Storing leftovers safely
Where to keep the boxes after Deepavali, and when to give them away.
Choosing crackers by age
What we give a four-year-old, a seven-year-old and a twelve-year-old.
Grandparents often ask us what to buy for children of different ages. This is the guide we use at the counter.
Under five: nothing they hold. Let them watch flower pots and chakkars from the doorstep, on an adult’s lap.
Five to eight: 7 cm and 10 cm sparklers held with an adult beside them, twinkling stars, snake tablets and magic pop. Our little ones’ pack is built for this age and has no sound crackers.
Eight to twelve: longer sparklers up to 30 cm, small flower pots and chakkars, which they can watch being lit. An adult lights anything that sits on the ground.
Twelve and above: they can help set out flower pots and colour kotis under supervision. Aerial cakes and rockets stay with adults.
Whatever the age, cotton clothes, slippers and tied-back hair matter more than the cracker. And a child who is frightened by noise should never be pushed. There is plenty to enjoy that is quiet.
