1. Programs

4-H Youth Development

Credit: Ann Marie Murphy (Cropped from original)

Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El servicio de Extensión de Oregon State University (OSU) no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Consulte la versión original en inglés para confirmar la información.

Menu [4-H Youth Development]

Outdoor Cooking

S'mores and More: 4-H Outdoor Cooking and Survival Skills

Nothing exemplifies the 4-H motto of "Learn by Doing" quite like Outdoor Cooking! Oregon 4-H'ers have been learning to cook over campfires, coffee cans, BBQ grills, and more for over 50 years. In our state, we have an award-winning and nationally-recognized outdoor cooking instructor, Cindy Brown. Even if you don't live near Sherman County (where Cindy leads the 4-H Program), you can learn outdoor cooking skills at many of our statewide events, including Outdoor Leadership Training in May (for aspiring camp counselors), and at many summer camps and day camps throughout the year! Contact your local extension office for opportunities in your county.

"I have been doing outdoor cooking with 4-H kids since a leader in 2008-09 and as 4-H faculty since 2011. To me, it is an amazing life skills combination of so many things, and my “spark” came from an overnight hiking trip when I was a 4-H camper and got to eat backpacking food for dinner and breakfast."

– Cindy Brown, 4-H and SNAP-Ed program coordinator in Sherman County

Scroll down for recipes, ideas, books, and resources to learn or teach safe and healthy campfire cooking in your community 👇

Why learn outdoor cooking skills? It's food, fun, and fire — all in one! Kids will fan the flames of confidence with the following life skills:

  • Food preparation and nutrition
  • Following directions and recipes
  • How to build, light, manage, and put out a fire
  • STEM: Science (different types of heat and chemical reactions) and math (measuring and cutting)
  • Confidence to try something new
  • Problem-solving and attention to detail
  • Leave-no-trace camping
  • The ability to cook a variety of nutritious foods during power outages or other survival situations

This list adapted from the American Camp Association.

Find your local 4-H Program
Credit: Chance Olufson (Cropped from original)

Free Online Resources

The Oregon 4-H "Smores and More: Outdoor Cooking and Survival Skills" book is currently being updated. Thanks for understanding!

4-H Outdoor Cooking Guide from Cornell Cooperative Extension and New York 4-H (2020)

Cooking over Campfire Coals: A guide for Adult Mentors, Iowa State University Extension 4-H (2022)
This 10-page book for 4-H leaders is available to download for free! Thanks, Iowa 4-H!

4-H Outdoor Cooking Manual from Purdue University (2018)

Backyard Campfire Cooking from University of Nebraska-Lincoln 4-H (includes 4-H downloadable handout) (2023)

10 tips for Camp Cooking from Colorado State University (2021)

Camp Cooking: Wild Game and Fish from Cornell Cooperative Extension and New York 4-H Shooting Sports (2021)

In-Tents Cooking, a blog from Baylor University educators (~2013)

Paid / Printed Books

Ohio State University's “Grill Master” Curriculum (2012) and “Beyond the Grill” curriculum (2013)

Backcountry Recipes from National Outdoor Leadership School

Lumberjack Outdoor Cookbook from Northern Arizona University

Outdoor Recreation Cookbook from USU Dietetics (undated)
Although primarily a cookbook, the information in the introduction and safety tips is very useful!

What skills do you need to lead outdoor cooking?

Leaders for outdoor cooking at camp will need to have a variety of skills:

  • First aid
  • Sanitation and food safety, food handlers’ certification
  • Cooking experience and understanding of basic cooking terms
  • Knowledge of the equipment to be used
  • Fire building, coal management, clean-up, and leave-no-trace principles
  • Experience leading youth individually and in groups
  • Patience and flexibility when working with youth of different ages
  • Ability to problem-solve and improvise when things don’t work out
  • Willingness to train other staff and delegate responsibility
  • Ability to answer many questions at once

Adapted from the American Camp Association.

You don't have to commit to lead a club to change a life in 4-H.

If you'd like to volunteer to teach campfire cooking in your local community, reach out to your local 4-H Program Coordinator. They would LOVE to have you for a workshop, short term class series, day camp, or summer camp learning opportunity.

¿Fue útil esta página?