Fourth of July Family Activity Ideas to Celebrate America

Fourth of July becomes a family favorite every year because it is a holiday off of school, work, camp, and any other family obligations. While prepping for a long weekend, doing easy Independence Day-themed activities with the kids can be a fun bonding experience. All the Fourth of July family activity ideas we have provided will keep everyone entertained for hours. You can teach your children about Independence Day while having fun crafting or traveling some place new.

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What are Fourth of July family traditions?

Some Fourth of July family traditions include watching fireworks at a nearby park or town center, having a BBQ or pool party with friends and family. It is a day when people come together to celebrate Independence Day and enjoy the summer weather.

Fourth of July Family Activity Ideas

15. Craft a flag 

A perfect way to celebrate America and the Fourth of July is by creating a DIY flag. You can start this project with young children and it only requires red, white, and blue construction paper. They can rip the red and blue paper and glue them to the white to create a flag shape. The kids can cut out stars as a finishing touch to add to their craft flag. To make it extra special, you can use a picture of your kids or family to add on top. It will be the perfect addition to the fridge.

14. Bake cookies 

Grocery stores always come out with holiday-themed cookies, which can be a fun activity to bake at home as a family. The cookies will be red, white, and blue and are pretty simple to make. We suggest going to your local grocery store and heading to the section with refrigerated cookie dough. There you should find different types of cookies, from sugar and chocolate chip to peanut butter. You can get some icing in the flag colors and have the kids decorate the cookies. You can get the already decorated ones, but the icing is more for the kids. 

13. Watch Hamilton 

Another one of our favorite Fourth of July family activity ideas is learning about the beginning of America by watching the famous Broadway play, Hamilton. It’s on Disney+  so chances are you already have the subscription. They have a unique way of explaining the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton. It will give you an interesting history lesson and kids will enjoy the music and costumes.

12. Have a 4^th of July movie marathon 

You can watch many Fourth of July or America-themed movies and have a marathon with all the best films. Some great movies to watch on this day include: Independence Day on Starz, Hidden Figures on Disney+, and Harriett on Max. These are just three ideas, which will teach you a bit more about our country and entertain the whole family.

11. Make a tie-dye T-shirt 

If you need something to wear for the Fourth of July, tie-dye is perfect to do before the day comes. All you need is a white T-shirt for everyone in the family, and you can get red and blue dye at your local Walmart or supermarket. You can do many different designs, wrap them with rubber bands, and have the kids put the colors on their shirts the way they want. Make sure to wear gloves when doing this. Once everyone has done their shirts, place them individually in Ziplock bags and wait 24 hours to squeeze out the extra color and wash them with no detergent.  They will be ready to wear on the Fourth of July.

10. Volunteer 

You can volunteer at places where you will find veterans including senior centers, homeless shelters, and VA Hospitals. Most veterans don’t have big families, so volunteering and seeing new people they can talk to is a super nice gesture every day, but especially on Independence Day. You can call around your local area and see if they are taking any volunteers.

9. Patriotic slime

Every child’s favorite toy is slime. It can be made into any color and theme, so patriotic slime is a fun family activity to try.

Supplies: 

• Saline solution 
• Clear glue 4oz
• Star sequins 
• Food coloring red and blue 
• Iridescent glitter 
• Baking soda

Steps: 

1. Place the entire 4 oz bottle of clear glue in a plastic bowl.
2. Add one tablespoon of baking soda. 
3. Add one tablespoon of saline solution.
4. Stir for about a minute until the baking soda is dissolved. You will need to mold the slime. If it is still sticky, add more saline solution until it is easier to pull. 
5. Pour what you would like of the fine iridescent glitter into the batch. 
6. Pour in the desired amount of star sequins. 
7. Mix until it seems distributed evenly. 
8. Take 2 portions of slime from the white slime and separate them into two small bowls. You should have three batches of slime.
9. Add 3 or 4 drops of red food coloring to one of the slime bowls. In another bowl, add the blue food coloring. Mix in the food color in the slime. 
10. Take the slime out and place them in the red, white, and blue order. 
11. Ready to be played with and enjoyed by the kids. 

8.  Sign your own declaration 

The Fourth of July celebrates those who signed the Declaration of Independence. This is a great craft idea to teach kids more about the day. You can teach them about the Presidents that did sign the Declaration and what it meant. The best way to get this started is to print out a shortened version of the Declaration and everyone in your house can try out a signature. If a child is too young to write, they can always do a thumbprint instead.

7. Fourth of July scavenger hunt

Online you can find scavenger hunts that relate to the Fourth of July.  You can print the clues on a piece of paper or write them down. Kids of all ages will have so much fun searching for items you’ve hidden. It is a great way for kids to stay active and you can make the hunt America-themed.

6. Create fireworks in a jar

A cool activity to do on the Fourth of July is creating your fireworks in a jar. All you need is a jar, water, oil, and food coloring of all kinds of colors. You will need to fill the jar with room-temperature water. In another glass, pour two tablespoons of oil, add two drops of food coloring you want, and use a fork to mix it. Pour the oil and food coloring into the jar and watch the colors explode like fireworks. This is fun for children and it’s much safer than real fireworks.

5. Watch a parade 

Some places do parades for the Fourth of July, but if they are far away, you can tune in on YouTube and watch the fantastic Washington D.C. parade that takes place every year. You can even watch the fireworks they do right outside the white house. It is a perfect celebration of Independence Day if nothing is happening locally. 

4. Backyard barbeque party 

A well-known family activity on the Fourth of July is a BBQ party. You invite your close family and friends to help celebrate with you. A BBQ is great to see your loved ones you don’t always see all time and have them over for a fun night. It usually consists of food that can be thrown on the grill and appetizers. Many families also play games throughout the night until it is time for the fireworks to light up the sky. 

3. Visit historical places or museums 

There are also so many historical places or museums you can visit. You can look up what is local to you so that you can take your kids and learn more about American history. If you live in Washington, D.C. or decide to take a trip there, you can take the kids to some of the best historical monuments in America. The first place we recommend is The National Archives Museum, where they can see the real Declaration of Independence. In most cities, you can find something historical to go check out on Fourth of July weekend, so be sure to visit your local city’s website.

2. Check out local fireworks  

In most places, they will have fireworks that your county is doing locally. Depending on what time they start and where they are held, you can walk there together as a family making it a big outing. Make sure your children are old enough to be around loud noises. Sometimes, they have several different places where you can go observe the fireworks, so pick one that isn’t the closest if you have children under the age of 10.

1.  Send a care package to a soldier 

Fourth of July is also a day where we remember the pride of our country. So many soldiers are deployed fighting for us, so it is a thoughtful gift to send a care package. If you want to show your support to soldiers sending a box full of goodies will surely brighten their day. You can visit Any Soldier‘s website, which will give you a name and an overseas mailing address to send your care package. They will appreciate anything, but make sure to go over the dos and don’ts of what to send.

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Conclusion

Many of the Fourth of July family activity ideas are simple and can be done throughout the weekend before the Fourth of July and on the Fourth of July. You can make it a weekend celebration, working your way up to the day. These Fourth of July family activity ideas will get everyone involved and you can even invite other family members, friends, and neighbors to join in. It is a great way to get together and spend quality time in the summer.