Bonfire night - fun without the fright

Bonfire night and its firework extravaganza needn't be dangerous for small children. Follow our guide to keeping your own celebrations safe and fun.

• What you need to consider
• Ways to celebrate
• Mummy, who was Guy Fawkes?
• Safety first
• Best fireworks
• Fun food

Remember, remember the 5th of November - trouble is, with a small child on the scene, you'd probably rather forget. It might be tempting to give it all a miss, turn the kids in early and pray that the bangs won't wake them up, but think again... because while the annual firework festival may be scary, it doesn't have to be. What's more, babies and small children really can get an enjoyable and stimulating evening out of it - so it is worth a bit of effort.

What you need to consider
As with everything to do with babies and toddlers, you must plan ahead if Bonfire Night is to be a success. Here's what you'll need to think about well in advance:

• Noise: A small baby or a timid older child may not relish a noisy firework display, putting a thick, cosy hat on little heads is a must.
• Cold: If you're planning to be out outdoors for a while on a nippy autumn evening, you'll have to make sure your baby keeps warm - the best option is probably a forward-facing babysling. Toddlers will need several layers (fleeces are good), especially on little feet which get very cold in wellies.
• Walking: You often need to park some distance from a public firework event, as these are always popular, so if you've got a toddler remember you may need to take a buggy or - even better - a backpack carrier.
• Fear of the dark: Some small children don't react well to being outside in the dark - remember it's an unusual experience for them and you may need to be ready to retreat home quickly if it all goes pear-shaped.

Ways to celebrate
Bearing the above in mind, go through the different options you have for how to celebrate Bonfire Night. Here are some of the possibilities you might have open to you:

• Home fireworks display: This can be a great way to do it if you've got a big enough garden and a conservatory, or glass-ended kitchen through which to watch the fireworks.
• Shared display with friends: This can be a winner if you all share the buying of the fireworks and the preparing of the food/buying of drinks. Good if someone has a house with a garden that's perfect for fireworks and doesn't mind hosting the event.
• Public fireworks display: The fireworks are going to be a lot bigger and better than you'd get at a home display, and you'll be standing well away from any dangers. If it isn't a roaring success, you can retreat home without spoiling the evening for anyone else. But you might have to drive a long way to get there - and if you've got toddlers who like to walk, it might be a nightmare keeping track of them in a dark, crowded park.

Mummy, who was Guy Fawkes?
Hmm, difficult one. How do you encapsulate the fallout from the Reformation so that it makes sense to a two-year-old? Try this: Guy Fawkes was a man who lived a long time ago, even before grandma and grandpa were born. He didn't like the king, so he decided to try to blow him up! But someone found out what he was going to do and stopped him in time. People were pleased the king hadn't been hurt so they celebrated by having a bonfire and putting a model of Guy Fawkes on top.

Safety first
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) claims that in 1999 over a thousand people were injured by fireworks - a reminder that you need to do more than follow the fireworks code with tiny children. Standing outside with small children isn't a good idea unless you've got a seriously large garden. If you do go outdoors, you need to make sure someone's holding onto the children the whole time you're in the garden.

Letting children handle sparklers may be tempting, but don't do it. In 1998, 16 per cent of firework injuries were caused by sparklers. A small child can be seriously burned from a sparkler. According to ROSPA, sparklers should not be given to any child under five years because the impact of the heat is the equivalent to a welding torch. It's also important to place sparklers in a bucket of cold water when they are finished, to avoid little hands touching them after the event.

Best fireworks
With small children you need to concentrate on low-level visuals - go for Roman candles and fountains. Sparklers are great ( in adult hands, of course) and the odd rocket or two goes down a treat, although little ones probably won't be able to follow their ascent with any accuracy. Catherine wheels work well - although they do involve a bit of preparation to nail them to a suitable post. Depending on your children's ages and characters, bangers are probably too noisy. You may be best off buying the fireworks that you think will work singly rather than getting a big mixed box, because a lot of these possibly won't be suitable for your audience.

Fun food
Baked potatoes are traditional on bonfire night, and they're great for children and adults alike. Try filling them with a bacon and cheese mix when they're almost done and then finish them off in the oven so you can serve them easily. Bits of bacon rolled around cheese are a huge hit with toddlers - make sure they're well cooled, though. Garlic bread and sausages are other winners. If you're going to a public display in a cold park, you can't beat a flask of soup to warm you up - invest in a child-proof, glass-free flask to reduce the risk of accidents. For something sweet, slices of apple and grapes are easy to eat while watching the fun - or flapjacks or gingerbread men are a seasonal hit.