The 4th of July is coming up fast! You can enjoy fun patriotic activities to get students in the spirit of things. Plus, since many families take vacations this time of year, it will be nice to break from the regular curriculum so that students don’t miss anything important.
Childcare Activities to celebrate July 4th
Have fun with red, white, and blue as you engage in fun crafts and activities while reading stories that will engage and educate preschoolers and young children. Make this year’s Independence Day a spectacular celebration.
- Create a Sensory Bin
Children ages 1 to 4 will enjoy a sensory bin with all sorts of red, white, and blue items. Allow children to sort them by color or sit on the floor and talk to them about the things they find inside.
- Fine Motor Skills Pom Pom Search
Fill a bin with rice and hide red, white, and blue pom-poms inside. Give children tweezers and invite them to pick out the pom-poms. You could add small felt stars, too, to make it even more patriotic.
- American Flag in Play Dough
Provide children with red, white, and blue play dough and a photo printout of the American flag. Talk about the flag’s history and significance. Allow children to recreate the flag using the play dough.
- Make Star Art
Get some star-shaped cookie cutters and allow children to dip them in paint and create artwork. You can move this activity outside using chalk paint to get children’s bodies moving and provide fresh air during these summer months.
- Organize Felt Stars by Size
Cut out felt stars in various sizes and ask children to sequence them from smallest to largest. This is a great activity to put those young minds to work, but it’s also incredibly simple.
- Talk About Fireworks
Although fireworks have become a hallmark of the 4th of July celebrations, most children are not big fans due to the loud noises. Talk a bit about fireworks safety and how children should stay far away. Then do some fun art activities to talk about the beauty of fireworks. You can show children pictures and then invite them to create their fireworks with paint on a black piece of construction paper.
- Teach Children How to Fold a Flag
Respect for the nation’s flag is so important. You can start young children by learning to treat and respect the American flag. Not sure how to fold an American Flag? Watch this video to learn more. This is an ideal activity for older children if you’re providing a summer program for school-aged children.
- Make Patriotic Snacks
There are many fun ways to enjoy the 4th of July holiday with snacks. Here are a few:
- Using a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut watermelon slices into stars about a half-inch thick. Then cut slices of cheese into star shapes as well. Place the cheese on top of the watermelon and top with a blueberry. You have a delicious and healthy red, white and blue snack.
- Put watermelon, feta cheese, and blueberries together in a fruit salad.
- Get your students involved by inviting them to cut stars out of the watermelon slices. Eat just the watermelon and cheese sticks for a simpler snack idea mixed with a fun activity.
- Create Counting Games
Keep children engaged and learning with simple counting games. Children likely won’t even notice that they are still learning during summer break! You can print off cards with various numbers of patriotic objects and keep them learning this summer in a fun, easy way.
- Practice Geography
During your patriotic activities, consider pulling out a map of the US to show children all the states and start learning where they are. For young children, focus on their home state as they probably aren’t ready for a full geography lesson. But for older children, you can do a state puzzle daily to practice US geography.
- Free Downloadable Coloring Pages
Keep it simple and download a few 4th of July color pages. Invite children to talk about what they are coloring and some activities they are looking forward to with the upcoming holiday. Inviting conversation into the coloring process will keep children engaged.
- Decorate Patriotic Crowns
Invite children to decorate crowns they can wear to their local parade or 4th of July celebrations. They’ll enjoy making these crafts, and parents will find it fun that they have something red, white, and blue to wear.
- Read Books
Children learn well by reading books. Consider adding one of these patriotic books to your school library for storytime.
iCare Software features outstanding communication tools, including a smartphone app, messaging, daily summary, developmental milestone tracking and more. Want to share all these fun activities with parents, so they know the valuable lessons you provide their children each day? Schedule a demo to learn how you can create a transparent learning environment to engage with parents.
June 29, 2022 
5 Min 