Most of the bonfire night and fireworks events are not happening this year – but don’t worry! We have some great ideas to help you celebrate at home with your family. Whether you want to let off some fireworks in the garden, or stay indoors with crafts and yummy snacks, these fun ideas will ensure your night still has plenty of sparkle!
Why not create some edible firework-inspired treats for Bonfire night? Fun for all ages, these treats can be created with things you can find in the kitchen cupboards. You could dip breadsticks into icing, chocolate spread or peanut butter, then add sprinkles to create your own sparklers. Or, decorate biscuits with a blob of icing and food colouring, then sing a cocktail stick, drag out from the centre to the outside to create firework shapes. Finish off with some edible glitter or sprinkles. You could create your own rockets using fruit and wooden skewers for a healthier alternative.
A safer alternative to a bonfire, is to play some fun, family games with glow sticks. One idea is to fill up some bottles with water, add some different coloured glow sticks and voila; a glow in the dark bowling alley! Or, join glow sticks together to create hoops and enjoy a game of glow in the dark ring toss.
If you don’t want to light a real bonfire, why not try a ‘faux bonfire’?
You could make some bonfire-inspired cupcakes by using chocolate match sticks or Cadbury flake for logs. Use coloured frosting to create the flames, then add a mini marshmallow on a cocktail stick for added fun!
To make one for the kids to play with, decorate empty toilet rolls with a wood grain effect to look like logs,then add some bright fire-coloured tissue to create the flames. You could also find some rocks and sticks from outside to create a more realistic-looking base. Add fairy lights or battery operated tealights then sit back and enjoy your homemade fire glow!
Create some firework-inspired art to decorate your house, or have fun with some messy, sensory play.
Get a toilet roll tube and make lots of cuts about a third of the way up the tube all the way around the edge. Fan the flaps of card outwards and fold over to create a firework-shaped paint brush. Dip your new ‘paint brush’ into various colours of paint and print onto black or dark coloured paper to create your own firework display picture. Why not add some rockets to your display? Using toilet roll tubes, card, tissue, pipe cleaners, sparkly pom poms and any other crafty bits you have around the house create to some bonfire rockets.
To create a sensory firework activity you will need shaving foam, paints, paint brushes or cotton buds and a tray or baking tray. Fill the tray with shaving foam and dot on the surface different colours of paint. Let your toddler use a paint brush, cotton bud or their fingers to create firework shapes and patterns.
Creating a bonfire feast can be just as much fun as eating it. Make some Catherine wheel puff pastries by spreading some tomato puree and a sprinkling of cheese onto a sheet of puff pastry then cut into strips, roll up and bake. For sizzling sausage rockets, slide some hot dog sausages onto skewers and wrap with sesame coated puff pastry before baking. Top off with a piece of pepper cut into a triangle. You could also add a bonfire- inspired plate of veggie dippers, using peppers and carrots to create the flames and breadsticks and twiglets as the logs.
For more tasty treats, check out the BBC Good Food guide to Bonfire Night Recipes.
If Bonfire Night falls on a special occasion and you need to pull out all the stops, these extra special treats might add some extra sparkle.
If you are having a bonfire, fireworks or sparklers at home check do out the Action for Children Bonfire Night Safety Tips or watch this video with your kids created by BBC Newsround with tops tips delivered by kids.
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