4th of July memories! happy 250th birthday, America!

51 minutes ago
10 min read

Friday, June 26, 2026

It’s hard to believe that the month of June will soon come to an end

and right around the corner is the

Before we know it, we'll be celebrating once again!

Just look at our sweet Littles in the snapshots above.

❤️💙❤️

Those photos were taken during our very first Fourth of July as GRANDS,

and what sweet memories they hold!

This year, celebrations feel even more special

as America marks its 250th birthday…

A milestone worth celebrating in a big way!

As we look back on favorite family traditions and treasured Fourth of July memories, we're also recalling some of our favorite patriotic crafts, activities, and festive foods.

Whether you're creating new traditions with family and friends or enjoying beloved ones that have stood the test of time, perhaps you'll find a few ideas here that bring a smile, spark a memory, or add a little extra fun to your holiday celebration!

When Laura’s youngest, Daughter A was in third grade,

her class had an assignment to make a box filled with items

that represented her favorite holiday.

Daughter A chose the 4th of July!

Her reasoning was that it took place in the summer,

it’s a festive holiday filled with LOTS of family time and traditions

AND it’s loads of fun!

We certainly agree!

And a 4th of July parade is best of all!

Can you tell from this past family photo?

Laura’s girls and cousins at a local parade near the family cabin in the early 90’s.

(Daughter A - third from the left, Daughter J - third from the right!)

Now, these Littles above are all grown up,

but, as our family grows, we still look forward to the parade each year!

A few years ago! A new generation, 2025!

Meanwhile, Laurie’s family and friends have memories

of holding their own 4th of July parade to celebrate the holiday!!

Years later, the Middles in Laura’s family

participated in the annual bed races that take place before the parade!

In honor of Laura’s mom, their entry was called Betty’s Bed Bugs!

and they even captured second place!

The bed races are a hoot and definitely a fave!

And, of course, no Fourth of July celebration is complete

without an evening filled with the magic of sparklers

and fireworks!

Did we happen to mention how sweet these memories are!

A 250th birthday only comes around once!

As America prepares to celebrate this historic milestone, we're rounding up some of our favorite Fourth of July ideas! You'll find patriotic crafts, kid-friendly activities, festive recipes - all simple ways to celebrate with those you love!

Sparkly Crafts & Projects!

From glitter and glue to stars and stripes,

these patriotic crafts and projects have helped create some of our favorite

Fourth of July memories over the years!

PATRIOTIC NOISEMAKERS!

What Little doesn’t love a lot of noise… especially on the 4th of July? This activity can be created by Littles ahead of time OR during your holiday gathering. You only need white paper plates, art supplies to decorate each plate - we used paint, a stapler and some noisemakers… large noodles work really well and are safer options for younger Littles!

We folded each paper plate in half first and then unfolded. We only decorated one side of the plate and we used a cotton ball attached to a clothespin to paint on the blue section and red stripes. Then we used a Q-Tip dipped in white paint to add the “stars”.

Once the paint had dried (or your decorations are completed) we partially stapled around the edges of the paper plate folded in half, added some dry pasta inside (we used penne) and then finished stapling around the edges. Noisemaker done!

We added a ribbon so our Littles could carry the noisemaker like a purse…

Our Littles absolutely LOVE carrying anything so this was a huge success!

FIREWORKS IN A JAR!

This science experiment is the perfect activity to inspire Independence Day wonders! You’ll only need a few simple supplies from the kitchen to make these colorful fireworks!

Materials Needed

• a large empty jar (we used a big vase)

• warm tap water

• liquid (not gel) food coloring (we used 3-4 colors)

• cooking oil (we used vegetable)

• a small glass bowl

• a fork or a spoon

Directions

1. Fill your empty jar or vase 3/4 full with warm tap water. Set aside.

2. In the small glass bowl, add oil (2-4 Tablespoons) and food coloring (we used 4 drops each of red and yellow and only 2 drops each of blue and green).

3. Use a fork or spoon to slowly stir the food coloring into the oil. Do this slowly! The drops of food coloring will break into smaller, separate droplets of color.

4. Carefully pour the fool coloring droplets and oil mixture into the jar.

5. Time to wait and watch what happens… Soon the oil will rise to the top of the jar but the food coloring will slowly sink out of the oil and into the water. When this happens, it will expand and begin to mix with the other colors. creating your fireworks in a jar! Keep watching! The fireworks will continue until all of the droplets of food coloring have fallen from the oil!

This science experiment will mesmerize your Littles…

Don’t be surprised if they want to make their own fireworks over and over again!

HANDPRINT FLAGS!

Everyone needs a flag for the 4th of July and who can resist one made by a special Little?

Using paints to make this handprint flag is a great option when making it with infants or any other Little, for that matter.

No paint? Trace your Little’s hand and then color it in. (Older Littles can help with this step, too).

Cut out the handprint flag and add stars - we used stickers and then attached it to a skewer. A popsicle stick/craft stick will work, too. !Be sure to display your flag proudly at your holiday gatherings!

Some day you - and your. Little - will be amazed

by that itsy-bitsy handprint!

Stars & Stripes Fun!

Whether your celebration is big or small,

these fun, family-friendly activities are sure to add

a little extra sparkle to your holiday gathering!.

LET FREEDOM RING!

BRRR! This game will provide relief from a hot summer day and your tween and teen Littles will love it, too! The ice will undoubtedly melt so it’s best to play outside, if possible! It also requires a bit of prep time but then you’ll be all set when you want to play!

To Prep - Fill small (3 oz) paper cups halfway with water for each person playing and freeze for 2-3 hours. Pull the cups out of the freezer and add a bell to each cup. (We suggest attaching a ribbon to each bell before freezing them in the water for easier ringing later!) Fill the cups with water to cover the bells. Freeze until the water is solid.

Why a bell? For the Liberty Bell, of course!

Here are the bells we used! However, If you don’t have bells to use, no worries! You could also freeze nickels and/or quarters in the cups. Why? George Washington (the face on the quarter) was our first US president and Thomas Jefferson (the face on the nickel) signed the Declaration of Independence. If you have one bell available and you are using coins, the first person to reach theirs can then ring the bell to signal a win!

To Play - The goal of the game is to be the first person to get the bell out of the frozen cup of water and then ring it! Players can do all they can to get the bell out… However, they cannot throw the ice on the ground or use any tools to break it!

PATRIOTIC GAMES!

Here’s a list of some fun 4th of July party games that your Littles can enjoy together! Many of these games will sound familiar… we’ve simply added a holiday twist to them! (If you are unfamiliar with the classic games referenced - Red Light, Green Light or Simon Says, for example, Google each!)

Red Light! Blue Light!

Do you remember the classic Red Light, Green Light game? Instead of moving when the leader calls Green Light, the players move on the cue Blue Light! This is a great game for outside play!

Uncle Sam Says!

Simon Says with a new name! Have a grown up be Uncle Sam giving the prompts quickly! The game will quickly turn silly with lots of giggles!

Pin the Star on the Flag!

Instead of pinning the tail on the donkey, play this version of the game! Place a large flag on the wall that includes the red and white stripes and the blue rectangle found on the American flag. Cut out paper stars and write a player’s name on each star. Blindfold a player, turn them around and see if they can put a star on the flag! All players who get their star on the blue rectangle of the flag, win!

Patriotic Musical Chairs (or Musical Flags)!

It’s the same as the normal musical chairs we all know and love, but you play patriotic music as you move! Another option is to place small American flags in a large container in the middle of a group standing in a circle - count the flags so there is one less than the number of players. When the music stops, each player grabs a flag. The player without a flag is out. Play again, with one less flag and continue with this process until a winner is found!

Red, White & Blue Scavenger Hunt!

Set a timer (we suggest anywhere between 5-10 minutes, depending on the ages of our Littles! Then let your Littles find as many red, white and blue things they can (inside and out - it’s up to you)! The Little with the most items wins!

AMERICAN FLAG DRESS UP!

This game is fun to play with all ages and it’s been a hit during multiple holiday celebrations! You’ll need some red, white and blue streamers for this activity. Divide your group into two or more teams (each team should have at least one adult and can have up to 2-3 Littles). Set a timer (for about 5 minutes, maybe 10) and say Go! Using the streamers, each team decorates an adult in the group to look like an American flag! The best “flag” wins, so be sure that there is at least one person who can be the judge!

Let the games begin!

Patriotic Eats!

No 4th of July gathering is complete without a few sweets and treats!

Below you’ll find a few tried and true suggestions

that are easy to put together and simple enough that most Littles could help!

FRUIT SPARKLERS!

It doesn't get more simple than this… Provide some skewers and bowls of bite size fruit and other fun foods and let your Littles create this (mostly) healthy holiday treat!!

A tray of these skewers would be a lovely addition to any patriotic spread! Fun combinations - sweet or savory - we’ve tried include...

Berries & Mini Marshmallows!

Watermelon, Cheese Sticks & Blueberries!

Grape Tomatoes, Mini Mozzarella Balls & Blackberries or Black Olives!

Your Littles can thread patterns onto the skewers or create designs with multiple skewers or they can use a star cookie cutter to make things even more festive!

Let imaginations soar!

PATRIOTIC PARTY DIP!

We’ve seen variations of this recipe on multiple sites, but it’s been a staple for Laurie’s family for years and reminds everyone of her mom!

To add a holiday touch, as you can see from the photo below, the dip was topped with white shredded cheese (mozzarella) all over. Then black olives were used to create the star area and chopped red pepper/tomatoes or pepperoni were lined up to create the red stripes of the flag!

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

USA ICE CREAM SANDWICHES!

Looking for a holiday dessert that's easy to dress up? WThis is an all time favorite and one we come back to often! We used mini ice cream sandwiches and red, white & blue sprinkles.

Littles will have fun rolling the edges of an ice cream sandwich in these sprinkles!

You could also use a star cookie cutter and make Star Ice Cream Sandwiches before rolling them in the sprinkles! Push a wooden skewer or popsicle stick into one end of the decorated ice cream sandwich and you’ve turned it into a pop!

Simple, fun and delicious! YUM!

Check out many of our Patriotic Eats here!