Arts & Crafts

Fun and Safe Confetti Poppers for Independence Day

By: Kathy Ross King
A confetti popper for July 4th.
30
minute activity
For All Ages
Creativity
Curiosity
Social Emotional

Celebrate Independence Day with these fun and safe DIY confetti poppers. Kids can decorate the confetti poppers, and then “set them off.” This activity is a great way to keep kids entertained during a backyard barbecue or before the local parade starts.

What You'll Need

What to Do

  1. Decorate the cardboard tube with colored paper and stickers.

  2. Tape a chenille stick inside the tube for the “fuse.” Curl several pieces of chenille sticks and twist them around the fuse.

  3. Cut the neck off of a deflated balloon. Stretch the new baloonopening over the bottom of the tube. It should fit snugly.

  4. Put confetti, or small bits of paper and foil, into the “popper.”

  5. Hold the balloon firmly to the tube with one hand. To “set off” the popper, pull down on the balloon with the other hand, then let it go!

Extend the Fun

Younger kids: Look for scraps of paper around the house. You can use those to make the confetti. What do you think would happen if you tried to use big pieces of paper? If you’re not sure, try it to find out. What else could you use as confetti? 

Older kids: Gather some craft pompoms and put one of them in the popper. Pull and release the balloon to see how far the pompom goes. Experiment with how far down you can pull the balloon to make the pompom pop out. What happens if you pull the balloon really far? What happens if you pull the balloon just a little? What’s the farthest you can make the pompom go?

Author Photo
By: Kathy Ross King