Sparkler Coloring Page

This sparkler coloring page shows a sister and brother out in the backyard after dark. Each one holds up a sparkler, and the sparks shoot out in a wide star of lines. Behind them are a wood fence, a big round moon and a scatter of fireflies. It is an easy page for ages 4 to 9.

The two kids are drawn large, so there is plenty of room for small hands. The bursts have many thin shapes for an older child who likes a challenge. Plan on 20 minutes or so, plus a little more for the fence.

Making a sparkler coloring page glow on a dark sky

Night scenes are the hard part of any coloring page, and this one has a neat fix. Color the bursts first, in yellow and orange, and press hard. Then fill the sky around them with dark blue. The bright wax holds its own and the color seems to shine out of the paper.

If you use markers, go the other way round. Leave the sparks white, and color the sky up to the edge of each line. White paper is the brightest thing on the page.

The moon can take a pale yellow, and each firefly gets one tiny dot of bright green at its tail. Give the kids bright pajamas or summer shirts in pink and teal, so they pop against the dark. Her shoes can be any color at all.

What makes a sparkler so hot

Sparklers look gentle, which is why they fool people. Yet they are one of the hottest things at a summer party, and they can burn at over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. That is hot enough to melt some metals. You can learn more in this sparkler article.

Tiny bits of metal in the coating make the sparks. As each one burns, it flies off and glows, and that is the crackle you hear.

A safety talk that fits on one page

This drawing gives you an easy way to bring up the rules before the holiday. While your child colors, go over a few of them out loud.

• A grown up lights the sparkler and stays close the whole time.
• Hold it at arm's length and stay outside, far from dry grass.
• Drop used sticks into a bucket of water, because the wire stays hot for a long while.
• Very young kids can wave a glow stick. It looks great and it stays cool.

Kids tend to remember rules more when their hands are busy. You can even write the rules on the back of the page and stick it on the fridge for July 4.

Draw your name in light

A sparkler coloring page is a calm way to enjoy the look of the holiday before the real noise starts at night. It also suits kids who get scared of loud bangs, since nothing on this sheet will ever pop.

Part of the fun of a sparkler is writing in the air. Try that idea on paper once the page is done. Take a sheet of black paper and a white or yellow crayon, then have your child write their name in big looping letters, with short spark lines coming off each one.

Glow stick games are good for this, too. Stand in a dark room, wave a glow stick in a letter shape, and see if your family can guess which letter it was.

Keep the night going

The sky in this picture pairs well with our fireworks drawing. If you want a daytime scene next, try the parade on Main Street. You will find them all in our Independence Day collection.

Questions