Your Checklist for Fun This Fourth of July

There are all kinds of fun ways to celebrate the Fourth of July, so start making plans to have a fantastic time with your loved ones!

The Fourth of July is coming up, and once again, it will be time to celebrate with family and friends. Are you looking for some fun and festive ideas for the holiday?

Here are some suggestions that will make your celebration a hit:

Food

Red, white, and blue pancakes- Start the day off with traditional buttermilk pancakes topped with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.

Patriotic Cupcakes- Bake white cupcakes and frost them with red or blue icing and add white sprinkles or vice versa. You could also bake red velvet cupcakes and frost them with vanilla icing and add blue sprinkles.

Jello Jigglers- Everyone loves jello jigglers. Make them in either strawberry or berry blue and cut them into star shapes.

Bomb Pops- Grab a box of the famous red, white, and blue popsicles at your local grocery store.

Flag Cake- Bake a white cake and frost it with vanilla frosting. Then add blueberries and cut halved strawberries to design the American flag.

Red, white, and blue fruit salad- Mix blueberries and cut strawberries with cheesecake-flavored pudding to make a patriotic fruit salad.

Strawberry Shortcake- This traditional summer dessert will be a hit on the Fourth of July.

Cherry, Strawberry, or Blueberry Pie- Make a cherry, strawberry, or blueberry pie and add Cool Whip or Ready Whip on top.

Main Dish Marvelous- Even though we can’t dye our main dishes red, white, and blue, you can make sure your main dishes are easy to make, like crockpot barbeque, hot dogs, chicken, and hamburgers on the grill, or sloppy joes on the stove.

Side Dish Salvation- Make easy sides like potato salad, pasta salad, and baked beans that can feed a crowd. Make sure you choose an easy recipe for less fuss.

Red, white, and blue ice cream cake- Go online and find a recipe for a patriotic ice cream cake. This will be perfect for a hot and steamy Fourth of July.

Patriotic Chips n Dip- Put out bowls of salsa with blue tortilla chips.

Fashion

Red and white tie-dye t-shirts- Get the kids together and make red and white tie-dyed t-shirts to wear on July 4th.

Colored Hair Spray- Order some colored hairspray online like you would use at Halloween and deck your hair out.

Decorate shirts with a Bedazzler- Order a Bedazzler and add some bling to white t-shirts.

Decorate with fabric paint- Decorate t-shirts with red and blue fabric paint.

Order Custom Football Jerseys- If your family plays a friendly game of football on the Fourth, why not order custom football jerseys with your family name on them?

Accessorize- Look in the accessories section of your favorite store for holiday-themed jewelry, hair bows, headbands, etc.

Patriotic Shoes- Buy cheap pairs of white sneakers and decorate them with craft paint and other Fourth of July decorations, using a hot glue gun as needed. You can even buy patriotic ribbons at the craft store and substitute them for shoelaces. If sneakers aren’t your thing, decorate some sandals or flip-flops.

Patriotic Mani/Pedi- Summer is the season to let those toes show, so make them look amazing by having them decorated for the Fourth of July.

Makeup- Buy body glitter, tattoos, and Fourth of July-themed makeup and have some fun.

Crafts, Activities, and Games

Finger Painting- Let the kids finger paint on white cardstock with red and blue paint.

Sparkle Stars- Cut out stars from a piece of cardstock and let the kids paint them with glue, and add red, white, and blue glitter to them.

Glitter Fireworks- Make “fireworks” by criss-crossing drizzles of glue on a piece of cardstock. Then, sprinkle red and blue glitter on them to make fireworks.

Bead Jewelry- Get red, white, and blue beads and some string and make necklaces, bracelets, or hair accessories.

Marble Painting- Put a piece of white cardstock in the bottom of a shoe box and add some blue and red paint. Then drop a marble in and roll the box around so the marble glides through the paint.

Patriotic Slime- Find a recipe online for red, blue, or white slime.

Patriotic Crowns- Measure your child’s head and cut a wide strip of construction paper in either red or blue and then add coordinating stickers, jewels, and curling ribbon.

Star Thumbprints- Print off a template of a star on white cardstock and then dip the kids’ thumbs in red and/or blue paint and let them paint with their thumbprints. This could be a nostalgic keepsake for moms and dads.

Patriotic Handprints and/or Footprints- Paint your kids’ hands and feet red, white, and blue and press them onto colored cardstock.

Puff Paint Flag- Print off a template of the flag and make red and blue puff paint. Then, let your kids paint the flag.

Puff Paint Fireworks- Make puff paint in assorted colors and let your kids go to town painting their own fireworks.

Face painting- Buy some face paint and paint your kids’ faces in red, white, and blue.

Shaving Cream Fun- Dye shaving cream red and blue and let the kids play with it on the table.

Sack Race- Buy sacks for a sack race in patriotic colors and see who wins in the backyard.

Read a book- Read a book about how the Fourth of July came about.

Bean Bag Toss- Set up a game of bean bag toss in patriotic colors

Star-Spangled Basketball- Buy a white basketball and use star-shaped sponges to decorate it a few days before the big day. Enjoy playing with friends and family on the Fourth.

Chalk drawings- Give the kids red, white, and blue chalk and let them go to town on the sidewalk or in the driveway. Consider having an art contest for the whole neighborhood!

Water Balloon Fight- Have a patriotic water balloon fight with red, white, and blue balloons.

Have a parade- Gather up the kid-sized musical instruments in your house like tambourines, finger cymbals, and drums, and let the kids make noise and parade around the backyard.

Decorate cookies- Buy or bake plain sugar cookies and let the kids decorate them with all kinds of patriotic baking supplies, from colored frostings to sprinkles and edible glitter.

Obstacle Course- Set up an obstacle course in your backyard for the kids to burn some energy off. If it’s a super hot day, make the last stop a run through the sprinkler or a splash in the kiddie pool.

Make your own flag- Get out white construction paper, cut strips of red and blue construction paper, and some star stickers to let the kids make their own flag.

Scavenger Hunt- Create a Fourth of July scavenger hunt for your kids by hiding patriotic images and having them do a physical activity like jumping jacks or sit-ups when they find an image. This way, they will have fun and stay active.

Sparklers- Buy some sparklers for your kids to play with at night, but always make sure you closely supervise them.

Dance Party- Look up patriotic music for kids on YouTube and let them have a dance party.

Other Fun Ideas

Decorate your home- Decorate your home with Fourth of July decor.

Have a photoshoot- Gather friends and family in their most spectacular holiday attire and take lots of photos.

Eat on holiday-themed plates- Grab some decorative, Fourth of July-themed paper plates and cups to eat on.

Attend a parade- Go to a Fourth of July parade.

Go on a picnic- Go on a picnic and take some fun lawn activities like a frisbee or ball to kick around, or if you’re going to a state park, see if they have a swimming pool. Wherever you go, plan to stay all day and, if possible, watch fireworks from your picnic site at night.

Watch a Fourth of July movie- You can watch a summer blockbuster like Independence Day or a good documentary to teach your kids what the holiday is all about. It’s up to you.

Go Vintage - Dress up like the Founding Fathers for some silly fun.

There are all kinds of fun ways to celebrate the Fourth of July, so start making plans to have a fantastic time with your loved ones!