Bonfire Night Activities for Toddlers

Bonfire Night is a celebration in the UK held on the evening of 5th November (or the weekend nearest) each year. The night sky is full of colourful and loud fireworks and communities often hold bonfires to bring residents together. To introduce toddlers and young children to this important night in the UK calendar, I have collated some themed activities together.

What traditions are there on Bonfire Night?

Bonfire Night is a time when people come together at bonfires in the community. They may eat warming foods such as bangers (hot dogs) or jacket potatoes with chilli followed by toffee apples, cinder toffee, parkin cake or marshmallows roasted over the fire.

They also set off fireworks which fill the sky with colourful light and loud bangs.

What is the history of Bonfire Night?

Bonfire Night is celebrated each year on the 5th November (or the nearest Saturday). It is also called Guy Fawkes Day or Fireworks Night.

There is a famous poem for anyone who cannot remember the date:

“Remember, remember the 5th of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see of no reason

Why gunpowder treason,

Should ever be forgot.”

In 1605, Guy Fawkes along with a group of men attempted and failed to blow parliament up using gunpowder.

Effigies of Guy Fawkes are sometimes burned (though less so these days) on the bonfires as a throw-back to when King James I survived.

Fireworks are set off as a symbol of what may have happened with the explosives had Fawkes and his men been successful.

What Bonfire Night Books are there for Kids?

Little Glow – See all the celebrations where light plays an important role throughout the year.

How to Keep Children Safe on Bonfire Night

• Go to public fireworks displays rather than ones at home. There are fewer accidents, you usually get a better show and tickets are often cheaper than buying your own fireworks.
• Keep away from lit fireworks.
• Do not allow children to light fireworks.
• Wear gloves, if handling sparklers and have a bucket of water ready for the used sparklers as they retain their heat for quite a while after being used up.
• Use ear defenders to protect their hearing.
• Wrap them up warm with hats, gloves and scarves as well as a thick winter coat.

1. Fireworks Painting
2. Firework Playdough
3. Firework Biscuits
4. Bonfire Night Edible Sparklers

1. Fireworks Painting

What you will need:

• shaving foam
• paint of different colours
• cotton buds or thin paintbrushes
• a tray to hold the shaving foam

Instructions:

1. Squirt the shaving foam out onto the tray.
2. Dot different coloured paints all over the tray.
3. Get your child to use the cotton buds or paintbrushes to make the paint dots into fireworks.
4. You could get a piece of paper and press it gently onto the top of the foam and paint to get a picture from their artwork.

2. Firework Playdough

What you will need:

• playdough in various bright colours
• sparkly pipe cleaners cut into about 5cm lengths
• sparkles such as glitter and sparkly confetti
• cookie cutters in the shape of stars or circles

Instructions:

1. Children to cut shapes out of the playdough with the cookie cutters.
2. They can decorate the shapes with the pipe cleaners and confetti to make them look like fireworks.

3. Firework Biscuits

What you will need:

• Either make your own biscuits or use shop bought digestives or rich teas.
• If making your ow, use circular or star-shaped cookie cutters
• Coloured icing in bright colours such as red, blue and green.
• spoons

Instructions:

1. Children can use spoons to make fireworks designs on their biscuits using the icing.

4. Bonfire Night Edible Sparklers

What you will need:

• Breadsticks
• Melted white chocolate
• Sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Children should dip their bread sticks in the melted white chocolate – maybe 4-5cm in.
2. Dip the chocolate-covered stick into the sprinkles.
3. Let the “sparkler” set/dry.
4. Wave to spell out their name.
5. Eat!