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Fun 4th of July Party Ideas
Invite young friends over to your 4th of July party to participate in high-spirited relay races, a homespun parade, and a feast of summertime foods. This page will provide you with all the information that you need to throw an outstanding Forth of July event!
Resources:
Party Supplies Free Printable Invitations
Invitations
For 4th of July party invitations, have the kids use markers and crayons to turn regular index cards into American flags. Draw stars and stripes on the lined side of the cards, and write party details (date, time, location, etc.) on the other side. Glue or tape the cards onto Popsicle sticks to create flags. A week or two before the 4th of July party, take a stroll with your child to deliver the invitations to the guests.
Second, you can make "poppers" by writing your Fourth of July party details on small cards, stuffing them inside paper tubes, and wrapping them with crepe paper. Tie off the ends with a ribbon, and fringe them with scissors. Mail in a cardboard tube or hand-deliver.
Third, cut out firecracker shapes from red tagboard. Glue glitter to the tips and colorful ribbon to the ends to make streamers, and write your party details on the cone of the firecracker. Place them in envelopes, and sprinkle extra glitter inside.
Finally, you can make your 4th of July party invitation on a piece of white paper cut out like a star, with "Spend the Night Under the Stars" written on the front. Enclose an R.S.V.P. card that allows them to check either "Not in the stars" or "The stars are in your favor." Ask all your guests to wear red, white and blue.
Decorations
To create 4th of July party environment, use as many decorations in "patriotic" colors as you can. Play Independence Day theme music in the background.
Decorate your fence with posters of Uncle Sam and American flag cutouts. Tie several bunches of red, blue and white balloons to posts and other fixtures outside the house. Have a "star spangled banner" waving near the entrance. Mount a sign that says "Welcome to Fourth of July Party!"
Hang red, white, and blue crepe paper streamers from the ceiling. Decorate the patio or backyard with white, red, and blue Christmas lights. If you're planning to have a parade, then hold an informal float-making bicycle-decorating session in your driveway an hour before the big event. Kids and parents can bring their own tape, streamers and signs, and you can share ideas and lend a hand to help create some fantastic floats.
Spread large beach towels or old sheets and blankets over the grass, sand, or dirt for picnicking. Control bugs with bug lights or "zappers," and spray the yard with bug repellent an hour before your 4th of July party. Citronella candles are a natural way to keep the bugs from your guests.
Cover the tables with red-checkered tablecloths, or buy inexpensive fabric in red, white and blue and make your own tablecloths. Use two colors and two sizes of paper plates, one resting on top of the other at each place setting.
Guest Arrival and Introductory Activities
*Flag Face Painting: Show your patriotic streak at the 4th of July party by dabbing on red, white, and blue face paint. Use water-based face paint to draw a flag, complete with stars and stripes, over children's cheeks, nose, and forehead.
*Statue of Liberty Crown: First, cut 2 1/2 inches from each of the bottom rims of two sturdy paper plates, then cut out their centers, leaving a 2-inch-wide headband (this fits most children's heads snugly, but if it's too tight, carefully trim more away from the edge).
Next, cut six triangles from green construction paper. Each one should measure 4 inches across and 9 inches high. Space these evenly across the front of one headband with the points radiating outward and staple into place.
Glue the other headband across the first to conceal the staples. Paint it green, then "oxidize" with glitter.
*Miss Liberty's Torch: Fashion a torch out of a cardboard tube, poster board, and yellow tissue paper. Touch up both to look like Miss Liberty's crown with green paint and glitter.
*Coffee Can Drums: Kids march to a different drummer when banging on these crafty cans. To make one, use white paint to decorate a piece of red construction paper with stars. Then invert an empty coffee can and wrap and glue the paper around it, leaving an inch of overhang for fringe. Punch two holes into the can's sides with a nail (a parent's job) and string with ribbon. Now grab wooden spoon drumsticks and let the marching band begin.
*A Grand Old Parade: Before 4th of July party, make a parade banner on a large sheet of butcher paper. With red and blue markers, write "Happy Independence Day." When guests arrive, have them sign in by adding their names to the mural. Once everyone is accounted for and the sign is complete, elect two people to hold the banner and lead the parade.
Distribute whatever musical instruments you have on hand, including drums, kazoos, pots, pans and spoons. When the orchestra is assembled, set up a portable stereo or boom box and crank up "Yankee Doodle," "The Stars and Stripes Forever," and so on, encouraging everyone to play and parade around.
Favors
Your 4th of July party favors can include such items as bandannas, sunglasses, visors, squirt guns, Fourth of July or American flag pins, towels, and so on.
Fourth of July Party Games
*Egg and Wooden Spoon Race: A few hard-boiled eggs (either plain or decorated), two wooden spoons, and two team flags are needed for this 4th of July party relay. Each team stands in single file behind the starting line and opposite their respective flags, set in the ground about 5 yards away.
At the whistle, the first player in each line, balancing an egg on a spoon, races around his team's flag, then back to transfer the egg and the spoon to the next teammate. The recipient races to the flag, and the race continues until one team finishes the course. Anyone who drops an egg must run to the start line for another before resuming.
*Balloon Volleyball: Set up a net, divide the children into 2 teams, and play volleyball with a balloon. Blow up several balloons so you can replace the one in play when it breaks.
*Flag Relay Race: Designate a running track around the perimeter of your yard, if possible, or up and down a driveway.
Divide the children into 2 teams. Give the first child in each team an American flag. The child runs around the track and hands the flag to the second child in line who then runs around the track carrying the flag and hands it to the next team member. The last player returns home. The first team to finish wins.
*Limbo: Put a broom handle or other stick across the back of 2 chairs and have the children pass under the stick without touching it. Lower the stick to the inside rung of the chair, then to the chair seat, eliminating any child who touches the stick while passing under it. Keep lowering the stick. The child who can still fit underneath the stick at its lowest point is the winner.
*Dress-Up Relay Race: Divide the children into 2 teams. For each team put a large T-shirt, a pair of shorts with an elastic waist (you could use men's boxer shorts), and a pair of rubber gloves at the goal line.
Each child in turn runs to the clothes, puts on the rubber gloves and then puts on the shirt and shorts, takes off the shirt and shorts, removes the rubber gloves, and runs back to the line. The first team to finish wins.
*Firecracker Hats: First, unfold the two full newspaper sheets one atop the other as if you were reading them. Thereafter, treat them as a single two-ply sheet - this will strengthen the hat and provide a double layer of fringe.
To make the brow band, mark a line 3 1/2 inches from the bottom edge of the sheet and fold up along that line. Roll the band up once more and flatten the fold. Paint the brow band blue (with tempera paint). When dry, paint broad red and white stripes on the flip side of the newspaper (this will be inside of the hat). While waiting for the paint to dry, cut star shapes from white construction paper.
Fit the hat by wrapping the brow band around a child's head and taping the overlap securely. At this point, the hat should resemble a tall cylinder. Glue the stars to the brow band. Finally, fringe the top of the hat, making cuts an inch or so apart that extend most of the way down the cylinder.
*American History Trivia: Divide your 4th of July party guests into groups, and have them act out some event from American history - make everyone guess what the event is. Or name several important dates in history, and quiz the group on what happened on those particular dates.
*Balloon Brigade: Before this 4th of July party activity, each team assembles in single file with the first player in each line holding a balloon. When the whistle blows, each lead player passes the balloon between her legs to the next person in line. Each recipient in turn passes the balloon overhead to the teammate directly behind her.
The balloon is passed alternately between players' legs and over players' heads all the way down the line. When the last person receives the balloon, he or she races to the front of the line and the balloon pass resumes. The relay continues until one of the original lead players regains position at the front of her line and pops the team balloon.
*Water Fight: Give everyone - kids and adults - a squirt gun, and have a water fight. (Remind your 4th of July party guests to bring a change of clothes.)
Food and Drink Fourth of July Party Cake:
*Flag Cake: For this 4th of July party cake recipe, you'll need 1 cake mix, 1 vanilla frosting, 1 pint strawberries and 1 cup blueberries.
Bake 9x13" cake according to package directions. While the cake cools, wash and hull the strawberries and cut them into quarters, or sixths if they are very large. Wash the blueberries.
Frost the cake. In the upper left corner of the cake, mark off an area 5x3 1/2 inches and fill it with blueberries placed in rows. Create the red stripes with rows of strawberry pieces. (About 6 rows of strawberries will fit on the cake.) 4th of July Party Food Ideas:
*Potato Salad Vinaigrette: For this 4th of July party recipe, you'll need 1 1/2 pounds of new red potatoes (washed and quartered), 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 pound bacon (cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled), 3 eggs (hard-boiled and chopped), 1 grated onion, 1 bunch scallions (chopped), 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish, salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just tender, about 15 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook - potatoes can become mushy.) Drain the water and transfer the potatoes to a large bowl.
Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar and add the salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and toss.
Let the potato salad sit for 30 minutes, then add the bacon, eggs, onion, scallions, and relish, tossing gently until the ingredients are well combined. Refrigerate covered.
*Roasted Corn on the Cob: Without removing the husks or silk, soak the corn ears in water for 15 minutes. Remove from the water and place ears directly on the grill or coals. Rotate them with a pair of tongs while grilling so that all the sides are evenly cooked. The corn should be ready in 8 to 16 minutes, depending on how hot the fire is.
Remove from the grill and peel carefully because the ears will be very hot. Spread butter on the corn and season with salt and pepper.
*Grilled Burgers & Hotdogs: Grill the burgers and dogs to order, and let your 4th of July party guests choose from a large array of toppings to create their own bodacious burgers and humongous hot dogs.
Offer the guests these toppings: guacamole, pesto sauce, salsa, sour cream, chutney, melted hot pepper cheese, shredded Cheddar cheese, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed onions and garlic, green and red pepper slices, tomato slices, strips of bacon, pickles and relish, and your special "secret sauce" - catsup, mayonnaise, and mustard mixed together.
*Burgers & Beans: Place hamburger patties in large muffin tins, individual casserole dishes, or custard cups, and shape the meat to fit. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Turn the pans over, and dump out the meat onto paper towels to absorb the grease. Set them upright on plates, and top them with warm baked beans.
*Red, White & Blueberry Freeze Pops: For this 4th of July party recipe, you'll need 1 quart raspberry juice, 1 pint frozen vanilla yogurt, 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 2 cups cold water, 10 paper cups, and Popsicle® sticks.
Assemble the cups on a cookie tray. Pour 1 inch of the raspberry juice into each cup, then place the tray in the freezer. When the juice is partially frozen, set a Popsicle stick in the center of each cup and let the juice freeze solid.
Next, blend 1 cup of the water and 4 large scoops of the frozen yogurt until smooth. Pour 1 inch of the yogurt mix on top of the frozen juice layer in each cup and freeze again. Once the yogurt layer sets, blend the second cup of water, the blueberries, and a large scoop of the frozen yogurt. Spoon the blueberry mix into the cups and freeze overnight. To serve, slide the pop out of the cup.
*"Frozen Melon": Scoop out one half of watermelon. Fill the shell with raspberry sherbet, and smooth it down until it looks like "watermelon." Stick chocolate chips in two rows along each side to make the "seeds." Keep frozen until serving time.
*Pineapple & Cherries: Cut a pineapple in half, and cut the flesh into chunks. Mix the pineapple with maraschino cherries, and put the mixture in the pineapple "shell." Serve marshmallow sauce on the side, for dipping.
*Barbecued Chicken
*Fruit Salad
*Popcorn 4th of July Party Drink Ideas:
*Old-Fashioned Lemonade: To make this 4th of July party drink, you'll need 5-6 large lemons, 1 cup sugar, and 2 quarts of cold water.
Slice the lemons in half and squeeze each of them into a large measuring cup (this should yield about 1 1/2 cups of juice). Remove any seeds.
In a large pitcher, combine the juice and the sugar. Stir in the cold water and serve over ice. (For a nice touch, place mint leaves in the ice cube trays before freezing.)
*Forth of July Party Float: Fill a tall, frosty glass three quarters of the way with raspberry soda.
Float a large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and garnish with a handful of blueberries and a strawberry, festive decorations, and an American flag.
*Source for Content & Photos: Courtesy of Family Fun Magazine
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