Firework Fun

Love them or loathe them you probably can’t avoid fireworks at this time of year. So we thought we’d give you a few firework-inspired play ideas this week to make the most of firework season.  

The first thing to think about is how a new experience, like seeing fireworks, can inspire conversation. If you missed yesterday’s article about using bonfire night to encourage talk, you’ll find the link at the bottom of this article.  

We’ve also included a link to our article about helping your child if they feel scared. While lots of children love fireworks, all those flashes and bangs are a bit frightening for some children.  

Babies 

Watch them go 

What you need 

• A selection of lightweight fabric  

What to do 

• Sit your baby on the floor or hold them in your arms.  
• Hold the fabric a little bit in front of them and give them a moment to look at it.  
• Gently move the fabric or throw it into the air to encourage your baby to watch it move. 
• Talk about what you’re doing and how the fabric is moving.  
• Do this for as long as your baby is interested.

Watching moving objects helps your baby to develop their visual skills.  

Chatting about what you’re doing will help them link words and actions.  

Toddlers 

Whizz, bang pictures 

What you need 

• A big sheet of paper – for example, the back of a roll of wallpaper.  
• Paint, crayons or pens – whatever you prefer. 
• Brushes if using paint.

What to do 

• Place the paper on the floor with the paint, crayons or pens close by.  
• Show your toddler how they can use their whole arm to whizz a line across the paper.  
• Encourage them to have a go themselves.  
• Talk about what you can see them doing, and the lines that appear on the paper.

When children first start to draw, they control the movement from their shoulders – which means big paper is great.  

If you don’t mind mess you could have even more fun with this activity by dropping or splashing paint onto the paper to make firework stars!  

Children 

I’m a firework 

What you need 

• Music or a soundtrack with firework sounds – you can find these on streaming services. 
• Ribbons, streamers or pieces of fabric.

If you like classical music look for Handel’s ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’. If you prefer something more modern, Katy Perry's 'Firework' is always a good choice! 

What to do 

• Make some space so you have room to move and dance.  
• Play the music and put the ribbons, streamers or fabric where your child can reach them.  
• Encourage them to move to the music, using the streamers or ribbons to make shapes in the air.

If your child finds fireworks overwhelming or scary this can be a tricky time of year. Find lots of tips to help cope with fears in our article “I’m scared” 

To find out more about how talking about memories, including seeing fireworks, can support your child’s development read this article Firework Feelings.