Independence Day is a time to commemorate the birth of our nation and the values it represents. Every year, Americans celebrate this holiday with fireworks, parades, and family gatherings. For educators like you, it’s an opportunity to teach students about the country’s history and inspire a sense of patriotism. We’ve compiled a list of 40 Independence Day activities that are suitable for every grade level! From crafts and games to patriotic treats, these activities are perfect for your pupils to celebrate the 4th of July with their family, friends, or classmates. So what are you waiting for? Scroll through and bring the celebration to life in your classroom!
1. Create a Patriotic Wreath
This activity involves making a festive wreath using red, white, and blue materials such as ribbons, paper, and other decorations. For your kiddos to make this craft, they’ll gather the materials and then attach them to a wreath using glue or wire. Finally, they can proudly hang their finished wreath on a door or wall to serve as a patriotic decoration.
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2. Fireworks in a Jar
Your young ones will get a kick out of this vibrant science experiment! To begin, have them fill a jar with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Next, they’ll need to add oil and drop in an Alka-Seltzer tablet. The result? An exciting display that looks like fireworks in a jar!
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3. American Flag Handprint Craft
This craft is a fun and easy way to celebrate Independence Day with your young children. To make the flag, they’ll use blue paint to form a handprint in the top left corner of a white piece of paper. Next, they can use red and white paint to create stripes on the rest of the paper. The finished product is a unique and patriotic decoration that can be displayed with satisfaction.
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4. Patriotic Scavenger Hunt
Encourage teamwork and challenge your students’ problem-solving skills with this fun activity! Participants should be given a list of patriotic items to find, such as an American flag or a red, white, and blue balloon. We bet that your kiddos will have a blast checking off each item at the 4th of July festivities!
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5. Tie-Dye T-Shirt
This activity is a fun and colorful opportunity for your learners to create their own patriotic T-shirts. All that’s required is a white T-shirt and a tie-dye kit. Following the instructions on the kit, they can create unique and vibrant designs of red, white, and blue to wear on Independence Day.
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6. DIY Parade Float
Host a memorable mini-parade in your classroom on Independence Day! Your crafty participants can use cardboard boxes, construction paper, and other craft supplies to create DIY miniature parade floats. Then, have your students display their floats on their desks and invite other classes to come and see their unique constructions! You can even tie in some learning about the history and significance of parades on Independence Day.
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7. Patriotic Photo Booth
A photo booth will surely up the fun at the 4th of July festivities! Using a backdrop, your participants can take photos with fun props like hats, glasses, and other patriotic-themed items. Children and adults alike will be lining up to take silly pictures of themselves as presidents or enthusiastic Americans!
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8. Statue of Liberty Crown and Torch Craft
We love recycled crafts! This one involves making a Statue of Liberty Crown and Torch out of paper plates, empty toilet paper rolls, and construction paper. Your kiddos can learn about the Statue of Liberty and its importance as a symbol of freedom and democracy as they make their replicas.
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9. Patriotic Bingo
Your kiddos can learn about the Pledge of Allegiance, the American flag, and other important American symbols while playing a simple game of Bingo! Patriotic Bingo will help them learn about American history and culture- while improving their concentration and memory skills like never before.
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10. Independence Day Mad Libs
Mad Libs is a funny yet educational game that can be played by people of all ages! Your kiddos will simply fill in the blanks with a word that correctly aligns with the provided grammar prompt. In the end, they’ll have everyone laughing as they read their inventive stories aloud! This activity promotes creativity, language development, and problem-solving skills, all while celebrating July 4th!
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11. Patriotic Piñata
No party is complete without a piñata! Develop creativity, fine motor skills, and teamwork by challenging your learners to make a patriotic piñata! They can fashion their own piñatas using balloons, newspaper, and craft supplies before filling them with patriotic-themed treats like red, white, and blue candy or small American flags.
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12. Fourth of July Slime
Your kids are probably always asking to make slime, so here’s a way to fit it into your Independence Day festivities! In order for your kiddos to make the slime, they’ll need to gather white glue, red and blue food coloring, baking soda, and contact lens solution. Once they have everything, have them mix the glue, baking soda, and a small amount of contact lens solution together in a bowl until it forms a sticky base. Afterward, they’ll add red and blue food coloring to create a patriotic swirl effect.
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13. American Flag Popsicles
Your kiddos will love eating popsicles on a hot, July day before they can begin this craft! Simply have them save the sticks to form the base of their flags. They’ll alternate painting the sticks red and white and then use craft glue to shape their flag on top. To finish, they can add a square of blue construction paper to the corner and draw stars on it. Ta-da- now they have a flag to wave around during all the festivities!
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14. Patriotic Window Clings
Here’s a craft to illuminate your class windows! To make the clings, your kiddos will need puffy paint in red, white, and blue colors, as well as clear plastic sheet protectors or plastic bags. Have them draw patriotic designs such as stars, stripes, and fireworks onto the plastic using the paint. Allow it to dry completely and then gently peel the cling off the plastic and press it onto your windows to deck them out.
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15. Liberty Bell Wind Chimes
Need an activity to pair with a lesson about the Liberty Bell? Look no further! To make patriotic wind chimes, each of your students will need a small garden pot with a hole at the bottom, sturdy string, and metal bells! They can begin by painting their pot gold, just like the State House Bell in Philadelphia, and weaving a string through the hole. Then, they’ll attach the bells to the end of the string and hang their wind chime in a breezy spot.
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16. Fourth of July Hat
Don’t leave your kids out- let them make their own Fourth of July hats with this fun craft! Piecing together some household items like an oatmeal cylinder, white foam board, and a paper plate, they’ll be able to construct a unique top hat. Next, you’ll want to give them some time to adorn their creations with red, white, and blue accessories like stars, stripes, and glitter. These hats would be the perfect addition to their costume for the Independence Day parade!
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17. DIY Firework Shirts
Everyone will be asking where your kids got these unique firework shirts and they’ll be more excited to share that they’ve made them! It’s simple- they’ll draw fireworks on a white T-shirt with some permanent red and blue markers. When they finish their designs, they can use a spray bottle to apply some rubbing alcohol to the ends of their fireworks; making the colors bleed and resemble a fireworks show.
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18. Patriotic Rock Painting
Let your kiddos turn ordinary rocks into patriotic works of art! All they’ll need is a paintbrush and some red, white, and blue craft paint. Give them the creative freedom to design their rocks with images of what the USA means to them! I’m sure you’ll see some stars and stripes emerge, and hopefully some other snazzy designs too!
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19. American Flag Sun Catcher
These American flag sun catchers are sure to draw some attention to your class windows! Using contact paper, tissue paper, and other craft supplies, your children can cut out stars and stripes to make beautiful sun catchers with a patriotic theme.
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20. DIY Patriotic Lanterns
DIY patriotic lanterns are an outstanding craft to do with your little ones. The process is simple; have them cut strips of paper to make the top and bottom cylinders, and cut wavy strips to attach between both ends. Then, they can cut out white stars and add them to their lanterns- decorating them in any way that they see fit. The finished lanterns can then be hung in a tree to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for their Fourth of July celebration.
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21. Decorate Bicycles or Wagons
Have somewhere to be on Independence Day? With this activity, your kiddies can ride in style! Encourage your students to decorate their bicycles or wagons with patriotic decorations such as streamers, balloons, and American flags. Once all dressed up, they’ll probably get invited to ride or walk in their local Independence Day parade!
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22. American Flag Ice Painting
Your kids won’t believe that they can paint with ice cubes! To make the magic ice cube paint, semi-freeze colored water in an ice cube tray. Stick a popsicle stick inside each one before throwing it back into the freezer to really firm up. Once they’ve formed, give the sticks to your kids and have them accurately draw the American flag on watercolor paper. As the ice melts, the colors will blend together to create an awesome effect!
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23. Fireworks Painting with Straws
In this art project, your students will make a truly distinct fireworks display! They’ll enjoy the process as they use a straw to blow paint onto paper-creating an explosion of color that looks like fireworks bursting in the sky. Kids of all ages can benefit from this activity as it collectively helps them develop their creativity and hand-eye coordination.
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24. Patriotic Windsock Craft
Windsocks are a classic Fourth of July decoration that your kiddies will undoubtedly love creating! With just a few materials, such as cardstock, streamers, and string, they’ll design patriotic windsocks to blow in the breezy July wind!
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25. Fourth of July Mason Jar Luminaries
Illuminate the nighttime festivities with these elegant-looking luminaries! In order to make the luminaries, your students will need mason jars, tissue paper in red, white, and blue, glitter, scissors, and glue. They’ll start by cutting the tissue paper into small squares or strips before gluing them onto the outside of the jars in a pattern of their choosing. Once the jar is covered, apply another layer of glue and glitter to seal the tissue paper in place. After drying, they’ll finish their project by illuminating the jar with a tea light or LED candle inside.
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26. DIY Patriotic Flip Flops
Your kids will love giving plain flip-flops a patriotic makeover with this fun activity. Using a glue gun, they can quickly apply buttons and red, white, and blue ribbon to their flops. Now they’ll have a festive outfit feature to sport on Independence Day!
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27. 4th of July Chalk Pastel Art
Grab some black paper and chalk pastels and let your kids loose to create some amazing 4th of July works of art. They can even use cardboard to cut out star and firework stencils- drawing all around the shapes with chalk pastels. They can finish up their pieces by smudging the colors with their fingers or cotton wool if they prefer.
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28. Uncle Sam Cootie Catcher
This bright, colourful, and hilarious project combines some basic origami folds with Independence Day. With easy-to-follow video instructions, your kiddos will soon have their own Uncle Sam cootie catcher! With careful cutting and folding, this is a great activity for them to practice their fine motor skills.
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29. Printable Pinwheel
Nothing says summer quite like pinwheels. These super easy-to-make pinwheels only require the provided printout, a pencil, and a pin. To assemble, your students can form the folds and pin the paper to the eraser of the pencil. To make it spin really fast, they can pop a pony bead between the wheel and the eraser. Once they stick them in their yards, they can let the wind do the rest!
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30. Patriotic Necklace
For your kids who love beading, this one is a must. This patriotic necklace can be made from items you probably already have in the house, like plastic straws, string, and beads. Once you’ve got all the materials prepped, give your littles the creative freedom to bead away and craft a necklace by following any pattern that they’d like!
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31. Red White and Blue Flowers
What could be more beautiful than red, white, and blue flowers on Independence Day? Science meets celebrations in this activity. All your children need are some white flowers, blue and red food coloring, and some jars. Ask your kids to fill the jars with water and a few drops of dye before popping a white flower into each. Then, have them stand back and watch as the flowers soak up the colors and change before their eyes!
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32. 4th of July Rockets
Independence Day celebrations wouldn’t be the same without rockets! Not only is this balloon rocket activity great fun, but it can be enjoyed outdoors with your kids’ whole family observing. To set up, your students will thread a plastic straw through a long piece of twine that should then be attached between two trees. Next, they’ll blow up a balloon and tape it to the straw. Instead of tying it shut, they’ll pinch it closed with a clothespin. Now they’re ready to launch! They can simply remove the clothespin and watch their rockets take off!
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33. Independence Day Cookies
These firework cookies are guaranteed to be a hit at your 4th July celebrations. With a little supervision, your kids will love baking and decorating them with traditional red, white, and blue royal icing. To create little swirls, just have them drop some food coloring in the center of the white-iced cookies and use a toothpick to drag the colors outward.
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34. Creative Writing Prompts
Spark your children’s imaginations with these 4th July writing prompt ideas. Simply print, or write them out on colored paper, pop them in a jar, and let your child pick out one or two. They may have to create a story from an Independence-themed word bank or create the perfect barbeque menu- the options are endless!
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35. Patriotic Planters
Your students will be ready to show their love for their country with these patriotic planters. They’ll need some terracotta pots, acrylic paint in red, white, and blue, some foam stars, and brushes. Once the pots dry, head to your local nursery and help them choose some easy-to-grow red or white petunias to plant!
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36. Color By Numbers Worksheets
These color-by-number worksheets are perfect for your children who know their numbers and can complete simple addition sums. It’s a calm, yet engaging activity that will keep their little hands busy while you get on with the important 4th of July preparations!
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37. Confetti Poppers
Start your Independence Day celebrations with a bang with these DIY confetti poppers. They’re inexpensive and easy to make and children of all ages will surely love them! To create, have your learners fill empty toilet paper rolls with confetti and seal them with 9-inch balloons! Let your kids use colored paper and stickers to then decorate them as they please, and let the party-popping fun begin!
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38. Patriotic Sundae Bar
What’s the best thing about parties? That’s right- the food! This patriotic sundae bar will be a hit amongst your kiddos; and all you need are some jars, star stickers, twine, different toppings, and the all-important ice cream. They’ll love helping to set it all up, but they’ll love eating it even more!
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39. Red, White and Blue Sidewalk Chalk
Looking for something to keep your kiddies occupied? Look no further! These red, white, and blue chalk stars are so easy to make and they’re the perfect shape for little hands to hold and draw with. Made with just plaster of Paris, water, washable or tempura paint, and a star-shaped mold; your littles can get involved in the creation process before using the final products to draw their favorite USA-themed images on the pavement with all of their friends!
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40. Patriotic Songs and Rhymes
Who doesn’t love a sing-along on Independence Day? Gather the gang and sing of your pride for the country! These songs are great for your kids to sing to as many of them are sung to the tune of familiar nursery rhymes. Don’t fret if they don’t like singing- we’ve ensured that there are some videos to watch and poems to read here as well!
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