The painted fireworks activity is a great way to encourage young children to get creative and use their imaginations. Using red, white, and blue paints, preschool aged learners can craft explosively abstract art that may look similar to that made by the famous artist Jackson Pollock.
Painted Firework Art Lesson Objectives
- Develop fine motor skills. Increase self-control and self-regulation behaviors.
- Explore the artistic process of painting.
- Experiment with motion and texture in art.
- Learn about different styles of painting (i.e., abstract).
- Learn about famous artists (Jackson Pollock).
- Develop new art vocabulary words: paint, line, color, texture.
Grade Level
Ages three through six.
Materials Needed to Create Painted Firework Art
- White paper or poster board
- Tempera paint in red, white, and blue
- Paint brushes of varying sizes and lengths
- Paper or plastic sheeting (or some other easily cleaned surface)
Steps to Create Painted Firework Art
Before beginning this art activity, discuss the Fourth of July with the children in your class. Reading beginner non-fiction picture books with imaginative illustrations will be a helpful tool. Additionally, take this time to discuss art and artists. Introduce Jackson Pollock as an artist. Show pictures or pages from a book that have reproductions of his work.
Pre-planning Steps:
- Place red, white, and blue tempera paints on a palette or paint tray.
- Select a variety of brushes to work with. Make sure that some are thick, some are thin, and some have different sized handles.
- Cover the workspace (either floor or table) with paper or plastic sheeting. This project will get very messy.
- Provide art smocks for the children.
Process Steps:
- Give each child a piece of white paper. This project may be created on the floor or a table. An easel will work also, but a flat horizontal surface may be easiest for the children to work on.
- Invite the children to dip paint brushes into the tempera paint and splatter the paint on the paper like fireworks exploding in the sky. Encourage the children to use all three colors and more than one size of brush.
- Set papers aside to dry.
- Ask the children to help in the clean up process.
Lesson Wrap Up for the Painted Firework Art
After the paintings have dried have an art show and share. If possible, display the artwork on a wall or bulletin board. Ask each child to describe the process used and tell the class one choice thing about their own painting.
Enrichment Activities for the Painted Firework Art
- Music and movement: Play patriotic music while creating this art project. Encourage the children to move their brushes to the music, splattering and swishing the paint on the paper.
- Glue and glitter: Add an extra sparkle to this project. Invite the children to draw lines and squiggles on the painted paper using school glue. Next, have them sprinkle glitter on top.
- Other famous artists: After completing this activity on Jackson Pollock, try other artist inspired projects and lessons.
The painted firework art project will add an explosion of creativity to any classroom for the Fourth of July. Choose patriotic paints, and watch as the children explore and experiment with abstract art.
