Fourth of July Pom Pom Fireworks

Today we decided to try a fun and easy 4th of July craft for Bug. He is slowly becoming a more sophisticated artist now that he is two. Before, his main focus was the feel of the paint, the smell of the paint, and yes sometimes, the taste of the paint. But lately Bug has been more concerned with the cause and effect of the paint. He is discovering that if he moves or manipulates his material in a different way, he can see a different outcome on paper, and this fascinates him.


For this project I gave Bug a tray of red and blue paint and a pom pom, which he held with a clothes pin. Bug carefully dipped his utensil in to the paint tray and dabbed it on his paper. He saw that when the pom pom had a lot of paint it make one shape, but when it was almost dry, it made a totally different shape (like a fire cracker!) He found that when he smeared the pom pom across the paper he had yet another shape.

This project is good for:

Cognitive Development

I love the toddler years because toddlers are such little scientists. When Bug is painting, he is testing the world around him. When he dips his pom pom in to the paint and sees the imprint it leaves on the paper, he is testing. Then, he makes a hypothesis about what will happen if he repeats that action. He tests his theory, sees the result, and tests again to confirm his result.

Fine Motor Development

Holding on to the clothes pin and the muscle movements involved with dipping and painting will strengthen those muscles he will need later on for writing.

Cross Lateral Movement

Getting the right side of the brain and the left side of the brain working together! You can find out more about the importance of cross lateral movement here.

Creative and Artistic Development

When Bug creates something with paint he is using his imagination and his own creative ability. He is doing something all by himself and he is proud of his accomplishments. Much more so than if I had held his hand and directed where he should put the paint brush to get MY desired effect. He is in control and this is a very special feeling to a young child!

So grab your toddler and go paint! Have fun. Don't stress. Kids are 100% washable!