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Shine a Light: Bonfire Night Activity Ideas

Read this blog to find out more about Bonfire night and explore creative ideas to try with your children.

Posted on Monday 13th October 2025

Remember the 5th of November

Remember, Remember

The fifth of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot

 

I see no reason,

Why gunpowder treason,

Should ever be forgot

 

Read this blog to find out more about this celebrated night and explore creative ideas to try with your children.

Fireworks painting

What is Bonfire Night?

The origin of Bonfire Night dates back to 1605 and commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot to blow up the Parliament of King James I. It was introduced as a public day giving thanks for the sparing of the monarch’s life. Starting as The Observance of 5th November Act and later known as Gunpowder Treason Day. You will hear the day referred as Firework Night, Bonfire Night and Guy Fawkes Night.

Gunpowder Plot

A brief history of the Gunpowder plot

A group of plotters planned to blow up parliament and the king. The plan, called the Gunpowder Plot, was to be carried out on November 5th, 1605, a day when King James 1 would be going to parliament for the yearly Royal State Opening Ceremony.

Thirty-six barrels of gunpowder were hidden in the cellars under the houses of Parliament. Guy Fawkes, one of the conspirators in the plot, was ready to light the gunpowder and blow them all up.

However, the plot was discovered, and Guy Fawkes was arrested, tortured and executed along with his fellow plotters.

To read more about the history of Bonfire Night read the blog following this link- History of Bonfire Night Blog

How do people celebrate Bonfire Night?

People celebrate Bonfire night every year on the fifth of November. Celebrations include lighting bonfires, attending firework displays and creating colours with sparklers to remember this day. A dummy, called a guy, is made to burn on the bonfire to remember Guy Fawkes, the gunpowder, treason and plot.

Also, every 5th of November, soldiers are sent down into the cellars of the Houses of Parliament to pretend to look for the gunpowder.

 Activity Ideas for Bonfire Night

Here are a selection of Bonfire Night activities suitable for Ealy Years, KS1 and KS2. We hope you enjoy them.

  • Learn about the Gunpowder plot using history artefacts. Investigate the letter which led to the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot and Guy Fawkes’ final confession.Gunpowder Plot Collection Guy Fawkes                                                                                                                                    TTS Gunpowder Plot Collection Guy Fawkes
  • Make a Gunpowder Plot Board Game.
  • Follow Bonfire Night recipes and enjoy sweet treats of cinder toffee, Parkin and toffee apples.
  • Learn the Bonfire Night rhyme and recite it using musical instruments to create firework sounds in the background.
  • Listen to firework music and create own firework sounds to illustrate firework displays.
  • Use descriptive language to describe experiences of bonfire night.
  • Read and write firework poems. Shape poems and Acrostic poems work well here.
  • Explore paintings such as Bonfire Night by Barry Watkin and Starry Night by Van Gogh and create own inspired colourful firework pictures.
  • Enjoy wax resist paintings using wax crayons to show colourful firework patterns with a dark paint wash over the top. The wax will repel the paint, and your night sky patterns will be revealed.
  • Invent firework dances to perform using coloured scarves and coloured torches to create a beautiful display.
  • Discuss firework safety and design Bonfire Night Safety guides or posters.

Share books such as The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Phillip Pullman, The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson, or Little Glow Harry by Woodgate & Katie Sahota.

Arts & Crafts Activities

Here are our Bonfire Night Arts and Crafts ideas with step-by-step instructions.

Bonfire Night How To’s

You can almost hear the pop, fizzling and crackling of fireworks and fire in these Bonfire Night inspired children’s art and craft activities as, using a range of techniques, they create sparkling explosions of colour and pattern.

Bonfire Night Fireworks Painting   

 

Bonfire Night Firework Painting

What you will need:

How to make:

Step 1

Take a piece of black sugar paper and draw a very simple ‘city’ skyline silhouette across the middle of the paper left to right. The tallest of these buildings needs to finish approx. halfway up the paper. Try to include different heights and shapes of buildings to add interest to the skyline.

Step 2

Cut out the skyline and using masking tape attach it to another piece of black sugar paper lining up the bottoms of the sheets of paper so it sits exactly on top of the bottom sheet. This sheet now forms a ‘mask’ preventing colour being added, keeping the area as clean/black as possible.

Step 3

Begin by creating a haze of assorted colours in the sky (left by ignited fireworks!) using pastel chalks. Add chalk and rub/smudge with your fingers around the building shapes and up towards the sky to achieve a soft colourful ‘glow’. Layer colours making sure there’s enough colour around the buildings to make them defined when you remove the mask.

Step 4

Choose bright colours of ready mixed paint and dip the edge of a wooden lolly sticks into it to print lines onto the paper (over the top of the chalk) to look like fireworks shooting into the sky.

Step 5

Using more ready mixed paint experiment with a range of materials to print/draw patterns in the sky to look like exploding fireworks e.g. cotton buds, pan scourers, bubble wrap, sponges etc.

Step 6

Add PVA onto the picture using fine paint brushes, cotton buds etc. Then shake glitter over the top and remove the excess to reveal the final sparkling finish of firework patterns.

Step 7

Remove the top ‘masking layer’ to reveal the finished picture of a pitch-black skyline and the firework filled sky!

Bonfire Night Tin Foil Printed Picture

Bonfire Night Tin Foil PrintWhat you will need:

How to make:

Step 1

Prepare the painting surface by tearing off a length of tinfoil and use masking tape to secure on a table worktop creating the painting/printing area.

Step 2

Add a selection of ready mixed paint colours onto a white plastic tray which can be mixed to create warm bonfire colours. Paint a thin layer of ready mixed paint in yellows/oranges/reds on two thirds of the area for the fire and browns/blues/reds etc on the bottom for the wood pile.   

Step 3

Gather a selection of ‘tools’ to draw/press into the paint to create the bonfire picture using, for example, cotton buds, wooden lolly sticks, sponges, round end of a paint brush etc. Use the opportunity to experiment with mark making and pattern making techniques.

Step 4

When the picture is complete, take a piece of paper and carefully place it over the top. Use your hand to rub gently on the surface of the paper to ensure a full print is taken.

Step 5

Carefully peel back the paper to reveal the colourful print that’s been created.

Step 6

Let the print dry before adding more colour and patterns. Add extra sparkle using a sprinkle of glitter!

 

Happy 5th of November

firework display

Blog written by Rachel Betteridge with art activity ideas provided by Nicky Mountcastle.

Rachel is a Content Editor for TTS. She is a qualified Primary School Teacher with 26 valuable years of experience, teaching from Early Years to year 6.

Nicky is a Content Editor for TTS for Art & Commodities. With a love for art & craft from a young age Nicky trained in Art & Design and has enjoyed a variety of creative jobs throughout her career. Making, discovering and sharing ideas is one of her favourite things to do!