Plastic Cup Popping Fireworks!

Here’s a super cool fireworks craft that is also a fun toy.

Design colorful fireworks that really shoot up into the air! All you need is two plastic cups and a few other supplies from around the house.

This craft uses rubber bands to make a plastic cup launch into the air. The mechanism has several different applications, actually. You can make the launching cup into a hopping frog, a shooting star, or a flying bird or bug. But for this project, we’re going to make fireworks that really shoot into the air!

Supplies Needed for Plastic Cup Popping Fireworks:

16 – 18 oz. plastic cups
Rubber bands – 2 per project
Narrow duct tape
Scissors
Clear tape
Paper
Markers

First, design some fireworks! Cut circles out of paper that are the right size to tape to the front of your cup. They don’t have to be perfect!

Then draw fireworks with colorful markers.

Now it’s time to set up the cups so that they become a fun launcher!

First, wrap some narrow duct tape around a plastic cup, about 1/2 inch from the top.

Then cut four slits in the top of the cup.

The purpose of the tape is to keep the slits from getting larger. The cup may split, but the tape will really help with that.

Cut a rubber band so that it’s now a rubber string. Tie a knot in each end. Then slide the ends into the slits in the cup as shown below. Repeat with a second rubber band perpendicular to the first.