In just a couple days we will be celebrating our nation‘s Independence Day! Here are a few ways we are celebrating this year.
I love art projects and science experiments, so that is our main focus this week!
First up, straw fireworks (or rockets- either way).
You need:
Wide straws (the ones made for milkshakes, if you can’t find them at the store just use McDonald’s straws)
Heavy white paper (cardstock preferred)
Ribbon
Tape
Markers
Scissors
Cut your cardstock about two inches wide.
Roll is and tape the edges. Then fold over one end and tape it down.
Color the white paper and cut pieces of ribbon as long as you desire. Tape the ribbon to folded end of the rocket.
Try it out! My kids loved these and ended up making more!
Next up, handprint eagle. The bald eagle is on the Great Seal and is a symbol of strength and courage.
For this you’ll need:
Construction paper
Brown paint
White paint
Yellow Paint
Paint brush
Take a look at the photos in the gallery below to see how we made this fun project:
Who loves a good science experiment? How about one invoking yummy M&Ms? Yeah, me too!
You’ll need :
A plate
Red, white and blue M&Ms
Hot water
Place the M&Ms around the edge of the plate and pour the water in the middle. Watch as the dyed sugar coating slowly dissolve into the water. It’s so pretty!
You can extend this by using cold water, then warm, and finally hot. Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes the colors to reach the middle. Why does hot water allow colors to reach the center quickly (hint: the dyed sugar coating dissolved faster)?
Swirl the water on the plate around and watch it change colors. What happens when you mix blue and red? Purple! So fun!
Last, but certainly not least in this house: cupcake decorating.
You’ll need:
Cupcakes (of course)
Blue, red and white icing
Star tip, grass tip, and round tip
To make the flag cupcakes, I used a small star tip and piped across the cake after making a blue corner.
The firework cupcakes are a favorite and easier than you’d think! Using the grass tip, make a layer of blue from 1/3 way inside the cupcake and drag it outward. Do the same with the white, overlapping the blue slightly and repeat with the red. If you can find gold sprinkles to place in the center it makes the whole cupcake come together!