Festive 4th of July Activities Fit for the Whole Family
June 28, 2022
This year, the 4th of July will be extra special! After 2 years of lockdowns, masking, and virtual schooling, families across the country are just now emerging from the pandemic to resume vacations and summer festivities. All considered, that makes this Independence Day one to get excited about, and Kids Academy wants to join in on fun!
In the meantime, explore some of our best ideas for 4th of July games and crafts that are perfect for your family’s celebration!
4th of July Crafts for Kids
Making crafts is a great way for little learners to express their creativity while preparing for and learning about holidays, with the 4th of July being no exception! Create the following crafts with your kids to decorate the house with before friends arrive for the big day!
4th of July Handprint Wreath
For this craft, children will trace and cut handprints and attach around a paper plate to make an adorable decorative wreath! To get started, gather the following materials:
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Supplies Needed:
- Large sheets of foamboard in red, white, and blue
- Pen
- Scissors
- 1 paper plate
- Glue
- Ribbon
How to Create:
- Take the paper plate and carefully cut out the center of the plate so you are left with the outer ring. Be sure to use a basic paper plate that isn’t coated or labeled “heavy duty”.
- Place the paper plate ring aside and begin helping your child trace his or her hands on the foam board sheets, creating a variety of handprints of all colors.
- Help your child cut out the handprints using scissors, and glue each print to the paper plate, paying attention to glue the palm of the handprint, with the fingers pointing outwards.
- Work around the plate, gluing handprints in alternating colors until the plate is covered all the way around.
- Use ribbon to hang the wreath wherever your child chooses!
4th of July Handprint Cards
Personalized cards make the message more meaningful, and family and friends just love to receive them! For this craft, your child will paint his or her hand to create handprint on the center of the card. Get messy and create a fun design on the hand that will transfer to the paper!
Supplies Needed:
- Red, white, and blue finger paints
- Light blue or white construction paper or cardstock
- Paper plate
- 3 Paintbrushes
- Markers for writing
How to Create:
- Prepare a paint palette by placing large dabs of red, white, and blue finger paint around the paper plate.
- Using a paintbrush, help your child begin painting his or her hand. Plan the design ahead of time and choose one hand to paint.
- Press your child’s hand to the construction paper or card stock. Try to make this print in the middle of the card.
- Decorate the rest of the card however your child chooses! Use markers to address the card to family members and mount the paper on a larger piece of paper to act as a border. Wash hands and make a few more cards!
Independence Day Printables and Worksheets
Before Independence Day celebrations begin, encourage your kids to dive deeper into the history of American culture and learn important facts behind this patriotic holiday. With a rich collection of festive worksheets available in our all-in-one Talented and Gifted Program, your little patriots will learn about country's symbols, traditons and important documents - all while refreshing essential academic skills before school starts.
4th of July Games for Kids
Are you looking for party games to play to keep the kids busy while waiting for fireworks? Whether you’re camping out all day at the park or hosting a party in your own backyard, the following outdoor games will keep your family entertained:
Outdoor Jenga
Who doesn’t love the classic game of Jenga? The objective of the game is easy enough for even the littlest of learners: make sure the tower doesn’t fall down! Bring the fun outside by purchasing or creating a giant life-sized version of the game!
Plan ahead for this game by either buying the real thing or making one just like it. Jenga makes an outdoor version called Jenga Giant, which can be easily found on major retailer websites, such as Amazon. Alternatively, it’s also easy enough to create your own set using 2x4 lumber pieces and a miter saw to create equally sized wooden bricks. Simply search for DIY instructions on the web, and you might find that making it yourself is rewarding and much less expensive!
When you’re ready to play, the rules of the game are exactly the same as regular Jenga, except everything is more fun when it’s bigger!
Backyard Twister
Don’t have a Twister game to entertain the kids? No problem! Simply make one in the grass using a few simple supplies. Use cardboard to make a spinner and cut a large circle-shaped hole in a large piece of cardboard to use as a stencil. Be sure to have a few cans of spray paint on hand in blue, yellow, red, and green. Choose an area of the grass to use, and using the stencil, spray paint circles onto the lawn to look like a Twister board. Let it dry in the sun, before getting the everyone together to play a few rounds of outdoor Twister!
No matter how your family is celebrating the holiday, the above crafts and games are a great way to get kids excited for Independence Day. And when they need some downtime, look no further than to Kids Academy for a high-quality learning app that will make the most of your child’s learning time!
