Fun Fourth of July Activities for Kids

The Fourth of July is a day traditionally full of fireworks, cookouts and family fun, and it’s a great day to do activities and on-theme experiments with kids. Check out these easy ideas for fun Fourth of July activities for kids that adults will enjoy, too!

This one is listed as a Flag Day activity, but I think going on a flag hunt would be great for any patriotic holiday. (We have a few people in our neighborhood who line their yards with tiny flags on patriotic holidays, and when my daughter was little we’d go on walks and count all the flags.) No Time for Flashcards made a flag hunt into a race against the clock, but if you have several kids you could also see who can find the most flags in a period of time.

Make the classic baking soda and vinegar explosion reaction into red, white and blue fun with this fun activity from Kindergarten Worksheets and Games. Or make oil and water “fireworks” with this quick experiment from Preschool Play and Learn. You probably have everything you need for both of these in the house already if you keep food coloring around.

And while we’re making fun out of stuff in the pantry, grab an empty paper towel roll and make some fun marshmallow shooters. The decorations on the shooter are what makes this a Fourth of July activity, but if you don’t have red, white and blue supplies on hand kids can also decorate the tubes with a holiday twist before turning them into shooters. Get the instructions from Hunny I’m Home.

Looking for more July 4th activities to do with kids? Check out my list of flag crafts that kids can make, as well as some printables with a Fourth of July theme. And if you’ve got young ones these red, white and blue sensory activities are great for the fourth or any time of year!

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

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