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Fear and apprehension, rather than fun and excitement, may be what some children associate with Bonfire Night. Jane Drake suggests ways to make it a pleasure for all For most of us, the sensations associated with Bonfire Night are both familiar and enjoyable but, for very young children, the occasion is often a new experience that can evoke a whole range of feelings from sheer delight and excitement to apprehension and fear. Spectacular displays of colour and light, and a deluge of new sounds and smells, can provide stimulating starting points, particularly for creative and language work. But practitioners may also want to address children's anxieties and should talk about keeping safe on Bonfire Night.

For most of us, the sensations associated with Bonfire Night are both familiar and enjoyable but, for very young children, the occasion is often a new experience that can evoke a whole range of feelings from sheer delight and excitement to apprehension and fear. Spectacular displays of colour and light, and a deluge of new sounds and smells, can provide stimulating starting points, particularly for creative and language work. But practitioners may also want to address children's anxieties and should talk about keeping safe on Bonfire Night.

Before the night

Talk it through

* Just before Bonfire Night, prepare children for the sort of experiences they may have at a bonfire party. Show them photographs and posters and talk about the patterns that fireworks make in the sky and different sounds they might hear. Discuss the traditional food that is eaten at bonfires and talk about the dangers of fire.

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