Welcome Target. That is great family fun. Back in the 70's and 80's we tapped between 6 and 9 taps, just for family use. We had just 1 large sugar maple in the yard, but we also had 3 large Box Elders (also known as Ash Leaf Maples). We put 3 taps in the large sugar maple (just over 3' diameter, and the rest were in the box elders. We then processed it all in the house. The only heat we had until 1984 (in our 1880's house) was a large woodstove in the living room. We kept 2 large pots steaming (but not usually boiling) on the woodstove and kept a window open for the steam to escape in both the living room and one in the kitchen. Then we finished it on the gas stove. We did that about 5 or 6 times from 1976-1990. My 4 kids loved doing it and always wanted to go collect the sap to add to the pots. I bought the woods my current sugarhouse is on in 1978, but just fro hunting. Then during winter break in 1984 when my oldest son was 17, he and 2 friends did about 25 taps on that woods, and camped out for the week of winter break (my son and one of his friends are Eagle Scouts). They boiled the sap on open fires and each of the 3 families got about 3 qts of golden nector (however somewhat smoky tasting).
Maple is great fun for the family, be sure to keep it fun for your daughter.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.