How to Help Children Make a Fireworks Celebration on Paper

This year the kids won't have to wait until dark for the fireworks to start. At your Fourth of July celebration, help your children make a fireworks celebration on paper with a few simple supplies and some flowers from the yard.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Crayola Art Smocks
• Aluminum Foil
• Flowers
• Washable Acrylic Paints

1. Assemble the materials you'll need: a painting smock, black kraft paper, aluminum foil, washable acrylic paints, flowers and/or sponge dish scrubbers.

2. Let the kids choose the paint colors they want to use, and make each child his or her own "palette" on a piece of doubled aluminum foil. Gold, silver, red, blue and green metallic show up well on black paper.

3. Give each child a flower or a dish scrubber for each color and show them how to load it with paint.

4. Show the kids how to dab their black paper with the flower to make fireworks bursts. One quick dab on the paper will do it; no need to drag the flower or press too hard against the paper - you don't want to smear your fireworks.

5. Fill the black "sky" with fireworks and then set the paper aside to dry.

6. Wash up, sit back and marvel at the kids' artistic abilities. Hang the pictures up for everyone at your Fourth of July celebration to see.

Tips & Warnings

• Do this activity outside if possible or maybe in the garage to avoid the inevitable spilled paint on the floor. Tie on painting smocks before getting started to keep clothes paint-free.

• Use other colors of construction paper to cut squares and rectangles. Have the kids paste these shapes along the bottom of the black paper to make a city skyline.

• Choose flowers with lots of petals, like dandelions, mums, allium and yellow tickseed. These make the most realistic fireworks bursts.

• Don't use anything but washable, nontoxic paints when working with kids.