Fourth of July Party Ideas for Kids

Fourth of July

Independence Day Party Ideas. Have a neighborhood block party and kids parade to kick it off. Invite people with and without kids. The more people to watch the parade the better.

Ask the kids to dress up in red, white, and blue. Have them wear fun hats, paint their faces, wear fun jewelry etc. Everyone should decorate their bikes, strollers, and wagons with streamers, stars, signs, balloons and so on.

Have the kids make their own "music" with real or homemade drums, maracas, whistles, recorders and horns. You could also ask a parent with a wagon to carry a boom box, or I-pod/mp3 player with speakers to play a tape, CD or download a patriotic music.

Have your house be the meeting and pot luck party place. Supply decorated tables for food. Coolers for drinks. Ice, plates, cups, napkins, utensils and basic drinks like, water, soda and juice. Ask everyone to bring a dish. Try to keep track of who is coming and what type of dishes they will be bringing. Don't be shy about requesting certain dishes for example: not everyone can bring a salad. So don't ask someone to bring a specific dish but if you need a veggie dish ask for that but let each person dictate what type of veggie dish they would like to provide. After you have an idea of what everyone is bringing, you supply what is missing or ask close friends or family to help pick up the slack.

Homemade instrument ideas: It can be as simple as banging on regular or foil pots and pans with serving utensils, or blow up balloons and pinch the opening as you let the air out to make a whistle sound. You can decorate toilet paper or paper towel cardboard rolls and yell, hum, or make horn sounds with them. Decorate empty coffee cans and bang on them like a drum. Decorate and fill empty soda cans, milk jugs, or jars with rice, coins, beans etc. and use as maracas. If you use Pepsi or Coke cans you don't have to decorate them, they are "all American" and the right color scheme. Don't forget to tape the opening.

If you do not want to do a block party you can still have a parade. Make sure you have enough drivers and have your parade at a busy place like a park or your local grocery store plaza kids love the attention. Last year I did a lemonade stand with my kids, nieces, and nephews. We did not charge for the lemonade we offered it to our neighbors. They made signs, set up the table and chairs, supplied cup and ice made the lemonade and passed it out. This would also be good to do in an area with lots of people like a park and you could charge for the lemonade and split the money between the kids.

Other ideas to do at a home 4th of July party.

Tye-dye white shirts or bandanas red white and blue. Use regular store bought dye or your local arts and crafts supply store should carry tye dye kits.

Tell the story of independence day. You can find this in books or online.

Teach and sing patriotic songs such as "Yankee Doodle Dandy" Yankee Doodle went to town,
Riding on a pony
He stuck a feather in his hat,
And called it macaroni
Revolutionary song

Make hats, artwork, flags, paper chains, etc. Supply anything red, white and blue. For example buttons, stickers, paint, markers, paper, pipe cleaner, fabric, marshmallows, food products, yarn, ribbon, etc. and let the kids take over. They can do anything from patriotic firework pictures to patriotic rock paper weights.