Celebrating July 4th With Kids: Plan a Family-Friendly Independence Day Party at Home

By Kim Humphrey
Posted Jun 25, 2020 Holidays Parenting

While many of the traditional July 4th community parades, fireworks and festivities are canceled this year, there's still plenty of fun ways to celebrate Independence Day at home.

Whether you plan to host a (socially distanced) cookout or stick to a family celebration, we have some great suggestions for family-friendly, festive decor, activities and food that are sure to add a little extra red, white and blue sparkle to your day.

Set the Stage for Your Celebration

Whether you're gathering the gang or keeping it low key with just the fam, festive decor is the key to getting everyone in the mood. Here are a few fun, kid-friendly ideas.

Patriotic Lawn Stars

These lawn stars really add a 'wow' factor to your celebration, and your kids will get a kick out of being given a free pass to spray paint the grass! Check out these instructions for creating your own display. The most important thing to remember is to use temporary marking spray (the stuff that utility companies and contractors use to mark gas lines and such) versus regular spray paint so you don't kill your lawn!

4th of July Mason Jar Candles

How cute are these mason jar candles? This is a fun decor idea that is also great for the kids to help with; they will love dying the rice and filling up the jars. All you need for this project are mason jars, rice, food coloring, Ziploc bags and votive candles. Head over to This Grandma is Fun for the full deets. 

Snap, Crackle, Pop! Fourth of July Fun and Games Station

Photo Courtesy of Uncommon Designs

There's nothing special about the individual 'ingredients' here, but kids will get a kick out of having their very own self-service station with this fab trio of July Fourth fun - bubbles, snaps, and sparklers! And it does double duty as cute decor for your festivities. 

Patriotic Playlist

Music is a must when throwing your Independence Day soiree, whether it's a barbecue, a bike parade, or just a family get-together. Check out this Patriotic Playlist from SoFestive.com to pick your favorite Independence Day-inspired tunes. These songs will get you in the spirit to salute the Red, White, and Blue!

Fun & Games

No celebration is complete without some party games and activities to keep the kids busy and entertained!

Plan a Bike Parade

Photo Courtesy of So Festive

With community July 4th parades canceled, this is the perfect year to start a new tradition by organizing your own. Plan a patriotic bike parade and invite the whole neighborhood along for the "ride" (with appropriate social distancing, of course). Encourage the kids to decorate their bikes, scooters, and helmets with patriotic streamers, mini-flags, bows, bells and balloons. Kids of all ages will enjoy this fun, festive activity!

4th of July Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a great way to keep kids occupied for a bit, and this July 4th themed hunt is so festive and fun. Download for free; it is an editable file so you can add or sub in your own ideas. Make it a race with a prize for the kiddo who finds the most items within the time limit!

Stars and Stripes Paper Bag Kite Craft

Photo Courtesy of Fun Loving Families

Create this fun Stars and Stripes Bag Kite from Fun Loving Families for your 4th of July party or just for fun!  This simple craft is easy to make and most of the supplies can be found in your craft bin. All you need is a blue paper bag, star stickers, red and white crepe streamers, and yarn or string. Once it's complete, let it soar or use it as Independence Day decor.

Flag Hunt Game

Grab some mini flags and a bucket and get ready to play this fun game with your kids! Flag Hunt from No Time for Flash Cards is the same concept as an Easter Egg Hunt, only this time you are hiding flags. Stick the flags in the ground all over the yard while the kids wait inside. (Make sure they don't peek!), then call them out to find the flags. Have your kids compete against the clock instead of each other to find all the flags. After all the flags are found take some time to share the history of our flag and what the stars and stripes stand for, then play again! 

Flag Balloon Dart Game

Photo Courtesy of Giggles Galore

This one takes a bit of advance prep but the finished product is well worth the effort! Head over to Giggles Galore for the step-by-step instructions to pull this game together. Not only does this make a great decoration for your celebration, the balloons are filled with goodies which takes the fun of this game to the next level! Just be watchful of little kids, as it does require the use of real darts.

4th of July Confetti Poppers

Photo Courtesy of Lanham Creations
You can't celebrate the 4th of July without a little confetti! For a fun and safe way to enjoy the day, create your own confetti poppers by Lanham Creations. All you need are toilet paper rolls, tissue paper, confetti, scissors, a hot glue gun, clear tape, and twine. In only a few minutes you'll have the perfect party poppers to celebrate the USA! Concerned about clean-up? Holidappy offers a step-by-step guide to make clean-up a breeze.

Food!

Need we say more? 

Patriotic French Toast Skewers

Photo Courtesy of KidsRecipeBox.com
Kick off the Fourth with a fun and healthy breakfast that sets the stage for a celebratory day!  All you need for these Patriotic French Toast Skewers are ingredients for French toast (the frozen kind works great), strawberries, blueberries, skewers, and a star-shaped cookie cutter. This fun morning activity might just become part of your family's 4th of July tradition!

American Flag Marshmallow Pops

Photo Courtesy of Two Sisters

Marshmallows, candy melts, lollipop sticks and white star sprinkles are all you need for these super cute, kid-friendly treats. And let's face it, everything tastes better on a stick, am I right? Head over to Two Sisters for the complete recipe and instructions. 

American Flag Fruit Pizza

Photo Courtesy of It's Always Autumn

For a slightly healthier dessert option, how about this eye catching and super delicious 'pizza'? This recipe from It's Always Autumn uses refrigerated cookie dough for the crust (so easy!) paired with a homemade (but still easy!) cheesecake mouse filling and topped with blueberries and raspberries. You could certainly sub in blackberries and/or strawberries for the stars and stripes if you prefer. 

Firecracker Hot Dogs

Pigs in a blanket, Fourth of July-style! Most kids dig hot dogs and this firecracker version definitely ups the fun factor for your family Independence Day celebration. Skewer your dogs, wrap them in refrigerated bread stick dough to bake, and finish with cheese star on top (courtesy of a mini star cookie cutter).

Red, White & Blue Layered Drinks

The kids will crazy over these festive red, white and blue drinks that are also super easy to make, believe it or not! While the version shown here uses champagne glasses, I think these would look super cute and be much more kid-friendly served in mason jars. They require only three store-bought ingredients, and are actually pretty tasty despite what may seem like a strange combination of flavors. You can even add a bit of alcohol for the grown ups in your group.

Happy Fourth!

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