Tinder facts for kids

Sparks from a tinder fire

Tinder is a material that is used to start fires easily when lit with a match. Some materials commonly used as tinder are:

Dry pine needles, leaves or grass
Birch bark
Dead, standing (usually one season old) goldenrod
Cloth, lint, or frayed rope (if made from plant fibers and not treated with fire retardant)
Char cloth
Cotton swabs, tampons
Paper, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.
Punk wood (in the process of rotting) or charred wood
Some types of fungus (best known is the amadou or horse's hoof fungus)
Bird down
Small twigs (poor tinder but commonly available)
Fine-grade soap-coated steel wool
Shaved magnesium or other alkaline earth metals

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