If you like messy and thrilling rolled into one
exciting art project, this is it! Put the ingredients
into a baggie, stand back, and POW! An explosivepiece
of art!
Materials
large piece of paper
paper towels
scissors
baking soda
measuring cups and spoons
thin, bright paint of any kind
white vinegar
zipper-closure plastic baggies
Process
1.Spread out a large sheet of plain paper onthe ground outside or in a nice big space
inside.
2.Prepare the paint bags. Start by cutting apaper towel into fourths.
3.Put 2 tablespoons (30ml) baking soda intothe middle of a paper towel square.
4.To make a paper towel pillow to hold thebaking soda, fold over the sides and thenthe
ends of the paper towel around the pileof baking
soda. Place the pillow of bakingsoda into a baggie.
5.Add 2 teaspoons (10ml) paint to 1 cup(250ml)
white vinegar. Pour the coloredvinegar into the
baggie with the baking sodapillow. Quickly close the
baggie and place iton the big piece of paper. Stand
back! Thebaking soda and vinegar will mix and pop thebag open to explode paint onto the paper.
6.Do many explosions for one painting or oneexplosion per painting.
Variations
Experiment with different types of paint orfood
coloring.
Use cardboard or extra heavy paper, biggerbags,
and/or more ingredients.
Name: Maggie
Email Address: slugbug6mo@yahoo.com
Idea should go under: Fourth of July Art
4th of July Flags
Materials Needed: 1 12 in. long dowel rod (5/16 in.
dia.), large stamp with 4th of July theme, 1 5 in. x 8
in. piece of white or ivory burlap, red or blue tempra
paint, red blue or silver puff paint, silver or gold
glitter, red blue or silver thin ribbon (like that
used for birthday gifts) and a hot glue gun.
This may sound like a lot of materials but some are
optional depending on how much work and artistry you
want to put in. I did this activity with a 3 1/2 year
old and an eight year old. They loved it!
Steps: * Steps 1 and 2 I did before introducing the
craft to the kids!*
1. Tightly wrap ribbon arounddowel rod and glue on
ends. This makes the rod look alot nicer.
2. Hot glue the burlap piece to the top ofthe rod
like a real flag.
3. Help the kids dip thestamp in the paint and press
it down on their flag.
4.Allow them to use the puff paint to decorate
the flaghowever they wish.
5. Help them sprinkle glitter onthe wet paint to
create a very sparkly and verypatriotic flag!
Contact_FullName:
Hillary
Contact_Email:
frogger_50@hotmail.com
7-24-00
Fire works
We took plain white paper and went outside. Next, we dropped Koosh balls in
colored paint, and then dropped them on the paper. While the paint was
still wet, we added glitter. The kids loved the part of throwing the balls.
Being outside it was easy clean up!! This looked just like fireworks! We
added a small poem:
I spy with my little eye
These bright colored fireworks
On the Forth of July
Contact_FullName:
Rosa Fernandez
Contact_Email:
andrekarynalex@aol.com
7-13-00
Patriotic Flags:
Go to Home Depot and grab a bunch of sticks (to mix the paint, they are
free). Divide the sticks in three parts, have the children paint one blue,
one red and the other one white (for the little ones you can cover two
parts of the stick with tape so they don't mix the colors) and let it dry
and then put stars on the blue part of the stick (use star shape stickers.
It looks very pretty).
Contact_FullName:
angela
Contact_Email:
angelajakes@teacher.com
7-12-00
We did this with our 3's and up. You need medium or large baby food
jars, red, white and blue tempra paint and sticker stars. You then can use
old sponges or paint brushes to paint the inside of a baby jar red or
blue. We did red for the girls and blue for the boys. Set aside to dry. It
doesn't matter if their are some streaks. Next you need to put the sticker
stars on the outside of the jar. These can be in any order or design. Just
don't cover the whole thing. At this point we put the white tempra paint
over the top of the baby jar, stars included. This might need to be done
twice. Set aside to dry. When dry peel the stickers off. The color on the
inside should be revealed in the shape of a star. We put votive candles on
the inside of our baby jars and made our own 4th of July light. It looks
almost like stained glass and is non-flammable. Good luck!
Contact_FullName:
Julie
Contact_Email:
wiskij@aol.com
7-12-00
3-D Fireworks:
Mix a batch of clear gelatin (Sur-Jel) Have children
choose any small or medium size container to use as a Jell-O mold. Bowls
work well, but the more interesting the better. Once the Jell-O sets well,
remove from the mold and place upside down on plate or work surface. Using
colored water or tempra paint (red, blue, etc...) in eye droppers, have
the kids insert the droppers into the middle of the jell and slowly remove
as they squeeze in the colors. Repeat around the mold until the desired
3-D fireworks production is complete. To add to the effect, play Patriotic
music or Marches in the background!
Contact_FullName:
Colleen
Contact_Email:
shanahanc2@uofs.edu
7-10-00
Mix dish detergent, water, and tempura paint in three bowls. Make one
bowl red, and one blue. Have the children dip bubble blowing sticks in
the bowls and they will blow the blue and red bubbles on a white sheet of
paper. It looks neat to see all different creations.
Contact_FullName:
Jan
Contact_Email:
freemanrj_143@yahoo.com
7-9-00
Provide red...white...blue tempera paint in 3 meat trays, one for
each color. In each meat tray put a gadget that is a stick with sponge
loops on the end...(It's a bathroom item that I got at a 1.00 store. Stamp
the paint onto a black paper. It ends up looking like firework clusters in
the dark sky.
Name:
Jennifer
Email:
JladibuggT@aol.com
Date: 7-8-99
To make cute 4th of July window hangings, have the children brush liquid starch on a
clear plastic plate, then let them tear up an stick on pieces of red, white, and blue
streamers, tissue paper, napkins, stars, etc. I used shiny confetti stars also and napkins
with fireworks on them - the starch soaks through the thin pieces (if they put a lot of
decorations on you may have to brush starch on top also)and you can see through either
side. The kids loved it and it came out really cute!
Name:
Melinda
Email:
mory@digital.net
Date: 7-8-99
Fireworks for the 4th: I let my class collect pine needles that have fallen from the
trees near our playground. I tape groups of these needles together, and the children use
them as paintbrushes. For the best effect, use a white piece of construction paper, and
give the children 2 or 3 different colors of tempera paint; yellow and red look lovely
together!
Name:
shari
email:
hbcaligirl@yahoo.com
Date: 7-1-99
firework bursts *koosh balls of asstd sizes *paint(thin-on a flat surface) *glitter
*black paper
have children dip koosh balls into the paint and then stamp onto their paper. when
finished, sprinkle multi color glitter over the paint. finished result looks like firework
bursts in the night sky. **works great if you have that new paint-gel that has glitter
already mixed in it and eliminates the second part.
Name:
Anne
Email:
Alind20308@aol.com
Date: 6-30-99
This is a festive 4th of July art project!
This is a two stage project. First, cut blue construction paper in half lengthwise.
Have each child sponge paint stars on one piece of the construction paper.
On the other end of the table, put a piece of white construction paper in a pizza box.
Put marbles dipped in red tempera in the box and let the children roll them around.
After the paint has dried, cut the red and white paper into strips about an inch wide.
Staple the two ends of the blue paper design together then staple the strips of red and
white paper so that they are hanging down from the blue piece to make a great windsock!
Poke two holes in the top of the top of the blue star paper and insert yarn, knot it at
the top and viola! A festive patriotic decoration they are proud to display!
Name:
Debbie
E-Mail:
Mouserdeb@aol.com
Date: 6-30-99
"B.B.Q. Hamburgers" What's "The Fourth" without a B.B.Q picnic? Cut
out 2 round hambuger buns ror each child from brown const. paper. Then from black paper
cut out a patty, and from green paper,lettuce, and from red a tomatoe slice, and you might
want cheese to go on your 'burger so a cut out of cheese from yellow paper. Have the
children paste it together as they think a hamburger should be. You could do the same
basic Date: 6-30-99 with hotdog shapes. As a final touch to your picnic, glue hamburgers
to paper plates, and add cut-out chips.
6-18-98
Name: Pat
E-Mail: pfarrrel1@tampaby.rr.com
For fireworks, pour watered down tempera paint on a paper plate or shallow
container; have kids dip toothbrushes in paint, bend brisltes back with fingers onto black
construction paper. Creates a neat "spray" design. Sprinkle lightly with glitter
for an even more sparkley effect.
5-26-98
Name: Cheryl
E-Mail: C5Joy@aol.com
Blow Painting:
Give each child a white piece of construction paper and a straw. Explain
that you will be dropping a few drops of tempera paint (diluted red and blue) on their
papers. Once the paint is on the paper, they are to blow the paint around with the straw
to look like fireworks.
5-26-98
Name: Cheryl
E-Mail: C5Joy@aol.com
Fire Crackers:
Have the children make "4th of July Firecrackers" by painting a
toilet paper tube red, white, or blue. After paint has dried, glue red, white and blue
crepe paper streamers to tube. For variation, close off one end and fill with rice; then
close off to make a noise shaker. After ends are glued shut, then glue on streamers.
Children can stick on stars. Then play a variety of patriotic songs such as Yankee Doodle,
Stars and Stripes Forever, You're a Grand Old Flag, etc. and let the children march and
dance to the music.
5-26-98
Name: Cheryl
E-Mail: C5Joy@aol.com
Independence Day Bells: Give each child a paper cup and sheet of tinfoil
and have them "wrap" the cup creating a silver bell.Help children poke popsicle
sticks through top of "bell", securing popsicle stick with tape. Let each child
thread a short piece of string/yarn through a bead or washer and tie to inside portion of
popsicle stick.Have children decorate bells as desired.
5-26-98
Name: Angie
E-Mail: Ang2511@aol.com
Another way to make "fireworks" is to put a small dab of red and
blue paint on a white sheet of paper and give the children straws to "blow
paint." By blowing into the straw onto the paint, it will cause the paint to spread
and look like fireworks. Fun! Fun!
5-19-98
Name: Cheryl
E-Mail: Mrs.Tim@aol.com
To make awesome firework designs, I put about 5 - 6 different colors of
tempra paint on a plate so that the colors are touching . Do not mix the colors though.
Then, I have the children use a popsicle stick or tongue depressor to dip the long edge of
the stick into the paint across the colors. Then, the children may print it onto
construction paper. You may need to show them how to put it into an "X" then a
"I" through the middle and lastly a "-" throught that. So that it
makes a star design, and there you'll have beautiful, vibrant fireworks! (even though this
may sound a bit complex or hard to visualize what it may look like, it is very fun and
ages 2 and up may participate, obviously with more assistance given. Also,it looks just as
great if they don't make it into a "star-shape" but to create thier own
designs.) TIP: this art looks best if used on black construction paper.*have fun*
4-18-98
Name: Dolores E-Mail: Dmrkids@aol.com
Dip net dish scrubber into gold paint and other colors as well. Press onto
black construction paper to represent fireworks.
Submitted by aactchrday@aol.com
Stars and Stripes Collage
Materials
Blue construction paper
Red and white construction paper cut into 1" strips
Silver star stickers
glue
Activity
Set out all of the materials and let the children create!
Submitted by aactchrday@aol.com
Stars and Stripes Sponge Painting
Materials
Red and blue tempra paint
Sponges cut into stars and and long strips
White construction paper
Activity
Let the children make sponge prints on the white paper with the red and
blue paint.
Submitted by aactchrday@aol.com
Red White and Blue Puffy Paint Pictures
Materials
Flour
Salt
Water
Red and blue food color
Empty mustard squeeze bottles
Cardboard
Activity
1. Mix equal parts of flour, salt, and water to make the puffy
paint.
2. Divide mixture into three different bowls and color one bowl of
mixture blue, one bowl red, and leave the last one white.
3. Fill the mustard squeeze bottles with the mixture (one color per
squeeze bottle).
4. Let the children squeeze the different colors onto the cardboard.
5. Allow the children's art work to dry. When it is dry, the
design will be raised and will sparkle!
Submitted by aactchrday@aol.com
Red White and Blue Salt Jars
Materials
Empty baby food jars with lids
9 cups Rock Salt
Red and blue food color
1/2 Cup rubbing alcohol
Activity
AN ADULT MUST DO THIS PART
1. To make the colored rock salt: Measure 3 cups of rock salt to be
blue, 3 cups to be white and 3 cups to be red and place each in 3 separate bowls.
2. Combine 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol with 1/2 a bottle or more of
red food coloring (you want the color to be bright). Do the same for the blue food
coloring.
3. Mix the red alcohol mixture into one of the bowls of rock
salt. Mix well and let sit for about 1 minute. Drain the excess alcohol
mixture off of the rock salt. (WARNING: This will smell pretty yucky!)
Spread the colored rock salt on cookie sheets and set outside in the sun to dry (this will
take only an hour or so). Repeat the same procedure for the blue food coloring.
4. Do nothing with the remaining rock salt because you want it to
stay white.
Activity For The Children
1. Once the different colors of salt are dry, place them on a table
with spoons and and baby food jars.
2. Guide the children to spoon the colored rock salt into their
jars.
