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The fourth of July is the biggest holiday in the summer. There are so many fun things you can do to celebrate the holiday. If you’re having a hard time coming up with 4th of July traditions, then I hope this list helps you plan your July 4th.
July 4th is a Federal Holiday in the United States of America. It’s the day that we celebrate independence, also known as Independence Day.
On July 2nd, 1776 at the Pennsylvania State House our independence from Great Britain was approved and we were free from them. Two days later, on July 4th, the Declaration Of Independence was adopted.
These fun 4th of July traditions are great for families, for friends, for couples, for kids, and more. Some of them are super easy to do, so you can do them at the last minute.
I love having traditions to do with my family so that we have things to look forward to every year, like a certain dessert or activity.
4th of July Tradition #1 – Play Bingo
This is a great activity to do if you have kids or a large family. It can be played indoors or outdoors. You can download these festive 4th of July bingo printables so it’s not your average game of bingo.
Get some candy and little dollar store toys to use for prizes and make it more exciting for everyone.
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2. Make A Festive Dessert
I love making a 4th of July dessert every year to enjoy after dinner or after fireworks. This is one of my favorite 4th of July celebrations!
I love to make either a flag cake or jello flag dessert. Use strawberries for the stripes and blueberries for the stars.
3. Do Your Own Fireworks
I prefer going to a firework show, but if you want to, you can purchase fireworks and set them off yourself. We always did this growing up and it was so fun.
My siblings and I would put on a 4th of July program for the family and we would preplan the order of the fireworks that we would light. The night always ended with root beer floats.
This is a tradition that Americans love to do. Just make sure it’s legal to do them in your area first.
4. Make Red, White & Blue Tie Dye Shirts
You can make these with your family and wear them together for the summer holiday. This video will teach you how to make them.
You’ll need white shirts and a tie dye kit that has red and blue in it.
5. Host A BBQ
This is a classic tradition for Independence in the United States. People typically BBQ hot dogs and hamburgers, but you can also do other things like corn on the cob and veggie skewers.
6. Put Out Your American Flag
Show how patriotic you are by hanging your American flag up outside your house. You’ll see a lot of houses doing this. The flag is so pretty and shows how festive you are.
7. Play Baseball
Some families or friends get together for a game of baseball during the day.
8. Wear Red, White & Blue
You can get a cute flag shirt, or you can put together a whole red, white, and blue outfit. I love to wear red, white, and blue on the 4th of July!
A lot of people make a tradition of getting the Old Navy flag shirts for their whole family.
9. Go To A Festival
A lot of communities have festivals on the 4th of July or close to it. Check your city website to see if there will be one near you. It’s fun to go to these and eat festival food, go on carnival rides, and watch fireworks.
10. Sing American Songs
There are a lot of classic American songs you can sing like This Land is Your Land, Proud To Be An American, or the Star-Spangled Banner, which is our National Anthem.
11. Go Swimming
The 4th of July is usually a really hot day. Beat the heat by going swimming in your own pool or going to a community pool.
12. Learn About the 4th of July
You can brush up on the history of our country for yourself or teach your kids about it.
Some ideas for this are the American revolution, The Declaration Of Independence, The Founding Fathers, John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and The Continental Congress.
13. Do A Scavenger Hunt
Moritz Fine Designs has a scavenger hunt for that you can do. This is so fun for kids, for families, or for large groups.
This is a great activity to do during the day before dinner and fireworks.
14. Have an Eating Contest
You could get everyone together and have people join to do a pie eating contest, or you can do whatever food you want. Make sure you have some prizes for the winners!
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15. Go on a Picnic
Pack some lunches and head to the park for a picnic. You can throw a frisbee or football while you’re there or sit under a shady tree and enjoy being outside.
For picnics I love to bring pasta salad or sandwiches and some sides like chips, cookies, and fruit.
16. Make a Red, White & Blue Drink
There’s nothing more refreshing than a cold drink on a hot day. Make a festive red, white, and blue one like this one from Crafty Morning.
You can use red Mountain Dew soda, clear soda like Sprite, and Blue Gatorade.
You can make it extra festive by adding star shaped ice cubes or patriotic paper straws. You can get some really cute 4th of July straws here.
17. Go to Your Local 4th of July Parade
Tons of cities have a 4th of July parade in the morning. Check out your cities website for events like this.
They usually have floats from different local sports teams, clubs, businesses, and the local police department.
18. Make a 4th of July Craft
Making a craft a few weeks before a holiday is so much fun! I like to make them early so that I can put them up in my home and enjoy them before the holiday.
I love this patriotic burlap banner from See Vanessa Craft.
19. Go to a Firework Show
Look up firework shows in your area to see where they are. If you’re in Utah, we love the fireworks show at Thanksgiving Point. This is my favorite way to celebrate the fourth.
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