This is the moment a toddler puts a small firecracker in her mouth after mistaking it for candy, only for it to explode inside her mouth and leave her screaming in pain.

The incident happened in Guangdong province, China, on 21st February.

According to reports, the child’s mother had been teaching her how to play with a small impact firecracker, commonly known as a “popper” or “throwing firecracker”, which detonates with a sharp popping sound when it hits the ground and does not require a flame.

Video footage shows the mother and daughter playing with the brightly wrapped poppers outside their home.

The mother then turns and walks back inside, leaving the toddler alone for a brief moment.

Within seconds, the child lifts one of the small, colourful firecrackers to her mouth, apparently confusing it for a sweet. It suddenly detonates with a visible flash while still inside her mouth.

The blast causes the girl to jolt violently backwards before she bursts into tears. Hearing the explosion, her mother rushes back outside and scoops her up.

The explosion reportedly injured the child’s tongue, but the injuries were not serious.

The mother later said she had shown her daughter how to throw the firecrackers on the ground and did not expect her to put one in her mouth.

Toddler injures tongue after firecracker mistaken for candy explodes in its mouth in Guangdong, China, Feb. 21, 2026. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (AsiaWire)

She reportedly admitted it was her oversight and shared the video to warn other parents.

Impact firecrackers, also known as “sand cannons” or “throwing poppers”, are small pellet-like fireworks wrapped in colourful paper and designed to explode on contact with a hard surface.

The footage triggered widespread discussion online, with some social media users criticising the lack of supervision, while others pointed out that certain firecrackers resemble sweets in both shape and colour.

(Aloysius Fernandes /AsiaWire)