Easy Kids Crafts for Fourth of July

I don’t know why the Fourth of July feels like a crafting holiday to me, but it does. I guess it’s because stars and stripes and red, white and blue are such simple things to work with and build off of, and there’s something extra-homey about a kid-made American flag.

Even if you’re not super crafty yourself, these kid crafts for the Forth of July are quick and easy to make and fun to use as decor for all your holiday gatherings.

These cute ribbon wand flags from Ruffles and Rain Boots are also a great fine-motor skill activity for little ones as they loop the ribbon to attach it to the stick. Add to the fun by painting the sticks if you like (before you add the ribbon, of course!).

Speaking of ribbon, Momfessionals has an easy flag craft inspired by a wind sock made from a plastic cup and ribbons. This one is especially great for parents (or teachers!) who don’t like the mess that’s often associated with kids crafting.

Stringing beads is another great fine-motor skill builder, and kids can get lots of practice stringing beads when they make these patriotic necklaces. These are made with beads and paper straws. Littler kids can make beaded bracelets with pipe cleaners and pony beads. Get the tutorial from Buggy and Buddy.

Paper tubes are a great base for all sorts of crafts, including this patriotic blower from Natural Beach Living. There is a little painting involved, so this one isn’t quite as quick as some of the other ones, but they’re still really cute.

I thought these rockets from Heart Filled Spaces were also a paper tube craft, but it’s actually all made with cardstock cut with a cutting machine (there are instructions for doing it by hand, too). You could use a tube if you wanted to make it a little easier!

Or make this cute straw painted paper plate star craft from Our Kid Things. This one can get a little messy, but it’s also a lot of fun!

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Fun Facts About Flags

Last month I shared some tips for teaching the alphabet to kids and why going in alphabetical order isn’t the best way to do it. Honestly a lot of learning at this age has to do with play, so let’s look at some fun alphabet activities that kids can do that will help them learn the alphabet.

Activities that get kids moving and learning at the same time are ideal for preschool, and Forward with Fun has a few great ideas, like this fly swatter letter recognition game (which you could also use for numbers, words, all sorts of things you’re learning) and a beginning sound stomping game.

Another fun alphabet game you can do at home or adapt for wherever you are is this printable alphabet scavenger hunt from Play Party Plan. They’ve got a list of items to find and also a blank printable you can write your own list on, or let kids write down what they find for each letter.

Or do a literal letter scavenger hunt like this one from Happily Ever Mom. This one uses the letters from an alphabet puzzle but you could also use magnet letters or just cut out shapes of letters. It also adds the fun of doing it in the dark and hunting with a flashlight, but you can also do it with the lights on if you want.

This alphabet sensory bottle from Parenting Chaos is made with a set of alphabet beads and would be fun to keep in the classroom or have in the car or for quiet times.

Use what you have to make an alphabet learning activity, like this one made with Duplo blocks from Playtivities. You can stick letters to the sides of blocks (or write them on) and just play with them, use them for letter recognition and talking about sounds, and eventually spelling and reading, too.

Turn letter learning into craft time by making a big letter out of a bunch of little letters with this activity from Meaningful Mama. If you don’t get magazines anymore check with your local Buy Nothing group, or your local library may have some they’re looking to get rid of.

I think most preschoolers love dot markers, so these free alphabet dot marker worksheets from Daydream into Reality would be a great thing to download and print out. This is a great set because it includes uppercase and lowercase letters, and some have letter tracing practice while others include something that starts with that letter that kids can color. Work with one letter at a time or the letters in the child’s name and then provide the whole set as a quiet time activity.

Another great set of alphabet worksheets that isn’t free (and would also be good for older kids) is this set from My Nerdy Teacher. These worksheets include letter tracing and recognition activities, as well as objects to color.

I also love these alphabet roads printables from Messy Little Monster, which kids can use with cars to trace the letters (they could also be playdough mats you use to form the letters in the shape shown, or trace with a dry erase marker).

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