Shooting Star

Make a shooting star for the Fourth of July!

Skill Level: Moderate

Time Needed: 1/2 hour - 24 hours to dry

Age(s): 5 to 9

Appropriate For: Birthday

Supplies Needed:

Project Rating:

Draw star shapes on a piece of wax paper using Elmer's 3D Washable Glitter Paint Pens™. Use a stencil of a star to trace around if you need help. Draw the lines wide and thick.
Fill in the centers of the stars with paint. Use, red, blue, and silver paint for a patriotic look and feel.
Paint tails coming off of the bottoms of the stars for a "shooting star" effect.
Let the paint dry for 16 to 24 hours.
Carefully remove the stars from the wax paper. Poke holes in the tops of the stars and thread pieces of string through the holes.
Hang up the stars as patriotic decorations!

Teaching Tips:

Talk with students about the history of July 4th. Ask students why they think this day is important. Discuss how July 4th is also called Independence Day. Read students important sentences from the Declaration of Independence and explain to students why they mean.
Ask students to draw a picture of how the celebrate July 4th. The pictures might include picnics, fireworks, or parades. Have students write a sentence to describe what is happening in the picture.
Talk with students about stars. Discuss how the Sun is the closest star to planet Earth. Have students guess how far away the Sun is from Earth. Then, tell students the correct answer. Encourage students to spend time observing stars in the night sky.