Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the fireworks on the Fourth of July. My mom worked in a small town on the water in Maine, and we’d go early to get a good spot to watch the show on a bridge. Even though we got there early, my dad would have to park so far away, it seemed like miles. After the show, we’d take a break from our long walk back to the car by stopping at a quirky antique store and get ice cream at its old fashioned ice cream shop.
My son is still very young, but he has started noticing fireworks in movies—and he’s excited about them. He’ll run into the kitchen, grab my hand, and say, “Mommy, come look! Fireworks!” whenever they come on during Disney’s Cars. With the Fourth of July a few days away, I thought I’d encourage his interest in celebrating with a few art projects.
Here’s what we did:
Indoor Sidewalk Chalk Fireworks
When rain is in the forecast, both fireworks shows and fun outdoor activities may be cancelled. If this happens, bring the sidewalk chalk inside and decorate a dark sheet of paper with your own fireworks show!
Supplies
- Black or dark blue sheet of construction paper
- Sidewalk chalk in multiple colors
- Photos from fireworks shows for inspiration
Directions
- On a dark sheet of paper, draw fireworks shapes in multiple colors.
- Make multiple sheets of fireworks to create a show.
If you have a toddler, sit beside him and show him ways to move the chalk across the page to make different shapes. See if he can recreate some of these shapes, and encourage him to make his own!
Glitter Bomb Fireworks
My favorite fireworks are the ones that look like sparkling chandeliers. My son happens to love glitter. Together, we made a page of sparkling fireworks!
Supplies
- Black or dark blue sheet of construction paper
- Liquid glue that dries clear
- Old toothbrush or paintbrush
- Glitter (in multiple colors)
Directions
- Pour a little liquid glue into a dish.
- Dip the old toothbrush or paintbrush into the glue and draw lines on the dark sheet of paper that represent the main streaks of the fireworks in the sky.
- Sprinkle glitter over the glue and shake off the excess glitter into a bowl.
- Create more shapes on the page using different techniques by dotting the page with the brush or creating patterned swirls, etc.
- Sprinkle different colored glitter over each firework. If you are planning to save the excess, make sure to do only one color at a time.
Try making the fireworks shapes in other ways. Help your toddler dip his hand into the glue and make shapes with his handprint. Dip a paintbrush into the glue and make swirly fireworks in the sky. Continue experimenting until you have several fireworks on the page.
Finger Paint Fireworks Show
This project was my son’s favorite. Part of the reason why fireworks shows are so cool is because they seem to fill a giant sky with beautiful colors and patterns. This craft mimics the enormous scale of the fireworks show, and allows your kids to fill the sky with as many—or as few—fireworks as they want!
Supplies
- Poster-sized paper
- Black paint, if your paper is white
- Paper plates or other containers to hold paint big enough for your child to dip their hand into
- Finger paints in multiple colors
- Glitter in multiple colors
- Paper towels and water or wipes
- Clean hands to start
Directions
- If your paper is white, paint it black and let it dry.
- Pour finger paints onto plates, using one plate for each color.
- Have your child dip his hand into one paint color and then have him stamp his hand on the page in a variety of shapes and directions.
- Clean your child’s hand in between colors.
- Sprinkle glitter on different firework shapes before the paint dries.
To make different firework shapes, use paintbrushes, toothpicks, stencils, etc.
We’ve since hung up all of these projects in our house, and my son gets super excited to wake up and see them. Now, he comes into the kitchen, grabs my hand, and says “Mommy, come look! Fireworks!” while pointing to the art projects we made together. I think we’ll be making more fireworks art projects in the months to come!
