This teaching resource is designed to provide some simple activities to try out with your children in relation to Bonfire Night.

The activities use the performing arts and range from completing the story of Guy Fawkes to using movement to explore the actions of the fireworks with your body.

Click here to download the full teaching resource with even more ideas for Bonfire Night themed activities.

• Bonfire Night Rhyme – Learn the rhyme and speak it together:  Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot.  We know no reason, why gunpowder treason, should ever be forgot. Create actions for rhyme for them to perform or perhaps set it to music and sing it.
• Plotters – Everyone becomes the plotters in the dark cellars. Everyone pretends to hold a candle or lantern and look around, then creep around the space. Play percussion to accompany the creeping. When you stop they freeze, listen, look around and discover its safe, and then off they go again. Have the drum beat to signal that the soldiers are on their way: freeze, listen and blow candles out. Listen. Have them creep in the dark and when they hear the drum beat again have the children hide.

• Fireworks Actions – Choose a variety of fireworks actions. You could ask the children for theirs or you could demonstrate examples like:  whirl/spin (Catherine Wheel); shoot (rocket); fizz, scatter & shower (fountain); jump (jumping jacks).  Ask individual children to have a go at modelling for the rest of the class.  Try and show three different physicalisations for each action/firework before everyone has a go.  Play appropriate percussion for different actions as this will help children to move at different speeds. Try starting slow, getting faster, slowing down, and then stopping.

• Fireworks Game – Demonstrate different firework actions.  Call them out and have the children make the appropriate firework action.  Examples include: rocket; Catherine wheel; roman candle; sparkler; fountain; fiery flower (join hands in circles); magic shower; shaking tree (in 2s); scattering petals; and sky orchard (join together, in big group).