I don’t know about you, but I have always loved the 4th of July! One summer, when I was in middle school, my parents decided we would go camping all across the country. The trip lasted most of the summer and we saw so many wonderful parts of our great county. The highlight of the trip was watching fireworks on the 4th of July in Washington, DC. We were able to sit on the back of the Capital Building (this was long before 9/11) and watched the fireworks lit up the National Mall.
I love fireworks and always associate them with our Independence Day celebration. Would it even be a July 4th celebration without them? We will soon find out due to the current pandemic, many fireworks shows have been or will be canceled this year in the name of social distancing.
Pandemic or not, we can still find ways to celebrate our countries birthday. I did a little internet surfing to find some ideas for myself and my family and thought I would share them with you.
Decorations and Crafts
Here are some ideas for decorations. Each are fairly simple, you might even have some of the items around the house. Get the kids involved ~ one thing I know for sure, kids love a good craft project.
Food and drink
Snacks and Appetizers
Main course
I don’t know about you, but 4th of July dinner will always be something cooked on the grill. Hamburgers and hot dogs are an easy solution, but you can get as creative as you want. Salmon on the grill is fabulous, so is chicken or even a nice steak. And, don’t forget your plant-based eating friends, veggies on the grill are enough to make everyone eat more vegetables!
And for something a little different…
Whose thirsty?
Many of the drinks I found online were adult beverages. The links I have provided are non-alcoholic, but you could always modify based on your preference. If you choose to spike these, please be careful and drink responsibly.
Dessert
Is it even a party without dessert? I could skip dinner and go straight to dessert, these look so good!
Games and Activities
I always like to keep it simple but fun, maybe have a prize for the winners. Make sure you can include both adults and children and remember that the point is just to have fun, no be too focused on competition (unless its an adult only party).
I won’t elaborate too much, I just want to give you some ideas and you can take it from there.
- Relay races
- Sack races
- Swimming races
- Belly flop compettion
- Watermelon eating contest
And if you want more of an activity, how about tie dye? This shirt would be fun to make!
And if we can’t end the night with fireworks, how about an outdoor movie? Do you have a wall of your house that will work? Maybe DIY a movie screen with some PVC and a white sheet.
Celebrate the 4th of July at home this year. It might not be filled with fireworks, but it can still be a memorable celebration. However, you choose to do it, be safe! Happy 4th of July to all.
