Oh, man, I just gotta jump in here---
I just saw this thread and have to tell you that we put our kids (3 boys and a girl) to the test. They had to build a fire by unconventional means= no matches, lighter fluid or torches.
They tried everything under the sun! It was a very fun experiment, but in the end, they figured out that the best fire starter was cotton balls dipped in vaseline, then use a stick of magnesium, shave some of it onto the vaseline-coated cotton balls, and then use a flint to spark the whole thing to life!! Takes some patience and definitely effort, but it works!
Now when we go camping, they each make a little ziploc baggie full of 'fire starter' to go. Each one is responsible for making a fire for a day and tending to it. It's a great lesson for the kids.
