Bonfire Night activities for early years

From fireworks to fire! Bring the excitement of Bonfire Night into your setting and help children gain an understanding of what this event is all about and what they can expect to see. Here's some activities you can take back to your setting for 5 November.

Sensory Fireworks Tub

Sensory fireworks tub

A simple but rewarding activity! Sensory tubs are so versatile and can be created to fit almost any theme. Get a tray or tub and fill with sensory-rich materials that differ in size, colour, and texture. To match our theme and make it even more inviting, we have added all things sparkly. But you can add whatever you like – the possibilities are endless!

What you’ll need

• 301019 Pom Poms

• 300772 Bright Coloured Rice

• 31966x Hologram Circles and Stars

• 802006 YPO Messy Play Kit

• 810791 Desk Top Sand and Water Tray

• 735418 Glittering Pipe Cleaners

Can you put out the fire?

Fire activity

Place a tray on the floor with a selection of red, orange, and yellow washable paints and encourage the children to use either tools or their hands to help create a fire masterpiece.

Prop the painted tray up against a wall or something sturdy and provide spray bottles, watering cans, maybe even a hose if one is available? Let each child take it in turns to put out the fire - this activity is great to help teach children about fire safety.

What you’ll need

• 801659 Ypo Play Tray – Black

• 731726 Red Washable Paint 5ltr

• 731731 Orange Washable Paint 5ltr

• 731732 Yellow Washable Paint 5ltr

• 306415 Trigger Spray Bottle

Community Bonfire Play Tray

Fire activity

Spark the imaginations of your little learners with a small world community bonfire setup that they can enjoy for hours on end – you could even include natural materials like sticks and leaves that the children can forage for themselves.

What you’ll need

• 302379 Wood Mix

• 108154 Autumn Leaves

• 807959 Woodland Dolls

• 135764 Cellulose Film Rolls - Pack of 10

• 800160 Natural Tea Branches - Pack of 500g

Firework Mark Making

Fireworks activity

For this activity, we have used craft rolls but you could use a fork for the same ‘firework’ effect. Start by cutting slits around the bottom of the toilet roll to create a fringe of sorts, then pull the slits back so that they stick out. Provide different coloured paints on paper plates and watch the children stamp, twirl and splat as they create a wonderful fireworks print to take home or decorate your setting for the occasion.