You have come to the right place if you are looking for fun, engaging and exciting 4th of July activities to do with toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Our activities are widely used by teachers, moms, dads, child care providers etc. for learning and teaching while being fun for the kids!
All our activities are available at no cost and are free to print and share.
In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July (or the Fourth), is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States.
Fireworks Crafts and Activities
Fireworks Painting
Use a very large piece of paper (like bulletin board size). Let children drop small amounts of paint (different colors works good). Have the children swirl the paint out with a spoon, let them keep swirling from the center, in all directions around the drop of paint. Some of them may overlap, and that is fine, too. When it is finished it looks like fireworks bursting in the sky.
Fireworks…
Use black construction paper and make fireworks using net scrubbies that you use washing your pots and pans. Mix tempera paint in a tray and add paper towels to make more of a stamp pad. The paper towel should be wet not soaking. Too much paint and it won’t work. Touch the scrubbie to the paper towel and press on paper. I have gold tempera which really looks spectacular. Use white and red as well and add glitter to the paint. It is a great effect on the black paper.
Firework Painting
Go to the grocery store and buy the scouring pads that are round with holes in them.(They are made real stiff-the old style scouring pads) Put out red white and blue paint and have them paint in a circular motion to make fireworks! They turn out real cute!
Tissue Fireworks
Materials Needed Black construction paper, one sheet per child White chalk Glue White and colored tissue paper Scissors
What to do: 1. Cut tissue into 1″ squares. 2. Draw fireworks patterns on the black construction paper with chalk (3 per paper). 3. Give each child one piece of prepared black paper and a container of 1″ tissue paper squares and a container of white glue with a squeeze top. 4. Instruct the children to use fheir finger tips and ball up each square of tissue. Be sure they pick up only one piece at a time. 5. Instruct the children to place glue dots along one line of a firework, and to place the balled-up tissue on the glue. 6. Have them complete the task, using any color patterns they desire.
Fireworks
You need bowls of various colors food coloring/water mixtures, straw for each child, white paper
Have children dip their straw into the food coloring and blow onto paper. Makes a great fireworks effect. Messy, but fun!
Fireworks painting
Materials
Liquid tempera paint in vivid, light colors, dark construction paper (blue, black), Queen Anne’s lace (with at least 6-8 inch stems), both large and small blossoms, pie pans or shallow plates
Pour paint approximately 1/4 inch deep into pie plates. Have kids dip blossoms face down into paint, then gently onto paper. Looks like fireworks!
hint…encourage kids to place flowers gently down onto paper. Brushing will look like streaming fireworks, gently placing, like starbursts.
Use new blossoms for each color of paint. (They don’t hold up well to cleaning)
Fireworks Painting
Use a very large piece of paper and let the children drop small amounts of paint (different colors work well). Have the children swirl the paint out with a spoon let them keep swirling from the center, in all directions around the drop of paint. Some of them may overlap, when it is finished it looks like fireworks bursting in the sky.
Glitter Paint Fireworks Pictures
Materials: matte board or cardboard white glue, thinned with water in a cup, paintbrushes, shakers with large holes, powdered tempera paint, glitter
Paint the entire surface of the matte board or cardboard with thinned white glue. Fill shakers with powdered tempera and glitter. Shake the paint glitter mixture onto the glue to make “fireworks”. Dry the project for a long time (a couple of days).
Art Table
Using a black piece of construction paper, straws, and various colored paint allow the children to drop a small amount of paint onto paper and gently blow through the straw for fireworks in the sky effects.
Rocket
Make a cone shape, out of construction paper. Decorate with markers. Cut a narrow (approx. 2″ long) slits on opposite sides of the wide open end. Use 18″ of string, and with the point up, put the string through the slits, and pull sharply on the ends of relaxed string (rocket will fly into air)
Lesson plans for a 4th of July unit!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/kaboom/ Anatomy of a Firework – Grades 5-8, 9-12 Click on a drawing of a firework to learn about its components.
Pyrotechnics: It’s Elemental (Hot Science) – Grades 5-8, 9-12 Click on highlighted elements to find out their contributions to the whiz, bang, pop, and color that make up a firework.
Statue of Liberty Crafts and Activities
Torches
Use old newspapers and roll them in a large cone shape. Let children paint the cones. When dry, stuff with red and yellow tissue paper. to be the “flame” of the torch/ * Have the children make crowns, and then they can be the statue of Liberty. I often let them parade.
Star Crowns
Pre cut stars out of red, white and blue construction paper. Give each child a long white band (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide) of construction paper long enough to fit around a child’s head. Let each child glue (I colored my white glue with some red paint) as many paper stars on the band as they want. I also put out some red, white and blue stickers for the to put on. When dry, fit to each child’s head and staple. The kids just love the star spangled crown.
Statue of Liberty Torches
Use old newspapers and roll them in a large cone shape. Let the children paint the cones. When dry, stuff with red and yellow tissue paper to be the flame of the torch.
Statue of Liberty Crowns
Cut crowns from stiff paper to fit around the child’s head. Let them decorate them and then with their torches do a parade.
Flag and Windsock Crafts and Activities
Flags
Start with white construction paper. Children glue on red strips, to make red and white stripes. Then glue a blue square in the top left corner. For the stars you can use white tissue paper, crumpled up, or star stickers.
Wind Socks
Use red, white or blue construction paper and roll it length wise. Glue, tape or staple together. Add string as a handle to one end. Add red, white and blue streamers to the other end.
Stars and Stripes collage
Give each child blue construction paper(9×12) with strips of red and white paper cut 1×9. Have them glue the strips on and add silver star stickers. (I usually cut my stars out so they are bigger!)
Fourth of July Windsocks
Assemble this project the same way as the Fourth of July collage however staple together making a cylindar and add streamers on the bottom and a piece of yarn on top to hang!
Flags
Start with white construction paper. Children glue on red strips to make red and white stripes. Then glue a blue square in the top left corner. For the stars you can use crumpled up white tissue paper or star stickers.
Wind Socks
Use red, white or blue construction paper and roll it lengthwise. Glue, tape or staple together. Add string as a handle on one end. Add red, white and blue streamer to the other end.
Stained glass stars materials: white paper, black felt pens, old crayons (peeled), warming tray, oven mitt, scissors. Process: use the black felt pen to outline a large star on the white paper. The blank space inside the lines will be “colored in” with melted crayon.
Place the paper with the star on the warming tray. Put the oven mitt on the non-drawing hand, hold the paper down with this hand. Using the peeled crayons, color in the star. Working slowly will allow the crayon to melt and soak into the paper. Remove the paper from the warming tray. Hold the paper up to the light or a window and see the stained glass effect. The star can be cut out and displayed in a window to resemble a stained glass window.
(note: rub the back of the crayon design with a cotton ball soaked in baby oil for a more transparent design).
Red, White and Blue Crafts and Activities
Red, White And Blue
Circle time and concepts to teach: Independence Day is July 4th, the Liberty Bell, the flag, the Statue of Liberty. It commemorates the United States birth as a nation. The Declaration of Independence.
Art Center
Use only red white and blue items in your art center.
Playdoh Fun
Set out red, white and blue playdoh and let the children’s imaginations run wild.
Sensory Table
Place red, white or blue colored water in the sensory table with pitchers, measuring cups and other containers to allow the children to experience measurement.
Red, White, And Blue Puffy Paint Pictures
Materials:
Flour, Salt, Water, Red and blue food coloring, Empty mustard squeeze bottles, Cardboard
Directions:
1. Mix equal parts of flour, salt, and water to make the puffy paint.
2. Divide mixture into three different bowls and color one bowl of mixture blue, one bowl red, and leave the last one white.
3. Fill the mustard bottles with the mixture (one color per squeeze bottle).
4. Let the children squeeze the different colors onto the cardboard.
5. Allow the children’s artwork to dry. When it is dry, the design will be raised and will sparkle!
Red, White, And Blue Salt Jars
Materials:
Empty baby food jars with lids, 9 cups rock salt, Red and blue food coloring, (PI) cup rubbing alcohol
Directions:
AN ADULT MUST DO THIS PART
1. To make the colored rock salt: Measure 3 cups of rock salt to be blue, 3 cups to be white, and 3 cups to be red, and place each in three separate bowls.
2. Combine (pi) cup of rubbing alcohol with (PI) a bottle or more of red food coloring (you want the colors to be bright). Do the same for the blue food coloring.
3. Mix the red alcohol mixture into one of the bowls of rock salt. Mix well and let sit for about 1 minute. Drain the excess alcohol mixture off of the rock salt. (WARNING: This will smell pretty yucky!) Spread the colored rock salt on cookie sheets and set outside in the sun to dry (this will take only an hour or so). Repeat the same procedure for the blue food coloring.
4. Do nothing with the remaining rock salt because you want it to stay white.
ACTIVITY FOR THE CHILDREN
1. Once the different colors of salt are dry, place them on a table with spoons and baby food jars.
2. Guide the children to spoon the colored rock salt into their jars.
3. Seal the children’s creation with the lid.
4th of July Parade Crafts and Activities
4th of July Wands
Materials: newspaper, red, white and blue streamers, markers or paint, glue stick, star stickers
Take a large sheet of newspaper and fold in half. Start at one corner and roll into a long stick shape. Tape. Children can color newsparer with markers/paint, etc. Attach crepe paper streamers or strips of tissue paper at one end (or anywhere)with a glue stick. Decorate with foil star stickers. Can be used for a parade, dancing, etc.
Fourth of July Parade
Decorate tricycles or other riding or pulling toys for a parade. Some decorating ideas are: weave crepe paper thorugh bicycle spokes; tie balloons or streamers to handle bars; make a float in a wagon; hang noisy cans or pie plates from the bikes.
Start a parade around the playground or down the sidewalk. Add marching people, rhythm instruments or noise makers to the parade.
Play marching music from a tape recorder. Note: some children have no concept of staying in line or “following the leader” in a parade setting. State a brief practice time before decorating. This will help to alleviate confusion later.
Picnic Crafts and Activities
Flag Cake
Bake a cake (rectangle shape like 9×13). Frost with white frosting (or whip cream). Put sliced strawberries for the stripes, and use blueberries in the corner.
Hamburger Cookies
The rolls were vanilla wafers. The inside could be a chocolate covered mint or any thing round that looks like a burger. Yellow and red icing from tubes were the ketchup and mustard.
Housekeeping
Set up the housekeeping area with items you would take along on a picnic. Have the children pretend to make sandwiches and gather items to bring with. Then allow them to imagine what they’d do while they were picnicking.
Paper Plate Watermelon
(Hint: Use the cheap, flimsy paper plates) Paint inside of paper plate red. Paint outside of paper plate green. Glue watermelon seeds on red section. When paint is dry, fold plate in half.
Adult: use a fancy scissors to cut out a half circle on fold at top to represent a bite out of the watermelon. Now you have a watermelon slice – a Fourth of July picnic favorite!
Fourth Of July Information
Tell the children that Independence Day is celebrated on the fourth of July each year. It marks the day many years ago that the United States Became independent, or when we decided that we would be our own country. Have the class set up a birthday party for America. Talk about what games children play at their own birthday parties and play some of those games. If possible play “Stars and Stripes Forever” and encourage children to play imaginary instruments along with the music.
Bells
Use paper cups and let children decorate them. (Have them add a “Crack”, like the Liberty Bell) Use string through the bottom of the cup, and tie on a small ‘jingle bell.
Independence Day Songs, Poems and Fingerplays
Designs In The Sky
(sung to “Frere Jacques”)
Fourth of July, Fourth of July,
It is fun, it is fun.
A picnic in the park,
And then after dark,
Designs in the sky, Fourth of July.
On the Fourth of July…
(sung to “London Bridge”)
It’s our country’s birthday,
Birthday, birthday.
It’s our country’s birthday,
On the Fourth of July!
On Independence Day…
(sung to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
Fireworks go snap, snap, snap!
Crack, crack, crack!
Zap, zap, zap!
Fireworks make me clap, clap, clap
On Independence Day!
Way Up In The Sky…
(sung to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Wave, wave, wave the flag,
Hold it very high.
Watch the colors gently wave,
Way up in the sky.
March, march, march around,
Hold the flag up high.
Wave, wave, wave the flag,
Way up in the sky.
Who’s Birthday Is It?
Some birthdays come in winter, Some birthdays come in spring. On birthdays there are games to play And lots of songs to sing.
My favorite birthday is in July, And it doesn’t belong to me! It’s the birthday that lights up the sky For all the world to see!
Rockets glare, trumpets blare, And bands begins to play. Happy Birthday America It’s Independence Day!
External 4th of July Fun Links
Stars, Strips, and Alphabet Soup
4th of July celebration!
Recipes for the 4th of July
Making Friends 4th of July Fun
DLTK’s Fourth of July Crafts
Kids Domain Fourth of July Fun
