It’s their art: Bonfire Night

In the second instalment of this art and craft series, we explore the theme of Bonfire Night, and specifically fireworks, by looking at kinetic art and how to create it simply through pop-up cards. As with last month’s feature, the aim of this article is to help your class to explore three art materials, and then encourage the children to decide for themselves what piece of artwork they want to create.

The three materials used this month are: card (thick enough to make a greetings card), paper (dark blue, purple or black in colour), and finally a combination of sequins, glitter, gemstones, glitter glue and tiny scraps of mirrored card. These materials are ideal for creating a range of effective firework art, but the inclusion of an element of movement (pop-up) will allow further scope for inventiveness, original thinking and creativity.

Art with a bang

Discuss how fireworks are used for parties and celebrations as they are pretty to look at, they often surprise or amaze people and they can have a big impact. What words and colours do the children imagine when they think of fireworks and Bonfire Night? Next, share a range of pop-up books (a form of kinetic art) with the children and suggest that like fireworks, pop-up cards also have an element of surprise. If possible, look at pop-up examples that display an exploding motion, a turning motion and a shooting motion, all movements that relate well to fireworks. Talk also about the movement on the page using language such as exploding, pull, push, rotating, sliding, turning, twisting, and so on. Point out how the books have been made through cutting, folding, gluing and, in particular, the use of the turning page to create the pop-up.