Happy 4th of July!
By Spramani Elaun
I hope you’re enjoying your summer and that you’re spending today with friends and family! Whether you’re at a BBQ, heading to the beach, or trying to keep your dog calm during fireworks, I hope your July 4th is amazing! Of course, I love to bring art into everything I do, so I wanted to share a quick, easy, 4th of July craft for kids with you!
This week during my summer art camp, I kind of stumbled onto this activity, and was so excited with the results! All you need is paper, crayons, paint brush, and black watercolor paint. It’s easy to set up (so you can get back to grilling or making a fancy 4th of July cocktail, see below!) and the kids love being able to make their own fireworks. What I love most about this activity is that it actually teaches kids a simple artist technique called wax resist.
Here in American we celebrate our country’s independence on July 4th. Families and friends usually gather around and celebrate with a BBQ, potluck, time at the beach, popsicles or fireworks. I know the last thing you want to do over the summer—let alone a holiday—is to teach an art lesson, but this one is super easy and you’ll be the star of the party for keeping kids happily occupied as they make these creations.
Firework Coloring & Painting Activity
The basic idea is that black paint over crayon marks create a really cool color pop image. The wax from the crayons resist the paint’s pigment, so those marks end up standing out against the dark color.
Materials you will need:
- Thick white paper (watercolor paper or cardstock)
- Black paint — tempera, watercolor, acrylic, or any other kind of kids’ grade paint (you will need to thin the paint down to a watery consistency)
- Paintbrush
- Crayons (preferably red, white, and blue, but any colors will work)
Coloring & Painting Tips
Tip: Be sure to use lots of white crayon marks as you doodle, this is the best part! You won’t see it as you’re drawing because it’s white markings on white paper, but when you paint, it’ll “magically” show up.
Steps:
- Doodle with crayon
- Paint over the whole paper with black paint
- Dry
Let kids have fun with this. You can even make flags to decorate your home or picnic tables.
Blueberry Coconut Sparkler
I found this recipe on Spiced. It’s a beautiful and festive drink that brings the red, white, and blue. It also incorporates fresh fruit, so you can call it healthy if you want. 
If you’re making this drink to share with kids, just leave out the rum!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups fresh blueberries
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup coconut rum (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups ginger ale
- Ice
- Coconut Flakes (optional garnish)
Instructions:
- Muddle the blueberries in the bottom of a medium bowl.
- Add the lemon juice and coconut rum and stir until well combined
- Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the mixture and discard the blueberry skins.
- Add the ginger ale and gently stir until combined.
- Garnish rims of glasses with coconut flakes (optional).
- Fill glasses with ice and add the drink, then top off with a few fresh blueberries.
- Enjoy!
Have a wonderful 4th of July!
