4th of July Craft and Experiment: Shaving Cream Fireworks Prints

4th of July craft

4th of July Craft

I don’t know about you, but I’m in complete denial that the 4th of July is next week! It feels like Summer Break just began. My kids are busy making patriotic crafts, and we wanted to share our favorite 4th of July craft with all of you!

When I think of the 4th of July, I immediately think of fireworks! So many patriotic crafts can be found while searching the internet, and many of them pertain to fireworks. Out of all the fireworks crafts out there, this one is extra fun, because it’s also a mini science experiment, too. Plus, all kids LOVE to play with shaving cream!

4th of July Craft

If you’re looking for an easy 4th of July craft for kids of all ages, this one is perfect. Kids can experiment, create and play all at once! The supplies are inexpensive, and the craft can be recreated many times!

4th of July Craft and Experiment

Making Shaving Cream Fireworks Prints is so simple, yet so much fun! Although you can just use blue and red food coloring to make it more patriotic, my kids prefer to use all the colors!

Supplies:

  • Cookie sheet
  • Shaving Cream
  • Food coloring
  • Toothpick
  • White paper

4th of July craft

The supplies are really inexpensive! We purchased a few $1 cookie sheets to use strictly for crafting/sensory play. White shaving cream is a must have for many kids activities, and it can also be purchased for about $1 per can.

4th of July craft

Directions:

  1.  Squirt shaving cream onto a cookie sheet, and level the surface using a spatula.  You want to have a flat, smooth surface before you begin.
  2. Choose your food coloring colors and squirt drops of food coloring onto the surface of the shaving cream.
  3. Using the toothpick, poke the center of a drop then gently drag outward so the color spreads outside of the drop. Continue around the drop until it looks like a firework.
  4. Repeat this process with every drop of food coloring.
  5. Once all the fireworks are complete, gently place a piece of white paper onto the shaving cream. After a few seconds you will begin to see the color “bleed” onto the paper. Gently peel the paper away from the shaving cream and set aside to dry. You can make several prints from the same batch!

4th of July craft

4th of July craft

4th of July craft

Experiment

Here’s where things get fun! 

  • Mix two colors to see what happens! 
  • Drop 2-4 colors on top of each other and use the toothpick to create multi-colored fireworks.
  • Try alternating small drops with large drops for fireworks of different sizes.
  • See how big you can make the exploding fireworks with the toothpick.

Sensory Play

When the 4th of July craft is made and the experimenting is over, hand over the cookie sheet for some messy sensory play! Put on some old clothing, take the cookie sheet outdoors, give your child a spatula, and let them mix all the colors together.

Sensory Play is so good for younger kids! It allows them to learn with their senses while having some fun. Bonus points if they get messy! When they’re done, they can simply rinse off in the sprinkler or hop in the bathtub!

4th of July craft

Creating this fun 4th of July craft is great for kids in so many ways! It encourages them to create, learn and play, all while having fun. The end result is a festive keepsake to add to your 4th of July decor!

4th of July Craft

From my family to you and yours, have a safe, happy and fun 4th of July!

You can find other crafts, activities for kids, and sensory play ideas on Stefanie’s blog, Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too. You can also keep up with her family’s daily adventures on Instagram

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Stefanie Settlemire
Stefanie is a wife and SAHM to 4 children, living in Mars. Stefanie and her husband refer to their children as Phase One (Dylan-Age 13 and Alexandria-Age 10) and Phase Two (Liliana-Age 6 and Liam-Age 4). Phase Three is out of the question! Stefanie’s family became a family blessed with Down syndrome when her youngest child had a surprise diagnosis after his birth. Although the family’s initial reaction was shock and fear, they quickly learned to embrace this beautiful journey and they now realize what the term “The Lucky Few” really means. Stefanie spends her days wrangling chaos. In addition to four kids, her family has 4 large pet rabbits...the more the merrier! In her spare time she loves to embarrass her children by singing show tunes from her musical theater days, come up with messy projects to keep her children busy, chase her children around with her camera, read, volunteer for the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network, blog at http://www.lexieloolilyliamdylantoo.com and post daily on Instagram (www.instagram.com/lexieloolilyliamdylantoo). Sleep is just a distant memory!