You have purchased the fireworks, planned your menu and even cleaned your grill in preparation of all the hamburgers and hot dogs you will be cooking. Now it’s time to think about 4th of July activities and games you can do with your kids to celebrate this fun, summer holiday!
From art projects you can use for decorations at your backyard picnic to games you can play outdoors, these fun and simple ideas will help you put a sparkle into your Fourth of July celebration this year.
Crafts
Felt Flag
Materials:
- Red, White and Blue Felt
- Scissors
- Glue
Use a rectangular piece of white or red felt as the background of the flag. Help your children cut strips of red felt if you are using a white background and strips of white felt if you are using a red background.
Have your children cut out a square shape from the blue felt to glue in the top left-hand corner of the background piece of felt. Cut the red or white strips of felt to fit and form the stripes on the flag. Tell your kids to glue the blue, red or white piece of felt onto the background piece of felt.
Help your children cut out star shapes from white felt to glue on the blue part of the flag. Don’t worry if the stars are not perfect or the exact same size. Whatever your children can manage is fine. Use the flags to decorate your 4th of July celebration this year!!
Fireworks Painting
Materials:
- Red, White and Blue Tempera Paint
- Black Construction Paper
- Glitter
Have your children put a small drop of red paint on a piece of black construction paper. Invite them to use their finger to pull the paint out in different directions from the center of the dab of paint. This should make the paint look like fireworks exploding in the sky.
Have your kids do the same thing with small drops of blue and white paint. Have them repeat this with the different colors of paint until their black piece of paper is covered with fireworks. Invite your kids to sprinkle gold or silver glitter on the wet paint and then let it dry.
Noisemakers
Paper Plate Shaker
Materials:
- White Paper Plates
- Red and Blue Tissue or Crepe Paper
- Foam Stickers
- Crayons or Markers
- Dry Pinto Beans
- Stapler
Invite your kids to fold a white paper plate in half like a taco. Then let them use red and blue crayons, markers and foam stickers to decorate both sides of the shaker.
Have your children cut out 1” strips of red and blue tissue or crepe paper. If using tissue paper, I recommend cutting out quite a few strips at the same time and then fan them out before stapling the top portion of the strips in between the edges of the paper plate. Let the strips of paper hang down from the shaker like streamers.
Make sure to have your children staple all around the plate leaving a small opening. Give them a small handful of dry beans to put in the small opening. Then have your kids finish stapling their shaker shut so the beans won’t fall out.
Now your kids have a festive shaker to shake as they celebrate the 4th of July!
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Firecrackers
Materials:
- Toilet Paper Tubes
- Red Construction Paper
- Red, Yellow and White Pipe Cleaners
- Yellow Tissue Paper
- Foam Stickers
- Glue or Tape
- Crayons or Markers
Have your kids measure and cut a piece of red construction paper to cover the toilet paper tube. (You can also use a paper towel tube or cut one in half.) Invite your children to decorate the paper with foam stickers, crayons and markers.
Have them use tape or glue to fasten the paper to the paper tube. Then have your kids cut red, yellow and white pipe cleaners (chenille stems) in half. Tell them to tape the pipe cleaners onto the inside of the paper tubes to represent sparklers.
Another option is to have your children place tissue paper in the top half of the tube so that it is stick out the top. Then have them place a small piece of white pipe cleaner in the middle of the tissue paper to represent a fuse.
If you want to make these firecrackers make noise, have your kids secure the bottom of the tubes with construction paper and then put dry beans or rice into the top of the tube. Then invite your kids to secure the top of the tube with construction paper before placing the pipe cleaners or tissue paper.
These firecrackers make perfect centerpieces for your 4th of July picnic!
Outdoor Games
Water Relay Game
Materials:
- Two buckets
- Water
- Ball that absorbs water or Large Sponge
This game is ideal with a large group of kids, but adults love this to play it, too.
Divide the participants into two teams and have each time line up in a straight line behind one of the buckets. Place either a ball that absorbs water or a large sponge in each bucket.
When the game leader says go, the first child in each line picks up the ball or sponge and hands it over his head to the second child right behind him. The second child relays the ball or sponge to the third child by passing it through her legs.
Once the third child has the wet object, her passes it on by handing it over his head and the fourth child passes it on through her legs and so on. The first team to get the ball or sponge to the end of the line first wins.
A super way to cool off on a hot 4th of July day!
Catch the Rings
Materials:
- Red and Blue Construction Paper
- Scissors
- Glue or Stapler
- One Bucket (or Basket) Per Child
Have your kids help make thirty rings out of red and blue construction paper or card stock. Make the rings by cutting strips of construction paper about 2” wide and 8-9” long. Glue or staple the ends of each strip together to make a ring.
Give each child a bucket, then choose one child to be the leader. The leader throws the rings into the air one at a time and the other players try to catch the rings in their buckets. The child who catches the most rings is the winner.
Only have two players? No problem! Have each child take turns throwing the rings and catching them. The players can compete against each other if they like by keeping track of who catches the most rings.
Statue of Liberty Tag
Choose 2-3 children to chase the other children. When a player is tagged by one of the chasers, he or she turns into the Statue of Liberty. In order to rejoin the game another player (who has not yet been turned into a statue) must gently pull the Statue of Liberty’s outstretched arm down.
Fun on the Fourth!
Now you have everything you need to celebrate Independence Day this year! The 4th of July activities for kids provided in this post will help them celebrate by making art work that can be used for decorations and noisemakers that can be used during a parade or while watching fireworks! The outdoor games can be played by kids and adults so that everyone at your gathering has a fun time!
So, what are you waiting for? Round up the art supplies, light up the grill and have a fabulous fourth!
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