Bonfire Party!

A bonfire party is a great way to celebrate the beginning of winter by dressing up warmly and getting outdoors. If you’re having a bonfire and fireworks in your garden and are inviting your friends round for some warming treats and autumnal fun, here’s a few ideas to get your party going with a bang!

01. It is a perfect time to cook and present autumnal favourite foods, especially if you choose warm and comforting dishes. Traditional snacks such as honey cooked sausages, tomato or butternut squash soup, baked potatoes and toffee apples all go down very well, alongside hot punch such as Winter Pimm’s or a spiced apple warmer which can be made child-friendly by using apple juice instead of cider. If you fancy cooking something more substantial try shepherd’s pie, a fiery chilli or spicy bean-stuffed peppers. Food that can be prepared in advance make your evening more relaxed. Chilli and jacket potatoes are easy to make and the chilli can be left in a slow cooker while you’re out at the fireworks display, too. For desserts apple pies are popular and true comfort food and parkin, a delicious ginger cake made with oatmeal and black treacle is a customary cake for Bonfire Night.

02. If you have time you may want to think of some easy touches to decorate the garden and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Fairy lights are very versatile and make a lovely sparkly scene either indoors or outside strung around trees and bushes or you can put sets inside vases or bowls to decorate the food table. Firework coloured confetti also adds sparkle. Tie in your colours with matching paper plates, napkins and tablecloth this adds to the ambiance.

03. Glow-sticks are popular with the children and adults often love them too! Ask a family member or other music fan to put together a Bonfire Night themed playlist of songs to be playing through a blue-tooth speaker. To start you off try; Firework by Katy Perry, Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis, Relight My Fire by Take That and Elton John’s Rocket Man!

04. If you’ve got an open fire or barbecue, make sure you’ve also got plenty of marshmallows and toasting forks so your guests can toast their own. Children will love these but obviously close supervision is required. Another fun use of marshmallows is in a team game of building towers using marshmallows and spaghetti, the latter making the framework which is joined together with the sweets. The winning team is the one that builds the highest tower! Another, maybe more traditional Bonfire Night game is the ever-popular apple bobbing. Be prepared to get wet, so kind hosts will have towels to hand.

05. You may want to make a Guy, the traditional effigy to be placed on top of the bonfire, before the evening in which case get the children involved in helping you stuff old pieces of clothing with straw or newspaper and making a head using an old pair of tights and topping it with a hat. However, Guy-making in teams on the evening can also be fun, gets everyone involved and strong competitiveness is bound to emerge. Make sure you have plenty of pieces of clothing and accessories you are happy to be used and that will encourage creativity.

06. Last of all remind your guests to come dressed for the cold, suggesting hats, scarves and wellies will be the sensible way forward but in case they arrive less prepared or start to feel cold make sure you have a few extra items to lend them plus some blankets that can be used as wraps. To make the actual firework display bright and varied why not suggaest each guest brings a favourite firework. Sparklers are loved by children and adults alike so a few packets will be sure to get used up.

Safety is the most important part of any firework party or display. Remember to read instructions for each firework and follow them carefully. You must have the required space to ensure complete safety for everyone. Keep pets indoors.