Run Wild is an after-school program where kids arrive with energy to burn. And on days we have a fire permit, that energy ignites. They shake off the school day, running through the woods as the sun sets. This winter, two groups merged for the ultimate mission: making fire.
It starts with a fire, a real one crackling in the pit, and another, less visible, coursing through the kids.
“Imagine you’re deep in the woods,” we say. “No house, no heat, no leftover coals. What do you do?”
The first challenge: tinder. They bound into the woods, stuffing their pockets with birch bark and dry twigs.
Then, the match. A flick, a spark, instant excitement. But like kids, a match burns fast. If you don’t catch that spark, if you don’t act quickly, it’s gone. The first match breaks. The second fizzles. Snow and wind get in the way. But failure is funny, and trying is the game.
And then… success! A flame curls into the birch bark, hungry, alive. Someone instinctively lights the top like a birthday candle, and the flame sputters out. Fire climbs, we remind them. It starts at the base, feeding itself, growing stronger and more confident. They adjust. This time, it holds.
We sit around the flames, faces glowing, hands warming. The fire isn’t just heat, it’s proof of what’s possible with patience, teamwork, and persistence.
What matters isn’t whether they made the fire today. What matters is that they were willing to try, willing to fail, and most importantly, willing to do something for themselves.