The Fourth of July is fast approaching and our family is looking forward to some fantastic fireworks! Our little nugget has yet to stay awake late enough to watch any of the big firework displays, but we happily introduced her to a handful of smaller-scale fireworks in our neighborhood last year. We went out after dinner (yes, it was still broad daylight) and lit a few fountains, poppers, snakes, and other various noisemakers…and she loved them! She thought the fireworks were the best thing ever. She couldn’t stop smiling and she was pretending to take pictures with an imaginary camera the entire time. π The one thing that she was not too fond of was the fact that she was not allowed to help light the fireworks, and that she had to remain a good distance away, in order to stay safe. Safety first! I knew our independent little go-getter would want to be in charge of her very own fireworks display, so I made these festive Fourth of July Confetti Poppers!
These confetti poppers are perfect for little ones (and fun for kids of all ages)! Not only are they safe, and free from any fire hazards, but they are also much quieter than actual fireworks. Small children tend to be extra sensitive to extremely loud noises, and let’s be honest…there are some fireworks out there that are so loud, they cause the Earth to shake. Even some of the smaller-scale fireworks can be excessively loud. So, if you have a noise-sensitive kiddo, or one that is terrified of holding on to sparklers (I was always skeptical of them when I was little), you might want to make a few confetti poppers.
No child wants to feel left out of the holiday festivities. These poppers allow even the youngest party-goers to join in on the fun. And the best part…they are super easy to make!
Fourth of July Confetti Poppers
Supplies:
- Empty Toilet Paper Tubes
- Festive Paper
- Balloons
- Scissors
- Tape
- Confetti
Instructions:
- Cut a strip of festive paper to fit around an empty toilet paper tube. Tape the paper to the tube, to secure it in place.
- Tie the stem of an empty balloon. Cut the balloon in half.
- Using the tied half of the balloon, carefully wrap the balloon around one end of the toilet paper tube (making the balloon taut). Secure the balloon to the toilet paper tube with a ring of tape. I chose to use some black electrical tape, since it’s a bit stronger than Scotch tape.
- Hold the popper (balloon-side down) and toss some confetti into the tube.
- To shoot the confetti, pull back on the balloon stem, making sure to point the open end of the popper away from everyone (including yourself). Release the balloon stem. The force of the balloon snapping back toward the toilet paper tube will cause the confetti to shoot out the open end. Ta Da!
Word of Warning: If you use the confetti poppers indoors, you may happen upon random pieces of confetti for years to come. π
These confetti poppers are so much fun! Feel free to get creative and design a few poppers for other celebratory occasions too…these would be perfect for birthday parties, New Year’s Eve, and just about any other holiday!
We even swapped the confetti for washable paint, to create a fantastically fun paint-popper activity for our daughter’s art-themed birthday party last summer, and it was a huge hit!
Whether they are confetti poppers or paint poppers, there are two things that I know for sure:
- They are incredibly quick and easy to create.
- Your kiddos are going to love them!
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!Β
