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Bonfire Night Activities for Kids: 10 Ideas, Bangs Optional
Ten bonfire night activities for kids aged 3 to 8, from firework yoga to sparkler rules, plus what helps a child who is scared of the bangs.
Bonfire Night is 5 November, and for a child aged 3 to 8 it can be two evenings in one: the excitement before dark and the noise after it. These ten bonfire night activities for kids are grouped by when you'll need them: before it gets dark, once the fireworks start, and for the child who finds the bangs too much.
The fireworks curfew and other rules to know first
Start anywhere. Most ideas need nothing you don't already have, and each says which ages it suits. Firework night activities for kids and bonfire night activities are the same thing here, whether you go to a display, watch from the garden or stay in.
One rule to know first. GOV.UK's guide to fireworks and the law says nobody may set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except on Bonfire Night, when the cut-off is midnight. Sparklers count as fireworks, and none may be set off in the street or other public places. For quieter evenings the rest of the year, see our screen-free activities for 3 to 8 year-olds.
What can kids do before it gets dark?
1. Firework pictures
Black paper and chalk, or paint flicked from a brush, make bright bursts that look like fireworks. Three-year-olds can do big swirls; seven-year-olds can try a rocket with a trail. It's the one craft on this list, and the one that needs least.
2. The Gunpowder Plot in three sentences
In 1605, a group of men including Guy Fawkes plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder. Guy Fawkes was caught in a cellar underneath, guarding the barrels, on the night of 4 to 5 November. People lit bonfires to celebrate the plot's failure, and families have lit them on 5 November ever since. Finish with the rhyme children still learn: "Remember, remember the fifth of November."
3. A firework show on the mat
Six poses from our Freedom Flow mat, five on the floor and one standing to finish, each given a firework name. The pose names are the mat's; the fireworks are a game on top. Three slow breaths each:
- Butterfly, the fizzing sparkler: flap the knees fast, then slow.
- Boat, the rocket on the launch pad: hold the V and count down from five.
- Star (pose 3), the burst: sit tall, legs wide, arms flung open on "bang".
- Happy baby (pose 13), the Catherine wheel running out of fizz: rock side to side.
- Rabbit (pose 14), the quiet after: curl forward, head down, still.
- Waterfall (pose 15), the falling sparks: stand, reach up, lean back a little, sink your arms.
On a mat with a calmer floor sequence marked in, your child can follow the poses by number on their own.
What can kids do once the fireworks start?
4. A glow-stick hunt or torch tag
Hide glow sticks round the garden at dusk and send the children to find them, or play tag where whoever is "it" has the torch. It's light without a flame, and under-fives can join in with a grown-up alongside. Count the glow sticks back in at the end.
5. Sparklers, for over-fives only
GOV.UK points families to RoSPA's fireworks safety advice, which says not to give sparklers to under-5s, to wear gloves, to hold sparklers at arm's length and light one at a time, never to hold a baby while using one, and to put used sparklers in a bucket of cold water. Under-fives get item 4 instead. If a sparkler does catch a hand, the NHS advice on burns and scalds is cool running water for 20 minutes.
6. Watch from the window
Lights off, curtains open and a cushion each. The glass softens the noise, and a running commentary helps: what colour was that one, was it a rocket or a fountain? It's an indoor bonfire night activity that works when it's raining, when a child is tired, or when the display is too much.
7. Count from the flash to the bang
Watch for a flash, then count until you hear the bang. Light reaches you before sound does, so the bigger the count, the further away the firework. It's one of the best bonfire night games for kids aged 6 to 8, and it gives a nervous child something to do with the wait.
How do you help a child who is scared of fireworks?
If your child is scared of fireworks, plan a way out before the first bang, keep your own voice calm, and don't make them watch. The NHS says it's common for preschool-age children to develop specific fears, which usually go away gradually on their own. Staying in is a perfectly good Bonfire Night.
8. A bang plan, agreed before dark
Before you go out, agree where your child can go if it's too loud, who goes with them, and that going inside is allowed. Ear defenders, or a hat pulled down over the ears, muffle the bangs. The plan is there whether or not they need it.
9. Rocket breathing
The NHS suggests practising simple relaxation with children, such as 3 deep, slow breaths, in for a count of 3 and out for 3. Make it a rocket: breathe in for 3 as it climbs, and out for 3 as it fizzles away. There are more breathing exercises for kids to try another night.
10. The quiet after
When the bangs stop, bring the evening down: lights low, a blanket, a story, and rabbit and happy baby from item 3 if they want them. It's often a school night, so this is the part that gets them to bed. Our guide on how to calm an anxious child covers worries that last beyond the fifth.
How do you put a bonfire night together at home?
Three illustrative evenings, one for each age:
- Age 3 to 4, about an hour: firework pictures (item 1), glow sticks at dusk (4), the window (6), then the quiet after (10).
- Age 5 to 6, about an hour and a half: the Gunpowder Plot story (2), the mat show (3), sparklers with an adult (5), then rocket breathing (9).
- Age 7 to 8, about an hour and a half: the mat show (3), flash-to-bang counting (7), sparklers (5), then the quiet after (10).
New to yoga at home? Our guide on how to start yoga with your child covers the first sessions.
Put the firework show on the floor. Our kids' yoga mats have 15 numbered poses laser-engraved into the surface, so your child can work through them in order with nothing to set up and no screen. They're designed for ages 3 to 8; under three, we'd wait. If the grandchildren are with you on the fifth, the mat is full length, 183 x 61 cm, so you can do the star with them. Each mat is £34.99 with free UK delivery and 30-day returns, and two or more are 10 per cent off, handy when siblings both want to be the rocket. With Christmas seven weeks away, our gift ideas that aren't another screen have more like it.
Do these bonfire night activities work in EYFS?
Yes. Firework pictures, the Gunpowder Plot story, glow sticks, window watching and rocket breathing all work with a group in nursery or Reception, and as bonfire night activities for EYFS they need no sparklers at all. The Department for Education's Development Matters says that by creating games and opportunities for play indoors and outdoors, adults can support children's balance, co-ordination and spatial awareness. The mat show is one such game.
When your child would rather skip the fireworks
Some children want the big display and nothing else. Some want none of it, and would rather be in pyjamas before the first rocket. Both are fine. If your child says no to an activity, don't push it; the NHS advises not forcing an anxious child into a stressful situation without talking it through first. Try one idea, keep it short, and let the rest wait for next year.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for a 3-year-old to be scared of fireworks?
Yes. The NHS says it's common for preschool-age children to develop specific fears, and that these usually go away gradually on their own. Don't force them to watch, and talk about what's worrying them. If a fear is affecting everyday life, the NHS suggests talking to your GP or school nurse.
What age can a child hold a sparkler?
RoSPA, which GOV.UK points to for firework safety, says not to give sparklers to under-5s. For older children, it says to wear gloves, hold the sparkler at arm's length, light one at a time and put used sparklers in a bucket of cold water. Stay close, and never hold a baby while using one.
What time do fireworks have to stop on bonfire night?
Midnight. GOV.UK says it's against the law to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except on certain nights. On Bonfire Night the cut-off is midnight, and on New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year it's 1am. Your council may have local rules too, so it's worth checking.
What should you do if a child burns their hand on a sparkler?
The NHS says to hold a burn under cool running water for 20 minutes, as soon as possible, and not to put creams, oils or butter on it or cover it with a plaster. Call 111 for advice about a child under 5. Call 999 or go to A&E for a very large or deep burn, or one on the face.
