Remember, remember the fifth of November: we watch fireworks and bonfires because of a plot from long ago.
Kids can make bang-free firework art for Bonfire Night. Try printing fireworks on black card with a snipped toilet roll tube, making a paper sparkler from foil and cellophane, building a 3D paper firework from a free printable, or blowing tissue streamers through a cardboard tube firework. Each suits ages 3 to 11 with a grown-up's help.
When is Bonfire Night in the UK 2026/2027? Thursday 5 November 2026 and Friday 5 November 2027.
Bonfire Night, also called Guy Fawkes Night or Fireworks Night, is celebrated across the UK on 5 November. It remembers the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. A group of plotters led by Robert Catesby wanted to bring back rights for Catholics, and they hid barrels of gunpowder underneath Parliament. Their plan was to blow it up while King James I was there for the State Opening. An anonymous letter warned a lord, Lord Monteagle, to stay away, and a search found Guy Fawkes with the gunpowder around midnight on 4 November. The king was safe, and Parliament made 5 November a day of thanksgiving, first marked in 1606. Bonfires and fireworks are still part of the night today. Today families wrap up warm to watch fireworks displays and bonfires, and children at nursery and school often paint firework pictures, learn the story and talk about staying safe. Firework art on black paper, paper sparklers and cardboard tube rockets are a lovely, bang-free way for little ones to join in. A fun fact to share: the Houses of Parliament are still searched before the State Opening of Parliament.
Bonfire Night is on 5 November every year, and in 2026 it falls on Thursday 5 November.
Date checked against sparklebox.co.uk.
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βοΈ Printable templates Β· SparkleBox
Free Bonfire Night printables for home or class: page borders, word mats, number cards, bingo, colouring and Gunpowder Plot sheets.
Open on SparkleBox ββοΈ Printable templates Β· Crafts on Sea
Colour, cut and fold a stand-up paper firework display; the free PDF is emailed to you when you join the newsletter.
Open on Crafts on Sea βποΈ Colouring pages Β· SparkleBox
Free simple colouring sheets with Fireworks Night pictures and words, with a Welsh version too.
Open on SparkleBox βπ¨ Crafts to make Β· Crafts on Sea
Big round-up of firework paintings, campfire crafts, rockets, sensory play and treats for Bonfire Night.
Open on Crafts on Sea βπ¨ Crafts to make Β· Mud Pie Fridays
Build a lolly stick bonfire collage under a glitter-glue sky, then make cardboard roll rockets to hang up.
Open on Mud Pie Fridays βπ¨ Crafts to make Β· Crafts on Sea
Snip a cardboard tube into a starburst stamp and print bright fireworks on black card, then glue on a paper rocket.
Open on Crafts on Sea βπ¨ Crafts to make Β· The Imagination Tree
Squeeze PVA glue onto black card, shake on coloured glitter and add star sequins for a sparkly night sky.
Open on The Imagination Tree βπ¨ Crafts to make Β· NurtureStore
Messy, bang-free firework art: painted handprints and glitter glue bursts on big sheets of black card.
Open on NurtureStore βπ¨ Crafts to make Β· Kids Craft Room
Make a shimmering sparkler from cellophane, tin foil and a straw: all the sparkle of Bonfire Night with no heat at all.
Open on Kids Craft Room βπ¨ Crafts to make Β· Red Ted Art
A quiet, no-bang firework: blow through a starry cardboard tube to make tissue paper streamers burst out.
Open on Red Ted Art βπ¨ Crafts to make Β· Crafts on Sea
Wrap wool round a foam block to make a stamp, then print sparkly firework explosions for preschool and KS1.
Open on Crafts on Sea βπ Cards & letters Β· Mum in the Madhouse
Free printable pop-up card where fireworks burst out when it opens; download it through the site's free checkout.
Open on Mum in the Madhouse βπ How-to & videos Β· Science Sparks
Drip food colouring into oil on water and watch silent fireworks fall through the jar, with the science explained.
Open on Science Sparks βπ How-to & videos Β· YouTube β Science Sparks
Short Science Sparks video showing how to make bright firework pictures by spinning paint in a salad spinner.
Open on YouTube β Science Sparks βπ The story Β· Fun Kids
Child-friendly facts about Guy Fawkes, the Gunpowder Plot and why Parliament is still searched today.
Open on Fun Kids βπ The story Β· The National Archives
Background and real 1605 documents, including the warning letter, to help teachers tell the story at KS1.
Open on The National Archives βπ« EYFS, KS1 & KS2 Β· NDNA
Firework sky painting for nursery with sponges and toothbrushes, plus sound words and firework movement ideas.
Open on NDNA βπ« EYFS, KS1 & KS2 Β· SparkleBox
Free picture cards to cut out and put in order, helping KS1 children retell the Gunpowder Plot story.
Open on SparkleBox βπ« EYFS, KS1 & KS2 Β· SparkleBox
Free writing frames for children to describe Guy Fawkes and the other plotters on a wanted poster.
Open on SparkleBox βπ‘οΈ Grown-up rules Β· Child Accident Prevention Trust
Simple safety messages for young children, free Fireman Sam tips and early years activity ideas like stop, drop and roll.
Open on Child Accident Prevention Trust βπ‘οΈ Grown-up rules Β· RoSPA
The Firework Code, sparkler advice (none for under-fives) and bonfire safety from the UK's accident prevention charity.
Open on RoSPA βπ‘οΈ Grown-up rules Β· London Fire Brigade
Fire brigade advice on sparklers, gloves and buckets of water, and why a public display is the safest choice.
Open on London Fire Brigade βπ‘οΈ Grown-up rules Β· RSPCA
How to help dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs feel safe and calm when the fireworks start.
Open on RSPCA βπ‘οΈ Grown-up rules Β· SparkleBox
Free printable poster to remind children how to stay safe on Bonfire Night, ideal for the classroom wall.
Open on SparkleBox βπͺ Food & treats Β· Red Ted Art
Dip chocolate fingers in sprinkles or popping candy for a no-cook sparkler treat; a grown-up handles the hot water.
Open on Red Ted Art βTap the β on any template to save it here. Your plan stays on this device.
A simple make to start with. Grown-ups handle anything sharp or hot.
Based on craftsonsea.co.uk.
Simple ways to keep Bonfire Night crafts safe and fun.
Do not give sparklers to children under five.RoSPA
Older children should wear gloves, hold a sparkler at arm's length and put it in a bucket of water when it has finished, as it stays very hot.Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT)
The safest place to enjoy fireworks is a professionally organised public display, and only adults should ever handle fireworks.RoSPA
Build bonfires well clear of buildings, sheds, fences and trees, never use petrol or paraffin to light them, and have an adult supervise until the fire is out.London Fire Brigade
Keep pets indoors with a quiet hiding place, walk dogs in daylight before fireworks start, and never take dogs to a fireworks display.RSPCA
Cool a burn under cool running water for about 20 minutes and call NHS 111 for a child under 5, or call 999 or go to A&E for a very large or deep burn.NHS
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The bits you need for these crafts, on Amazon UK. See the full Bonfire Night shop β
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Take the edge off the bangs so little ones can enjoy the display.
Shop on Amazon UKSafe sparkle for the walk to the display, no flames involved.
Shop on Amazon UKBlack card, glitter glue and paint for bang-free fireworks pictures.
Shop on Amazon UKPainting crafts on black paper work brilliantly for toddlers and preschoolers. Try printing fireworks with a snipped toilet roll tube, making handprint fireworks with glitter, or squeezing PVA glue onto card and shaking glitter over it. Pre-cut any shapes so little ones can do the stamping and sticking. A paper sparkler made from foil and cellophane on a straw gives under-fives something sparkly to wave, because real sparklers are not for children under five.
Most Bonfire Night crafts use things you already have at home: black paper or card, bright or metallic paint, toilet roll tubes, paper straws, PVA glue, glitter or star sequins, tissue paper, tin foil and coloured cellophane. A paper plate makes a handy paint palette. For printable templates you will also need scissors, a glue stick, crayons or felt tips, and thicker paper or thin card for 3D models that need to stand up.
Yes. The NDNA suggests a firework sky painting for early years, using sponges, cotton buds and old toothbrushes on large black paper, then talking about sound words such as bang, whoosh and pop. For KS1, SparkleBox has free Gunpowder Plot sequencing sheets, Guy Fawkes wanted poster writing frames, firework pencil control sheets and a Stay Safe on Bonfire Night poster. The National Archives also has a Gunpowder Plot teaching resource for Key Stage 1.
Yes, you can print them on A4 at home or at school. Open the PDF and choose 'fit to page' or 'scale to fit' in your print settings so nothing gets cut off at the edges. For 3D paper fireworks or pop-up cards, use thicker paper or thin card so the shapes stand up well. Black-and-white outlines save ink and double as colouring pages.
Keep crafts flame-free: painted fireworks and paper sparklers give all the sparkle with none of the risk. RoSPA advises not giving real sparklers to children under five, and CAPT says older children should wear gloves, hold sparklers at arm's length and put finished ones in a bucket of water. Watch an organised display, keep pets indoors, check bonfires for hedgehogs, and supervise scissors, glitter and small sequins.