cards for fun pretend-play games, like – don’t roll your eyes – “CFC, I see!” It might work well to let kids dissipate some energy running around chasing harmful emissions away from the earth.

#3 The Classic Stop, Drop, and Roll

It is a much more physical game than a craft, but it remains as fun as ever. Stop, drop, and roll is standard advice for staying safe in a fire. It can protect kids from injuries if their clothes catch the flames.

This method has been the subject of fire safety games for kids for generations. However, many kids today are unaware of how enjoyable this life rule is (thank you, smartphones and gaming consoles). Why not revisit it the next time you are in a garden or the backyard? You can organize it as a group relay game, with each member (child or adult) demonstrating the method.

You can assume a game will be fun when it requires tons of rolling around. You can even have a games extravaganza by incorporating other activities like a scavenger hunt for fire safety equipment: buckets, pipes, extinguishers, and toy trucks. It could even be a costume party if every kid owns a fire safety uniform.

Kids benefit from arts and crafts in many ways. In addition to being entertaining and engaging, these activities also improve the retention of concepts. These fire safety activities will comfort your children in turbulent times and help them become more responsible toward the environment.

With spring break soon, let’s plan crafty things that balance fun and learning!