One of the must-does for our break this week to Coombe Mill in Cornwall was to visit the beach and cook on a fire. Luckily we had the wonderful Wild Family Fun with us, whose job as an outdoor activity facilitator means she's a bit of an expert at starting a fire with vaseline and cotton wool.
So while I explored the rock pools with The Boy and his cousin, Mr. TBaM and The Boy's aunty set to starting the fire up in order to boil up some hot water using the Kelly Kettle she'd brought with us. A Kelly Kettle is an ingenious system which requires a fire to be lit in the metallic base, and then the 'water-jacket' kettle is placed over the top. It ends up with a fire chamber which creates an upward chimney draft ensuring efficient and rapid boiling even in windy or wet weather. And it was very windy that day!
While we were waiting for the kettle to boil up the water, The Boy and I decided to have a go at making a fire of our own, something neither of us had done before. We piled moss and dried leaves on the dry stone placed in the base of our fire pit, popped a firelighter inside (only slightly cheating) and constructed a pyramid of twigs above it. Don't worry, I lit the match!
It is safe to say that the hot chocolate was the best we'd ever tasted, made even better by looking at the crashing waves onto Padstow beach.
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Linking up to Country Kids, Outdoor Play Party and Flashback Friday.
Ooh lighting a fire to make your own hot choc sounds like a lot of fun. My boys would love that too 🙂 #CountryKids
Oh WOW! You guys must have had tonnes of fun, I love the pics of you're fantastic day together 🙂
Love it, look at that smile too, what a great memory to have. Loving all the fire posts linked up this week, it must be a new trend. Thanks for your continued support.
What fun making hot chocolate on the beach – the perfect thing to warm up on a cold winter's day.
This is definitely on the list of things to do with Arthur. He'd love it!
Hard to beat a campfire on a beach. This looks a great kettle and as always I love your photos. A great way to keep warm on a beach in February! Missing you at Coombe Mill already.
That looks like fun! I'd love to have a big camp fire on the beach, just enjoying listening to the sea.
That looks like so much fun, I think it's something I'd like to do next time we're on the beach. I love how pleased the boy looks with his hot chocolate.
AWESOME! Such a great learning experience for your wee man.
How fabulous! I can imagine that it tasted wonderful and what a beautiful setting x #CountryKids
Wow that looks amazing. I bet it was the best hot chocolate too 🙂
Ooo I love this! Hot choc on your own fire on the beach – it's the stuff of childhood dreams. Can't wait to do this with my two. Great inspiration and I love the kettle.
I have to admit I've never built a campfire! Fab shots showing a fun adventure at the beach – and hot chocolate as well!
brilliant activity to do! and what a wonderful beach to sip hot chocolate on x
thank you for linking up
I love building fires with my son when we camp
Looks like a wonderful holiday, magical!
Ooh, yummy, hot chocolate on the beach. Looks like your little guys loved it. Thanks for sharing at the Outdoor Play Party 🙂
I don't think I've ever actually made a camp fire. I really want to try this and I think the girls will love it