Cooking on an Open Fire – Outdoor Learning Lesson Plan & Resources

12 pages of practical outdoor learning activities, illustrated worksheets and fire-safety resources!

🔥 Take outdoor learning to the next level with a memorable campfire cooking experience!

There's something magical about preparing food outdoors, watching it cook over a fire and enjoying something you've helped to make!

Our Cooking on an Open Fire resource provides a complete, carefully structured lesson plan to help experienced outdoor learning practitioners introduce children to food preparation, outdoor cooking and essential fire-safety awareness.

Featuring a simple Campfire Pizza activity, children can choose ingredients, prepare their own pizza breads at a safe food-preparation station and observe how food changes when cooked by a trained adult.

Perfect for developing independence, teamwork, communication and an understanding of safety through meaningful outdoor experiences.

What's included?

🔥 Complete outdoor cooking lesson plan – Practical guidance for planning, preparing and delivering a supervised campfire cooking session.

🍕 Campfire Pizza activity – Children create their own simple pizza breads using ready-made flatbreads, tomato sauce and suitable toppings.

✏️ Three illustrated children's resources – Including My Outdoor Snack Plan, My Safe Food Steps and My Cooking Reflection.

🛡️ Illustrated fire-safety poster – Six clear, child-friendly fire-area rules to reinforce safe behaviour and boundaries.

🌿 Safety and preparation guidance – Important considerations covering supervision, fire restrictions, safe cooking areas, hand hygiene, food allergies and equipment.

💬 Teaching questions and discussion prompts – Encourage children to observe changes in food, develop vocabulary and explain safe choices.

🌱 Age adaptations and extensions – Suggestions for Reception and Years 1–2, plus a no-fire food-preparation alternative for Nursery children.

What will children learn?

This resource provides opportunities to develop:

• Independence and confidence through food preparation

• Communication, language and new vocabulary

• Cooperation, teamwork and responsibility

• Awareness of fire safety and personal boundaries

• Understanding of hygiene, food preparation and healthy routines

• Observation and early scientific thinking

• Fine motor skills, decision-making and problem-solving

A memorable outdoor learning experience!

Children begin by discussing safety, selecting their ingredients and preparing their individual pizza breads at a separate cold-preparation station.

A suitably trained adult then manages the fire and cooking equipment while children observe from a safe, supervised area.

Once the food has been checked and cooled appropriately, children can enjoy their creations and reflect on what they discovered.

This is an excellent activity to introduce later in a series of outdoor learning sessions, once children have become familiar with the setting, expectations and routines.

The session is designed to be flexible, allowing practitioners to respond to children's interests while maintaining essential safety procedures.

Suitable for

Reception to Year 2: Adult-led outdoor cooking with supervised children's food preparation.

Nursery: Adaptable through the included no-fire, cold-food preparation activity.

Suggested session length: 75–100 minutes, depending on conditions and preparation.

Format: 12-page digital PDF, including printable worksheets and a fire-safety poster.

Part of the Mr Early Years Outdoor Learning / Forest School collection.

Digital download – no physical equipment or ingredients are included.

Important safety information: This resource is intended for practitioners with appropriate training and competence in outdoor fire management. Fire lighting, cooking, hot equipment and serving temperatures must be managed by suitably trained adults. Children prepare cold ingredients away from the fire. All activities require setting-specific risk assessments, appropriate staffing, permissions, allergy checks and compliance with local fire and food-safety requirements. The resource does not replace professional training.