Things to do on Bonfire Night at home with kids
Updated 31 October 2026 · By Rob and Chris, two Sheffield dads, and our families
You can have a lovely Bonfire Night at home without lighting a single firework: watch the neighbours’ display from a window, make firework pictures, have a warm tea and tell the Gunpowder Plot story. Bonfire Night 2026 is on Thursday 5 November, a school night, so most of our ideas take under an hour.
What can you do on Bonfire Night without fireworks?
| Idea | Time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Firework window watch | 30 min | Lights off, coats on the sofa, and everyone calls out colours. Play the bingo sheet below. |
| Chalk firework pictures | 20 min | Chalk or white crayon on black paper. Little ones dot, older ones draw bursts and trails. |
| Blow-paint fireworks | 20 min | Drops of runny paint on paper, then blow them outwards through a straw. Messy, so newspaper down. |
| Torch-lit garden walk | 15 min | Torches, wellies and a hunt for five things that shine. |
| Firework dance | 10 min | Loud music, scarves or ribbons, and everyone is a rocket: crouch, whoosh, burst. |
| Bonfire tea | 45 min | Jacket potatoes, soup in mugs or sausages in buns, eaten with gloves on in the garden or by the window. |
| The Gunpowder Plot story | 10 min | Tell it in five lines (below), then act it out with a cardboard-box cellar. |
| Sparklers in the garden | 15 min | Ages 5 and up only, following the sparkler rules in our Bonfire Night safety guide. |
The times are rough guides from our own families.
How do you explain Bonfire Night to a child?
The short version, from The National Archives:
- In 1605, a group of plotters hid enough gunpowder to blow up the Houses of Parliament while King James was there.
- Guards found Guy Fawkes leaving a room packed with firewood. He said his name was John Johnson.
- The gunpowder hidden under the firewood, and the fuses he carried, gave him away.
- Parliament made 5 November a day of thanks because the king had survived.
- People still remember it with bonfires and fireworks today.
Under-fives don’t need the rest. For older children, The National Archives has the real letters and documents to look at together.
How do you keep pets calm on Bonfire Night?
The RSPCA says:
- Walk dogs in daylight, and close windows and curtains.
- Play music or the TV to mask the bangs.
- Keep cats indoors, especially after dark, and close the cat flap.
- Give pets a safe space and let them hide without coaxing them out.
- Do not take a dog to a firework display.
- Bring hutches indoors and cover outdoor cages with blankets, leaving room for air.
Children can help by making the den and choosing the music.
What if your child hates the noise?
That’s fine. RoSPA asks everyone to be mindful of people affected by loud noises, including those with sensory sensitivities. Our ideas: watch a firework video with the sound low, draw fireworks instead of watching them, or keep the curtains shut, the music up, and make it a cosy film night.
How do you keep Bonfire Night at home safe?
RoSPA says do not give sparklers to children under five, and to put used sparklers in a bucket of cold water straight away. If you have fireworks or a bonfire at home, only adults should handle fireworks, and there is more in our Bonfire Night safety guide.
Bonfire Night bingo
Tick a square each time you spot one. A line wins, a full card wins the last marshmallow.
Or use your browser’s Print. Only this sheet prints.
- A red firework
- A green firework
- A rocket going up
- A bang you can feel
- Sparkles that fall slowly
- A firework that crackles
- Smoke in the sky
- Two fireworks at once
- Someone saying “ooh”
- A firework that whistles
- A gold shower
- The biggest one of the night
Get the Famoo app Family life, sorted together. The family calendar, jobs and lists, shared by everyone at home.
app.famoo.app
Questions parents ask
What can I do with kids on Bonfire Night without fireworks?
Watch a display from a window, make chalk or blow-paint firework pictures, have a torch-lit garden walk, do a firework dance to music, and eat a warm bonfire tea. Most of these take under an hour.
How do I explain Bonfire Night to a young child?
Keep it short: long ago some men tried to blow up the King and Parliament with gunpowder, they were caught, and 5 November became a day to say thank you that the King was safe. We still remember it with bonfires and fireworks.
How do I keep my dog calm on Bonfire Night?
The RSPCA says walk your dog in daylight, close windows and curtains, play music or the TV, give them a safe space to hide, and never take them to a display.
Can young children have sparklers at home?
Not under five. RoSPA says do not give sparklers to children under five. Older children need gloves, an adult, one sparkler at a time, and a bucket of cold water for used ones.
When is Bonfire Night 2026?
Thursday 5 November 2026. Public displays are not always on the 5th, so check the date of yours.
More from Famoo
Plan the week in Famoo
In Famoo, the family’s plans, jobs and meals sit in one place. Put the bonfire tea on the meal plan, the sausages on the shared shopping list, and everyone can see what is happening on Thursday.
Famoo is a family app for UK homes, in beta, so things may change.
Where this comes from
Each fact on this page links to one of these. Everything else is our own view from our families.
- The National Archives, The Gunpowder Plot, checked 31 October 2026
- RSPCA, Keeping pets safe during fireworks, checked 31 October 2026
- RoSPA, Firework safety tips, checked 31 October 2026
