Summer Night Craft Activity - Glowing Firefly Jar

Summer nights are filled with magic—from twinkling stars above to blinking fireflies in the yard. In honor of Great Outdoors Month (June), here’s a creative activity that lets your family capture that magic in a jar (no real insects required!). Designed for kids ages 8–12, this DIY project sparks creativity, encourages nature appreciation, sneaks in a bit of STEM learning, and ends with a glowing keepsake to treasure together.

A simple mason jar with tiny lights can look like it’s filled with magical fireflies, as shown above. This fun “firefly lantern” craft lets your kids make pretend lightning bugs they can enjoy all summer long (without worrying about hurting any real bugs). It’s a playful, indoor-or-outdoor project that inspires creativity and family bonding on a warm evening. Ready to get crafting under the stars? Let’s go!

Gather Your Materials: You’ll need a clean, clear jar (plastic peanut butter jars or mason jars work great), a sheet of dark construction paper, colored markers or craft paint that can draw on dark paper, a hole-punch (or sharp pencil), child-safe scissors, tape, and a small battery-powered LED tea light (or a glow stick/light-up fairy string).

1. Create the Night Sky: Cut the construction paper into a strip that fits inside the jar (to line the walls). Tip: Wrap the paper around the jar to measure the height and circumference, then trim it to size. This paper will be your “night sky” backdrop inside the jar.

2. Draw Your Fireflies: On one side of the paper strip, draw a few fireflies spread out. Make each roughly the size of a quarter. Be creative – give them brown or black bodies, little wings, and most importantly, a big round yellow spot on the back for the glowing belly. (Kids can also paint the fireflies if they prefer – just let the paint dry.) Encourage your child to add extra summer night details too, like tiny stars or a moon!

3. Make Them Glow: Using a hole punch or the tip of a pencil, carefully punch a small hole in each firefly’s yellow “glow” spot. These holes will allow light to shine through. (Grown-up assistance recommended for this step.)

4. Assemble the Jar: Roll up the paper strip (firefly side facing inward) and slide it into the jar so it lines the inside walls. The firefly drawings should be visible through the glass. Use a couple of small tape pieces on the inside of the paper (at the seam) to secure it in place against the jar.

5. Add the “Fire” to the Fireflies: Turn on your LED tea light (or activate your glow stick) and place it at the bottom inside the jar. Close the jar’s lid. In a dim or dark room, watch your jar come to life with tiny twinkling lights shining through the fireflies’ tails! It looks like you’ve caught a bunch of glowing fireflies – but these will never fly away..

Enjoy Together: Bring your glowing firefly jar to the family room for a lights-out campfire story, or use it as a nightlight on the porch while you stargaze. Proudly display it, and remember to “recharge” glow-in-the-dark elements under a lamp or swap out the LED as needed for future use

Fireflies (also called lightning bugs) glow thanks to a chemical reaction in their belly called bioluminescence – unlike a lightbulb, a firefly’s light isn’t hot or electric. They flash their lights in special patterns to communicate, helping them find other fireflies (to attract a mate) or even to warn off predators. Next time you see little flashes in your yard, you’ll know it’s nature’s own tiny light show!

We hope you and your junior crafters enjoy making this summer-night craft. Have fun creating magical memories together – and feel free to share a photo of your family’s firefly jars with us! Until next time, happy crafting under the stars!