This fun activity takes a little prep but will be worth it for the end result! It’s most suited for older children in any size of group.

Follow our simple step-by-step guide to have a go at this activity today:

What you will need:

• Toilet roll tubes (at least one per child)
• Scissors
• Brightly-coloured paints (we found some great neon options here)
• Black card or paper
• Paper plates
• Paint brushes
• *optional* glitter

Preparing the activity:

1. Using the scissors, show the children how to cut strips from one end of the toilet roll tubes, down to about a third of the tube length. Make sure the strips are quite thin. This may take some time!
2. Bend the cut strips so they splay out flat in a circle around the tubes, like the spokes of a wheel.
3. Pour a variety of colours of paint into the plates. If they mix together, that’s fine; it will make a more colourful firework!

Doing the activity:

Make sure each child has a plate available with paint on, some black paper and a toilet roll stamp.

Demonstrate how you press the stamp into the paper (it may need moving around a bit so all the cardboard ‘spokes’ get paint on them). Then press and remove from the black paper to make a firework print!

Children can be creative with different colours and compositions. They may also want to use a paintbrush or their fingers to add some spiral Catherine wheels or sparklers to their creation. Help them experiment and play to their heart’s content!

As an optional extra, before they dry, why not help the children sprinkle some glitter on the fireworks to give them that extra sparkle?

Once their paintings have been left to dry, they can be used to decorate the classroom or the children may prefer to take them home!

Tracking the activity:

30-50 months

Physical Development: Moving and Handling: “Uses one-handed tools and equipment, e.g. makes snips in paper with child scissors.”

Expressive arts and design: Exploring and using media and materials: “Uses various construction materials.”

40-60+ months

Physical Development: Moving and Handling: “Uses simple tools to effect changes to materials.; Handles tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control.; Shows a preference for a dominant hand.”

Expressive arts and design: Exploring and using media and materials: “Explores what happens when they mix colours.; Understands that different media can be combined to create new effects.; Manipulates materials to achieve a planned effect.; Uses simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately.”