July 4th Family Fun

What's the Fourth of July without a parade? Conduct your own family parade full of music, noisemakers and riding toy floats. Invite the neighborhood children to join you. Parading down the street with decorated riding toys is a good way to put spirit into a holiday celebration. Young children can gather their riding toys; a tricycle, wagon, little cars and such and prepare them by taping crepe paper streamers and ribbons to the body of the vehicle, as well as to the handlebars. Older kids may even weave these streamers into the spokes of their bicycles.

Independence Day is a noisy holiday. To make noisemakers, collect empty aluminum soda cans. After they are washed and dry, have the children put dried beans, small pebbles, or pennies inside. Tape the opening shut with duct tape. Proceed to cover the can with construction paper or aluminum foil. Let the kids decorate these noisemakers as they wish with crayons, markers, ribbons and stickers. "Shake, shake, shake" as they parade.

How about a "Revolutionary Hat" to wear? Cut a piece of construction paper into three 9" x 4" strips. Staple the short ends of the strips together to complete this three-cornered hat. Wear these hats in your parade like revolutionary soldiers. It would be quite patriotic to use one strip of each color (red, white and blue). Maybe add a feather if you're singing "Yankee Doodle".

This holiday is happening soon -- get your gear ready!

Happy Independence Day,
Tania