Fourth of July crafts for family fun, play dates or preschools

June 24, 5:23 PMHouston Family ExaminerLisa Carey

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Lisa Carey/Fireworks Painting

With family visiting for the holidays, backyard BBQ, and Fourth of July celebrations you may be looking for ways to entertain your children at home and at play. Try anyone or all of these seven fun crafts made from items around your home that will keep your family, school, classroom or playdate having fun and all about the red, white and blue.

4th of July Fireworks Painting

Using a piece of white construction paper drop different colored paints on the paper. Give children a straw and allow them to blow the paint drops around on the paper making "fireworks.

Variations: You can also use a plastic fork. Or use a large sheet of paper, bulletin board size works well, and hang the paper on a wall either outside or inside. Place a large "squirt" of paint here and there on the paper and give children plastic spoons and forks to spread the paint around. While they spread it, it turns into a design similar to fireworks. If you are doing this project outside, now is a good time to use the gross motor activity and allow them to play in the water to clean up. (Sprinkler fun) To make it a learning opportunity discuss how the colors blend and mix and what colors they turn into when you mix them.

4th of July Scrapbook Pages
Create your family photo album scrapbook pages before the holiday and never be without one again. Offer everyone in the family an assortment of 4th of July and red, white and blue scrapbook pages, embellishments and accessories. Everyone makes one to take home, even the children and then you are ready for those terrific family and friends gathering and holiday pictures.

4th of July Create your own American Flag
Provide a white sheet of paper, one blue square (allow them to cut the square out from a drawing on the paper), and strips of red paper. Glue square down in the left hand upper corner and stripes across the sheet. Decorate with "stars" using sticker stars.

Create your own 4th of July family flag
Children, families, and friends can make their own flag; this is an excellent process craft. Supply them with a variety of shapes and colors paper, tissue paper, dot markers, crayons, finger paint and stickers.

Red, White and Blue Wind Sock
Cover a paper towel roll with red, white or blue construction paper. You can also use a piece of card stock or heavy duty construction paper and just roll and seal with glue to make the tube. Add string to the top to hang it with. Add red, white and blue streamers to the end. Use to decorate your classroom or you can also use it for your home patio or front door decoration.
Variation: Use ribbons instead of streamers.
 

Sticker Fun
Provide children with their choice of red, white or blue construction paper and Fourth of July stickers. They can stick away. Not only is this fun but it also encourages fine motor skills.
 

Glitterworks
On a piece of black construction paper makes white glue designs. Provide children with different colored glitters to create glitter works.

Variation: Allow children to choose their own color construction paper. Or instead of glitter provide them with different colored sidewalk chalk and kaboom; fireworks will appear.

Keep your family entertained while the burgers, hotdogs and chicken are cooking with these easy to do, fun filled 4th of July crafts.

For more info: 

4th of July Ideas to Help Preschoolers Celebrate the Holiday

10 Places for Free 4th of July Coloring Pages and Printables for Kids

 Patriotic Printable Stickers for Fourth of July