PLAN SOME FUN ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Nothing beats backyard water play, even if it’s just a hose attached to a sprinkler. Get creative and have some fun! Play a game of volleyball in the pool or in the sprinklers.  For the little ones, purchase an inexpensive plastic wading pool and supply water balls, measuring cups, floating toys, etc. Parental supervision is always advised.

Play a game of Wiffle ball in the park, or croquet, volleyball,  Frisbee, have a watermelon eating contest (see below), plan and prepare for some relay races, or play tug-of-war using sturdy rope. (Make the rule that the rope is NEVER wrapped around the hands – there have been reports of kids losing fingers. Instead, you can knot the rope, evenly spaced from one end to the other.) Have a nature hunt, a scavenger hunt, egg toss, balloon toss, “Mother May I”, “Capture the Flag” and many more. For other outdoor games, visit this website: Games Kids Play.

SETTING THE TABLE:
You will need:
plain white sheet
small can red spray paint
small can blue spray paint
one relatively large piece of cardboard

Cut out a star pattern from the center of the large piece of cardboard with at least a 3″ border around the outside. Place the stencil on the white sheet and LIGHTLY spray – in the cut-out area of the star – with blue paint. This does not need to be a solid color. Move the cardboard star to another random area of the sheet and LIGHTLY spray (blue) again. Continue doing this until you have the number of blue stars you want. (Remember to leave some room for red stars.) Let the sheet AND the cardboard star dry completely. Then, do the same procedure with the red paint. You can use the same cardboard star because you let it dry. Optional; use different size stars for variety.

PATRIOTIC T-SHIRTS
Materials needed:
T-shirt
embroidery hoop or coffee can
permanent markers
rubbing alcohol

Place your t-shirt in an embroidery hoop OR over a coffee can, secured with a rubber band. Let the kids draw (with permanent markers) a picture of a flag, fireworks, or other cool picture. Then, drop rubbing alcohol over the picture. It’ll look like a tie-dyed shirt – without the mess!

WHO DOESN’T LIKE COOKIES ON A STICK?
Begin by baking your favorite sugar cookie. While still warm, carefully (do not burn yourself) insert a wooden skewer firmly into each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool. Then, providing white frosting and an array of red and blue sprinkles, let the kids decorate to their hearts’ content. The cookies can even be used as a center piece until ready to eat. Fill a tin with Styrofoam and stick the ends of the skewers down into the Styrofoam. Enjoy!

WATERMELON EATING CONTEST
Pre-select some ripe watermelons (with seeds). Wash the outsides and cut up into long, even slices.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.  Give each adult “contestant” a slice of watermelon and a cup to spit the seeds into. On the word “go” they will start eating and spit the seeds into the cup as they go. Time them for just one minute. At the end of the time, have them count the seeds and the winner of the most wins a fresh, whole watermelon.  For little kids, give them a slice of seedless watermelon. The one to finish eating the watermelon first wins a package of watermelon chewing gum / tape.  Be sure to take a lot of pictures. You don’t want to miss a single moment of the fun.

FRUITY IDEAS: Let the kids participate in making their own fruit kabobs or the fruit platter in our “Celebrate the 4th” recipes. The more kids participate in the preparation of foods, the more likely they will eat them.

4th of JULY INDIVIDUAL PIZZAS
English Muffins
Pizza or Spaghetti sauce
small star cookie cutter
cheese slices
Canadian bacon or pepperoni
sliced black olives
other pizza toppings of your choice

Separate the English muffins into halves. On each half, let the kids spread some sauce on top.(One spoonful per pizza is all that is needed.) Spread with back of spoon. Using the star cookie cutter, cut out shapes from the cheese and meat slices. Place on top of the sauce and add other toppings, as desired. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet and heat in the oven at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Delicious!

STAR-SHAPED PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY SANDWICHES
Let’s face it… some kids will eat only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! But, you can make them with a patriotic look! For each serving, use three slices white bread (yes, we know white bread is void of nutrition and we wouldn’t normally recommend eating it, but this one time won’t hurt.) Slice 1: spread on some peanut butter and favorite red jelly. Slice 2: Spread on some blueberry or grape jelly. Lay face-up on the first slice. Top both slices with the third slice of plain bread. Cut out the shape of a star using a medium to large star-shaped cookie cutter.

Let the kids make COLD,  DELICIOUS SMOOTHIES using 100% red or grape juice and a scoop of refreshing frozen yogurt. Additional fresh fruit can be added, if desired.

Enjoy the celebrations of July 4th. Wear plenty of sunscreen and bug repellant, and definitely watch kids around water. Make this an incredibly fun holiday, so be SAFE! Finally, and definitely the most important, thank God for His love and the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America.