Sparklers are a fun and exciting addition to any wedding, and they are becoming more common. However, many guests will bring along their children; and that can lead to some serious questions about safety. In particular, I’m often asked “are wedding sparklers safe for children?” To answer this question once and for all, I’ve put together this post.
First of all, I always suggest extreme caution if you plan to let children use sparklers. At a minimum, you need to make it clear to guests that they are responsible for their own children. Personally, I would keep it an “adults only” activity, but I understand not everyone feels this way. As an added bonus, it will cut down on the amount of sparklers you need to buy for your wedding. Additionally, children under 12 are particularly risky, so I urge you to at least set some age restrictions. Nevertheless, assuming you plan to use them anyway, here are some key tips to keep the children safe.
Key Safety Tips if you Plan to Use Sparklers with a Child
Whenever you’re using sparklers with children, there are some important safety tips to follow. Caution should always be used regardless of age, but children are particularly important to supervise. Here are some basics to keep things safe.
- I strongly urge that children under 12 be ruled out from using sparklers for weddings. They require too much supervision for this type of event.
- Children need to be supervised 100% of the time when using sparklers.
- The person supervising must be 100% sober and not participating in the activity. Their job is to supervise and be prepared to intervene.
- Never let children light their own sparklers. An adult should light them, and then hand them carefully to the child. Preferably, you should just let the kids watch the experience while you hold them in your arms.
- I strongly advise that you use a DIY safety device to shield your child (I discuss this more in a moment).
Obviously, there are several other basic safety rules that you should follow when handling fireworks. However, these five specifically pertain to children and deserved specific citation. Most importantly, I’m trying to emphasize just how intense the supervision needs to be. If you want your adult guests to enjoy your wedding, including kids in this activity makes it nearly impossible.
Are There Safer Alternatives That Children Can Use?
Fortunately, there are some great alternatives to sparklers that you can hand out so the kids can still participate. None of these alternatives use an open flame, so you won’t have to worry about safety.
Ribbon Wands
Ribbon wands are simple to make and can be a great DIY activity! All you need are some small sticks; even Popsicle sticks will do. Then, you can use a hot glue gun at attach a few pieces of ribbon to one end of the stick. You can decorate them as much or as little as you like, it’s completely up to you. Best of all, there are several great DIY tutorials for making ribbon wands so you can learn the process quickly.
Confetti or Birdseed
Confetti and birdseed are the most iconic items to toss at a wedding. While they aren’t as glamorous, they are much safer for kids. You can still have all the adults using them, just give the confetti or birdseed to the children so they can participate, too.
LED Sparklers
If you want to stick with the same theme, the closest you can get is LED wedding sparklers. These little LED wands fit perfectly in a child’s hand and they’re much safer than regular sparklers. Best of all, they are completely reusable! So, your kids will be able to use them over and over until the batteries run out. Lastly, they feature multiple different lighting modes so your child doesn’t get bored at the wedding. LED versions look fantastic next to the real thing, so it will enhance your photos even more.
Bubble Wands
Are wedding sparklers safe for children compared to bubble wands? Not even close! Bubble wands are about as safe as you can get for kids, and they work great during a wedding. Not only will the bubble compliment the sparklers during your chosen activity, but the kids can run around at the reception enjoying their bubbles all night. Additionally, they even make automatic bubble wands so they can really fill the air with bubbles. In fact, you’ll probably get a lot more time to enjoy yourself at the reception with the kids occupied.
Is There Any Way to Make Wedding Sparklers Safe for Children?
Some people would prefer to let children of all ages participate in their wedding activities. Though wedding sparklers are safe for children with the proper supervision, I still urge you to restrict them to ages 12 and up. However, there is at least one device you can construct to keep their hands safe if necessary. I cover making a protective cup device to protect children’s hands from sparklers in another post. Overall, I’ve received very good feedback about the apparatus’s performance. However, you still need to supervise the kids very closely because it is not a fool-proof device. With that said, it is the best safety precaution you can take if you still want to include the kids in your activities.
In the end, wedding sparklers are safe for children as long as you take the proper steps. Sure, it will limit the fun for the adults at the event; but that doesn’t always bother some parents. If you plan to include kids, make sure you follow the safety steps and consider building the cup device. However, I still urge you to keep it an “adults only” activity and eliminate the risk, worry, and stress on your big day.
