Independence Day: Misc. Ideas Do you know of any good activities that would go along with this theme?  Click on the Pre-K Fun mailbox to share them!

Fourth of July Party

(Here's the invitation I wrote.)

HOORAY for the red, white, and blue,
HOORAY for America, for me, for you!
Lets celebrate this special day
With something to eat and games to play.
Our own parade will be so much fun
And there will be surprises for everyone!
____ is the time, _____ is the date,
So come on over and don't be late.
And if you wear red, white, or blue,
There'll be a special prize just for you!

Have your very own parade. I sometimes take my record player and John Philip Sousa
 record of marches outdoors and we march to the music. Rhythm band instruments
 can be used or you can spend time ahead of the party day making your own instruments.
 (Paper plates decorated, then filled with beans or rice or popcorn, glued around the edges....
make great shakers. You can also use 2 small Solo cups (red, white, or blue, of course),
add some popcorn, rice, beans or such, tape together....another shaker.
Jingle bells sewn to strips of elastic add another sound to your band. )

Make hats to wear in your parade. Cut from the outer edge to the center of a paper
plate, roll into a cone shape, and decorate as desired. Crepe paper or tissue paper
 streamers coming out of the top of it are cute. Add yarn or ribbon for tying under the chin.

For decorations, staple together a piece of red paper, blue paper, and white paper. Using a template,
 draw on as many stars as the page will hold. Then staple again, between the stars. This helps
 hold the 3 pages together as you cut out the stars. Using one of each color, glue one red side to a white
 side, a white side to a blue, etc. When you have 3 of them glued together, you will have a star to hang.

For refreshments, make ice cream in a bag. Serve with strawberry syrup and fresh strawberries.
Bake cupcakes and frost with white frosting. With rolling pin, roll out a large red gumdrop
 as thin as you can. Cut out with a tiny star shaped cutter (canopy kind).
 Put the star on the cupcake and add a candle if desired.

Have supplies ready to make a windsock for each to take home. Cut top and bottom from a 2 liter
 pop bottle so you have a cylinder shape left. Decorate with stickers such as stars. Punch 3 holes
 evenly around top and add yarn or string for hanging. Around the bottom edge, punch holes evenly.
 Tie ribbon or strips of inexpensive tablecloths for streamers. Of course do it all in red, white, and blue.

If you have enough riding toys available, give the children crepe paper streamers
 and blown up balloons and let them decorate them to use in your little parade.

For another simple decoration that the children could make ahead of time, cut pieces of paper 6" x 8".
 Along the 8" sides, mark off every 3/4" or 1". Using those marks, accordion fold the paper.
Staple together in the center, perpendicular to the folds. Cut off right triangle from both ends,
 thru all thicknesses. Bring open edges together and glue or staple, holding with clothespin
 until they dry if you use glue. These can be hung separately or tied close together for
 a long banner of them. Give them to the children as they leave.

Older children will love making firecracker centerpieces for the table. Purchase wooden dowels
 (should be about an inch in diameter or so). Cut each into pieces 4, 5 and 6" long. Give the kids red,
 white, and blue paint to paint the dowels. They can then sponge paint on stars or decorate in many
 ways (let them be creative). When dry, tie together with raffia in clusters of 3. Oh....ahead of time
drill or make a hole with a nail in the top of each dowel and add a silver or gold shiny chenille stem
 for the wick. When you use them on your table, sit some upright and some laying down.

You could also have each child bring a white t-shirt to paint. Have fabric paints and
 sponges cut into star shapes ready. Let each child decorate his/her own t-shirt to take home.

This is a good time to invite siblings or friends so that others can see just how much fun
 the children have at your child care home!!! For those who will be there all day,
 have hot dogs, chips, corn on the cob, and watermelon. If you have this party
 on a day that some children will not be there, be sure to invite them too.

I found some Red White and Blue Mike and Ikes at the dollar store so
I picked up a couple boxes. They will get these as their snack.

4th of July Discovery  Bottle

Statue of Liberty

Birthday Banner