How about pushing .22 shells into the dirt, standing back about 5’, and shooting them with a bb gun?
When my uncle was growing up in the 40s it was still possible to buy M-80s off the shelf. He said all the kids had them and set them off all over the place.
Later, they were banned but not Cherry Bombs, which are still powerful. My cousins said in the 60s they threw plenty of them.