Playing firecrackers and fireworks with the neighborhood kids

kids playing with firecrackers

I was playing with firecrackers the day before when some kids from down the street came over. They very unselfconsciously asked if they could watch and I said sure, but told them to stand back coz I was lighting some huge aerial salutes then.

One of them asked if they could play with my firecrackers and I let them fire off the the stash I brought out. I helped them light it and watched very closely as they did, telling them to be careful.

lighting firecrackers

The smallest one was probably around 7 years old or so – at that age I was playing with loud salutes like chai lei so when he asked if he could light one himself, I let him have the lighter and stood beside him while he lit the fuse.

I believe with proper supervision, kids can learn how to let firecrackers off safely, like how I did when I was their age. I even let the smallest one light one of the large Crazy Bang salutes. I had to hover over him while he did it and tell him not to touch the firecracker while lighting it though.

throwing firecrackers

It was very tiring having to babysit but the smiles on their faces and their glee from the unadulterated fun they had was worth it. All three of them were enthusiastically taking turns to let off the firecrackers. I like them – very polite kids, thanked me for the experience.

They came *running* back last night when they saw me playing with fireworks and together we finished up most of the stuff I got.

It was one of the most memorable Chinese New Year experiences I’ve had this year. πŸ™‚

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27 thoughts on “Playing firecrackers and fireworks with the neighborhood kids”

    • It’s lots of fun! The kids just came out of nowhere. πŸ™‚

      I don’t know them at all, first time I’ve seen them. Or maybe they’ve been around and I never noticed.

      Reply
    • Well, I had a lot of these smaller ones, had a lot of huge aerial cakes too but let off most of them during CNY eve.

      It gave them more satisfaction than me so why not. πŸ˜€

      Reply
  1. HB, the homes in your neighborhood looks very nice like my mother one in Hawaii. I like the tank firecracker too bad can’t buy in states. It a lot of fun for older person to light. Have you been to Hong Kong Disneyland? The Disneyland Hotel dim sum restaurant in there serve dim sums that shape like cartoon characters. Lot people taken pictures of it before they eat it. Hope my sister have her wedding in the Disneyland Hotel and ride the glass coach like a princess.

    Reply
    • My neighborhood is pretty much similar to most of Sibu.

      Nope, I didn’t go there. πŸ™‚

      Yeah, it sounds like fun, all the best to your sister.

      Reply
    • I know right! πŸ™‚

      The variety was amazing, this year sees a resurgence in the sheer variety but not to the extent of the good old days.

      Cheers bro! Happy CNY! πŸ˜€

      Reply
    • Yeah, very enthusiastic, I really like them.

      Well, I’ve been playing with fireworks since I was a kid so I know the safe distance (for me, which is very different for a 7 year old – which was why I was very doubtful about the kid wanting to light the red ones with the very short fuse). I usually just light them and stand back a step. I like feeling the large firecrackers. πŸ˜€

      Reply
    • Well, I don’t have any brothers – only an elder sister so it’s fun to play with the boys. πŸ™‚

      Wait that didn’t come out right.

      I mean it’s fun to see how enthusiastic they were and they were getting much more from the firecrackers than I was, I used to be equally stoked about fireworks.

      I still am, but you can’t regain the feeling of excitement when you’re 7 and a thunder king looks like it’s apt to blow your hand off. πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • HAHAHA

      One of the cars pulled up and I asked if it was her kids and she said she’s a neighbor and she’s glad to see the kids having fun.

      They do play fireworks, I think they ran out or something, you know as a kid, it’s all you want to do. I wouldn’t let someone near a large salute like the second video if they aren’t familiar with firecrackers.

      The dad came out for a while, peered at what we were doing, saw that I was being reasonably safe about it and went back inside. The kids came running back the next day so I guess the parents didn’t mind. πŸ˜€

      Reply
  2. That second video. The kid was running off for his life with his hands over his ears while you casually walk away and take a puff from your cigarette.

    LIKE A BOSS.

    Reply
    • Heh! Well, he was a kid, and that could cause serious burns and maybe make him lose a couple of fingers if he held it, which is why I told him not to touch the firecracker while he was lighting it.

      I had one like this explode in my hand before, but I was an adult then so it was just a lot of burns and a numb feeling that persisted to the next day. I was about to throw it though so my hand was open. It would have been worse if it was clenched *around* the firecracker.

      That is a safe distance for me…but maybe not the kid coz it expels and then rains down chalk and other random crap. I’ve seen end caps fly across the road with this one too – hit me on the knee and not in the eye luckily. πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Haha! I was very happy to see that they were having so much fun.

      I remember being like them, a kid, being scared of firecrackers like this. I wish I could feel the same way. I’ve had accidents – a lot of them, but none major. This year one of my aerial multishot cakes blew up on the ground and a thunder king I threw across the road blasted its end cap back at me and hit my knee.

      Nothing major though, you won’t get seriously hurt if you’re an adult. Burns yes, I have one still healing on my thumb. Remember that blister? It burst dy and it’s very annoying now. 😑

      Reply
  3. HB…sweet of you to share the fireworks with the kids, no doubt it’ll be a memorable experience for them as well, but you really shouldn’t smoke around children. x.x

    (and I realise the comment is kinda moot cos smoke comes from the fireworks and what not…but I GUESS what I’m trying to say is that…second-hand smoke are not good for kids (or anyone for that matter) and I hope you didn’t just influence those kids to start smoking…)

    /preach

    Reply
    • Hello Jen! πŸ™‚

      Yes, I realized that after the fact. You’re completely right, it was wrong of me to do that. I didn’t notice it at the time. T_T

      Point noted Jen and I’ll be careful if I bump into them again next year. Happy Chinese New Year! πŸ˜€

      P/S – Yeah it was really fun having kids around to play firecrackers with. Adults are different, kids this age just has a more vibrant enthusiasm that is very infectious. They enjoyed it much more than I did and that made the experience fun for all parties. πŸ™‚

      Reply

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