Easy Firework Science Activity Ideas

I'm not the biggest fan of fireworks, but they do inspire lots of lovely craft, science and activity ideas, so I've put together a collection of my favourite easy firework crafts for you.

First, up is a classic firework in a jar. This is great for learning about density and how oil and water don't mix, and it also looks fantastic! I am always surprised at how the food colouring stays in a perfect sphere in the oil and then drops and explodes when it hits the water. This activity is definitely full of awe and wonder!

Easy Firework Science Crafts

Firework in a jar

Fill a jar about two-thirds full of water and pour a 3cm layer of oil on top.

Drip food colouring into the oil and watch as it falls through the water, creating explosions of colour.

Spin Art Fireworks

Make some spin art fireworks using a salad spinner. These always look fantastic and are super easy to make and set up. We've made spin art galaxies and many other variations over the years. I wouldn't recommend using the spinner for food afterwards, though, so do use an old one.

firework picture made in a salad spinner

Or how about a chromatography firework? This is brilliant for discovering which colours are hiding in the ink of your pens! It can also be turned into a challenge to find the ink with the most hidden colours, brightest colours or ink that separates the fastest.

This firework painting activity from Learning4Kids looks like great fun and an excellent way to reuse toilet rolls! You could even use this to try some colour mixing.

We love this sparkler craft from the Kids Craft Room too.

Fantastic Fun and Learning has some wonderful firework straw rockets. Try aiming these straight up or at an angle to see how the flight of the straw rocket changes.