4th of July Celebration With Preschoolers

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Preschoolers are curious about the world around them. They are always asking questions and trying to find out more information about everything. We must cater to this curiosity and use every opportunity to talk to them about things, and that includes holidays.

This particular one where we celebrate our Independence Day is a perfect opportunity to talk to our children about our country and its birthday, and, even when we cannot be very specific about the Declaration of Independence because it might be a little complicated, preschoolers can understand the general idea about this document, it’s meaning and the significance of freedom.

With this in mind and since the 4^th of July is coming soon I wanted to give you some ideas to celebrate such an important day with your preschoolers. Preschoolers must begin to understand the meaning of independence, freedom, and nation. The 4th of July celebration is a perfect opportunity to do just that.

I have compiled some activities that you can do in the classroom or at home for this occasion.

Social Studies

Use circle time to introduce the theme. I always like a story or a song to start. Explain that people have the right to be free and do what makes them feel happy. Ask them what makes them feel happy and explain that they have the freedom to choose what toys they want to play with.

Explain that a long time ago our country was not free, and people had to fight for their freedom. Tell them that when they won they created and signed a document called the Declaration of Independence, which is a document that gives everybody the right to be free, this happened on the 4th of July of 1776 and that is how our nation was born. Since then, every year, on the 4th of July, we celebrate our nation’s birthday.

One activity you can do is have your preschoolers create their own “Declaration of Independence”. Give them a piece of paper and tell them to draw something that they can do and makes them happy. Ask each child what their picture means, write it down on their paper, and have them tear the borders a little to make them look like scrolls.

Literacy

Literacy activities give preschoolers the foundation for reading and writing. It is important to use different opportunities to help them learn, and these activities can be as simple as reading a story, writing lists, singing, and playing rhyming games.

Also, an easy way to introduce preschoolers to American history is by reading kid-friendly books. There are several books I can recommend, but maybe my favorite is The Story of American’s Birthday by Patricia A. Pingry because is specially designed for preschoolers.

Books you can read for the 4th of July celebration:

The Night Before the Fourth of July by Nathasha Wing captures all the fun, excitement, and pride of the best summer holiday, where all across the United States people are getting ready for hot dogs and fireworks. Decked in red, white, and blue, a family heads to a parade, hosts a backyard BBQ with friends and family, dodges an afternoon thundershower, and of course, watches a fireworks show.

Story of America’s Birthday by Patricia A. Pingry. This story has vibrant illustrations paired with the text that help to create the connection between the story of the Declaration of Independence the American Revolution and today’s Fourth of July festivities. This book introduces children to the history and meaning behind Independence Day.

F is for Flag by Wendy Ceyette Lewison shows in simple terms how one flag can mean many things: a symbol of unity, a sign of welcome, and a reminder that in good times everyone in our country is part of one great big family.

Curious George Parade Day here’s nothing like waiting for something special and magical to happen. Today George is waiting for a parade to start! But before it does, this little monkey manages to find—and make—plenty of mischief.

It’s Not About You, Mrs. Firecracker: A Love Letter About the True Meaning of the Fourth of July by Soraya Diasse Collell. This wonderfully illustrated children’s book explains what brave Americans did to declare their freedom and equality, and identifies who was the source of guidance through it all.

Daniel’s First Fireworks by Daniel Tiger Neighborhood. This sweet storybook about a first experience is sure to be a hit with Daniel Tiger fans!

Hello, Fourth of July. Parent and child eagles celebrate America’s birthday in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock’s Hello! board book series for children. The pair spend the day surrounded by red, white and blue

Science

Science is one of my favorite subjects. It is fun, exciting, and easy to tie with all the domains. Preschoolers enjoy it very much and it gives you plenty of opportunities for teachable moments.

There is always an opportunity to create science activities or experiments for your children, and the 4th of July is no exception. It will add to the fun and excitement, and any experiment can be tied to your celebration simply by using the colors red, white, and blue.

Some of the activities you can do are:

4th of July Science Activities for Preschoolers

Fireworks in a Jar (I Can Teach My Child), is easy to make and fun to watch.

Homemade Pop Rockets (Playdough to Plato), are very fun homemade rockets that pop.

Patriotic Flowers ((artfulparent.com). Children will be surprised by how white flowers magically turn tri-color (red, white, and blue). You can use the opportunity to talk about absorption.

Star-Spangled Slime (momdot), is a beautiful slime for endless play. This is a combination of science and sensory activities.

Peppermint Fireworks (Playdough to Plato), preschoolers will be surprised to find out that mints can be used for science, not just for eating.

Skittles Experiment (Little Bins for Little Hands). Another fund experiment used red, white, and blue Skittles.

Straw Rockets (Simply Play Ideas). All kids like rockets, right?

Math

We cannot forget about math ever. Math provides early learners with vital skills that will be the foundation for their future. Math helps children solve problems, recognize and use shapes, measure and develop their spatial awareness, recognize and copy patterns, and many other important skills.

With this in mind, I created simple and fun math activities for this Independence celebration. You will need to round up some manipulatives such as plastic gems, mini erasers, counting chips, dry erase markers, and one dice, or two.

I also recommend printing the activities on cardstock and laminating them, to be able to use them again and again. You can also use dry-erase sheet protectors if you don’t want to laminate them.

These are some free activities I created for you:

Count and Clip Activity: the children count the pictures on each card, and mark the number with a clothespin.

Circle the Larger in Each Row: children look at the pictures in each row and use dry eraser markers to circle the larger one.

Circle the Smaller in Each Row: children look at the pictures in each row and use dry eraser markers to circle the smaller one.

4th of July Grid Game: this game will help children develop math and fine motor skills at the same time. To play this game a child have to roll a dice and cover that number of squares going left to right and top to bottom until all pictures are covered. It can also be a cooperative game where two children can play together, or maybe a competition using multiple copies for the entire group.

Count How Many in Each Row activity: this easy but educational activity will help preschoolers practice their counting skills as well as their writing skills since combining both activities in one.

4th of July Memory Game: this fun activity is excellent for practicing one-to-one correspondence and exercising the preschooler’s memory. It can be played between two children or a larger group. You just need to make multiple copies of the cards to make it more interesting.

Complete the Pattern activity: learning how to recognize and create patterns is very important for preschoolers because it will prepare them to learn complex number concepts and mathematical operations. This activity presents different patterns some simple and some more complex. You can either use the pages as is or cut them into strips and present them to the children, according to their developmental stage.

Trace the Numbers activity: this activity will help preschoolers develop their fine motor skills and also practice their number recognition. They simply have to say the number, before they trace it. They can also use counters to represent the number they are tracing.

You can get all the above activities in one convenient pdf. They are free for you to use in your classroom or at home. Just fill out the requested information and you will receive your download immediately.

Patriotic Crafts

Crafts are always fun and an excellent resource to help preschoolers develop their creativity and fine motor skills, in addition, since we are celebrating the birthday of our nation, decorations have to be created for the big party at the end of the week.

These are some activities they can do to celebrate the 4th of July:

Patriotic Sun Catcher (A Little Pinch of Perfect). Simple simple, using contact paper, tissue paper, and cut-out stars.

Patriotic Paper Plate Wind Catcher (Crafty Morning). Such a pretty decoration helps children develop their cutting skills a little further.

Firework Craft (Start a Home Decor). This activity cannot be more simple, and teachers can show children different tools for painting

4th of July Paper Plate Crowns (Make and Takes). What child doesn’t like a crown? Simple, fun, and pretty craft.

Patriotic Ribbon Wand (Mama in the Now). These wands can be used to dance and maybe to find out the direction of the wind outside, for a science activity.

Songs and Poems

Music always has to be present in any celebration, and the 4th of July is no exception. There are a lot of songs and poems you can teach your preschoolers, but there are also a couple that I like to play, not just because they are beautiful but also because of their message.

These are some of my favorites:

4th of July poem (The Inspired Tree House). This poem uses repetitive words and actions, that preschoolers will love.

Patriotic Kids Songs (Cool Time Kids). This is a beautiful collection of patriotic songs sung by children.

I’m Proud to Be an American (Lee Greenwood). I used this particular song in a couple of VPK graduations sung by the graduates themselves. It was beautiful and they did an excellent job with it!

Fourth of July. This book combines the story with music, and preschoolers can sing along as they explore Holidays in Rhythm and Rhyme! Includes online music access.

4^th of July Games

This special celebration cannot be complete without games. A good way to get the children moving is by using games. There are several games you can use inside or outside the classroom. Also, since families normally get together to celebrate the 4th of July, a good way to entertain their children is with games.

Here are some you can use:

4th of July Balloon Game (Mess for Less). What kid doesn’t like balloons? However, for this activity, I will recommend watching them, especially if there are younger children present. Balloons can be dangerous if they pop.

4th of July Bingo for preschoolers and their entire families.

4^th of July Bingo. This activity can be played by the entire family to have fun together. It comes with 4 different cards and 16 different tiles for every letter of the word Bingo, to have tons of possibilities and endless fun.

STEAM Activity

I found this great educational activity called Independence Day Building Structures. A very fun STEAM activity is excellent for preschoolers to develop their creativity, fine motor, and mathematical skills.

Sensory Activities

Sometimes we may think that sensory activities are more for younger children, but that is not necessarily true. Preschoolers enjoy these activities as well and they give you an excellent opportunity to ask questions that will encourage children to analyze situations and come up with scientific answers.

Fun Water Beads (I Can Teach My Child). You can ask questions such as: “Why do you think beads grow in water?”, “Why do you think they float?, “What will happen if you squeeze them?

4th of July Sensory Bottle (Teaching Mama). You can ask children questions such as: Why do you think the colors don’t mix? What will happen if they do?

Glow in the Dark Sensory Bottles (Kcedventures). During this activity, you might want to ask them questions like: What do you think may the water glow? What may happen if we mix the colors? What about if we add soap?

Cooking

Kids in the kitchen? Absolutely! It is not just fun but also a perfect opportunity for teachable moments such as reviewing colors and shapes, counting, fine motor, and creativity skills development. In addition, every celebration needs food, and you can use the opportunity to have your preschoolers prepare their snacks.

Some of the dishes you can do with your preschoolers for this occasion are:

Kids Friendly Patriotic Punch (Mom Endeavors). A refreshing and pretty punch that can be prepared with your children, without any difficulty.

Edible Flag (The Educator Spinonit). This snack is a little more challenging but excellent to help your children develop those fine motor skills since they have to be a little precise in placing the fruit.

Berries bowl Photo by Miesha Moriniere from Pexels

Berries Bowl: a beautiful and easy-to-make patriotic snack. Just two ingredients, strawberries, and blueberries, for a colorful and delicious snack. You could use the opportunity to ask the children to count the berries before they place them in the bowl. Also, you can have them compare the amount of each type of berrie.

Decorations

An important part of any celebration is the decorations, not only to have your classroom or home look beautiful but also to put everybody in a good and happy mood. Besides displaying the crafts the children create throughout the week, your preschoolers can also create additional decorations for this birthday celebration.

Since this is the 4th of July celebration, logically the colors should be blue, red, and white.

These are some items you can do with your preschoolers to use as decor:

4^th of July Pennant (Paper Trail Design). Pretty and easy to make.

Patriotic Paper Lanterns (The Crafting Chicks). These cute lanterns keep your children occupied for a while and are ideal for decoration.

Patriotic Pinwheels (Skip to My Lou). This pinwheel reminds me of my childhood. It is a vintage decoration that will never be too old to make and use.

Last Thoughts

The 4th of July is one of the most expected holidays. Families gather together for barbecues, good food, music, laughs, and fireworks, and that’s great. But I believe that we teachers have the responsibility to talk to our students about why we celebrate this holiday, and its real meaning. Whatever you do, please don’t forget to do that.

Tell your children the story about how we became a nation and what freedom means using simple words that they can understand. They might not get it completely, but you will be placing the foundation for their future. Lastly, you can finish the week with a parade and a party, to give your children something exciting to remember.

Have fun and be safe during this celebration. I know this year might not be as good as others because of all the challenges we have been facing with everything that has been happening in the last few months, but we still get to celebrate that we are still here, and together, we are always stronger.

Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.

Love,

P.D. Please let me know if you like any of these activities, or if you came up with some other ideas for your classroom. I will love to post them as well.