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Description

Teach the Beaver Scouts how to safely light a match and then a candle

Resources

Matches, candles, water, first aid kit, risk assessment

Instructions

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity.
Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers.

You may want to have extra adult helpers to help people light the candles.
Have a heatproof bowl or bucket with sand for the used matches.
It might be easiest to start with longer cook’s matches or a lighting taper before trying smaller matches. If you can, have a variety available.
Have an electric candle lighter (this isn’t the same as a cigarette lighter!) on hand, in case anyone struggles.

Stay safe around matches - chat
The person leading the activity should ask what everyone knows about staying safe around matches.
The person leading the activity should make sure everyone knows that they should only light candles when there’s an adult there. Matches should be lit away from the body, and at least a metre away from other people. Matches should ideally be lit close to some water, just in case it’s needed.

Time to light
The person leading the activity should give everyone a tea light.
Everyone should lift the wick on their candle so it stands straight up in the air, ready to light.
The person leading the activity should follow the steps below to show everyone how to safely light a candle using a match.
Everyone should split into small groups with adults. Everyone should work together with their adults to follow the steps and light their own candle.
People can blow out their candles and practise again until they feel confident.
Once everyone’s lit their candle, they should take a moment to sit quietly and watch them flicker.
Don’t forget to celebrate everyone’s perseverance as they learn this skill.

How to light a tea light
Take one match from the drawer of the matchbox and close the matchbox.
Show everyone where the match head is. Point out the striker on the match drawer.
Check the area around you is clear.
Strike the match away from you on the striker. Wait for it to flame so you (and other people) can see the flame.
Hold the flame to the wick until the wick catches.
Blow out the match and place it head down in a saucer of sand.

Tags

• #1LHB
• candles
• Matches

Badge Links

• Skills - Candle